$5 million Toronto house got a show-stopping renovation

The '90s were a great time for sitcoms, MuchMusic, and childhoods that didn't involve being perceived online 24/7. What they were not great for was interior design. And few Toronto homes embodied peak '90s luxury decor quite like 27 Boswell Ave.

Back in 2021, when the house last sold for $3,300,000, it looked very much like the kind of upscale family home you'd see in a late-90s movie.

Now? It's basically an entirely different house.

The living room. 

The semi-detached home tucked between Yorkville and the Annex has just hit the market for $4,995,000 after undergoing a dramatic glow-up.

The dining room. 

The property was taken completely back to the studs and transformed into a sleek contemporary showpiece that somehow still manages to feel warm instead of cold and showroom-y.

The front entrance. 

From the moment you step into the architecturally designed front entryway with heated floors, it's obvious this renovation was not done halfway.

The kitchen. 

The main floor has been opened up into a bright, flowing space centred around a genuinely jaw-dropping kitchen featuring an oversized island, high-end appliances, and an eight-burner LaCanche gas stove that looks capable of feeding an entire wedding.

The living room leading to the terrace. 

The sunken living room adds a bit of dramatic flair, complete with a gas fireplace and views overlooking the south-facing terrace and landscaped backyard.

The main floor. 

There are white oak herringbone floors throughout, massive windows, and enough natural light to keep most houseplants alive and thriving.

One of the bedrooms. 

Upstairs, the home features three bedrooms, including a primary suite that fully commits to the luxury spa aesthetic.

The primary bedroom. 

There's a large walk-in closet, heated bathroom floors, a Toto toilet, double vanity, and a glass steam shower with bench seating.

The primary ensuite. 

The lower level is also surprisingly impressive for a Toronto semi.

The recreation space. 

Instead of the usual cramped basement, this one offers a huge recreation space with another fireplace, a wet bar, built-in storage, and a fully retractable door system that opens directly onto the rear gardens.

The wet bar. 

Honestly, it feels less like a basement and more like the type of entertaining space people spend entire renovation shows trying to achieve.

The terrace off the living room. 

The backyard, however, might be the one place where some of the old charm got lost in translation.

The backyard. 

Previously, the property had towering mature trees, lush greenery, and a wrought-iron spiral staircase that made the outdoor space feel oddly magical for the middle of downtown Toronto.

The view of the backyard. 

Now it's cleaner, more polished, and definitely more modern — but also a little less enchanting.

Another bathroom. 

Of course, none of this comes cheap.

A bedroom. 

The nearly $5 million asking price is a massive jump from the $3.3 million paid just four years ago. 

The back of the house. 

But considering how extensive the renovation appears to have been, it's also not especially shocking by Toronto luxury market standards or in a neighbourhood where homes can sell for close to $10 million.