Art aficionado Jane Halverson Vendittelli transforms an early-20th-century home into a modern masterpiece with contemporary art, sculptural fixtures and hits of colour
By Deirdre Kelly
Original Value
When gallerist Jane Halverson Vendittelli and her husband Bruno went looking for a house, they stuck to a few basic rules: It couldn’t be new, it had to be kid-friendly (the couple has two young sons: Henry, 4, and Jack, 3) and it couldn’t be renovated. “We wanted to stay away from that overdone look you see a lot of,” says Jane (pictured here with Henry). “A look I call McMansion.”
And they found just that: a historical house on a quiet, leafy street in downtown Toronto, just a stone’s throw from the Rosedale United Church. “It was spacious, with good bones. It had a sense of grandeur about it. But best of all, no one had touched it. We knew we could turn it into a house that would accommodate our growing family.”
Tip:
When modernizing an old home, leave some original details intact; they'll really stand out next to the minimal decor. Jane kept the front hall's recessed panelling and turned spindles.
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