409 BLOOR ST. E., PENTHOUSE ONE, TORONTO
Asking price: $2,425,000
Taxes: $13,397.36 (2014)
Monthly maintenance: $3,921.85
Unit size: 4,800 square feet
Agent: Alan Dudeck, sales representative, Sutton Group – Associates Realty Inc., brokerage
Bloor and Sherbourne is an interesting intersection: Many wouldn’t consider it as “prime” as Bloor and Yonge. And even fewer would expect to find spacious, luxurious penthouse condos located 12 stories above a Tim Hortons.
“It’s such a hidden gem,” professional interior designer Enid MacIntosh said about Penthouse One, which is inside 409 Bloor St. E.
And it’s perched from the unit that you can truly appreciate the intersection.
The back story
“The mix in this neighbourhood is incredible,” said agent Alan Dudeck. “Not just in terms of demographics, but also with respect to building heights.”
From the penthouse, you can see not just the towering social housing complexes of St. James Town to the south, but the century-old duplexes that shoulder them. To the north, there are the million-plus manors of Rosedale. And to the east, you can see how the Bloor Viaduct curves and unfurls into Riverdale and East York.
All of this mix stretches out from the intersection and Penthouse One shows it all off.
One of the reasons why few people know about this unit is because the building is recessed from Bloor Street East.
“This building respects the neighbourhood by being set back from the street. It’s not intrusive,” Mr. Dudeck said.
Built on top of a 1928 storefront (originally the home of Hooper’s Drug Store, now of a bustling Tim Hortons), the condominium was constructed in the early 1990s.
Enid MacIntosh was brought in by Mr. Dudeck to refresh Penthouse One. “The space really spoke to me,” she said – although, its décor, not so much.
The unit was covered in a “dreadful yellow,” reminiscent of buttercups. And it wasn’t just the walls. It was shellacked onto the sculptural steel staircase that winds up to the second level from the living room-dining room.
“It was the total opposite of what that space needed,” Ms. MacIntosh said.
So she went about adding a dose of drama. “I wanted to create a strong statement with the black and white scheme. I knew the space could take it because of its volume.”
At 4,800 square foot, it is the largest of the three penthouses in 409 Bloor St. E. It also boasts three levels. On the first, you’ll find an open kitchen, a study, a reception room and a 63-foot-long living and dining room.
On the second floor, the entire eastern wing occupies the master suite. On the western end, there is a second bedroom and another open space, which was used as a gym by a previous owner but could also be transformed into an office.
On the third floor is what Mr. Dudeck calls the “atrium.” It’s a nonagonal glass room that has access to a sprawling rooftop patio, complete with a gas hook-up for a barbecue.
“Just in terms of the straight volume and flow of this space – you won’t find it anywhere else,” Mr. Dudeck said.
Over its 20-year existence, the space has experienced change. A previous owner gave it a complete renovation and Mr. Dudeck’s client has made improvements throughout, including the mechanical systems, floors and the bathrooms.
Under Ms. MacIntosh’s tasteful eye, the yellow walls were brought back to white. She chose a gun-metal grey to make certain elements pop, such as the corkscrew staircase. All of the light in the unit contrasts with the warm but dark hardwood and black carpeting.
“Enid really helped define the big-picture feel of this unit,” Mr. Dudeck said.
Favourite spaces
Given its size, it’s easy to have more than one “favourite space.” Ms. MacIntosh, for one, enjoys the atrium. “That is my favourite space. Who has an unimpended, three-sided view like that,” she said.
The view is also what Mr. Dudeck truly appreciates about the home.
“Looking out at the north, south and east views doesn’t just say something about this building, it says something about our city,” he said. “I think if you wanted to show off the city, I would bring someone here.”
But if there was a proper room that stands out in Penthouse One, it’s undoubtedly the master suite, which has more than 350 square feet of space. In it, you’ll find a gas fireplace, his and her closets, a sitting room and two bathrooms.
“I like the fact that there is a his-and-her closet and a his-and-her bathroom,” said Ms. MacIntosh. “Plus, the sauna. Wow.”
Over all, what Ms. MacIntosh and Mr. Dudeck enjoy about the large penthouse is that it’s proportioned well, making each area relaxed and inviting.
“I think designers today have forgotten about what it means to be comfortable in a space,” Ms. MacIntosh said. “But this unit … it just feels right.”