For years, former school principal Bill Harrison and former teacher Mary Hamawaki regularly hosted staff parties in their large Danforth backyard in Toronto\u2019s east end. They always looked at the space with an eye for what it could become. <\/p>\n
But the couple\u2019s vision of building a small extra home in their backyard encountered a snag: Such garden suites<\/a> were illegal in Toronto. At least they were until February, 2022, when the city approved zoning amendments that made detached backyard units an option, following the embrace of back-alley laneway houses<\/a> in 2018. <\/p>\n Now retired, Mr. Harrison, 69, and Ms. Hamawaki, 72, spent about a year on the project, replacing their two-car garage with a much swankier arrangement. The renovation allowed them to give their adult daughter, Caitlin Harrison, who grew up on the property, their full-sized home while they moved in to the garden suite in May, 2025. <\/p>\n Caitlin\u2019s husband, Mitch Bates, runs a ramen restaurant nearby. Meanwhile, the couple\u2019s two daughters are growing up in a home with a family history dating back to 1991, when their grandparents bought the two-storey house.<\/p>\n More young adults are moving home. Here are design ideas for the transition<\/a><\/p>\n Laneway suite potential draws buyers to Palmerston semi<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what drove us to this: Being able to give them a house in a great part of the city that they could live in, and also being close to us,\u201d Mr. Harrison said. <\/p>\n That motivation led the couple to approach Toronto-based Lanescape Architecture and Construction. After also considering modular homes from other companies, built with low, sloped ceilings to fit within city bylaws (to avoid blocking neighbours\u2019 sunlight), the couple was sold on the design firm\u2019s garden suite with a sunken bedroom layout. <\/p>\n Lanescape, one of the companies in Toronto that caters to the garden suite<\/a> and laneway home market, said multigenerational living is a common use case for its designs. Building costs run between about $400 to $550 per square foot, Lanescape\u2019s director of business development, Daniel Mansubi, said. <\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n The suite’s open concept living and dining area.Ron Christopher Adriano<\/p>\n The suite\u2019s walkout basement and slanted roof on the main floor \u201cgave us these fabulous cathedral ceilings,\u201d Mr. Harrison said. Within their 1,100-square-foot space, the couple has two bedrooms, 1\u00bd bathrooms and an open-concept living space with a bounty of sunlight.<\/p>\n For finishings, the pair opted for modern and low-maintenance details including a waterfall quartz countertop, an abundance of built-in storage and a slatted wood support wall on the main floor that lets light through. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re a little older, but we want to make sure that somebody else, when we\u2019re gone, still finds the place appealing,\u201d Ms. Hamawaki said. The couple also made sure that the dimensions of the stairs could eventually accommodate a lift. <\/p>\n Outside, they selected a dark exterior for its dramatic look against greenery and to keep cleaning minimal. Even with the garden suite, there is still plenty of remaining outdoor space, including grassy areas and patios for both residences. Garden suites in the city must also have a clear, not-too-long path from the street to ensure fire and emergency access<\/a>.<\/p>\n