The top 10 contemporary homes in Toronto

Posted by Chris Bateman

The top contemporary homes in Toronto serve as a reminder that fans of modern architecture are spoiled for choice in this city. Take a stroll around neighbourhoods like Rosedale and Cedarvale (two areas with residents rich enough to hire a designer and build their own homes) will reveal a dramatic modular home that overlooks a steep ravine, a Mad Men-era mansion, a $30 million palace with a 150 seat concert venue, even a home that looks suspiciously like an iPhone.

Here are my picks for the top contemporary homes in Toronto.

194 Roxborough Drive - Integral House
No list of modern Toronto homes would be complete without a mention of the Integral House, concert violinist and mathematics whizz James Stewart's massive Rosedale mansion. It has five floors, a 150-person indoor music hall, numerous gadgets, and reportedly cost in the region of $30 million. The best features, however, are on the outside. The curving glass and wood exterior blends nicely with its bucolic surroundings.

18 Thelma Avenue (iPhone house)
Ever thought how great it would to live inside a house that looked sort of like a smartphone? It will cost you $3.2 million, but there is an option in Toronto. 18 Thelma Ave., just north of Spadina and St. Clair, is the iPhone house. Its glossy back exterior and window arrangement make the home look like a giant Apple product poking out of the ground.

95 Ardwold Gate - Richard G.W. Mauran House
One of Toronto classic single dwelling examples of modernist architecture, The Richard G.W. Mauran House at 95 Ardwold Gate was built in 1968 for the founder of restaurant chain Harvey's on the site of an Eaton family mansion. It still manages to look futuristic at almost 50.

207 Ava Road - Cedarvale Ravine House
A descendent of the Richard G. W. Mauran House, 207 Ava Road has a similar appearance to its 1960s counterpart, but with more glass. Built in 2012 out of impressive cantilevering blocks, this house features polished concrete floors and ceiling-height windows that look out over the Cedarvale Ravine.Architecture critic John Bentley Mays calls it "intelligent, deft and refined."

48 Heathdale Road
Another modern Cedarvale abode, 48 Heathdale Rd. appears relatively rustic compared to its stark neighbours. Exterior wood paneling, an earth-toned frame, and an uneven roof line lend the two-storey home, which was completed in 2005, a hint of nature. Like the Ravine House, below, 48 Heathdale appeared in the movie Chloe.

375 Shaw Street
The exterior of 375 Shaw St., located a short walk north of Trinity-Bellwoods Park, gives away little of the strangeness within. When it was last on the market in April this year, prospective buyers were no doubt confused by the substantial swimming pool that dominates the kitchen and living area. Step straight from the stove to the giant tub, if that's what you're in to.

40R Shaftesbury Avenue - The Laneway House
That any house has been built on a laneway in Toronto is something of a planning miracle, let alone one as aesthetically refined as the Superkül Inc. house. The former blacksmiths workshop on Shaftesbury Ave. has an exterior of artfully rusted metal, a little rooftop patio, and numerous skylights. Amazingly, the footprint is just 83.6 square metres. Perfect for fans of micro living.

24 Heathdale Road - Ravine House
The impressively sectional Ravine House is one of two homes on this list to have appeared in a Hollywood movie, Atom Egoyan's Chloe. The home, built overlooking the Cedarvale Ravine to designs by Drew Mandel Architects, looks like a space ship that could take off into the night sky at a moment's notice. Inside, the property is lined with mahogany panels and glass walls. There's even a rear terrace and "lookout pavilion."

22 Grange Ave - Pachter Residence
Artist and real estate speculator Charles Pachter's house on Grange Ave. stands out among its Victorian neighbours like a spacesuited Neil Armstrong would in a line of chimney sweeps. Built in 2005 in place of a funeral home, the combined residence, gallery, and studio space is a neighbourhood landmark. Pachter described in the Star as "clean, elegant and quiet ... it is an oasis. It's a joyful place -- a serious Pee-wee's Playhouse."

108 Crescent Road
It takes guts and determination to drop an modern home like 108 Crescent Rd. into a notoriously conservative Victorian neighbourhood like Rosedale. The two-storey brick and wood box wasn't easy to build; neighbourhood and city groups had to be convinced the home would respect its surroundings and, as a result, numerous nods were made to the Rosedale aesthetic, including dark wood cladding and several brick exteriors.

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30 INCREDIBLE SINKS YOU DON’T SEE EVERY DAY

We all want to be creative in our homes but often lack the ideas to make something unique. Have you ever thought about upgrading your bathroom sink into something really amazing? If the answer is yes, then you may well find some inspiration from this collection below. If the answer is no, then the chances are you'll probably change your mind when you see how incredible some of these designs are! Ranging from sleek and sophisticated to practical and eco-friendly, there's bound to be a design to suit every taste.

