A space filled with memory

THE LISTING 40 Westmoreland Ave., Unit 17

ASKING PRICE $1,239,000

TAXES Unassessed

UNIT SIZE 1,390 square feet

MAINTENANCE FEE $481/month

LISTING AGENTS Sharon Lane, Sales Representative; Maggie Lind, Sales Representative; Chestnut Park Real Estate Limited

Charlie Guiang admits that when he first bought his townhouse in a former church, he wondered, "Is it going to be creepy?"

That was back in the spring of 2012. He had just signed for Unit 17 in 40 Westmoreland Ave., which was still under construction.

"I was a bit apprehensive about living in a church," Mr. Guiang said. "But it was a surprise when I finally moved in. It felt very serene in here."

"If you think of all the ceremonies that happened in this place – marriages, christenings and funerals – there is a lot of energy in the space," said Mr. Guiang's husband, Jeff Rutherford. "But it's a very positive and peaceful energy."

The back story

Before 40 Westmoreland was a 17-unit condominium, it was the Church of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Cyrian. The Anglican house of worship is an asymmetrical, Neo-Gothic design created by architect W.A. Langton and completed in 1914.

Before the conversion, the church was given heritage status and in 2002 it was deconsecrated. Ten years later, Mr. Guiang was on his bike exploring Bloorcourt (the neighbourhood nestled between Ossington Avenue and Dufferin Street along Bloor Street) when he saw the sign for 40West. He managed to buy one of the last remaining units, which also happened to be the smallest.

"A townhome at that point in my life seemed like a reasonable middle ground of condo versus house," he said.

Soon after the purchase, he contacted interior designer Alison Milne, who runs Alison Milne Design Studio and Art Gallery. She worked off plans to find ways to personalize the home to Mr. Guiang's taste.

"It was a little tough 'cause the space is very defined in terms of its layout by being small and extremely vertical," Ms. Milne said.

(The unit is basically four rooms stacked one on top of the other, connected by a staircase along the back: The first floor is the kitchen and dining room, the second floor is the living room, the third floor is the guest room and the fourth floor is the master suite.)

"Our vision was to keep it clean, minimal and really fresh while at the same time making it as useful as possible," Ms. Milne said.

To do this, she added elements such as the slatted wall near the entrance, which doubles as a visual room divider – cutting off the entrance from the kitchen and dining room – and a front closet with hooks for coats.

She also added in built-in storage units throughout the suite.

"Wherever we could, we made it look like furniture," Ms. Milne said. "The idea is that there is a ton of storage there, but it's kept clean, as opposed to heavy cabinetry."

Together Ms. Milne and Mr. Guiang discussed and designed pretty much every inch of the home, from the walnut chevron flooring and the Oxford White walls to the glass partition running up the staircase that helps bring the southern light into the back of the home.

"It was really neat to work with something original that has a story and then to embellish it and encourage it to be what it can," Ms. Milne said.

For listing agent Maggie Lind, this unique blend of old and new added to the challenge of figuring out a listing price.

"These types of conversion projects aren't simply an apples-to-apples comparison, as each unit offers quite differing interiors and square footages," Ms. Lind said. "We priced it higher per square foot than any of the other sales, taking into account the added designer details throughout the unit and the coveted outdoor terrace space."

After five days on the market, Mr. Guiang already has an offer on the table.

Favourite features

Some of the standout features of the unit are the remaining interior elements of the church. The second-floor living room features a wall of the original brickwork and Tudor-style arched windows. As you climb higher, you get a chance to see one of the churches trusses up close.

The best view of the truss and all of its woodwork detailing is on the third floor in the full bathroom.

"You wouldn't really be able to appreciate this truss when this was ceiling because it was so high up in the original church," Mr. Guiang said. "I didn't want to cover it so we decided on a glass wall."

The glass also has the added benefit for keeping a smaller space a little more open.

"The room feels bigger because we've added the bathroom into the space itself," Ms. Milne said.

Ms. Milne's favourite room is the master suite on the top floor. She helped Mr. Guiang use every square inch of space by building his bed (complete with storage underneath) under the gabled window.

"We love the space up here," Mr. Guiang said. "It's nice and private."

But for both Mr. Guiang and Mr. Rutherford, their favourite space is the second-floor living room. It is also the place where the church's character is most pronounced.

"This is where we watch horror movies and Bruno [their dog] hangs out," Mr. Guiang said with a laugh.

One of the home's most peculiar features is also in the living room at the base of the truss. It's a nondescript block of stone. Most of the other units in 40 Westmoreland don't have this detail. Instead, they have carved faces of angels and saints supporting their trusses. But this one remains unfinished.

When asked if Mr. Guiang and Mr. Rutherford every thought of commissioning their own likeness into the support, they laugh.

"Us? No," said Mr. Rutherford. "But Bruno … maybe."