News

114 MELISSA LANE

WHAT: A four-season residence or recreational retreat on a two-acre property with 268 feet of shoreline along Georgian Bay

LIVING SPACE: the main home contains about 10,000 square feet of living space, while a coach house apartment has another 1,200 square feet.

LOT SIZE: 268 by 444 feet

ASKING PRICE: $2.75-million

TAXES: $10,200 (2007)

AGENT: Valerie Logaridis, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Johnston and Daniel Division

About 150 kilometres north of Toronto, and 20 minutes from Midland and Penetanguishene, this waterfront home on Georgian Bay is situated within the historic Huronia area that offers a wealth of recreational activities, such as fishing, swimming, hiking, golfing and skiing.

"It's a popular area partially because of its proximity to Toronto," says listing agent Valerie Logaridis. "It's also a great area for boaters. They call it the 'Big Waters of Georgian Bay.' You can get in your boat there and sail all the way to Florida."

While the current owners, Betsy and Michael Biscotti, initially chose to live in the area to be close to a daughter with a cottage there, they discovered that the scenic two-acre lot was the ideal place to build a large home that could fit all their family and friends.

"We never expected to find anything quite so beautiful [where we could] take our ideas and put them in a home on the waterfront," says Ms. Biscotti.

They bought the property nine years ago from Ms. Logaridis, who was selling 70 large waterfront and inland lots for a developer in the now established upscale community of Cedar Ridge.

"Cedar Ridge definitely has larger lots than typical in the area," explains Ms. Logaridis. "Typical lots start at 50 feet," while the waterfront lots here are all over two acres.

The properties, each custom built to the owner's specifications, have turned out to be so desirable that only a few homes have been resold since their construction, says Ms. Logaridis, including one that fetched over $4-million.

Enhancing the beauty of this west-facing property, where the owners reside all year, are tall trees, native plants and a stone stairway to the lake and patio.

"We've worked on the landscaping just about every year we've been there," says Ms. Biscotti. "It's at its best right now."

There is an upper deck off the main floor, a covered patio and a screened-in porch on the lower level, plus another deck with built-in benches and planters and a removable dock and boat lift.

"There are numerous decks and sitting areas where they can watch these spectacular views and sunsets," says Ms. Logaridis.

There also are great views from nearly every room in the house.

The home has about 10,000 square feet of living space, split evenly between self contained main and lower levels, and a 1,200 square feet coach house apartment.

"We have three daughters and seven grandchildren, so we have them all come," says Ms. Biscotti. "The way I designed the house is that we have privacy when they're all here, yet we're together as a family."

The owners occupy the main floor, which has a master suite with a six-piece bathroom, his and her closets with windows and a laundry room.

Also off the sleeping quarters are a sunroom with peaked, cedar ceilings and a morning kitchen - used to prepare quick meals. A pocket door leads to a media room.

In the south wing, the main kitchen and sunny breakfast room are almost 40-feet deep combined.

There is an oak island, wood cupboards and two dishwashers, two wall ovens and a wine cooler. "It's a cook's dream kitchen," Ms. Logaridis notes.

A 13- by seven-foot walk-in pantry offers a butcher-block "baking centre" with built-in drawers for items like flour and sugar. "It can actually be rolled out into the kitchen," says Ms. Biscotti. A central great room has pine-panelled wood ceilings nearly 28 feet high and large windows and glass doors flanking a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace.

"The minute you walk in the front door, you can see [the fireplace]," says Ms. Logaridis. "On either side of that, you have spectacular views out over the bay."

Also on the main level is a dining room with vaulted ceilings, flooded with daylight from dormer windows.

Meanwhile, guests are generally accommodated on the lower level, which has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a combined kitchen/laundry room, plus two offices, a gym and a wine cellar.

Like the main floor, there is a family room with a fireplace and multiple walkouts.

A breezeway links the house with a coach house and oversized, three-car garage. The garage has an attached woodshed and epoxy painted floors for easy cleanup. "You can just hose it down," says Ms. Logaridis.

The two-bedroom apartment above houses a fireside living room and a sky-lit kitchen. "The apartment can be used as a separate guest apartment or used for live-in help," says Ms. Logaridis.

Over all, the choice of materials and decor throughout the property are "a bit more finished, polished and elegant," than neighbouring homes, most of which are used solely as recreational properties, Ms. Logaridis says.

For instance, there is a tumbled stone driveway and century-old, reclaimed hardwood floors throughout.

The property has three furnaces, water heaters and air conditioning systems: one for each side of the house and a third for the coach house. There are also sound, security and automated lighting systems and a back-up generator.

"In an area like this, there will often be power outages, but this generator kicks in within 60 seconds," says Ms. Logaridis. "The house has everything."

Like many homes on the water, this one could be used as a four-seasons recreational property or a year-round home, though there are other possibilities, Ms. Logaridis says.

"I think it's different because it's a large place," she says. "It could easily be used as a corporate retreat."

The amenities

The property has three separate living quarters with a total of seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, four kitchens, three fireplaces, three laundry rooms and multiple walkouts.

On the main floor, the master suite occupies the entire north wing - complete with a sunroom, kitchenette and media room - three bathrooms, a great room, dining room and eat-in kitchen.

The lower level, with 10-foot ceilings, includes four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a family room, two offices and a gym, as well as a screened-in porch, wine cellar and combined kitchen and laundry room.

A covered breezeway connects to a coach house, with a three-car garage and an apartment above. The latter has two bedrooms, two ensuite bathrooms, a kitchen and entertaining space.

The property is equipped with an automated lighting (indoors and out), sound, security and sprinkler systems, as well as three sets of heating, air-conditioning and central-vacuum systems. There also is an updated generator, septic system and drilled well.

Outdoor amenities include several decks, patios, a dock with a new electric boat lift.