In Toronto, a Townhouse Maintains a Punchy Profile While Fitting in With Its Neighbors

In Canada, a bunker-like art studio, a playful family pad, and this bright-red townhouse show us how homes with personality can still respect their contexts.

Off a main thoroughfare in downtown Toronto, Eva Pianezzola’s house is tucked within a quiet street of Victorian townhomes. Its front facade blends in with the neighborhood of ornate redbrick mansions, but there are details—bright red trim at the windows and upside-down address numbers outside the front door—that hint at the surprising elements behind it.

"The backs of these Victorians are often ticky-tacky, and there are all sorts of ad hoc additions," says Kilogram Studio’s Kfir Gluzberg, who worked with Eva on the design of the house. This project has something different.

Eva, an urban designer and architect, wanted the long backyard to be the star of the design. It’s home to a lush garden in the warmer months and becomes a snow-covered wonderland in the colder months, and it’s presided over by a bold, red facade meant to complement the red brick of the neighborhood but also to contrast sharply with the elements.

"I don’t love red, but for the house it made so much sense," says Eva. She moved in just before Christmas 2021 with her computer programmer partner, Mattia Gheda, and large golden doodle, Lola.

The 1,840-square-foot, two-story house has a living area off the front entrance that flows into an open dining and kitchen space. The second floor contains two offices and two bedrooms. The back wall has large windows, a sliding door to the patio, and a slender doggy door for Lola.