Besides being known for massive cultural diversity and stunning waterfront skyline dominated by the CN tower, you can find some of Canada’s most interesting home styles in The Big Smoke. Toronto house styles are diverse and full of character. There is something for everyone’s taste – from original heritage-designated homes to modern architectural pieces. We’ve prepared this brief guide to give you a better idea of what property styles you can find in Toronto. We hope you’ll enjoy it and find a home style you like.
What to know before moving to Toronto?
If you are lucky to move to Toronto, here’s what you need to know before you get in touch with Professional Movers Canada and start your relocation.
- Safety – Regardless of its size, Toronto is one of the safest cities in North America.
- Multiculturality – Over half of residents of Canada’s largest city belong to a visible minority.
- Languages – Over 200 languages are spoken in Toronto. However, the two main languages are English and French.
- Weather – You can experience all four seasons in Toronto, and in comparison to other cities in Canada, winters are pretty mild.
- Housing – Whether you’re planning to buy a home or rent it, both options are expensive.
- Job opportunities – Finding a job in Toronto is relatively easy as its economy is diverse and booming.
- Coffee and bar culture – Besides having great independent coffee shops, Toronto is also known for its craft beer scene.
- Dog friendly – Toronto is one of the most popular dog-friendly cities in the world. If you don’t have a dog, you might feel inspired to get one once you’re settled in Toronto.
Our selection of house styles in Toronto
Relocating to Toronto might be one of the best decisions you make in your entire life. However, residential moving can be stressful, so make sure to take your time and prepare. Also, it’s vital to hire professionals to help you with this task and make your relocation as easy as possible.
However, before you start your moving process, you should look into what kind of home you’d like to live in. Each of the homes found in Toronto offers its own unique peek into this city’s architectural history. To help you find your dream home, here’s our list of Toronto house styles.
Victorian style
Victorian-style houses are the most iconic type of houses in Toronto. It’s one of the oldest styles, too. Many Victorian homes around Toronto originate from the time residential Toronto was being built. This architectural style comes from Great Britain, and it was mostly used in Toronto in the late 19th century.
Victorian-style houses are easy to recognize. They have red-brick exteriors and angular bay windows. They are also narrow and have sharply gabled ceilings. You can spot them all over different neighborhoods.
Edwardian style
After the Victorian era, the Edwardian era took place at the beginning of the 20th century. Even though these two styles appeared so close to each other, they are very different regarding concept and aesthetics.
Edwardian homes are usually less ornate but are wider and boxier. Also, most of them don’t have bay windows. Instead, they have bigger front porches. Edwardian-style houses have simple yet elegant designs and are very common in different Toronto neighborhoods. For example, Roncesvalles, North Toronto, and Baby Point.
Tudor revival style
This home-style originated in Europe and was dominant in the late 1400s. However, in Toronto, this style became popular much later through what we now know as the Tudor revival style. Most of these homes were built in the late 19th century, and they appeared as a reaction to Victorian homes.
Tudor revival houses are very easy to spot. Their main feature is decorative half-timbering facades. The exterior walls are made from brick or stone and are covered with dark wood boards. They also have casement windows, angular pitched roofs, and multiple gabled ceilings.
Most Tudor revival houses are in historically upper-class Toronto neighborhoods.
Craftsman-style houses
Around the turn of the 19th century, the Arts and Crafts movement flourished across Europe and North America. This movement brought the craftsman-style houses. Same as the Tudor revival style, it showed up as a reaction to the overly decorative Victorian style.
When it comes to craftsman-style houses, the accent was on functionality and simplicity. Most of these homes have side entrances as well as a lot of windows. This allowed more natural light to come into the house.
The focus is on natural elements and handwork, which is why you can see unique handmade details. The interior is all about comfort, and they usually have gorgeous front porches, intricate carpentry, and tapered columns.
Toronto Bungalows
This type of home was brought to Toronto from California in the early 20th century. Initially, the term ‘bungalow’ came from colonial India. The British, who started using the Hindi word “Bangala” to describe Bengal-style homes, coined the term.
When it comes to bungalows found in Toronto, they are primarily single-story houses. The specific feature bungalows have is an overhanging, low-sloped roof. Also, these types of homes usually have a porch area, and a lot of them come with a set of supporting columns and a small veranda.
Which one of the Toronto house styles will you choose?
Getting to know Toronto house styles will make it easier to find a perfect place to make it your home. We hope we were able to help you choose a style that reflects your personality the best. Good luck with moving to The Big Smoke; we’re sure you’ll absolutely love living there!