Bizarre triangular Toronto home transformed lot nobody wanted into a prize

Toronto is full of unusual homes, but every once in a while, a property comes along that makes you wonder how on earth it even exists.

And 61 Seaton St. is definitely one of those properties.

Tucked away on a triangular corner lot in downtown Toronto, this three-bedroom, three-bathroom home looks like someone took a perfectly normal house, sliced it into a wedge and squeezed it between a bunch of Victorian row houses.

The foyer. 

But what makes this house particularly interesting is that the lot it sits on was once considered virtually impossible to build on.

The kitchen. 

In the late 1990s, architect Paul Reuber was approached by a friend who challenged him to do something with a triangular piece of land that had sat vacant for decades.

Built-ins use every inch of space. 

Most people had written off the awkwardly shaped lot as unusable, but Reuber saw an opportunity to create something completely different.

A home office with a balcony. 

Unfortunately, turning that vision into reality wasn't exactly straightforward.

A sitting area in the primary bedroom with a gas fireplace. 

Between zoning bylaws, a freak car accident and neighbours who weren't particularly thrilled about having a modern architectural experiment interrupt their historic Victorian streetscape, the project took nearly a decade to complete.

Thankfully, Reuber had a client who was willing to wait.

The primary bedroom. 

The result was one of Toronto's earliest examples of modern infill architecture, a striking contemporary home that makes the most of a lot nobody else seemed to want.

The living room that walks out to the backyard. 

And now, this little piece of Toronto architectural history is on the market for $1,149,000.

The light-filled staircase. 

Before you get too excited about potentially scoring a one-of-a-kind architectural home for just over $1 million, the listing agents, Iwona Rychalska and Cara Carney, have made it clear this is a strategic, below-market asking price with an offer night planned.

So don't expect it to necessarily sell for anything close to that number.

The kitchen. 

But back to the house.

From the street, 61 Seaton St. is a pretty curious sight.

The kitchen overlooks the living room. 

Its unusual wedge-shaped exterior, flat roof and narrow horizontal windows are a dramatic departure from the traditional Victorian homes surrounding it.

A built-in gas fireplace in the living room. 

But while its exterior might look a little strange, the real architectural magic happens inside.

The dining area. 

Despite the awkward triangular footprint, the interior is surprisingly spacious, with soaring ceilings, generous living areas and strategically placed windows that flood the home with natural light without sacrificing privacy.

Pops of colour add character to the home.  

And unlike so many architect-designed homes that have been renovated beyond recognition over the years, much of Reuber's original vision remains intact.

The red shower. 

Bold colour-blocked walls, vibrant bathroom tiles, and an entirely red shower look like something straight out of a contemporary art installation.

The primary bedroom has its own balcony. 

It's certainly not your typical Toronto renovation, with white walls, white oak floors, and an aggressively beige kitchen.

The custom bookcase. 

One of the home's most impressive architectural features is a custom two-storey bookcase designed by Toronto design studio Lebel & Bouliane.

A bibliophile's dream bookcase. 

The enormous built-in structure features integrated storage, shelving, a cozy window seat and even a sliding ladder, giving the space some serious dream-home-library energy. It's so impressive that it was featured in Designlines magazine.

The laundry room. 

And while the house's unusual shape could have easily resulted in a collection of awkward rooms and wasted corners, the interior feels remarkably intentional.

A bedroom that uses part of the bookcase as a desk.

Every window, built-in feature, and architectural detail seems designed to make the most of the property's unconventional footprint.

A home office. 

But the clever design doesn't stop at the main living spaces.

The lower studio apartment. 

The lower level features a separate studio apartment that was actually part of Reuber's original architectural vision, rather than an afterthought basement conversion.

The entrance to the lower studio apartment. 

Despite being partially below grade, the studio has a full-height window and glass door that bring in plenty of natural light.

The kitchen in the studio apartment. 

It's a flexible space that could work as a home office, creative studio, guest suite or potentially even a rental unit.

The bathroom in the studio apartment. 

And given how expensive downtown Toronto real estate has become, that kind of flexibility is a significant bonus.

The balcony off the primary bedroom. 

Outside, the property is equally unconventional.

Views of the city from the stairwell. 

Rather than your typical rectangular front lawn and backyard, the home's triangular lot creates a unique relationship with the surrounding streetscape.

The rose bushes. 

According to listing agents Iwona Rychalska and Cara Carney, the property's rose bushes have even become something of a neighbourhood feature.

"Along its perimeter, lush rose bushes frame the sidewalk running toward Nighthawk Lane, acting as a vibrant neighbourhood centrepiece that connects passersby," they told blogTO.

The primary bedroom ensuite. 

It's a nice reminder that even the most unconventional architecture can eventually become an established part of a neighbourhood.

The entrance to the studio apartment. 

And location-wise, the house is in Moss Park, a neighbourhood that hasn't always had the best reputation but is undergoing some significant changes, including the future Ontario Line Moss Park Station and new condo developments.

The property even includes one parking space, a welcome bonus for a downtown home.

The pop-art stairwell. 

But perhaps the coolest thing about 61 Seaton St. is that it proves infill housing doesn't have to be boring.

After all, what was once considered unusable land became an architectural experiment that challenged what a Toronto home could look like.

The exterior of the house. 

And nearly three decades after Reuber first took on the project, it's still pretty damn cool.