Dollhouse Loft Leslieville, modern Toronto property design, Canadian home interior photos

Dollhouse Loft in Toronto

February 13, 2026

Design: StudioAC

Location: Leslieville, east Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Photos: Felix Michaud

Dollhouse Loft, Leslieville, Toronto, Canada

Located in Leslieville, in Toronto’s east end, the Dollhouse Loft renewal project set out to enhance the interior both aesthetically and functionally. Once a toy and bottling factory throughout the 1900s, the building became live/work lofts in the early 2000s. As time wore down the quality of finishes and fixtures, a new opportunity emerged to rework the loft’s spatial dynamics.

Entering the unit reveals expansive proportions that immediately command attention. A moment of compression at the threshold gives way to a soaring double-height volume, illuminated by four generous skylights and a pair of south-facing windows. This interplay of compression and release posed the core design challenge: how to honour the openness of the loft while introducing elements that define more intimate, social zones – without compromising spatial clarity.

A custom platform both delineates the living area from the adjoining kitchen and dining zones and introduces new social configurations. The platform evokes both a Japanese Engawa – a transitional space – and a Greek Agora – a social center and gathering place. These references emerged as the design direction evolved. Here, the platform carves out a quiet enclave for rest, while linking visually and physically to the kitchen through an elevated surface integrated with the island.

On the upper level, a bath pod acts as both a spatial divider between the primary bedroom and ensuite and as a vessel for a secluded soaker tub and shower. Integrated open shelving houses the owner’s extensive library, while softly partitioning the loft office from the rest of the mezzanine.

The design balances the building’s industrial roots with the warmth of contemporary interventions. Corrugated metal cladding on the bath pod recalls the building’s original industrial vocabulary, while white oak and concrete-toned stone bring harmony to the raw textures of exposed brick and timber ceilings.

Dollhouse Loft in Leslieville, Toronto – Building Information

Architecture: StudioAC – https://www.archcollab.com/

StudioAC Team: Andrew Hill, Jennifer Kudlats, Mohammed Soroor, Melody Matin
Built: AT Build

Structural: Honeycomb
Furniture: Atelier Vaste

About StudioAC

Studio for Architecture & Collaboration (StudioAC) is an interdisciplinary architectural practice based in Toronto, led by Andrew Hill and Jennifer Kudlats. The practice was founded in 2015 and has since received numerous accolades, appearing in a number of publications internationally including Azure Magazine’s list of 30 Canadian Architecture Firms Breaking New Ground.

In 2019, StudioAC was named Canada’s Best Emerging Designer by the Design Exchange and, in 2021, the practice was selected by 20+Change and Canadian Architect as one of 20 firms across Canada recognized for the approach to practice and strength of projects. In 2023, StudioAC was named Designer of the Year by Designlines Magazine.

Every project is approached with care and passion, and working with clients and consultants to craft a working relationship that will cultivate an enviroment that sparks inspiration is critical.

The strongest examples of these relationships often produce the strongest work. During this process, StudioAC strives to find an ideological thread that can be fed through a project, giving meaning to decisions along the way.

Legibility, clarity, and singularity work together to make projects that impact the user and increase the real and intrinsic value of the work. StudioAC strives to create impactful and thoughtful architecture that speaks to its context at a multitude of scales.

They believe that good design, architecture, and art can bring people together, enhance a community, help businesses flourish, and start much needed conversations within our cities.