In The Beaches Neighbourhood of Toronto, This Understated House Was a Family Affair
Architect Felix Leicher of Baukultur/ca crafts a new home for his brother’s family.
German-born architect Felix Leicher founded his boutique design studio in Toronto in 2014. When Leicher’s brother and his wife relocated to Toronto a few years later, they knew just who to call to design their new home. “Their brief was simple and clear,” Leicher recalls of the initial conversations with his brother. “They wanted a home that felt calm and like a retreat from busy urban life but also flexible enough for family life and entertaining.”
Homing in on a narrow lot in The Beaches neighbourhood of Toronto, Leicher also needed to balance tight site constraints with his brother’s desire to expand and connect to the nearby Glen Stewart Ravine. “The lot’s adjacency to the ravine was a gift,” Leicher says. “We shaped the architecture to sit confidently without overwhelming the street and to open the interior spaces to the surrounding trees.”
Leicher’s design presents a modest face to the street, in a neighbourhood with an eclectic mix of older bungalows and newer modern builds. Not wanting to dominate the street, he created a restrained façade with inset balconies that helps soften the home’s street presence. White stucco defines the continuous horizontal bands separating each of the house’s three levels, with black-stained cedar cladding on the upper levels to lend a quiet restraint. “They value simplicity but without austerity—a warm minimalism that supports family life and creates a meaningful relationship to the outdoors,” Leicher explains.
Inside, he attempted to harness daylight on every level. “They wanted a home where daylight could move freely and where the presence of the ravine—its trees, shifting shadows, and seasonal changes—would be a part of daily life,” the architect explains. Openings on three sides gather daylight into the home at all times of day, with generous skylights in the living area and above the central stair pulling light down into the core. “Even on an overcast day, the house feels luminous,” Leicher says.
Interior materials continue this sense of warmth. White-oak hardwood floors in a herringbone pattern complement dark-brick tile in the foyer, kitchen island, fireplace, and dining room baluster. “The materials ground the home in natural textures and allow light and shadow to become part of the architecture,” Leicher says. The result is a home where soft textures and material precision create an abiding sense of calm. “I believe deeply in the idea of authenticity in materials, and spaces that support daily life with ease rather than spectacle,” he says. “The goal is always longevity—a home that gains richness over time, not one that chases trends.”
