Setting the stage ablaze with his fiery performances was a Rex Harrington trademark when he starred with the National Ballet of Canada. But nothing could have prepared him for the fire that charred his 1920s home in the west-end Toronto neighbourhood of High Park in late 2008.
"It was a devastating experience," says Canada's premier male ballet dancer. Set by a serial arsonist later apprehended by police, the fire was quickly contained, but the rear of the house was still badly damaged by flames, smoke and water.
That meant a large-scale reno with the aim of maintaining the integrity and architectural pedigree of the home while integrating a contemporary design into its character.
Harrington, artist-in-residence at the National Ballet (he teaches, coaches and occasionally performs) and his partner, Robert Hope, a dental consultant from Winnipeg, have lived in the pretty Arts and Crafts-style home for six years.
"The house and grounds needed ample TLC from Day 1 and were works in progress. It was shaping up nicely when the firebug hit us," Hope sighs. Sixteen months later, as the extensive renovation nears completion, he says the place looks better than ever.
That new look, with help from Altius Architecture and Toronto contractor Dan Gallant, includes a thoroughly modern kitchen with central granite island, stainless-steel appliances, six-burner gas range, custom cabinetry clad in wenge panelling, and cream-coloured travertine stone floor tiles. A stylish lighting fixture of metal wire filaments sandwiched between two thick sheets of tempered glass caps the kitchen. "Lighting sets the mood in a room, and this piece, which we call our 'bird's nest,' gives the kitchen just the right touch of whimsy," Harrington says.
A revamped second floor with guest rooms, an entertainment centre and towering banks of windows (seven feet by almost 14 feet wide) afford what Hope hails as a million-dollar view of the gardens.
The old narrow staircase that linked the second floor to the third-floor, loft-like master bedroom was removed. Inspired during one of the couple's travels to Italy, where they stayed in an old stone villa and fell in love with, of all things, a staircase (according to Hope), the idea led to the installation in their home of barnboard steps riveted onto a carbon steel frame. As Harrington describes it, the first version didn't fit the layout of the space, so the second version incorporated both functional and esthetic changes, bringing together a blend of raw steel and pine planks.
When they bought the property, its uniqueness was the charm of the front of the house.
Rex calls it "Giselle's cottage" (in reference to the eponymous ballet with a bucolic setting) with the surprise of immense space inside -- and the incredible backyard, Hope says. A new rear deck off the kitchen is built of cedar and overlooks the lower garden below.
The home's curb appeal stems from its rusticity and apparent small size. But its appearance is deceptive. Built on the slope of a hill, the interior space billows to more than 3,800 square feet.
"And because we back onto a valley, there is nothing behind our yard but trees and bushes. It feels like an escape to the country," Hope says as he pets Measha, the couple's cherished German shepherd.
Once divided into multiple apartments, which was an unworkable layout for the couple's frequent social gatherings, the post-fire reno allowed them to return the house to a single-family dwelling with a more open flow.
"We simplified rooms by removing odd niches, filling in some small, oddly placed windows in the kitchen and bedrooms that were a design hindrance, in favour of bigger windows for a full view of the entire backyard from all three floors of the house," Hope says.
A new copper skin enveloping the structure's scorched back will someday complement the lush backyard foliage. "We were looking for something to transition from the green of the gardens to the house, and copper seemed a natural choice," Harrington says. Copper's downside, however, is that it takes years of weathering to get the right patina. A passionate gardener, Harrington loves the idea that this metal gets better with age. Eventually, it will blend nicely with the landscape, he says.
-- Postmedia News
