Anatomy of a Plan: The L-Shaped House

During the 1980s Bramalea Limited used one particular design more than any other in its advertising for Bramalea (and all of their developments). The design was the built as the Windsor in the Master’s Series in Deerchase in the N-Section. The house is distinctively characterized by an L-shaped facade with the door on an angle between the two arms of the L. Inside, the living and dining rooms are on each side of the entry, with a curved staircase punctuating the foyer.

Homes Magazine, June/July 1987

Toronto Star, February 22, 1986

Toronto Star, September 3, 1988

Toronto Star, September 12, 1987

Toronto Star, August 25, 1984

One of the earliest versions of an L-shape plan in Bramalea was in the late 1970s as one of the Limited Edition Homes built in Kimber Park in the J-Section and King’s Row in the L-Section. The Carlton and Edward II plans are essentially the same, and it was the largest and priciest design in Kimber Park when first built. Since the house is wider compared to the Windsor, the kitchen and dining room were tucked in behind the garage, with the living room facing the street and back yard. In later (and narrower) versions the dining room and living room locations swap places.

Much like the Windsor, this design was also used extensively in advertising by Bramalea Limited at the time.

Toronto Star, December 24, 1977

Toronto Star, October 8, 1977

Toronto Star, January 14, 1978

Toronto Star, January 27, 1979

In Montara in the N-Section, c. 1987-1988, Bramalea Limited came up with a narrower version of the L-shape plan. The angled front door and the living and dining rooms on each side of the entry remain the same, but the narrowness of the house squeezed out the grand foyer with curved staircase. As is common with all of these L-shaped plans, the family room is across the back of the house.

The wider versions of this house type have the luxury of space surrounding the house to make the street view quite grand. The narrower the house, there is less front yard space is to make a grand statement. Few versions of the Cottonwood were actually built, yet it presents the best facade to the street when sited on a corner lot – as was done in a few cases. The Windsor plan, first introduced at the beginning of this post, is the most popular plan built on corner lots in The Master’s Series in Deerchase for the same reason.

At the end of the 1980s, Bramalea Limited offered the Saratoga plan at Emerald Cove on Professor’s Lake. While the door is not on an angle, the L-shape facade with the living and dining room on each side and grand foyer remains. For some reason this design was not very popular and it appears that only one was ever built in the area.

As a different take on the L-shaped design, around 1986 Bramalea Limited created this plan for their Fairfields community in Unionville. It has the same layout of living and dining room on each side of the foyer with curved staircase, yet has the unusual feature of a conversation pit at the back of the house – a throwback to the 1970s. Why did conversation pits go out of style? I think they are fantastic and a great spot to gather by the fireplace.