Cabbagetown reimagining at a hefty pricetag

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When Alain Saumur first laid eyes upon the Victorian home in Toronto’s Cabbagetown neighbourhood, “Eighties Spectacular” was the theme that came to mind.

Mr. Saumur and Neil Modi were looking for more storage in what would be their second Cabbagetown home. Despite the somewhat outdated interior decor, this home showed potential.

Parking, nearby green space, proximity to shops and services and an impressively manicured lawn were among the features that drew them in.

“We didn’t quite know exactly what the history of the house was, but it did have some nice features to it that we learned more about later, like a really large spiralling staircase that went right through the middle of it,” Mr. Modi said.

Since purchasing the home in 2017, Mr. Modi said its raucous history has increasingly come to light through his own research and the memories of visitors. Once, he said a colleague of Mr. Saumur’s visited and recounted a time when she was younger and had been invited to a wild party at the home, which featured liberal substance-use and themes of sexual freedom.

That once prominent spiral staircase has now vanished from the home’s interior, along with, quite literally, everything else that was there when Mr. Modi and Mr. Saumur first purchased it.

“It was actually a lot less costly to gut the whole thing and start new and get even more out of the house,” Mr. Saumur said. “We felt comfortable doing that since there was really nothing left of historical value inside.”

Working with architectural designer David R. Smith, the homeowners completely reimagined the home in a renovation that they estimate cost more than $1.5-million. At one point, the house was little but a few walls standing with some joists and bracing inside.

While their efforts inside the home were focused on modernization, restoring the home’s Victorian façade was important to Mr. Modi and Mr. Saumur. They refurbished the front porch and sought neighbourly opinions on the particular colour of brick they should use.

“We tried different colour combinations and left them out front for passersby to give us their two cents,” Mr. Modi said. “This is Cabbagetown and if you put anything on display, people will make it their business to tell you what they think.”

In 2023, the home was recognized by the Cabbagetown Preservation Association and given the Peggy Kurtin Award for Excellence in Restoration.

Over the years, the home’s suitability for hosting big soirees has persisted. “This house is designed for people that like to entertain and have catered parties,” Mr. Modi said.

In the chef’s-calibre kitchen, a suite of Fisher and Paykel appliances include a convection steam oven and a Thermador range. There’s another fully equipped kitchen in the lower level that features a wall oven, convection steam oven and induction range.

From the basement, caterers, guests or tenants can take an exterior staircase to get to the home’s secluded backyard where ample seating awaits them, enveloped by rows of mature growth cedars on either side. The house is on a double lot, Mr. Modi explained, meaning the backyard is especially spacious.

“It feels like you’re sitting in a park or a little forest, you have no idea that you’re right smack downtown,” he said.

During one of Toronto’s torrential downpours this summer, Mr. Modi said he was exercising in his garage when he looked up and was stunned to see his entire rear yard had been taken over by red robins seeking refuge from the storm.

“I will admit, it was a little creepy,” he said. “But it was really interesting to see that they had mistook it for some sort of forest.”

In the home’s principal bedroom on the third floor, Mr. Modi said he often wakes up to birdsong in the warmer months. He describes the floor’s layout as akin to a European palace, where all the rooms flow into one another and there’s a clear view from one side of the house to the other.

“You have to walk through each space to get to the next. That was very intentional because the ceiling height is insane, and we wanted it to have a very unique, timeless feel, even though we were going for something modern,” Mr. Modi said.

Little luxurious focal points sprinkled throughout the home offer guests a sense of wonderment as they walk through, Mr. Modi said.

One feature he’s particularly proud of is the butler bar tucked away on the first floor, which he said he sought inspiration for from a “fancy handbag.”

“When it comes into vision, you’re like ‘Oh wow, look at that shimmering, gold, metallic tile’ and with the lights on the shelves lit, it really comes across like a bejewelled piece of jewellery.”

The home at 274 Carlton St. is now up for sale with agent Andres Rivadeneira of Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd., with an asking price of $3,898,000.