911 Davenport Road, Toronto

Facing Hillcrest Park, this vintage 1928 brick building was built as a shop with an apartment on the second floor. It was used as such for many years, more recently having served as an artists live/work space, gallery and interior design & architectural offices. The ground floor and basement space, renovated in 2017, was designed to be functional as both a working or a living space. The main level has glazing facing both north and south with a custom window seat in the storefront. The original patterned tin ceiling and crown moulding, nine feet overhead, has been preserved. A sliding barn-type door separates the rear room from the main space. A back door leads to a landscaped south-facing garden and the detached concrete block garage, accessed via a laneway. The basement has been renovated with a loft-like aesthetic, with its exposed white-painted joists and concrete floor. Large windows to the rear garden keep the space bright and cheerful. There are two renovated bathrooms, one with a sunken shower. Plumbing for laundry facilities is provided in the storage area under the stairs. The gas hot water heater was replaced in 2021, the high-efficiency furnace a few years prior to this. The second floor was renovated in 2017 by Niche Design, the interior design firm that is there today. A separate heat pump system allows for independent control of second floor heating and cooling. Niche Design would be pleased to continue to rent the space. Photos show the space furnished; it is currently vacant. Although last used commercially, the ground floor and basement would work very well as a loft-style residential unit.