This Old Coach House: a century-old house in the Annex that’s as quiet as a cottage
This Old Coach House: a century-old house in the Annex that’s as quiet as a cottage
By Lucy Dusko and Peter Saltsman | November 6, 2014
By Lucy Dusko and Peter Saltsman | 11/06/2014
By Lucy Dusko and Peter Saltsman | Photographs by Derek Shapton
The People: Klaus Nienkämper, 43, and Marisa Simunovic, 40, who together run the King East design store Klaus.
The Place: A contemporary coach house in the Annex.
Nienkämper is a connoisseur of quirk. He collects cast iron toys and kitschy cuckoo clocks. He stocks his King East furniture store with doughnut-shaped fruit bowls and lamps inspired by Mickey Mouse. And he’s drawn to unusual homes (he used to live in a former railway conductor’s house in the Annex). The century-old converted coach house he shares with Simunovic and their twins, Oliver and Otto, is only 1,400 square feet, but Nienkämper says that’s more than enough: “In my line of work, you see a lot of enormous homes. You don’t really need that much space.” It helps that the house feels as private as a cottage—it’s backed by an acre of wooded green space.
297030 The vintage chair and desk, from <b>Smash,</b> are mounted to the floor. “We have two three-year-olds, so you need to bolt everything down. It’s like having two raccoons running around.” (Image: Derek Shapton) This Old Coach House: a contemporary coach house in the Annex https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-01-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-01.jpg 666 1000 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-laneway-this-old-coach-house-annex/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-01/ great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-01 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
297031 The side entrance leads out onto a stone terrace. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-02-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-02.jpg 647 1000 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-laneway-this-old-coach-house-annex/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-02/ great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-02 0 0
297032 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-03-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-03.jpg 1000 667 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-laneway-this-old-coach-house-annex/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-03/ great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-03 0 0
297033 The wallpaper art, called “Industry,” is by <b>Studio Job,</b> a Dutch husband-and-wife duo. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-04-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-04.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-laneway-this-old-coach-house-annex/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-04/ great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-04 0 0
297034 The Fjord Stone ottomans, by the Italian company <b>Moroso,</b> are made of foam-core and fabric with leather tops. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-05-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-05.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-laneway-this-old-coach-house-annex/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-05/ great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-05 0 0
297036 The solid oak pew is originally from a Deer Park church. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-06-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-06.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-laneway-this-old-coach-house-annex/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-06/ great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-06 0 0
297037 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-07-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-07.jpg 1000 667 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-laneway-this-old-coach-house-annex/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-07/ great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-07 0 0
297038 The whimsical blanket chest is also by Studio Job. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-08-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-08.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-laneway-this-old-coach-house-annex/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-08/ great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-08 0 0
297039 The carpet is by Moroso. The designers take a simple image, blow it up and alter the scale to create a playful effect. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-09-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-09.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-laneway-this-old-coach-house-annex/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-09/ great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-09 0 0
297040 The bed, side tables and lamps are all by the Frankfurt-based designer <b>E15.</b> https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-10-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-10.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-laneway-this-old-coach-house-annex/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-10/ great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-10 0 0
297041 The table is solid Indiana limestone from <b>Castor</b> design studio. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-11-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-11.jpg 666 1000 {"copyright":"\u00a9 Derek Shapton"} https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-laneway-this-old-coach-house-annex/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-11/ great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-11 0 0
297042 The cast bronze relief is from <b>Queen West Antique Centre.</b><br />
<p><br />
The complaints box is from <b>Millhaven Penitentiary.</b> “To my great surprise,” says Nienkämper, “it was empty.”</p> https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-12-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-12.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-laneway-this-old-coach-house-annex/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-12/ great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-12 0 0
297043 The hand-carved figurines—one on a moose, the other on horseback—are from the Eastern Townships. https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-13-200x200.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-13.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-13.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/great-spaces-laneway-this-old-coach-house-annex/slide/great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-13/ great-spaces-lane-change-this-old-coach-house-13 0 0