Toronto’s Wildest Homes: From 7 Feet Wide to 50,000 Square Feet
When Cherie Mercado-Santos set out to explore Toronto’s quirkiest and most iconic homes, she found herself standing in front of two extremes—a house so small it once went viral on Ellen, and another so massive it contains its own concert hall.
Her first stop: Toronto’s smallest house. Built in 1912 by Arthur Weeden on a plot originally intended for cars, the home is just 7.25 feet (2.2 meters) wide, with about 300 square feet of living space. Located in Corso Italia near St. Clair West, it includes a Murphy bed, kitchen, tiny basement, lawn, backyard, and even two parking spots. At just 28 square meters, it’s more functional than most downtown condos. It became a global curiosity when featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Showin 2008 and is now a go-to location for short-term rentals and media shoots.
While Cherie once dreamed of going minimalist—watching tiny home shows and staying in Airbnbs and Airstreams during travels—she admits the lifestyle just isn’t practical for a family of four in a city like Toronto. Her curiosity soon turned to the other end of the housing spectrum.
Enter Integral House, located in Toronto’s upscale Roxborough Drive. Designed by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects for James Stewart, a world-renowned calculus textbook author, the home is as unconventional as its namesake symbol (∫). At 18,000 square feet, it features curved oak walls, a 150-seat concert hall, and a design inspired by math itself. Judges and architects have called it one of the most important private residences built in North America in decades.
Of course, no conversation about Toronto’s largest homes is complete without Bridle Path—an exclusive neighborhood where luxury knows no bounds. It’s home to Drake’s mansion, a 50,000 square foot limestone estate complete with an NBA regulation court, a recording studio, an awards hall, and a two-story closet adorned with amethyst hardware. With a marble bathtub weighing nearly 4,000 pounds and ceilings reaching 40 feet high, it’s a landmark in itself.
Bridle Path was also briefly home to Prince, who lived in a gated 14,000 square foot mansion during the early 2000s. With nine bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, and lush custom interiors, it remains a quiet icon in Toronto’s music history.
For the title of most expensive, 17 Ardwold Gate in Forest Hill leads the way. Priced at $34.5 million in early 2025, the 15,200 square foot estate includes a chef’s kitchen with walk-in fridge, spa wing with dry and wet saunas, a private elevator, and a rotating car turntable in its 11-car garage.
Cherie’s journey through these homes—tiny, towering, and everything in between—shows the fascinating range of architecture and lifestyle in Toronto. Whether it’s a minimalist 300-square-foot oddity or a ravine-side mansion built by a math genius, each space tells its own story. And for those like Cherie who love exploring interiors and imagining dream homes, Toronto is a city full of inspiration.
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Toronto’s Wildest Homes: From 7 Feet Wide to 50,000 Square Feet
When Cherie Mercado-Santos set out to explore Toronto’s quirkiest and most iconic homes, she found herself standing in front of two extremes—a house so small it once went viral on Ellen, and another so massive it contains its own concert hall.
Her first stop: Toronto’s smallest house. Built in 1912 by Arthur Weeden on a plot originally intended for cars, the home is just 7.25 feet (2.2 meters) wide, with about 300 square feet of living space. Located in Corso Italia near St. Clair West, it includes a Murphy bed, kitchen, tiny basement, lawn, backyard, and even two parking spots. At just 28 square meters, it’s more functional than most downtown condos. It became a global curiosity when featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Showin 2008 and is now a go-to location for short-term rentals and media shoots.
While Cherie once dreamed of going minimalist—watching tiny home shows and staying in Airbnbs and Airstreams during travels—she admits the lifestyle just isn’t practical for a family of four in a city like Toronto. Her curiosity soon turned to the other end of the housing spectrum.
Enter Integral House, located in Toronto’s upscale Roxborough Drive. Designed by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects for James Stewart, a world-renowned calculus textbook author, the home is as unconventional as its namesake symbol (∫). At 18,000 square feet, it features curved oak walls, a 150-seat concert hall, and a design inspired by math itself. Judges and architects have called it one of the most important private residences built in North America in decades.
Of course, no conversation about Toronto’s largest homes is complete without Bridle Path—an exclusive neighborhood where luxury knows no bounds. It’s home to Drake’s mansion, a 50,000 square foot limestone estate complete with an NBA regulation court, a recording studio, an awards hall, and a two-story closet adorned with amethyst hardware. With a marble bathtub weighing nearly 4,000 pounds and ceilings reaching 40 feet high, it’s a landmark in itself.
Bridle Path was also briefly home to Prince, who lived in a gated 14,000 square foot mansion during the early 2000s. With nine bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, and lush custom interiors, it remains a quiet icon in Toronto’s music history.
For the title of most expensive, 17 Ardwold Gate in Forest Hill leads the way. Priced at $34.5 million in early 2025, the 15,200 square foot estate includes a chef’s kitchen with walk-in fridge, spa wing with dry and wet saunas, a private elevator, and a rotating car turntable in its 11-car garage.
Cherie’s journey through these homes—tiny, towering, and everything in between—shows the fascinating range of architecture and lifestyle in Toronto. Whether it’s a minimalist 300-square-foot oddity or a ravine-side mansion built by a math genius, each space tells its own story. And for those like Cherie who love exploring interiors and imagining dream homes, Toronto is a city full of inspiration.
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