A post on strange and beautiful homes seemed the next logical step after I put together a collection of "hidden" streets in Toronto last week. Truth be told, with the sheer number of noteworthy examples of residential architecture in Toronto it'd be possible to do a series of posts on these locations, but the incongruous juxtaposition of the good and the bad just strikes me as a bit more interesting.

What follows below is a collection of some of the houses that I've actually encountered on my various travels around the city. But for those who are interested in seeing more of these missteps and marvels, I've gathered together a few links at the bottom for further viewing pleasure. And, as always, if there are additional residences readers deem worthy of note in the comment section, I'll add a few of those that I've yet to come across (or failed to notice somehow).

Heathdale Road

When I first saw Atom Egoyan's Chloe, I recognized this house immediately. A wonderful bit of contemporary architecture, it subs in for Ravine House in the exterior shots featured in the movie.

Riverside Drive

I never know exactly what to think of this one when I ride by on my bike. While I always enjoy the part of the building around the entrance, the curved brick of the other side doesn't seem to match particularly well. I would, however, love to get a look at what those rooms look like on the inside.

Danforth Road (not Avenue)

The first entry on the strange side of things, I'm left to wonder how many apartments are contained within this strange house. It's kind of all over the place, but somehow still gives the sense that someone very much planned it this way.

Coxwell Avenue

Even if it's not possible for a post like this to be "complete," this one must be included. Not sure if I have a critique to offer, but the combination of the stilts and plank-style entrance actually don't even seem that odd when compared to the colourful and boxy characteristics of the rest of the structure. I'm not sure where to put this -- it's certainly strange, but perhaps beautiful to some?

Governors Road

Just press play, I guess. Last time I saw this house it was red, and the colour change does limit the oddity just a little bit.

Shuter Street

Quite possibly the narrowest house in Toronto. I think there are a few others that get close or even tie this one, but could anything beat it?

Grange Avenue

The residence of artist and collector Charles Pachter, this is one of the better known houses on the list. For a look inside and more information, check out this previous post on the building. My favourite attribute of the building is the warm yellow glow it emits at dusk.

Elderberry Court

Does that not look like an air control tower? I mean exactly like an air control tower!

Sumach Street

Another necessary addition, even if it's well known, is the cube house in Toronto. Inspired by Piet Blom's cube structures in Rotterdam, Ottawa architect Ben Kutner built these in 1996. And, yes, by all accounts that I've read, the floors are in fact level.

Other collections of noteworthy Toronto homes:

• Architectural Oddities and Loopy Landscaping Around Toronto
• Toronto Curiosities
• Unique Homes (Urban Toronto)

Lead photo by picturenarrative in the blogTO Flickr pool.