9A CASIMIR ST., TORONTO
Asking Price: $1,550,000
Taxes: $5,577.32 (2014)
Lot Size: 14 by 105 feet
Agent: David Oey, Salesperson, Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage
Peter Vernon remembers the first time he walked up Casimir Street to see the converted warehouse that was for sale.
“I remember thinking, ‘I don’t see any warehouses,’” he said. “And the agent hadn’t seen the property so when we got to the end of the driveway we both started laughing. To me, it looked like a hobbit’s home.”
That’s because from the street – and Casimir looks more like an alley than it does your typical residential road – 9A Casimir St. is diminutive. The front of the home is only 14 feet wide and the front door is down a few steps, so from street level it looks to be about four feet tall.
But, as soon as you step in, you can see that the home is full of surprises.
The back story
9A Casimir St. started off its life more than 100 years ago as a pickle factory, sitting steps away from the heart of Kensington Market. Then it was converted into a rooming house, and around 2000, it was turned into a single family detached home, with about 4,000 square feet of space.
There are three distinct levels to the home now. And they are all tied together by some thematic rustic and industrial design features such as the exposed wood joists, brick walls, a rear entrance made of two metal doors or thick cement countertops in the kitchen.
The first level of the home is the basement, half of which is actually above ground. When Mr. Vernon bought the home seven years ago, the lower level was one big space that the previous owner was using as a photography studio. He installed some walls, creating two bedrooms and a second family room to join the three-piece bathroom, a laundry room and an office that were already there. The finished product was an entire floor that his two teenaged kids could live on.
The first floor has a vastly different feeling in terms of its flavour from the modern, master suite on the third floor and the open-concept second floor.
“For me, the flow makes this space feel so warm,” said Mr. Vernon. “It’s very different and it’s not for everybody. I knew that when I bought it.”
For example, Mr. Vernon understands the layout of the home won’t work for all families.
“If you’ve got young kids, you won’t want to have them sleeping two floors down from you,” he said.
But he says when he first toured the home, he knew it worked for him and fit his list, which included an interesting downtown home with no backyard, open space, high ceilings and enough room for his kids.
Even his daughter, who was 11 at the time, saw the cool factor of the home right away. “You could have some great parties here, dad,” Mr. Vernon remembers her saying.
Favourite features
And without a doubt, the best place to have a party in 9A Casimir is on the second floor in the kitchen and living room space. It’s an open-concept layout that presents about 1,500 square feet – making it bigger than most one-bedroom condos – for cooking, eating and socializing.
The focal point of the space is a 16-foot kitchen island with a cement countertop.
“It doesn’t matter if I’ve got four people here or 40, this is where [the entertaining] happens,” said Mr. Vernon, leaning on the island.
“This space is my favourite space. It’s just a very cool, urban space,” said salesperson David Oey, pointing out the exposed joists above the living room and the old, exposed brick walls (both originals from the factory days) and the high ceilings that range from 13- to 15-feet.
The other space that wows most people is the master suite, which is also open concept. The only door in the space is a pocket door to provide privacy while on the toilet. The bathroom also features a sunken tub and a separate shower stall.
The bed itself lies under a gold-trimmed chandelier and faces three walls of windows. From there, you can walk out onto a large rooftop deck that sits just above the rest of the homes in the neighbourhood.
“It’s rare to find a rooftop master that overlooks a skyline of the city,” said Mr. Oey.
But that’s not the only thing that makes this home distinctive.
“It’s an authentic factory conversion that’s single family and that’s a tough thing to find in this city,” added Mr. Oey.
Especially one in such a central location and that has been maintained for over a century.
“Everybody who comes in goes ‘Wow,’” said Mr. Vernon. “And that’s because it really is a different, unique space.”