Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: The Case of the Disappearing Clutter in Toronto
With two young children, it's no mystery why this minimalist-leaning Canadian couple renovated with plenty of sleek storage
Architect Tony Round admits that there's nothing romantic about a home renovation, especially if you're an architect. "I renovated with my wife, who is also an architect — you could say that that was one of the biggest challenges that we faced," says Round with a laugh. He and his wife, Andrea Kordos, worked steadily on their semidetached, multilevel home in Toronto for almost five years, shaping it into a space that works for the way their family lives.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Tony Round, Andrea Kordos and their 2 children
Location: Toronto
Size: 1,850 square feet
Year built: 1908
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Tony Round, Andrea Kordos and their 2 children
Location: Toronto
Size: 1,850 square feet
Year built: 1908
Family meals, homework, laptop sessions for work or fun, Lego building and craftmaking all happen on the kitchen table, which is attached to the kitchen island to form a long, central workspace. Across from this command post, Ikea cabinets make up a long banquette. The upholstered benches provide storage and seating.
Modern Eglo pendants light the dining table and kitchen island. Honey-brown floor-to-ceiling, flat-panel cabinetry lends the mostly white, minimalist space a warm feel and helps bring out the cedar door trim.
The cabinets provide enough space for a coffee maker and other kitchen essentials, corralling visual clutter and freeing up table and countertop space. "We're just like every family; we have stuff. But because our kitchen is really our only open living space, we try not to have too many things lying around," says Round.
Chairs: Eames
The cabinets provide enough space for a coffee maker and other kitchen essentials, corralling visual clutter and freeing up table and countertop space. "We're just like every family; we have stuff. But because our kitchen is really our only open living space, we try not to have too many things lying around," says Round.
Chairs: Eames
Round and Kordos realized that the kitchen area worked best without any cabinets above the cooktop. "Upper cabinets would've divided the space a bit too much, and we liked the open feel of the area. But we still had this blank wall that needed something," says Round.
The couple decided on a faux mosaic made of tape, paint and, according to Round, "lots of patience" when it came to both cutting and peeling off the tape. Soon, their evening craft project snowballed into a bigger art installation.
They eventually plan to tile the walls, but for now, the faux mosaic adds just the right amount of visual interest to their main living space.
The couple decided on a faux mosaic made of tape, paint and, according to Round, "lots of patience" when it came to both cutting and peeling off the tape. Soon, their evening craft project snowballed into a bigger art installation.
They eventually plan to tile the walls, but for now, the faux mosaic adds just the right amount of visual interest to their main living space.
"It was pretty important for us to have a connection with the deck and our backyard from inside the home," says Round. "The lift-and-slide doors have made such a big difference in the way we experience living in the house. They're also functional; even the kids can open and close the doors with ease."
He installed the doors on the west side of the house, so the afternoon light warms and floods the space — even in the dead of winter.
He installed the doors on the west side of the house, so the afternoon light warms and floods the space — even in the dead of winter.
On a day-to-day basis, the house doesn't look as collected and minimalist as it does in these photos. "Our ethos is more about having places to put stuff when company is coming. But above all else, we're aiming to create a comfortable, livable space for our entire family," Round says.
The banquette cushion covers, a custom job, are removable and washable. "The kids doodle on the covers, so we've already had to take advantage of its machine-washable feature on a couple occasions," he says.
One thing that you don't find too much of in this home is decor. "Outside of the kids' rooms, anything that you might typically call decor is integrated within the space," says Round.
Banquette cushions: Ideal Sofa
The banquette cushion covers, a custom job, are removable and washable. "The kids doodle on the covers, so we've already had to take advantage of its machine-washable feature on a couple occasions," he says.
One thing that you don't find too much of in this home is decor. "Outside of the kids' rooms, anything that you might typically call decor is integrated within the space," says Round.
Banquette cushions: Ideal Sofa
A sturdy, weatherproof ipe deck and a cedar-slatted fence add visual interest to the backyard; the fencing also creates a translucent privacy screen. It’s a great outdoor play area for the kids.
Wide steps going up to the deck double as seating when guests are around. "We like that our kids can spend time outdoors and we can see them from the kitchen. We have this intimate connection with our surroundings," says Round.
Round and Kordos built the coffee table from a light table 10 years ago, creating its shape by building up a stack of staggered strips of plywood and attacking it with a power planer and belt sander until it was smooth. While it looks like a solid stack of baltic birch plywood, its inside is hollow and ringed by fluorescent lights — perfect for the tracing paper work of these two architects.
The couple recently gave the table an update because it was looking a little tired after numerous spills, being dragged across provinces as the couple moved to different cities, and more recently what Round notes as "the effect of kids." The couple sanded off the finish and reveneered the top with white ash.
"After applying a natural oil finish, we're hoping it's ready for another 10 years," says Round.
Sofa: Visitor Parking
The couple recently gave the table an update because it was looking a little tired after numerous spills, being dragged across provinces as the couple moved to different cities, and more recently what Round notes as "the effect of kids." The couple sanded off the finish and reveneered the top with white ash.
"After applying a natural oil finish, we're hoping it's ready for another 10 years," says Round.
Sofa: Visitor Parking
This white oak vanity is custom made; the acrylic sink fits perfectly on it. The mirror reflects a glass tile mosaic on the opposite wall, doubling its visual effect.
The couple's son occupies one of three rooms on the second floor, just down the hall from his sister's room and the master bedroom.
Playful touches fit for a toddler include a vintage desk and chair set, whimsical wall art and a horse rocker. "No matter how much storage we have upstairs, the kids' toys always creep into the kitchen and dining area somehow. It's just the nature of having kids," Round says.
Playful touches fit for a toddler include a vintage desk and chair set, whimsical wall art and a horse rocker. "No matter how much storage we have upstairs, the kids' toys always creep into the kitchen and dining area somehow. It's just the nature of having kids," Round says.
A working kitchen in the basement suite of the house came in handy while renovations were happening on the first level of the home.