129 leacrest toronto

This $2.1 million home full of wood may be the weirdest one in Toronto

While Toronto is certainly full of its fair share of strange old homes to complement the seemingly endless new cookie-cutter condo builds, one particularly peculiar house has just popped up on the market, though you'll have to go inside (and around the back) to see what makes it so unique.

The 3-bedroom, 5-bathroom detached house at 129 Leacrest Road in Leaside is being billed as one with an "intriguing interior" by realtors, who are also trying to advertise the property to renovators or builders who may want to completely gut the place — which will be a shame if they don't keep some of its one-of-a-kind features.

129 leacrest

The home looks completely normal, and even boring — until you step inside.

The plain brick building near Eglinton Ave. E and Bayview is completely unassuming and even boring from the front, but once you step inside, you're met with one of the weirdest designs in the city.

129 leacrest

From a circular wooden elevator shaft to a spiral wooden staircase, there are a ton of oddities — and so. much. wood.

Carpenters will be amazed by the sheer amount of wood in the home, from the bizarre, now-defunct circular wooden elevator to the wooden spiral staircase just behind.

As you enter further (on wooden floors, of course), you can look over a wooden banister into a bright sunken living room with two sets of wooden stairs leading down into it, complete with parquet wood floors, a wooden beamed ceiling, hardwood wainscoting, and wood trim around a set of French doors that lead into a sunroom.

129 leacrest

The unique sunken living room is the woodiest of all.

Though the kitchen, dining area, bathrooms and bedrooms appear pretty basic (and all in need of a facelift), the excessive wooden touches continue up the spiral stairs into the second floor, which is partially unfinished but has novel features like skylights and doors that look like they are from the Middle Ages.

129 leacrest

The bedrooms are pretty meh, but the array of wood finishings continues upstairs, where there are also skylights and a ton of renovation work to be done.

Once you venture back downstairs and out into the back, things get even weirder, with a yard that steps down into a giant greenhouse and garden area below.

129 leacrest

The entire house needs some work, but the partially unfinished upstairs, especially.

Past the lawn and gazebo around the back is a large, admittedly decrepit-looking building perfect for growing your own food (and keeping it out of the reach of local critters). Below even that, via two sets of stairs, are more levels to the property and another huge, fenced-in garden at the bottom.

129 leacrest

The backyard is hectic and a little creepy-looking, but is all set up for growing your own food and any kind of garden you want.

It would be ideal for someone looking to get into urban farming and sustainable living — and who has an appreciation for woodwork.

Photos by

rew.ca


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