What a $5 million Toronto interior designer’s home looks like

If houses could flirt, 239 Borden St. would wink at you from across the street, pull you inside, and then casually drop the fact that it has a 400-bottle wine cellar, rooftop hot tub, and stained glass windows from 1878. We’re already blushing.  

Professionally rebuilt by designer and owner Lyndsay Jacobs, the house was taken down to its bones — leaving only the original front façade intact — before being transformed into a four-storey showcase of craftsmanship, function, and character.

The project wrapped up in July 2023, and it has already been celebrated with a House & Home “House of the Month” feature and featured in Beta Publishing’s Timeless Living.

The front of the house. 

Although, to be fair, we’d expect nothing less from a designer’s own home. 

The living room. 

Inside, the first thing that strikes you is the mix of history and modernity.

A powder room with a Red Alicante marble vanity. 

Meticulously restored stained glass windows from 1878 glow against exposed brick, while a Canadian limestone fireplace mantel and custom millwork anchor the main floor.

The kitchen. 

Then there are the details you didn’t know you wanted until now, like the soft-curved walls, unlacquered brass fixtures, and a 17-foot floating Nero Borghini marble shelf in the kitchen. 

The staircase has a Venetian plaster look but was done entirely with drywall. 

The home’s four-storey Ultrastairs staircase (lit from above by skylights) ties the space together, leading to three bedrooms upstairs.

The primary bedroom. 

The bedrooms are bright and calming. 

Arched windows in the primary ensuite bathroom. 

Each bedroom has its own ensuite, including one wrapped in travertine and another that has a Kohler steam shower.

The rooftop terrace.  

And then there’s the rooftop, complete with a saltwater Arctic Spa hot tub, a natural gas fire pit hookup, and a beverage station.

Views from the rooftop terrace. 

“The rooftop terrace becomes a private retreat,” says the owner. “Soaking in the saltwater hot tub with a drink in hand offers a view of treetops and the CN Tower beyond. It’s especially magical in winter, where the snow-covered branches and peaceful stillness feel more like a woodland escape than a home in the heart of the Annex.”

The basement media room. 

Downstairs, the basement boasts a custom media room designed by Bay Bloor Radio (with in-wall Bowers & Wilkins surround sound), a 400-bottle climate-controlled wine cellar, a dog wash, and even a fully self-contained in-law suite with its own kitchen, laundry, and private walkout.

The backyard is accessible through the kitchen. 

The outdoor spaces are equally polished, with landscaped front and backyards, turf for kids and pets, and a European-style al fresco dining setup.

A bedroom. 

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the home is sandwiched between Harbord, Yorkville, College, and Ossington, so some of Toronto’s best food, shopping, and nightlife are a short walk away.

The dining room. 

In short, 239 Borden St. is part historic gem, part modern marvel, and entirely a dream house. 

The back of the house. 

239 Borden St. is now listed for $4,999,000, down from $5,199,000.