15 Scarth Rd., Toronto.
The listing: 15 Scarth Rd., unit 4, Toronto
Asking price: $3,650,000
Taxes: $11,069.36 (2018)
Monthly maintenance fee: $1,521.29
Agents: Elise Kalles, Donna Thompson, Nick Thompson (Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd.)
The back story
The Victorian-era mansion at 15 Scarth Rd. in Rosedale was already divided into four units when Andrea Jackson purchased it with her mother, Erin, and sister, Sara.
The mother-and-two-daughters team bought the property from Brazil-based owners who rented out the four units. The building on a quiet cul-de-sac had already been granted legal status as a condominium but had never operated as one, Andrea Jackson says.
The Jacksons had the condo regulations and bylaws amended to suit the current configuration, but most of the hard slogging was done by the previous legal team, she explains.
The Jacksons hired Tara Fingold Interiors Inc. to help with a back-to-the-studs renovation that created new floor plans for three of the four units. (The main floor unit was purchased as a raw space before the work began.)
The interior of suite four. Each unit is designed to have its own character.
The building has new windows, electrical wiring and heating and cooling systems throughout.
Each unit is designed to feel private, with its own character.
“It was never the intention for it to feel like a large condo project,” Ms. Jackson says.
Restoration of the façade was carried out under the aegis of the South Rosedale Heritage Conservation District in order to preserve the Victorian architecture.
The large backyard will be a common area where people and dogs can relax in the pet-friendly building. Ms. Jackson says residents will also be able to reserve the backyard for private gatherings and festivities.
“If they all wanted to build a pool out there they could, but they all have to agree,” Ms. Jackson says.
Residents will be able to reserve the backyard for private gatherings.
The heritage home’s red-brick coach house and rear laneway have been reconfigured to provide parking and storage for each unit.
Donna Thompson of Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd. says many downsizers from the neighbourhood have been looking at the units. Families with children who attend Branksome Hall, Rosedale Junior Public School and other nearby schools have also been interested.
The “Parisian Flat” (for sale at $3.2-million) provides 2,385-square-feet of living space and such Saint-Germain-des-Prés influences as brass accents and white marble in the kitchen, and wrought-iron railings on the balconies.
Suite four’s kitchen has high-gloss cabinets and wood accents.
The contemporary “London Flat” (for sale at $2.9-million) provides 3,345 square feet of interior space with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a conservatory and a garden-level terrace.
Designer Tara Fingold points out the brick in the conservatory was carefully cleaned and repaired. Sometimes, it’s easier to add drywall and just keep going, she says, but the team wanted to preserve as many of the home’s original features as possible.
“That’s what took so much time,” Ms. Fingold says. “The restoration process was painstakingly slow.
The New York Penthouse
The group dubbed the two-storey top-level unit the “New York Penthouse” for its 2,710-square-feet of interior space and the expansive rooftop terrace.
One of the home’s original staircases leads to the third-floor entrance of the penthouse. Workers are currently putting the finishing touches on an elevator that will rise to the Parisian and New York units.
Inside, unit four has two bedrooms and two bathrooms on the main level.
The open living and dining area has a fireplace and French doors opening to a balcony at treetop level.
French doors open to a balcony in suite four.
The modern kitchen has appliances hidden inside floor-to-ceiling cabinets with a mix of high-gloss white doors and distressed wood. The peninsula provides informal seating at the breakfast bar. The adjacent family room is a casual place to relax.
Ms. Fingold points out that the sloping rooflines were preserved in the master bedroom and ensuite bathroom at the front of the house.
The bedroom also has skylights, which bring light into the sitting area.
The second bedroom has an ensuite bathroom with a free-standing tub and a marble shower enclosed in glass.
The upper level has a door leading to the rooftop and two rooms, which could serve a multitude of uses, including as a bar area, home office, study or additional bedrooms.
“They’re not officially bedrooms because they don’t have closets, but they could be sleeping quarters,” Ms. Fingold says.
The best feature
The rooftop terrace is partly covered.
The 1,040-square-foot rooftop terrace has a cedar deck that is partly covered to provide space to lounge in sun or shade. Residents face the Toronto skyline to the south and towering trees to the north.
“You get the city view and the forest view,” Erin Jackson says.
Carolyn Ireland