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A Mid-Century Pool House Renovated by +tongtong

This might be a pool house located in the backyard of a regular house in Toronto, but I could totally see myself living there. The freestanding, 1000-square-foot pool house had lost its mid-century charm over the years with multiple renovations. +tongtong came in and transformed the relic into a minimalist multi-purpose space that could work as a guest house, work studio, entertainment area, pool house, or event space.

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Located beside an oval pool, the original house was clad in heavy stone and while they left some, most of the exterior is covered in cedar slats now.

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Inside, the space was designed to be a guest suite for extended stays, as well as a place for pool visitors to change and shower.

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The back wall is painted a bright orange and ties both the public and private spaces together.

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The house is split by a massive built-in structure that houses the entertainment equipment on the public side, and a shower and toilet on the other, private side.

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The huge coffee table, designed by +tongtong as well, was made of exotic wood salvaged from the Panama Canal and stretches 14 feet. The legs easily rotate bringing the table up to counter height.

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On the private side, the shower and toilet areas are enclosed in a bright blue glass, adding another colorful element to the space. Don’t worry – they thought about privacy and added a blackout electronic blind for the toilet.

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Radiant in-floor heating is hidden within the polished concrete and slate floors.

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A Murphy bed is hidden away within the wall of cabinets so guests have a place to sleep. There’s also a mini-bar, microwave, and coffee maker.

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Keeping with the home’s mid-century modern aesthetic, they kept the flat roof and accentuated it by bringing it forward, adding a brow.

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Styling by Emma Reddington and Liz Ikiriko.
Photos by Colin Faulkner, courtesy of v2com.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.