LISTING 169 Fern Ave., Toronto
ASKING PRICE: $1,298,000
TAXES: $4,986.54 (2017)
LOT SIZE: 17.33 ft. x 116.62 ft.
LISTING AGENT: Theodore Babiak, Broker, and Jamie Coghlan, Sales Representative, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage
Stefan Sybydlo knows a thing or two about kitchens. In the 12 years since he opened Bulthaup Toronto Inc., a showroom for the German-based design house that focuses on kitchens and living spaces, Mr. Sybydlo and his team have created over 1,300 mockups for potential clients. But number 79 is special.
The drawing shows an L-shape kitchen that fits snuggly at the back of a west-end Toronto semi-detached home. The cabinets are sleek, the counter space is plentiful and the appliances are modestly sized.
"The kitchen is the centrepoint of life in the house," said Mr. Sybydlo, explaining why it is important to make sure the design fits the house and the owners' lives.
And he happens to know that kitchen design number 79 did fit those criteria because that drawing eventually became the kitchen in his own Roncesvalles home.
When Mr. Sybydlo bought the house in 2006, it had been untouched since 1942 when the previous owner had purchased it.
The back story
Mr. Sybydlo first came across 169 Fern Ave. back in 2004 when he was renting a house on nearby Garden Avenue. He and his spouse at the time had moved back to Canada from the U.K. in order to open up Bulthaup. After getting a car, he started to look for a garage in the neighbourhood that he could rent.
The 96-year-old owner of 169 Fern ended up leasing his garage to Mr. Sybydlo and a few years later, the previous owner was moved into care and his daughter let Mr. Sybydlo know the home was for sale. Soon after, in 2006, he purchased the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home.
"[The former owner] had bought the house in 1942, so we bought a house that had been basically untouched since then," said Mr. Sybydlo, noting that it has some features that he knew he wanted to change, like the outdated kitchen and the carpeting. But most of all he wanted to change the colour palette.
The first set of renovations centred around bringing more light into the house.
"From top to bottom it was painted hospital green," he said. It's a colour somewhere between lime green and forest green, close in shade to the soft green of mashed peas.
"The hardest thing in the reno was to stop getting that hospital green from coming through the [white] paint," Mr. Sybydlo joked
Along with painting, the first set of renovations centred around bring more light into the house by replacing and adding windows, as well as updating the kitchen and the upstairs bathroom.
The kitchen has seen one of the biggest transformations. Mr. Sybydlo and his then partner Antje Bulthaup, an architect registered in Britain, tore down an old addition and added an east-facing window to the kitchen. They also cut out a chunk of the half wall that separates the kitchen from the dining space, to bring more light into the centre of the home.
An east-facing window was added to the kitchen and a half wall was torn down.
Along with new countertops, cabinets and appliances, Mr. Sybydlo's kitchen also features a fold-over table that lines up with the window above it.
"The foldover table allows a huge amount of countertop space and then the hanging credenza [underneath it] allows for some decorative and storage space," he said.
The kitchen also features Miele appliances, including a skinny fridge that lends itself to frequent shopping, rather than big buys to stock up for weeks, which Mr. Sybydlo says is no problem given that he steps away from bakeries, fruit and vegetable stands, butchers and a grocery store on Roncesvalles Avenue.
"It's easy living over here … there's a lot right at your doorstep," said real estate agent Jamie Coghlan.
Mr. Sybydlo had to repaint all the walls, which were a shade of ‘mashed peas’ green.
The amenities of the neighbourhood, plus its proximity to transit and Mr. Sybydlo's work on 169 Fern Ave. have all played a park in how Mr. Coghlan and Theodore Babiak, the broker for the listing, determined an asking price for the home.
"It's in part based on what has been happening in the last few months but we also went looked back to where the market was last year," said Mr. Babiak.
He also said that the quality of the renovation – including the custom Bulthaup kitchen and other European finishes – have helped make this property a standout in the neighbourhood.
Favourite features
The other part of the house that saw a major transformation and has become Mr. Sybydlo's favourite space is the basement. He decided to renovate that five years ago. It features a small bedroom, full bathroom and a 'man cave' television room, that has a panelled hardwood wall running up on side and a strip of lighting along the floor.
"The wooden wall [in the basement] gives the space a cozier, alpine feeling," said Mr. Sybydlo. "It's the most comfortable space in the house. In the summer it's cool and in the winter it's the warmest."
The wooden wall gives the space a ‘cozier’ feeling, says Mr. Sybydlo.
Mr.
Coghlan pointed out that even in the basement bathroom, Mr. Sybydlo opted for high-end finishes, including its linear drain and hanging toilet.
"Over all it's a great use of space," said Mr. Coghlan, adding that it's rare that he gets to boast about a home's basement.
But for Mr. Babiak the standout feature of the home is its kitchen.
"It functions more than just a place to eat and prepare food," he said. "You can rule the world from that counter."
And while Mr. Sybydlo is sad to leave kitchen No. 79, he is excited to buy a new home and experiment with it.
"I'm looking forward to showing what is possible in a Toronto home if you think outside the norm."
Editor's note: The asking price for this home was changed after publication. This online version has been corrected.