Bloordale will soon be home to one of the first residential laneway projects in the city — Lanehouse on Bartlett. Brought forward by Curated Properties (and design partners Nivek Remas, AUDAXarchitecture, and represented by Paul Johnston), Lanehouse is building off the site of a former yarn factory, and transforming its industrial bones into a sequence of loft houses and flats, ranging from 1,000 sq. ft. to nearly 2,000 sq. ft. in size.

“The building and its texture and character were our inspiration,” says Kevin Chan of Nivek Remas. “We wanted to bring an edited eye to every detail to create a genuine and seamless living experience that still feels approachable. It’s real. It’s not of the moment but just before.”

The project uses the scale of the original space to its full potential, offering 18-foot ceilings and bountiful natural light courtesy of skylights over the tub in the master bath. Original brick is retained but whitewashed and “given special treatments,” ostensibly to soften its appearance. Rooftop terraces are lent an air of privacy through custom-designed wood enclosures.

Headline-grabbing developments seem to be in the growing neighbourhood’s future — an area that boasts a burgeoning crop of nightlife including Bestellen, the Emerson and Bar Isabel.

Adam Ochshorn of Curated Properties lays out the project’s respectable aims: “restoring old buildings rather than demolishing and building new ones.” He adds that “trying to convey what we anticipate to be the future of Toronto’s development scene—something more conscious and eclectic.” Here's hoping.

Prices start in the low $500,000s, and the showroom will be situated at 50 Bartlett Ave.