Toronto home boasts interiors with real Paris Metro station tiles for under $2M

Toronto has no shortage of beautifully renovated Victorian homes, but few feel as thoughtfully put together as the one at 45 Grant St.

The 1890 Riverside townhouse has been owned by listing agent Saeed Mohamed and his partner, interior designer Silvana Daddazio, for more than two decades.

After an extensive renovation completed 12 years ago, it became the kind of home that ends up in design magazines. In fact, it was featured in House & Home in 2014, where its style was dubbed "The New Traditionalist."

The living room with a custom mural painted on the wall behind the fireplace. 

Rather than stripping away the home's historic character, the couple leaned into it.

The front entrance. 

"I've always felt like we are stewards of these century homes and it's our duty to enhance their original charm and yet make it unique and comfortable for its owners," Daddazio told blogTO.

The living room with built-in storage. 

"We added details and used authentic finishes that only complemented and completed a Victorian townhouse with good bones."

The foyer. 

And the bones are certainly good.

Built-in window seating in the dining room. 

Original architectural details, soaring 10-foot ceilings, plaster crown mouldings and rich woodwork have all been preserved and enhanced with carefully chosen finishes that feel simultaneously classic and fresh.

The kitchen that opens to the backyard. 

The kitchen is arguably the home's star. Custom-built by Falcon Kitchens, it features a striking all-wood design, unique marble countertops, a Waterworks faucet, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, a Bosch dishwasher, and, perhaps most eye-catching of all, a cream-coloured La Cornue range.

The dining room. 

The kitchen opens directly onto a spacious dining room that's clearly designed for entertaining.

The primary bedroom. 

Throughout the rest of the three-bedroom home, custom millwork, designer lighting and period details continue the home's elegant aesthetic.

The primary ensuite with lavender subway tiles. 

Even the bathrooms received the luxury treatment, with heated floors and Waterworks fixtures throughout.

Parisian Metro tiles in one of the bathrooms. 

One particularly unusual detail comes straight from Paris.

Details of a unique home. 

Authentic tile sourced from a Paris Metro station has been incorporated into the design, adding yet another layer of character to an already distinctive home.

The kitchen in the basement. 

The fully finished basement is almost a second home unto itself.

The study in the basement. 

Complete with its own kitchen, bathroom, study and living space, plus a separate walkout to the backyard, it could easily function as an in-law suite or provide rental income.

The living room. 

Beyond the interiors, the location is just as appealing. Set on a quiet residential street in Riverside, the home is within walking distance of many of the neighbourhood's popular cafés, restaurants, boutiques and galleries.

Another home office space. 

For Mohamed and Daddazio, though, it was always more than just a beautifully designed house.

The backyard. 

"It's become a sanctuary for us from the busy city but also a place where we've hosted countless dinner parties with friends and family, nieces and cousins who have stayed with us for months and years, and a home to our two rambunctious Australian Shepherds," they said.

Vintage finds complement the 1890's home. 

"It's warm and inviting and in a neighbourhood in which we've made lifelong friendships. We hope whoever has the pleasure to own it next will enjoy it and love it as much as we have."

The view from the kitchen into the dining room. 

While plenty of Toronto renovations erase the past in favour of something sleek and modern, this one shows what can happen when the goal is to celebrate a home's history rather than replace it.

The back of the house. 

The property is currently listed for $1,799,999.