A welcoming curved walkway leads to the front door of an unique 1930s era white stucco house on Ava Crescent. To step inside this home, designed for the Group of Seven founder, Lawren Harris, by Russian architect Alexandra Biriukova, is to feel transported back in time, perhaps to one of Harris’ renowned artistic gatherings.

This amazing residence is now owned by interior designer Leslie Flatt and her husband Joel. Her design ability combined with Biriukova’s vision reinvents the world of Art Deco in modern-day Forest Hill.

Harris, by no means a starving artist, was born into the Massey-Harris (agricultural machinery) family; once one of the richest families in the British Empire. This certainly explains the original grandeur of the home.

The residence is set back from the road with a curved walkway leading to the front door. Stepping inside, the foyer instantly grabs you, welcoming guests with a vintage bar (discovered in Paris and shipped back to Toronto) and immediately offering the all-encompassing feeling that you’re attending one of the artsy parties Harris was known for.

Flatt points out how the walls are angled in each room, providing the wall space and natural light that Harris needed to display his work. Group of Seven house is now a modern masterpiece