They left the city

Melanie Hazell and Robert Daprato traded central Toronto for a new townhouse in Ajax, about 40 kilometres east. Smaller footprint, end unit, backing onto forest and a creek.

“It feels more like a cottage than a suburban development.”

A blank slate on purpose

They picked a brand new build so nothing structural needed fixing. The trade was that it arrived with no history and no personality at all.

“We loved that the townhouse was new; it was a blank slate that didn't require major structural work.”

The brief was Brooklyn

They hired their daughter, Robin Daprato, a film and TV props stylist, and asked for "Brooklyn brownstone" character. She had a year to get there.

“Even new homes can hold soul, personality and warmth.”

Swap every shiny finish

The concept came down to small decisions repeated everywhere. All the builder chrome hardware went, replaced with black and brass.

Black paint did the heavy lifting

To save money they painted most doors and window frames black themselves, the single move that reads most like an old brownstone. They limewashed three rooms too.

Tricks that widen a room

In the living room a cylindrical pendant makes the space feel wider and a large mirror adds depth. Melanie's Hat Trick armchair sits by the fireplace, next to a reupholstered vintage settee.

The kitchen ate the budget

They ripped out the original kitchen, which was new but badly laid out, and sold it on Facebook Marketplace. Custom millwork ran $29,000, the biggest line by far.

Move the island, gain a kitchen

Shifting the new quartz island closer to the dining area made the kitchen bigger. Closed cabinets run to the ceiling for storage, and a Noguchi Akari 70EN hangs over the table.

One splurge, no regrets

The reeded marble sink in the powder room off the dining room was the indulgence, at $8,700 with the plumbing fixtures. Melanie limewashed those walls herself.

“It was definitely an indulgence but worth every penny.”

Everyone gets a corner

Robert has a music room, Melanie paints in a covered outdoor studio with lattice walls, and Robin keeps propping vessels in a lower-level studio. Small house, separate retreats.

Small does not mean cramped

The real cost is a laundry room two floors from the bedroom and a dining room shrunk to fit a powder room. They still hosted 18 people for a book club Christmas dinner.

“The natural light, ceiling height, and surrounding forest and creek make the house feel airy, open and calm.”