The Globe and Mail

At 50 paces, an off-the-rack knockoff and an expensive, bespoke garment look the same. The differences become apparent up close, as you examine the stitching and rub the fabric between your fingers. Architect Garth Norbraten's Leslieville house is like that, although even at 50 paces you can tell it's different from its neighbours - but not too different. "It's very conservative," says Mr. Norbraten, 47, of the home's black-shingled street facade. "You move into these neighbourhoods because you like them - the funny jumble of houses - and I'm a little uncomfortable with things that are too different. ... It was actually a bit of a challenge for me to try and reorganize the front of the building so that I was reasonably happy with it, but it still left the ghost of the old house, with the intention that people might walk by it a few times before they realize [it's been renovated]."