Surreal Estate: $6 million for an Aurora farmhouse sitting on acres of protected woodland

Surreal Estate: $6 million for an Aurora farmhouse sitting on acres of protected woodland

What house in the country would be complete without a three-season room, a home theatre, a staircase–wine rack combo and a winding driveway?

This Aurora farmhouse is currently on the market for $6 million.

Location: Aurora
Price: $5,995,000
Size: 4,100 square feet, plus a 1,895-square-foot finished basement, sitting on 12 acres of land
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 6
Parking spots: 3
Real estate agents: Carolyn Scime, Chestnut Park


The place

A four-bedroom, six-bathroom revival property on the outskirts of Aurora. Its farmhouse and three-car garage stand at the end of a private driveway that winds through more than 12 acres of land. Highlights include a three-season Muskoka room, soaring wood trusses and a backyard hot tub.

The history

The home was built in the 1980s as a reproduction of a long-gone farmhouse. The current owners, a couple, purchased the place in 2010 and immediately renovated the interior and exterior—finishing the basement, paving the driveway and planting trees throughout. Now they’re downsizing and putting it all on the market.

Related: $15 million for an old-world mansion with an arcade and two basketball courts

The tour

The front door (in the background) leads to a stairwell and then the kitchen. There are hemlock hardwood floors throughout.

The kitchen sits right at the front of the house.

This reverse shot highlights the marble island, built-in media centre, double wall ovens and informal dining space overlooking the Muskoka room.

The island here is Calcutta marble.

There’s a Wolf induction cooktop embedded in the island with a built-in ventilation system.

The induction oven is Wolf.

The dining area sits conveniently next to the beverage station, which is equipped with a wine fridge.

The dining area overlooks the three-season room.

Here’s that three-season room, with screen walls. It overlooks the backyard and a seemingly unending forest.

The three-season room overlooks the backyard and patio.

Next up, the home’s central feature: its sunken great room.

The sunken Great Room anchors the entire residence.

It has a gas fireplace (designed to look like a wood burner) and vaulted ceilings lined with dramatic wood trusses.

A look at the original wood trusses.

Those French doors walk out to the patio.

Another look at the Great Room.

Now for the formal dining room, with another gas fireplace.

This is the formal dining room.

The bay window lounge is conveniently within arm’s reach of the bar.

The dining room has a lounge and bar by the bay window.

Facing the porch is this powder room.

A peek inside the powder room.

And this office space—with corner windows, a built-in bookcase and grasscloth wallpaper—is the last stop on the main-floor tour.

The office has a built-in book shelf.

All four bedrooms are on the second floor, each with its own ensuite bathroom.

All four bedrooms come with ensuite bathrooms.

Here’s the main bedroom. Its French doors open to a Juliet balcony overlooking the backyard. The dormer windows add a classic touch.

There's a Juliet balcony beyond those French doors.

The main ensuite has a soaker tub, a glass shower, a separate water closet (not pictured) and dolomite marble tiling throughout.

In the main ensuite: a soaker tub, a glass shower and plenty of marble.

This bedroom has semi-vaulted ceilings, a funky light fixture and open shelving that doubles as a display.

The fourth bedroom has an impressive ball cap display.

And its ensuite comes with a walk-in shower, penny-tile floors and an elegant exposed sink.

Penny tiles and exposed brass pipes in the third ensuite.

Heading to the basement reveals the space-saving wine rack–staircase combo. That sliding barn door leads to more storage.

The wine-rack-staircase hybrid is an ingenious space saver.

The basement comes with heated floors and walks out to the backyard.

The finished basement may is a giant rec room.

There’s a sunken home theatre down here that also connects to the patio.

The home theatre is also sunken.

Down the hall is the gym.

Here's the basement gym.

And here’s the deck.

The rear view from the property.

Another look at the deck and the Muskoka room.

The large deck descends from the three-season room and comes with a grill and dining area.

But the real fun is on the herringbone-brick patio: it has a firepit, a hot tub, manicured gardens and a view of the countryside.

Nothing but green and blue for miles.

It’s so nice you have to see it twice—this time from above.

A bird's eye view of the fire pit and hot tub.

About a third of the property is covered in a lawn worthy of a golf course, and the rest is protected woodland.

The property sits on 12 acres of verdant land.

Finally, a shot of the winding driveway.

Take me home, country roads.


Have a home that’s about to hit the market? Send your property to realestate@torontolife.com.