Avenue Road owner invites us into his Toronto home

A image of house — Avenue Road owner Stephan Weishaupt collaborated with local architects Chapi Chapo Design on the complete overhaul of a derelict Edwardian structure in Toronto

(Image credit: press)

Heading one of Canada’s leading furniture brands can come in handy when it comes to envisioning your own home, as Avenue Road’s Stephan Weishaupt found out, when he embarked on a project involving the transformation of an old Toronto townhouse.

Weishaupt collaborated with local architects Chapi Chapo Design on a complete overhaul of a derelict Edwardian structure, in one of his favourite neighbourhoods, Cabbagetown. ‘I was initially thinking of moving into a larger home and I realised that it wasn’t really what I wanted or needed,’ he explains. ‘What was more interesting to me was to work with the artisans I collaborate with at Avenue Road. I aimed to have some unexpected and inspirational pieces that would allow them to demonstrate how far their talents could be taken. I wanted to focus on the details to refine a home I already love.’

Take an interactive tour of Avenue Road

Working together to inject new life into the old house, the team studied the original building’s architecture in order to incorporate its essence in the interiors, explain the architects. They also wanted to respect their client’s needs and personality. ‘In this particular residence, the client’s identity is multi-layered – there is a public persona and a private persona that need to be reflected in the home’, they add.

The architects response included creating an open space for entertaining – something fun, that ‘stimulates the senses’ - while also defining a series of private spaces, which would counterbalance the public areas and serve as sanctuaries to retreat into after the owner’s busy daily life. Highlighting Weishaupt’s significant art and furniture collection – without ‘being ostentatious’ – was also central to the design.

Achieving the level of detailing Weishaupt was after, was another of the project’s key challenges. ‘[It] required a lot more time and changes that originally anticipated’, he recalls. ‘It went from a renovation to more of a rebuild. It was important to make the house as environmentally responsible as possible for well into the future.’

The result? A playful and homely environment with a carefully thought out private and public areas that together form a refined and composed whole; peppered of course, with Weishaupt's carefully curatred personal art and design collection.

Balanced mix of more public, and private spaces within the house — The architects were careful to create a balanced mix of more public, and private spaces within the house

The house features lots of spaces which are perfect for entertaining

Refined materials and bespoke pieces reflect the owner’s wishes ’to have some unexpected and inspirational pieces’ in the house

House interior — The team studied the original building’s architecture in order to incorporate its essence in the interiors

A selection of cosy, more private spaces, such as this snug, ensure there are plenty of options for the residents to relax and unwind in at the end of the day

A image of bedroom — It was very important for Weishaupt that his house provided a sanctuary in the more private areas, such as this bedroom

A image of sofa — For his house, Weishaupt was interested in working with the artisans he collaborates with at Avenue Road...

The house spans four levels - three above ground, and a basement - and Weishaupt’s private collection features throughout

A image of gym room — The basement includes a private gym room

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Avenue Road website and Chapi Chapo Design website

TOPICS

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).