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70 BLYTH HILL RD.
WHAT: A custom-built house with generous amounts of light and glass, perched on the edge of the Sherwood Park Ravine. The house has five bedrooms and eight bathrooms in 10,000 square feet on a 50- by 170-foot lot.
ASKING PRICE: $6.25-million
TAXES: $36,000 (2007)
AGENT: Elise Kalles, Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd.
THE AMENITIES: Located at the end of a cul-de-sac overlooking a ravine, the house is a modern blend of curving walls, vast picture windows and burnished metal. A two-storey foyer with dramatic skylight leads into the house.
Inside, the principal rooms are laid out in unconventional shapes, with the kitchen at the crux. It opens into a large gallery that brings light into the centre of the house and creates dramatic interior views from each level.
Designer touches on the main floor include recessed lighting and Jatoba hardwood floors. One expansive space overlooking the garden contains the family room, casual eating area and wood-burning fireplace. The adjoining kitchen is filled with state-of-the-art appliances and a home office area looking out onto the front garden.
Windows stretch from wall to wall and floor to ceiling. Upstairs, the master suite includes two large walk-in closets and a five-piece marble bathroom. Down the hall, two bedrooms have en suite bathrooms, while in a wing set apart from the others, two other rooms share a bathroom.
The house also has a media room, recreation room with bar, games room, wine cellar and exercise room. The pool is surrounded by a flagstone terrace, lush landscaping and the tall trees of the ravine. Below are the walking trails of Sherwood Park.
The house at 70 Blyth Hill Rd. is largely hidden by surrounding trees in its Lawrence Park cul-de-sac. From the street, little of the house can be seen other than the tall and transparent foyer standing at the front.
"It's much more impressive from the back," says Elise Kalles of Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd. "They wanted that so that it would blend in."
Move to the rear of the house, and it dramatically expands as three levels rise above the ravine. The back is also the site of the "infinity" pool, which appears to flow into the chasm below.
"It's totally private when you're out here. You don't see any houses at all," says Ms. Kalles.
The house was designed by Jim Strasman of Toronto-based Strasman Architects Inc. Mr. Strasman is a 1983 winner of the Governor General's Medal in Architecture for the Wandrich Residence.
The interior is the work of the celebrated designer Brian Gluckstein and his Gluckstein Design Planning Inc.
Ms. Kalles says an older home was torn down and the new one built on the site about seven years ago. By keeping close to the footprint of the previous home, the owners were able to keep the house close to the ravine.
"You can't build on a ravine like that any more," she says.
Owner Kelly Ann Connacher is the designer of the EllyKelly line of handbags at Holt Renfrew.
Ms. Kalles says Ms. Connacher was also very engaged in the planning and interior design of the house.
"They were very involved because they knew exactly what they wanted," she says of the owner and her family.
There is plenty of sophisticated space and stylishness to enthrall visitors, but the house is also built for family life, with many of the finishes chosen for easy maintenance.
Metal-clad doors need little upkeep, while on the floors, surfaces such as limestone and wood are easy to keep clean.
A circular staircase leads to the second floor, which is flooded with light.
"On a bright day it's like you're outdoors," Ms. Kalles says.
A large master suite provides privacy for the parents and the second-floor hallway leads to a secluded terrace. From the roof terrace, the owners are surrounded by the treetops, with a view of the pool below.
"Even up here it's private," she adds.
A curving staircase leads to two bedrooms set in their own wing. The arrangement provides lots of space for the family's two boys, Ms. Kalles says, and gives the children more privacy as they get older.
"Eventually they would want their own pad," she adds.
The bedrooms have built-in desks and furniture and a shared bathroom.
The downstairs wet bar, billiard room and recreation room provide lots of space for kids' parties. "Even though you're in a basement, you don't feel as if you are below ground. Everything walks out," Ms. Kalles says.
Also downstairs, the recreation room has a screen for movie viewing and a large window that looks into the climate-controlled wine cellar, keeping the owners' collection on display.
There is also a private nanny suite with bathroom in the basement. An exercise room sits adjacent to the play area, and downstairs dressing rooms allow for quick changes and showers when owners and guests head for the pool.
Ms. Kalles points out that private schools such as Crescent, Havergal College and Toronto French School are nearby. The Granite Club is also just a short drive away.
But Ms. Kalles figures the residents of this house are likely to spend lots of time enjoying the backyard retreat.
"I know cottages that don't have this privacy."
