A Run-Down 100-Year-Old Toronto Home is Transformed Into a Sun-Dappled Urban Oasis

The century home was gutted from top to bottom – new walls, insulation, plumbing and electric – and given a brand new face: a custom bay window and front door made from sapele, an African hardwood related to mahogany. The striking wood-and-glass entrance sets the tone for the rest of the house, which Phillips now describes as “open, light and bright.”

The original plan was to flip the house and sell it, but Phillips ended up opting to rent it out to tourists visiting Toronto instead. With the help of his husband, Nelson Sab, Phillips found ways to inject his own worldly travels into the interior design. The stately 10-foot-tall front door opens into the living room, where patterned cushions made from Kenyan fabric sit atop the couch. “All my pillows are made from textiles I collected from around the world,” Phillips explained.

The warm, red-and-yellow colour scheme is mirrored in two pieces of art on the walls, which Phillips – a former professional photographer – displayed in a 1989 exhibit aptly named “Colours.” It’s one of countless examples of the homeowner’s handiwork throughout the home.

The dining room table was once made of antique oak, but Phillips took off the top and replaced it with a chalky slab of carrara marble, imported from Italy.

The bright white tiled kitchen is tastefully accented with pops of orange, blue, yellow and lime green.

The bright, white tiled kitchen leads onto a cozy den, where weary visitors can unwind with a cup of tea and read a book under a fuzzy Hudson’s Bay blanket or simply take in the view of the backyard. In the summertime, the glass sliding door opens up onto a back patio, complete with a gas barbecue and parking pad. For environmentally conscious drivers, a Tesla charging station offers a convenient spot to juice up before day-tripping out of the city.

Vibrant colours are quietened on the second floor of the house, where earth tones and whites take over.

The master bedroom is highlighted by a masculine, mid-century wood chair and a muted pop of green and burnt orange from a Caribbean throw blanket. The gallery-style wall above the IKEA bed is possibly one of the most personal touches of the house, featuring photos of Phillips’ travels to Santorini, Turkey, Venice and London.

The house was designed with the intention of being rented to families, and the second bedroom has a childlike playfulness. The orange tartan carpet is a folk art piece from northern Quebec, which clashes cheekily with the bed’s striped duvet. Two blue bedside tables match the art on the wall, made by Sab’s mother.

If the house embodies a calm oasis from city life, its chilled-out centre can be found in the luxurious master bathroom. An ornate chandelier with candles hangs above the deep soaker tub. Phillips has a similar one in his own bathroom, from Venice, but this one he found in an antique shop in Toronto. A delicate white orchid is kept on the bathroom’s windowsill, and the heated tile floors lead out onto a private, north-facing balcony.

“That’s where you can sit and hear the kids playing the park, the recess bells going off. You’d never know you’re right beside Queen Street,” Phillips said.

What began as an investment property has become something much more personal for Phillips. He greets every guest himself and always enjoys seeing their reactions when they first step inside. “They’re always elated to walk into the property. They’re just so thrilled that this is where they’re staying.”