Surreal Estate: $18.9 million for a head-turner in Rosedale with a Hitchcockian stairwell

Neighbourhood: Rosedale Price: $18,950,000 Size: 7,000 square feet plus a coach house with a two-car garage Bedrooms: 5+1 Bathrooms: 7

Parking spots: 6 Real estate agent: Kathryn Harris, Chestnut Park Real Estate

The Place

A five-plus-one-bedroom, seven-bathroom house just off Yonge. The mansion is a recently renovated century home, equipped with European accents, luxury light fixtures, an onyx wine cellar, a custom steel staircase anchoring all five floors and a tiered backyard. Residents are within walking distance of Ramsden Park, the Summerhill LCBO and Rosedale station. And motorists are a short drive from both St. Clair and the DVP.

The History

This property was originally built in 1906, and its current owner completed renovations eight years ago. The home was built in the Edwardian style typical of Rosedale.

Related: $29.8 million for a gargantuan mansion in North York with a cave for sports cars

The Tour

The classic façade is surrounded by mature trees, landscaped gardens and a circular brick driveway.

It’s everything Edwardian: red brick, cornices, columns, decorative windows and stone steps.

In the foyer, there are glossy marble floors and the kinds of light fixtures you’d expect to find in a supper club. The baseboards throughout the main floor are marble.

This reverse view highlights the striking art and floating steel stairwell (more on that later).

To the left of the foyer is the south-facing living room.

It has a wood-burning fireplace with marble surround and enough room to seat 12 people.

The formal dining room is opposite the living room.

That haunting piece on the wall depicts the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.

The kitchen is equipped with pendant lighting, granite counters and oak cabinets.

Here’s the kitchen’s dining area overlooking the backyard.

Residents get a terrific view of the Rumford wood-burning fireplace from the family room.

The family room’s bespoke back wall is stained oak.

Now for a closer look at the stairwell from Jimmy Stewart’s nightmares. It’s lit from the basement, adding drama to an already stunning centrepiece.

Moving to the third floor reveals this lounge with a view of the neighbourhood.

There’s also a moody office up here.

Down the hall is the main suite, which takes up an entire wing of the house.

In the ensuite bathroom: a double vanity with marble counters and plenty of oak storage.

It also comes with a soaker tub and rainfall shower.

And this is the walk-in closet, with a makeup station.

Moving downstairs brings us to the basement fun zone, where a golf simulator and sunken lounge await, topped by a coffered ceiling.

The bar comes encased in brass.

There’s more black and gold in the temperature-controlled wine cellar, elegantly incorporated into the base of the stairwell.

The cellar is actually a sub-basement—under-lit, with a glass ceiling, onyx finishes and space for hundreds of bottles.

Finally, here’s the backyard, complete with tiered stone patios for entertaining.

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