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Tripling the size of this 1950s bungalow brought it up to modern day needs BY Diane Tierney PHOTOS COURTESY North Star Building Group Being able to see the potential of a home involves both creative vision and practical experience especially for a small home. Taylor Tollefson saw potential in a Toronto 1950s bungalow even though it was only 800 square feet on the main floor. So with a plan to triple its size he looked down, and then up, and knew he could go in both directions. He figured he could add about 1,500 square feet by expanding the basement and if he tore the roof off, he could add a second storey of 720 feet. That would make the home a total of 2,400 square feet and bring it up to modernday needs. Tollefson, president of his own general contracting firm called North Star Building Group in Toronto says, "The original size was very common for that neighbourhood back then, but it doesn't do so well for today's homeowners so we tore it down leaving only 50 per cent of the exterior main floor walls and the foundation. To prepare for the renovations, with HOMESANDCOTTAGES.COM 57
ABOVE The kitchen is open to the living area for openconcept style. RIGHT Every opportunity of storage space was used, including under the staircase. 58 CANADIAN HOMES & COTTAGES
TOP The dining room shows off the attractive herringbone pattern of the hardwood flooring. BOTTOM RIGHT A glass railing on the staircase allows views through the house from front to back which added to the open-concept look and feel. the intent to sell the home eventually, the first step was to get a large demolition bin to the 25 96-foot site. The ability to see the structure completely uncovered allowed for a better understanding of potential complications and the ability to plan for those events. The process of lowering the basement was a challenge all of its own. "The soil is very sandy here which is great for excavating, but terrible for building on. So we had an engineer on site, or on call, for whenever we needed advice and an approval for city permits," Tollefsond says. "That was costly, but necessary. The basement ceiling was only six-feet high, so they dug down through the half-inch slab of concrete to allow for 8 1/2-foot ceiling heights. The space was enlarged to become an 18 22-foot media room, bedroom, full bathroom, mechanical room and ample storage room for seasonal items. A walkout to the backyard was also created since a separate entrance could come in handy in the future for an in-law suite, teenager's space, or rental opportunity. "We installed a large beam in the floor of the main level at the back of the house so a large window could be installed in the basement to bring as much light in as possible. This makes the basement feel larger and more comfortable Tollefson says. Additionally, one major change was moving all service and mechanical equipment to the opposite corner of the house allowing for complete design control of the room layout and bulkheads to create minimal disruption. HOMESANDCOTTAGES.COM 59
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LEFT In the master bedroom, the window captures attention thanks to the black frame. BELOW Simple, space-saving elements are features of the bathroom. The main floor was gutted and an open concept style created to visually enlarge the space. The dining room is at the front of the house near the front door. A powder room was created, as well as a large closet for clothes and a utilities closet. The kitchen is at the back of the home. "The staircase is an architectural detail on the main floor that I'm quite proud of. The white oak open stringer and steps match the white oak herringbone floors throughout. The glass railing provides a view all the way through the house from front to back which added to the open concept look and feel. The black bannister and hardware were used to complement the rest of the hardware used throughout the house, as well as match the black aluminum framed windows and black front door, Tollefson says. The kitchen (less appliances) cost about $40,000 which included the cabinets and Caesarstone countertops. It offers seating barstools can be tucked underneath the three-foot overhang. The same matching stone rolls up the wall as a backsplash. "The black cabinetry in the island with white cabinetry for the rest of the kitchen provides a contrast and makes the space interesting," Tollefson says. There are three bedrooms upstairs. The master bedroom has its own en suite a three-piece bathroom with a space-saving barn door. There are two more bedrooms upstairs with a secondary main bathroom that has a bathtub. "To save space we installed wall-hung toilets and vanities due to the tighter dimension. If I can save eight inches by installing a wall-hung toilet, it's worth it," Tollefson says. The HOMESANDCOTTAGES.COM 61
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FRONT The front exterior features siding for a conservative look to fit in with the neighbourhood. Roof Redo The soffit and gable at the front is pure copper which embodies a more traditional look and the flat roof adds to the modern style. "We spray foamed the roof so that no venting is required. It's a little more costly, but provides greater heat gain in winter and cooling in summer. It's also a far superior building practice compared to traditional methods," Tollefson says. HOMESANDCOTTAGES.COM 63
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LEFT The garage is shared with the neighbour which saved space and building costs. BOTTOM The rear exterior has a combination of siding and stucco for a modern look. The back exterior looks super modern but I didn't feel that was right for the front based on the more traditional neighbourhood laundry room is also upstairs for added convenience. The garage in the backyard is double sized, but it is shared with the neighbour who owns half. "The neighbour is an architect and wanted a garage too, so we had it built for both our homes. He did the plans, and handled zoning permits. I removed the trees and we split the cost of the construction," Tollefson says. The front exterior of the home features James Hardie cement fibre siding and the back of the home is a combination of stucco and aluminum siding. Tollefson says, "The back exterior looks super modern but I didn't feel that was right for the front based on the more traditional neighbourhood, so the front was designed with that in mind. Some of the neighbouring houses are clad entirely in stucco which I feel make the houses look cheap and dated. I wanted to incorporate different building materials to create a cohesive look, but not already seen in the neighbourhood. He says he likely spent a bit more than he needed to on this renovation. "I had to sometimes step back as a builder to make decisions, as opposed to a lover of design and wanting to create. So I may have put more into this renovation than what I needed to. But I notice more things than what regular buyers might and I sometimes got caught up on small details that I wanted to do to ensure a quality build," he says. HOMESANDCOTTAGES.COM 65