30
Mar

House of the Week: $1.8 million for an updated Beaches home with an unusual layout

Address: 22 Hammersmith Avenue
Neighbourhood: The Beaches
Agent: Alex Brott and Heather Hadden, Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, Brokerage
Price: $1,799,000

The place: A four-bedroom, three-bathroom home with a chic interior, steps from the beach and Kew Gardens.

The history: A top-to-bottom renovation seven years ago modernized the interior. Among the additions: a gas fireplace in the living room, a new kitchen (including appliances and custom cabinetry) on the second floor, and eco-friendly bamboo floors throughout the home.

Big selling point: Forgetting the fact that this home is only seconds (okay, minutes for the slow walkers) away from the beach and all the fun it has to offer, the first-floor den, with built-in shelving, looks like an incredibly comfy place to while away a weekend afternoon reading.

Possible deal breaker: The open shelving in the kitchen is very on-trend (even seven years after the remodel), but the idea of cleaning all the dust and grime that can accumulate in such a high-traffic area of the house is decidedly less glamourous.

By the numbers:

• $1,799,000
• $7,075 (2015 taxes)
• 2,236 square feet (plus 1,118 square feet below grade)
• 110 metres to the boardwalk
• 4 bedrooms
• 3 bathrooms
• 1 gas fireplace

(Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media) (Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media)
 

The layout here is a little odd: the ground floor consists of a living room and two bedrooms. The kitchen and dining area are upstairs.

(Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media) (Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media)
 

Also on the ground floor: a small, shelf-lined den.

(Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media) (Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media)
 

Here’s one of the ground-floor bedrooms.

(Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media) (Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media)
 

Another ground-floor bedroom.

(Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media) (Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media)
 

The two bedrooms share this bathroom.

(Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media) (Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media)
 

The exposed brick by the stairway gives the interior a loft-like feel.

(Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media) (Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media)
 

Here’s the second-floor dining area. The unusual curved ceilings catch the eye.

(Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media) (Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media)
 

Most of the interior renovations were done seven years ago, but the kitchen still looks sharp.

(Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media) (Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media)
 

Beside the kitchen is the family room. Those doors lead to a terrace.

(Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media) (Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media)
 

The master bedroom is also on the second floor. It has its own balcony.

(Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media) (Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media)
 

The master ensuite.

(Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media) (Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media)
 

And here’s the view from the balcony.

(Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media) (Image: Rob Holowka/Birdhouse Media)
 

The basement is finished.