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Just south of Kingston Road, and a block east of Toronto's Glen Stewart Park, Kingston Beach Inc's recently completed Winthorpe Modern introduced a subtle infusion of density to the popular Beaches neighbourhood. Offering a contemporary interpretation of the street's older single-family typologies. Designed by George Popper, the project's dark, smokey brick façade is subtly accented by discrete, 8-foot wood-grain doors.
Recently profiled in The Globe and Mail, Dave Leblanc described the attention to detail paid to the interiors, beginning with the front doors. "Glowing a rich honey-red under custom-made LED lights, each sits snugly inside an absolutely flush frame from Germany; long stainless steel pulls are the only interruptions to the composition," Leblanc writes.
The Winthorpe Modern's suites come in two- and three-bedroom units, offering balconies and private rooftop terraces as part of each home. The two-bedroom units range in size from 1,100 ft² to 1,170 ft², while the three-bedroom suites are sized from 1,460 to 1,550 ft². Featuring 10' ceilings in principle living spaces as well as soaring 19' ceilings framed by double-height windows, a sense of openness lends the interiors a more spacious ambiance.
Appointed by Andrew Pike, the interiors evince meticulous attention to detail. The boutique homes characterized by a collection of the "little things that add up to the big win," Leblanc notes. For Pike, the quality of space enables a subtle approach to interiors, allowing the openness of the spaces themselves to become a showpiece. "With such amazing floor to ceiling windows in both the master bedroom and the living room, I couldn't help but make them a feature," Pike explains, describing one of the two furnished model suites now being displayed.
Throughout the multi-level homes, diffuse and indirect light shape interior spaces, with care taken to aesthetcially contextualize the presence of bulkheads and mechanical elements. While such elements are often a visual intrusion—and a seeming afterthought in the design process—they're often used as intentional design elements at Winthorpe Modern.
Featuring European white oak flooring and custom-made LED light fixtures, the Winthorpe Modern's clean, elegantly minimal spaces are softened by natural wood tones and warm lighting. The project's high-end kitchens include waterfall quartz countertops and textured driftwood cabinetry, as well as AEG and Liebherr appliances, and Bianco Culina fixtures.
Bathrooms are outfitted with custom high-gloss cabinetry and luxury features, including custom large-format Italian porcelain wall tiles and diffused light fixtures. Meanwhile, the light-filled master ensuites also boast luxurious touches, such as heated floors, and heated backrests in the deep soak tubs.
Each of the project's rooms includes custom built-ins, such as the one-of-a-kind armoires and shelving units in the master bedrooms. However, the most striking interior features are probably the open-tread staircases, which seemingly float across the living-room wall. With the structural spine hidden in the wall, the staircases lend the living spaces a somewhat sculptural quality behind the light, transparent glass banisters.
Meanwhile, the project's numerous green features are equally unobtrusive, and, in many cases—such as the low-e argon windows—inconspicuous. A green roof covers much of the building's footprint, with the energy-efficient HVAC units also hidden away on the roof, leaving the balconies and street-facing frontages quiet and aesthetically unobstructed. Combining a condo ownership model with townhouse-style residences, the project's boutique scale and thoughtful, energy-efficient design allow maintenance fees to remain at a relatively low $0.28/ ft².
In terms of communal amenities, only the ground-level parking garage is shared among residents. Located at the rear of the building, the garages are positioned to be largely invisible from the street, allowing a more urban presence to face Winthorpe and Kingston.
Unlike most of Toronto's new-build condos, suites at the Winthorpe Modern did not hit the market until after construction was completed. Instead of relying on floorplans—and the rather limited sense of space they convey— this approach allows buyers the opportunity to experience the completed home before making a purchase. According to developer Val Bezic, the luxury, end-user oriented homes offer a quality of space that is best experienced first-hand, and difficult to translate in renderings and flooplrans.
Now being marketed, the project will be presented to the public at a "Preview Reveal" event on Saturday, March 4th, held from 1-4 PM, with a tour of two furnished, move-in ready suites offered. To learn more about the project, make sure to check out our associated dataBase file, linked below. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment below this page, or join the conversation in our Forum.
