Rathnelly House by Studio VAARO
Rathnelly House anchors a comprehensive renovation in Toronto, Canada by Studio VAARO, reshaping an Edwardian semi-detached home into a materially rich multi-family residence. The project enlarges usable area within the existing footprint through structural rethinking and a sculptural approach to concrete, wood, stone, and plaster. Across floors, crafted millwork, curving partitions, and an evolving stair establish a clear narrative of construction and comfort that supports family life and entertaining.
A cool sheen of concrete meets warm walnut at the threshold. Light slips around a white column, catching curved edges and low profiles that guide the first steps inside.
This is a multi-family residence in midtown Toronto by Studio VAARO, a renovation that respects the Edwardian footprint while rebuilding the interior from the material up. The throughline is construction: cast concrete, crafted wood, and worked plaster give form to daily use and recalibrate scale.
Pour And Plane
Underfoot, a cast-in-place concrete floor sets the datum. From this base, sculptural elements rise in a consistent register, aligning console tops and a fireplace hearth with the original ground level to tie new work to the house’s past. A curved dining booth emerges where a formal dining room might stand, turning meal times into a close-knit ritual. Concrete reads as structure and furniture in one move.
Carve And Conceal
Material geometry solves function without fuss. A curved partition separates living and kitchen, hides ductwork, backs the dining booth, and turns as a serving surface. A large white column at the vestibule filters daylight from the sidelight, guards privacy, and tucks a niche for lacing shoes. Built-in seating hugs the living room; a closet door is notched to swing past a rounded concrete step with a precise reveal.
Wood As Continuity
Along the east wall, tall walnut-toned millwork runs from foyer to kitchen, building storage and rhythm in one continuous face. At its center, a pill-shaped island in matching wood anchors cooking and conversation, its custom oversized blackened-brass sink set to patinate over years of use. Custom oak knobs and pulls stain to the same tone, reading as part of the surface rather than applied hardware. The effect is calm and tactile.
Stair As Spine
At the heart, the stair assemble changes character as it climbs. A monolithic wood guardrail grows from the concrete base on the ground floor, locking into adjacent millwork for mass and clarity. Overhead, a rounded ceiling cut signals its transformation above, where the stair lightens into a curving form that draws daylight from an east-facing third-floor window. The progression reads in the hand and across the grain.
Rooms In Relief
Upstairs, a forest-green library with custom shelving folds in a bench for reading. In the primary bedroom, a freestanding walk-in closet—entirely wood and stopping short of the ceiling—divides the room as a crafted volume. The ensuite and powder room converse through geometry: a triangular flush-mounted powder sink meets a triangular column at the vanity, while pill-shaped shower and vanity forms are finished in plaster for a smooth, continuous surface.
Extend And Ground
The third floor, rebuilt and extended, converts an attic into two bedrooms and a bathroom, adding 32 m² (350 ft²) with ceiling heights approaching 3 metres (10 feet). Floorplates redistribute to raise heights below, the basement slab drops 1.2 metres (4 feet), and the ground floor lowers to a single step above grade, tightening the indoor–outdoor threshold. Proportion shifts, but the house stays legible.
Basement, Built Tough
Below, a former utility zone becomes a spa and lounge with robust storage for gear. An oversized open shower in deep blue mosaic doubles as a mountain-bike wash, complete with hose bib and industrial drain. Radiant-heated polished concrete repeats the main level finish, extending the material logic through the plan. Durability and comfort share the slab.
Outside, the front roofline holds and the restored facade keeps neighborhood cadence. A new balcony, angled dormer, and a porch with storage tie additions into the whole through careful proportion and consistent materials. Light travels, concrete grounds, and wood warms the touch.
Photography by Félix Michaud
Visit Studio VAARO
