Living large in little Hollywood

Oct 25, 2023

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This house comes by its California accent honestly, infused with abundant sunlight and clean, open design

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Back in the early 20th century, the neighbourhood around Governor's Bridge, nestled between Rosedale and what would later become the Bayview Extension, acquired the nickname of Little Hollywood for the small Spanish Colonial-style homes that once populated the area.

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This house on Douglas Crescent joins a growing collection of attractive Modernist houses that are steadily replacing the older homes: you might call it the New Little Hollywood.

The house comes by its California accent honestly: infused with the abundant sunlight and clean, open design of Los Angeles architecture, it was designed and built by a film industry executive and developer, who has renovated or built several homes and apartment buildings in the city over the years.

Because the lot is fairly small for a house of this size, the design emphasizes interior flowing spaces, sleeked up by clean white walls with black accents. "I wanted to have a Hollywood influence in the design, but also very comfortable, with [the best] tech and luxury features," he explains.

The house is a technology nerd's dream, with a long list of automated features and gadgetry. The Control 4 automation system controls security, temperature control, an extensive sound system, and lighting throughout. The entire system can be controlled via smart phone app or iPad.

The front facade, with its blocky geometric composition of white flat-cut stone with black steel siding and slatted wood accents, feels Californian, too.

But a couple of features acknowledge that we’re not really in Bel Air, but mid-town Toronto: radiant driveway heating means no winter shovelling, and the garage has a built-in lift, allowing you to store two cars in a single-car garage.

The front door opens on a sunlit, three-storey foyer that allows for long sightlines clear through to the back deck. Light pours in from windows that rise some twenty feet to the top floor; all but the topmost one feature Smart glass, which changes from transparent to opaque at a touch of a button, eliminating the need for blinds. (The window at the very top is the exception, framing a view of trees as it casts light down through the various levels of the house.)

The staircase in this part of the house is as much a work of art as of engineering, consisting of floating oak treads mounted on a single black steel stringer; with glass railings topped by slim oak bannisters, it feels simultaneously light and massive – quite a visual feat.

Further back, the kitchen is sleek and low-key, with high-gloss near-black stained walnut cabinetry and built-in wine fridge, Miele coffee station and wall ovens.

Set amidst understated matte black fixtures and expansive white walls, a quintet of bright red knobs that operate the Wolf cooktop at one side are one of the few touches of colour.

Upstairs, the primary suite features wall-to-wall hidden cabinetry and its own private Juliet balcony, to welcome in breezes on a balmy night.

And all the bedrooms feature ensuites, each with black-and-white Carrara marble trim and herringbone-tiled marble flooring.

The bottom floor includes a movie theatre – what Hollywood home wouldn't? – and a second kitchen and bar area; it could be converted into an in-law suite, or used as a lavish entertaining hub for after-parties or Oscar night.

With the labour of love complete, the owner is moving on to his next project; the house is currently for sale. But in the best Hollywood tradition, he's offering an extra signing bonus, if you will, with purchase: free concierge service for a year.

"I wanted it to have the look, feel and elegance of a five-star residential hotel, without the door staff," he says. This way, you can even have that.

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