Some years back, Zenith electronics had a catchy slogan about one of its state-of-the-art TV lines: 'just slightly ahead of its time' (or something to that effect).
You wouldn't know it if you saw it from the street, but 184 West Gate, a stately, two-storey abode built in 1928 in historic Armstrong Point -- catches the same spirit. Although it's 83 years old and counting, its design is still quite relevant today.
"It was built in 1928 by the (then) owner of the Marlborough Theatre," says Royal LePage Performance Realty's David De Leeuw. "Back in those days, this is where affluent folks lived. He not only had the home custom-designed, but didn't spare anything in terms of the structure and finishing materials."
From a structural standpoint, the 2,914-sq.-ft. home is rock-solid -- there's little, if any, evidence of shifting. That's because it sits on a concrete foundation, a rarity in the late 1920's.
However, impressive as the overall structural soundness of the home may be, its clever interior design and finishing materials are even more stunning.
That's because the interior of 184 West Gate, unlike many homes of its era, is quite wide open. After entering a self-contained, tiled landing, you take a couple of steps up into an expansive foyer. To the right is the living room; to the left is the dining room and, off that, the kitchen. Each space is deftly united with the others by extra-wide, arched entranceways, and the feeling of space is amplified by high ceilings.
The home's main level is not only novel in design, but its finishes are as well, De Leeuw says.
"The walls in the foyer and in the living room are a textured plaster, which is pretty cool to start with. The floors are beautifully preserved, original, quarter-cut oak hardwoods. The grain is absolutely magnificent and is reminiscent of tiger wood in places. The finishing quality of this home is unbelievable."
That's not an overstatement. Instead of oak, the usual finishing material for doors and windows way back when, a more exotic material was used to give the home's windows, trim and doors extra character.
"There's also Honduran-sourced mahogany trim around the windows and doors, and the french doors to the dining room are also mahogany. It looks great, but isn't overpowering."
Besides sporting rich mahogany trim, the windows are notable for another trio of reasons: they're all arched, oversized literally everywhere, again rare for a 1920s-vintage home.
"There's an abundance of large windows on literally every side of the home," De Leeuw says. "The fact that they're so big, and there are so many, makes it and exceptionally bright home. One of the best spots is the main-floor sunroom/media room off the living room, which is surrounded by windows. It's perfectly positioned, overlooking the backyard, river and a tyndal-stone patio and staircase."
While 184 West Gate exudes a well-preserved yesteryear charm, it's by no means dated. A remodelled kitchen and main bathroom have seen to that.
"The kitchen, which is huge, was redone several years back," De Leeuw says. "It has an abundance of (honey-tinted) maple cabinets, including a big pantry with pullouts that surrounds the fridge. It also has an island, black granite countertops, a computer desk and three huge windows, with a good-sized eating area by two of them. And the solid brass (with stained-glass inserts) over the island are pretty cool, too."
A set of angled oak stairs (again original) with hand-carved bannister and spindles takes you upstairs to a massive landing surrounded by four bedrooms and a huge main bathroom. Big windows in each room combine to bathe the area in light.
Each room is cavernous, with the study in having its own two-piece bathroom. The large master suite is then connected to the main bath by a cheater door.
"It's also been remodelled, with a heated ceramic tile floor, air-jetted tub and shower with body sprays. It even has cabinets on either side of the tub with pullouts," De Leeuw says.
"And the master suite has his-and-her closets that are almost deep enough to be walk-in closets, and a window seat by a big window to the right of the bed."
Downstairs, there's a developed basement (with ample ceiling height) that includes a rec-room with brick fireplace, wet bar, two-piece powder room and (what else) large windows.
"This is a rare home," he says. "The original, old-world detailing gives it character, while key updates have kept it contemporary. Plus it's in a superb location. It's like a quiet, lakeside residence in the city."
lewys@mts.net
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DETAILS
Address: 184 West Gate, Armstrong Point
Size: 2,914 sq.ft.
Style: Two-storey
Year Built: 1928
Lot Size: 157' x 250' (irregular)
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2.5
Price: $839,900
Taxes: $7,740.00 (Gross 2010)
Contact: David De Leeuw, Royal LePage Top Producers @ 989-6900
