Surreal Estate: $28 million for a humongous North York mansion off Bayview with a 40-seat home theatre

Neighbourhood: Silver Hills Price: $28,800,000 Size: 21,000 square feet Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 11 Parking spots: 12 Agents: Barry Cohen, Michelle Schipper, and Judi Gottlieb

The place

A massive Silver Hills estate on Old Colony Road (a short walk from Bayview), with its own cellular antenna and underground filtration system. Nestled on a one-acre lot surrounded by greenery, this fortress—designed for a wealthy buyer who loves both entertaining and privacy—has so far piqued the interest of business moguls, celebrities and members of the Toronto Raptors. The mansion is loaded with over-the-top amenities: a family room the size of a dance hall, a Cineplex-grade home theatre, a 360-degree camera system, built-in face-recognition technology and voice-activated locks. In total, the place has over 15 kilometres of wiring within its walls.

The history

Architect and designer Lisa McCann considers this state-of-the-art marvel her magnum opus. She spent the past six and a half years on the project, collaborating with her husband, Michael McCann, as well as more than 100 tradespeople. “I didn’t want this to be a subdivision on steroids,” she says. “I wanted to bring as much functionality as possible so that residents would never want to leave.”

Related: $13.8 million for a North York mansion with a saltwater pool overlooking the Don Valley

The tour

Mature trees help camouflage the brick fortress in the summer, making it barely visible from the street.

A four-inch-thick front door intersects an elegant stone wall.

The foyer gives way to this Gatsby-like living room. The floor is limestone, and the outlets are painted custom off-white to hide even the smallest imperfections.

Moving through the space reveals the voice-activated fireplace, which can be turned on from any room. Modernist floor-to-ceiling windows lead to the side-yard tennis court.

The tennis court has an adjacent patio.

The family room’s south wing is really a 20-foot atrium, equipped with a wall-to-wall walk-out to the sprawling backyard.

Here’s a view of the atrium from the landing above. The McCanns say it’s ideal for a library or meditation space.

Next to the atrium on the main floor is the kitchen, which features rows of Lutron pot lights, lacquer white cabinets and funky fluorescent counters. The glowing island anchors the room.

The main-floor bathroom comes with a ceiling grid light and dual powder stations with Boffi faucets sourced from Italy.

The glass-and-oak staircase serves as the home’s spine, contrasting with the rustic stone wall.

Upstairs, there are multiple walk-outs to the 72-foot wrap-around balcony.

Lisa’s favourite room on the second floor is what she calls the Frank Lloyd Wright office, inspired by the architect’s love of looking out at nature while working from his desk.

Down the hall are the two main bathrooms. First, the man cave: a grout-less porcelain wonder with a glass shower and a nine-foot vanity featuring Versace detailing.

And here’s its feminine counterpart, with a soaker tub, tons of storage and veined marble everywhere.

Here’s one of the house’s five bedrooms, each large enough to fit a king-sized bed, an entertainment unit and an office.

The main bedroom features a huge oak cloakroom with bespoke cabinets.

The wine room is something you’d expect to find in a Yorkville restaurant, built with help from Halpern Enterprises. Naturally, it fits 1,000 bottles.

Behold: the basement bathroom, with heated porcelain floors, a quartz vanity and black-and-grey mosaic tiles.

Finally, the showstopper—an 8K Cineplex-grade theatre with a 177-inch screen, surround sound, a space-themed ceiling and capacity for 40 people.

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