Heaps Estrin's Blog - Beyond Magazine

In the Six

Our sixth edition of BEYOND is here. As always, this edition is designed to inform and inspire – highlighting the culture, trends, and market insights that continue to shape life in Toronto.

Inside, we explore the complex reality of the Sandwich Generation and the balancing act of caring for both children and aging parents. We shine a spotlight on the vibrant community of Leslieville and share a few of our latest local obsessions. We also delve into the role of art in shaping our city’s evolving urban landscape.

For those with an eye for interiors, we explore moody, dramatic spaces that make a lasting impression, and we sit down with celebrated designer Tommy Smythe for his take on Toronto’s design and cultural identity.

Discover more inside…

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Big Little Spaces

Big Little Spaces

FOUR INTERIOR DESIGNERS SHARE CREATIVE INSIGHTS FOR MAKING THE MOST OUT OF TIGHT SPOTS.

Every home, regardless of size, has at least one of those spots that seems too small to do anything with. Maybe you’ve considered putting in a table habillée with a vase of flowers and calling it a day. But there are big opportunities in small places — just ask anyone who’s joined the tiny house movement. And while it’s unlikely that downsizing to that point will have broad appeal, there’s a lesson to be learned in looking to those who live in more constrained square footage, which is that small spaces can be the ideal spot for big design ideas. “Small spaces are often underutilized, particularly in Canada and the U.S.,” says Nicci Harrison,…

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Toronto’s AI-powered future

From the new smart home to autonomous cars and optimized traffic flow, artificial intelligence promises to transform Canada’s largest city.

Words by Nicolle Weeks

Toronto, the perennial darling of global livability rankings, is attracting international residents from all walks of life. But the city’s rapid growth has taken a toll on infrastructure, leaving us straining to keep up with our global counterparts.

Cue AI. As Canada’s undeniable tech hub, Toronto is ready to harness AI to reinvent itself. From managing traffic to streamlining daily routines, AI can help optimize and transform our bustling metropolis into (dare we say) the world’s most desirable and livable city.

HERE’S HOW AI IS POISED TO TRANSFORM TORONTO INTO A SMARTER, GREENER AND…

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BEFORE AND AFTER: Living a modern life in a heritage home

Cailey Heaps explains how she made her new-old Rosedale house feel just like home.

Words by Doug Wallace

"I had been speaking to a lovely family for years about the sale of their home. It was a few years from our first meeting before they decided they were ready to sell. When I went to list the house, I had this overwhelming feeling that I was meant to live there."

Heaps Estrin president and CEO Cailey Heaps had been in this classic, red-brick Rosedale home dozens of times before without experiencing such a premonition. "That that one day, I thought, 'This is where I'm meant to be.'"

"The renovation was fairly extensive - essentially a rebuild," Cailey says, "because I wanted to change the ceiling heights." Due to the house's heritage…

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Cultivating A Legacy

Cultivating A Legacy

Once quoted as relishing the sizzle of developing the skydome, chuck magwood has transitioned to a different pace of life on a farm and vineyard. learn how the vigneron defines prosperity now

Words by Alyssa Schwartz

It’s hard to imagine the toronto skyline without the rogers centre or skydome, as die-hards still call it even 19 years after the iconic stadium was renamed. As such, when the Dome is your professional calling card, as it is for former real estate developer Chuck Magwood, you don’t really need a resumé.

“I don’t even know if I have one. I’ve never really applied for jobs in a traditional sense,” he laughs. And yet, from building malls to developing the baseball park that helped reimagine downtown…

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The lives our homes hold

Moving is more than just trading one set of walls for another

Several years ago, when I was selling my house, a friend of mine encouraged me to employ a little trick she had used to expedite the sale. Take a wooden spoon from the kitchen, she said, turn the handle away from you and bury it in the garden.

Our houses hold our stories. We invest in them, not just financially, but emotionally and spiritually. This is partly why psychologists consider moving house the third-most-stressful life event, behind losing a loved one and divorce. There's the physical part of it, the packing and purging of things, but even if the move is a step forward, the farewell to the life lived within those walls can be difficult. We have to learn to let go of that…

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The Third Issue’s a Charm

We are thrilled to present our third edition of BEYOND, the Heaps Estrin publication that seeks to provide topical and timely content that both informs and inspires. In the latest issue, which we hope you will agree is the best one yet, we explore the concept of frictionless living and how our homes affect our well-being. We also look at the emotional side of real estate in acclaimed writer Sarah Hampson’s piece “The Lives Our Homes Hold,” we reveal some of Toronto’s best hidden gems and examine why our city is so appealing to newcomers, among many other topics covered by a bevy of award-winning journalists and industry experts.

When we embarked on the inaugural edition of BEYOND, our goal was to elevate the conversations we have around real…

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The Anatomy of a Kitchen That Sells

From Beyond, A Heaps Estrin Publication
Page 10-11
Words by Vanessa Grant

When it comes to home renovations, few projects offer the return on investment that a well-designed kitchen does. Renovating your kitchen not only enhances your daily life but can significantly boost your home's resale value. In fact, sellers can often recoup up to 85% of the cost of a renovated kitchen.

Cailey Heaps, President and CEO of Heaps Estrin, emphasizes the importance of the kitchen in a home, "The kitchen truly is the heart of the home, and its design directly impacts a family’s daily enjoyment."

So, what are the key elements to consider for a kitchen that not only you’ll love but future buyers will too? According to interior designer Teresa Track, known for…

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The Bay-and-Gable Home

From Beyond, A Heaps Estrin Publication
Page 9
Words by Alex Corey
Heaps Estrin Real Estate Agent and Architectural Historian

The Bay-and-Gable architectural style is significant in Toronto’s architectural history. Unlike well-known styles such as Georgian, Tudor, or Queen Anne revival, bay-and-gable stands out for its wide geographic spread and numerous homes. This style can be found throughout the city, with concentrations in areas like Cabbagetown, Summerhill, the Annex, Little Italy, and Parkdale, and smaller groupings stretching from the Upper Beaches to Weston and down to Mimico. Developed in the 1870s, the bay-and-gable style emerged in response to the economic challenges of housing the growing middle class in Toronto’s suburban…

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Toronto Real Estate and Lifestyle: Beyond Magazine's Second Edition by Heaps Estrin Team

Toronto Real Estate and Lifestyle: Elevate Your Experience with Beyond Magazine’s Second Edition

The Heaps Estrin Team is pleased to welcome you to the second edition of Beyond Magazine, a resource designed to deepen your understanding and appreciation of Toronto Real Estate and Lifestyle.

This is not just another real estate magazine; it’s a gateway to a meticulously curated lifestyle experience that extends far beyond the act of buying and selling homes.

This edition features comprehensive articles from award-winning journalists and industry experts. Topics range from an optimistic outlook for Toronto’s real estate market in 2024 to the architectural finesse of Bay-and-Gable homes. Design aficionados will appreciate an in-depth look…

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