Water Spray Sink

Sesshu Design

Glass Trough Sink

Studioart

LED Sink

Antonio Lupi

Water Jewels Sink

VitrA

Transparent Sink

Lago

Wood Covered Sink

Rapsel

Cuboid Sink

Victor Vasilev

Calla Lilly Sink

Mastella Design

Chopping Board Sink

Philips

Kaleidoscope Glass Basin

OmVivo

Spoon Sink

Philip Watts Design

Water Stone Faucet Sink

Omer Sagiv

Blue Splash Sink

Catalano

Cristalplant Sink

Cristal Plant

Wing Sink

LDVC

Crashing Waves Sink

SVPPLY

Glass Side Sink

usTogether

Cascading Waterfall From Sink to Bath

Yanko Design

Bathtub and Washbasin Fusion

Freshome

Toilet and Sink Combined

Caroma

Sink and Toilet: Waste Water Saved for Flush

Roca

Marrakesh Design Sink

Kohler

Low Level Sink

VitrA

Water Map Sink

Julia Kononenko

Wooden Sink

PlavisDesign

Faucet-Less Sink

Moab80

Curved Sink

LG Hausys Hi-Macs

Glass Sink

Glassworks

Futuristic Wall Sink

Michael Harboun

Fish Bowl Sink

Yanlu

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http://www.awesomeinventions.com/amazing-sinks/

10 quirky things you might not know about Parkdale

Posted by Chris Bateman Like many neighbourhoods to the west, north, and east of downtown Toronto, Parkdale was once an independent village. The small community grew up west of the rail tracks, south of Brockton before it was annexed by the City of Toronto in 1889. Until construction of the Gardiner Expressway in the 1950s, the neighbourhood was particularly desirable for its proximity to the lakeshore and the summer amusements at Sunnyside.

Today, Parkdale is an unusual mix of low-income housing, attractive residential streets, and hipster bars, restaurants, and cafes. In 2012, faced with an influx of liquor license applications and concerns the fabric of Queen Street would be irrevocably harmed, the city placed a one-year moratorium on all new Parkdale "places of amusement." Now there's a cap on the number of restaurants and bars allowed on Queen St.

Here are 10 quirky things to know about Parkdale.

The earliest European settlement in the area was at present day southeast Parkdale
Before there was Fort York or a the associated Town of York, there was Fort Rouillé, a French trading post established in 1750. The little outpost was established by order of the governor of New France in the hope of strengthening the country's position in the Great Lakes. The fort was strategically located to trade with passing First Nations groups and was made up of five buildings protected by a wooden wall. It was destroyed in 1759, but a cairn on the CNE grounds marks its location.

Disneyland's King Arthur Carousel used to be a ride at Sunnyside
Before it was a fixture at Walt Disney's first theme park in Anaheim, Calif., the King Arthur Carousel was a popular ride at Toronto's summer playground, Sunnyside. When the park closed in 1955 the ride was sold and extensively refurbished by Disney. The ride was constructed by the carousel maker Dentzel in Philadelphia in 1922.

Roncesvalles is named after a tiny village in northern Spain
Colonel Walter O'Hara, an early landowner in the area of present day Parkdale, fought in the small Pyrenees town during the Peninsular War against Napoleon, write Leonard Gould and Allan Wise in their book Toronto Street Names. Sorauren Ave. got its name by the same means--it's also a village in the Pyrenees.

There used to be a railway station at Queen and Dufferin
North Parkdale station was located just south of the rail overpass at Dufferin and Queen. It was built in 1856 by the Ontario Simcoe and Huron Union Railroad Company, which was later absorbed into the Grand Trunk Railway, then Canadian National, and expanded in 1885. It remained in use until 1976 when it fell into disuse and was moved to Sunnyside where it was destroyed by fire in 1977.

There's a secret street off Cowan Ave.
Trenton Terrace is a little pedestrian lane that runs for a few metres off the west side of Cowan Ave., just north of Springhurst Ave. Ten workers' cottages, cheekily built facing south in 1883 in order to squeeze additional homes onto what was originally a single lot, are arranged in a row along the public laneway, each one with a small front porch and little backyard. The street is visually similar to the Wellesley Cottages in Cabbagetown.

And another one near Queen and Dufferin
Unlike Trenton Terrace, Melbourne Place is private, meaning the homeowners pay for the upkeep of the street and have the right to kick out unwanted visitors. The street, hidden between two houses on Melbourne St., was built in the style of an English mews. The brick homes are considerably more luxurious than the the wooden workers cottages mentioned above and some appear to retain their original gas lamps.

The first black Canadian doctor lived on Dowling Ave. and attended to Abraham Lincoln
Anderson Ruffin Abbott was born in Toronto in April, 1837. He trained at the Toronto School of Medicine, graduating in 1861, and worked as a surgeon in the U.S. army during the country's civil war. He became acquainted with president Abraham Lincoln and attended to him as he lay dying from gunshot wounds at the Petersen House in Washington D.C. in 1865. He was later presented with a shawl worn by Lincoln at his first inauguration by Mary Todd Lincoln. He died in Toronto in 1913 aged 76.

