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- 41 STRATHEDEN RD.
- WHAT: A newly built home in Lawrence Park, complete with professionally designed interiors
- LIVING SPACE: more than 4,800 square feet
- LOT SIZE: 65 by 135 feet
- ASKING PRICE: $4,895,000
- TAXES: not yet assessed
- AGENT: Sam Tassone, Royal LePage West Realty Group Ltd.
AMENITIES: This two-storey stone house contains four bedrooms, seven bathrooms and five custom-crafted fireplaces with marble surrounds.
Ceilings are 10 feet on the main floor, where there is a library, piano room, dining room, and a living room with one of four gas fireplaces.
A family room is located off the eat-in kitchen, which includes luxury appliances, a walk-in pantry and island. It opens to a covered terrace with a stone fireplace.
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The built-in double garage has direct access to a mud/laundry room.
Upstairs, there are three bedrooms with private bathrooms and walk-in closets. The master bedroom has a fireplace, dressing room and an ensuite with twin sinks, glass shower stall and freestanding tub.
In the basement, there is a recreation room with a two-way fireplace shared with a gym, as well as a spa with a sauna and steam shower. Rounding out this level is a sunken wine cellar, kitchenette, theatre and a nanny suite with a bathroom, plus an exit to the backyard.
The landscaping will be finished in June. Elements include fencing, deciduous hedges and side gates to a south-facing backyard with a terraced garden.
The driveway is radiant heated.
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In upscale neighbourhoods such as Lawrence Park and Forest Hill, it's more common than it used to be for builders to complete infill homes right down to the decor without having a buyer, according to real estate agent Sam Tassone.
One of those builders is Tony DeCaria, principal of Gallery Homes, who is just putting the finishing touches to this more than 4,800-square-foot residence on Stratheden Road in Lawrence Park. The house, listed by Mr. Tassone, will go on the market in mid-May.
Mr. DeCaria says he incorporated elements in the dwelling that previous clients have most requested — everything from a mix of formal and open-concept layouts to theatre seating in a lower level media room.
"You drive to the community, see what's going on in the area, and try to site a building that will complement not what's old, but what is evolving," Mr. DeCaria adds. "Because we're building in these areas — and have been for at least 10 years — we see what the improvements are.
Mr. DeCaria, who continues a family tradition of building that began when his grandfather arrived at Ellis Island from Italy in 1909, has about 800 homes in his portfolio, including several luxury homes for prestigious clients.
On a job a few years ago — a $3.29-million property in Forest Hill for a former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender (which sold about two years later to an award-winning Canadian musician for $4.2-million) — he met interior designer Halina Catherine.
She has dressed about 10 residences done by Gallery Homes since then, including this one.
Mr. DeCaria says he always approaches locals for feedback on his plans.
"We've got to take their thoughts into consideration … but we don't always come to an agreement."
At 41 Stratheden Rd., there was some opposition to the house's size, he says, though it takes up only about a third of the 65- by 135-foot lot.
Most new homes cover about 65 per cent of the property, more than twice what was traditionally permitted, he points out.
"We built to what the city will allow."
This home, like many Mr. DeCaria has built, has a limestone facade with a cedar shake roof, frieze-board details, as well as solider coursings above arched windows. For variety, there also are round and oval windows.
Inside, the eat-in kitchen in the rear opens to the family room. "The kids are playing and chatting while you're cooking, so it's a nice family environment," Ms. Catherine says.
Upstairs, a large master retreat along the back of the house includes a dressing room and an ensuite bathroom that rivals the size of the other bedrooms.
The basement, which adds another 2,740 square feet to the living space, features a 20-seat theatre, kitchenette, spa and gym — all high-demand features these days, according to Ms. Catherine.
"[People] want the privacy of an in-home gym and being able to wake up and have a personal trainer coming to the home," she explains. "Because of [limited] time, people are needing more luxuries at home."
Another example of this is the home's covered terrace with a wood-burning fireplace. "People want to relax in the summer night outside and have a fire going," Mr. DeCaria says. "It feels like they're at the cottage."
Because people are entertaining more at home, the design incorporates a music room between the spacious living and dining rooms, as well as a sunken wine cellar on the lower level.
Ms. Catherine picked out everything from furniture and artwork to window treatments and lighting.
Black and white Carrera marble tiles with a traditional pattern were chosen for the foyer, and quarter-sawn white oak flooring with an intricate herringbone pattern for the kitchen and family room.
Seen throughout the house is elaborate millwork — custom trims, ceiling mouldings and full-height panelling on the main floor and upper hall, and dark-stained, cherry panelling in the library.
To maximize the decor's appeal, Ms. Catherine kept her designs "simple and clean," but she pairs antique pieces with modern ones or combines traditional and art deco elements. For instance, the living room features art deco chairs paired with a traditional sofa and cocktail table, along with black crystal art deco lamps on a traditional sofa back console.
In the dining room, traditional upholstered seats are placed at a simple art deco dining table. Above the table is a traditional tiered Georgian crystal chandelier with quartz accents, creating a simple yet formal look.
"You don't want something coming in and out of fashion," Ms. Catherine says. "If you can put a twist on things to give it current feel, but stay traditional, it's timeless really."
If a buyer wants to make any changes, Mr. DeCaria will do so after the sale.
Mr. Tassone adds: "For the price point we're going to list it at — with all the craftsmanship and quality of workmanship that is involved — it's a bargain compared to other homes on the market."
Special to The Globe and Mail