The Palais Royale used to swing to big band music
One of the few surviving pieces of Sunnyside amusement park with the Bathing Pavilion and the Gus Ryder Pool, the Palais Royale started life as a combined dance hall and boat factory. Under new owners after 1932, the lakeshore venue hosted big band performers such as Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Count Basie, Bert Niosi, and Duke Ellington. It was saved from demolition in the 1960s and has since been a venue for Echo & the Bunnymen, Blur, The Sadies, Blue Rodeo, Constantines, and the Rolling Stones.

Affordable housing protestors took over an apartment building in 2002
The availability of affordable housing has long been an issue in Toronto, especially in Parkdale, where in recent years rising rents have forced out low-income tenants. In 2002, protestors led by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty took over a building that was later dubbed the Pope Squat during a visit of Pope John Paul II. The squatters were removed three months later, but the action helped bring national attention to the local housing crisis.

The Gardiner Expressway erased entire streets in south Parkdale
When Toronto's downtown highway arrived in 1955, it ripped the heart out of Parkdale. The road required the demolition of much of Sunnyside amusement park and removed local access to the waterfront. South of the rail tracks, construction of the Gardiner and expansion of Lake Shore Blvd. erased numerous residential streets: winding Empress Cres., Dominion Ave., Starr Ave., Cliff Rd., and Laburnham Ave. More than 100 homes were also demolished.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

http://www.blogto.com/city/2014/11/10_quirky_things_you_might_not_know_about_parkdale/

11 of the Most Amazing and Unusual Homes You’ll Ever See

What is the most unusual home you have ever lived in? Many of us only know what it is like to live in stucco or brick buildings, with everyday walls, windows, and doors. But there are houses all over the planet that are far different from the traditional, offering a unique way of life, and a place to live that is just as much art as it is a home.
Here are 11 of the most amazing and unusual homes found all over the world.
1. Glass House In Tokyo 
Called the “House NA,” this glass house was designed by Sou Fujimoto Architects to let in a whole new level of natural light. Located on a populated street in Tokyo, Japan, the only thing this house is missing is some privacy. The 914 square foot home was built to be like a tree house with layers of living spaces built in throughout.



2. Waterfall Home 
There was not enough land to build a full home on this parcel, and so the architect designed a house built into the active waterfall on site. Located on Bear Run in Pennsylvania, this home is truly remarkable.

3. The Most Narrow House In The world, The Keret House
This home made the best it could out of a very small space. Squeezed between two buildings, the Keret house ranges between 92 and 152 CENTIMETERS in width!

Do you see it? It’s the small structure crammed between 2 much larger structures.


4. Boeing 727 Hotel In Costa Rica 
At one point in time this airplane flew people from South Africa to Columbia, but at the end of its career it ended up at the San Jose airport. Here it was purchased for $2,000 and recycled into a home located in Costa Rica.
The 2-bedroom domain has epic views of the ocean and surrounding gardens thanks to the long hallway adorned with endless windows–provided by the plane. It cost $4,000 to transport the plane to Costa Rica, at which point an additional $24,000 was spent in renovations to make the airplane feel like home.


5. The Hobbit House in Wales 
This house sure makes for some delightful photographs! Making it less of a surprise that a photographer is responsible for creating this house. With some help from his father-in-law, he was able to build this house using all natural materials and only $5,200. His goal was to create a living space that resembled the Lord of the Rings for he and his family to live, within 4-short months the dream was a reality.

See more houses built right into nature.
6. Brooklyn Clock Tower Home 
This is one unique, and pricey apartment located In Brooklyn’s Clock Tower building. The lavish 7,000 square foot pent house overlooks Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens offering up some of the most amazing views in all of New York City. Interested? The price tag reads $18 million dollars.

7. Flintstones House
Located in Malibu, California, this house is YABBA-DABBA-SWEEETT!!!


8. Slide House In Japan 
It may look like an ordinary, modern 3-story home with just over 1,700 square feet, but inside this house in Japan has a conventional staircase on one side of the home, and a not-so conventional slide you can alternatively use on the other side of the home.



9. Crocodile House- Ivory Coast 

10. Dumpster Home
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure–the old saying just went to a whole new level after you see this dumpster home. Gregory Kloehn is designer from California that turned an old dumpster into his Brooklyn home. It might be a ‘dump’ but he’s added all of the necessary ammentities to a good apartment, he’s got a microwave, mini-stove, some storage space, and even a tiny little toilette!
The best part according to Kloehn? “If you don’t like your neighbors, you can push it a block over.”



11. Home On The Rock 
Who needs a whole island when you can build a house right atop a rock?! This unique home is located in Serbia.

Photo Credits: Iwan Baan, domkereta, distractify, LEVEL Architects, BusinessInsider, reuters

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