Surreal Estate: $10 million for a psychedelic fairy tale castle in Vaughan

Location: Woodland Acres, Vaughan Price: $9,998,000 Size: 5,000 square feet plus a 1,150-square-foot basement and a 600-square-foot attic Bedrooms: 7+1 Bathrooms: 13 Parking spaces: 8 Real estate agent: Voula Argyropoulos, Hammond International Properties

The place

An eight-bedroom, 13-bathroom castle in rural Vaughan. It sits on 1.9 acres of land and comes with a kidney-shaped pool, an army of statues, an observatory and a greenhouse. The fairy tale compound is nestled in Woodland Acres, a neighbourhood known for its gawk-worthy estates. It’s within walking distance of Bathurst Street and a short carriage ride from downtown Vaughan. 

The history

The current owners built the house between 2004 and 2007. Inspired by Gothic and medieval architecture, they incorporated ornate turrets, murals and stained glass into the design—for whimsy, of course. They’ve hosted Gatsby-like parties with guests including Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Wiz Khalifa. 

Related: $4.8 million for a Niagara-on-the-Lake mansion next to a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

The tour

A long driveway replete with mature maple trees on both sides leads to the main house. (Unfortunately, the vintage Benz doesn’t come with the home.)

These cement dogs—always guarding the front door—are two of the many statues that dot the property.

The main foyer (or what the owners call the grand hall) features a heraldic mural of a knight on a horse bidding his lady farewell, just because. It also comes with stained-glass windows and quatrefoil ceilings, which took two people a month to paint by hand.

Here’s a closer look at the cornice moulding in the grand hall.

Airbrushed dragons and clouds circle the dining table. The antiques and furniture on display are not included in the sale of the home.

In the breakfast area, bronze deer statues skirt a huge stained-glass window featuring two deer in a forest. The glass was crafted by Robert McCausland Ltd., the oldest stained-glass manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere.

That blue counter in the kitchen is made of volcanic rock that changes colour at high temperatures.

Next to the kitchen is a lounge area as well as a 30-square-foot cage where owners house their chinchillas, birds, cats and other pets. 

The massive family room showcases cherrywood flooring and coffered ceilings.

Tall bookshelves line every wall of the library, which also features a secret entrance to the main bedroom.

This staircase contains trellis detailing and leads to both the children’s bedrooms and the basement. The floor here is made of hand-cut marble.

The main bedroom is also on the ground floor and walks out to the swimming pool and the gardens. Those are fairies floating around the ceiling, in case you were wondering.

Turn around to take in this indoor gazebo-like space surrounded by a floor-to-ceiling mural.

Here’s the daughter’s bathroom. It has a mural of a girl with long blonde hair (her likeness) riding a horse out of the ocean.

Moving upstairs reveals the second-floor landing, which overlooks the grand hall. 

Made of Venetian plaster and lined with 10 wizard-head sconces, this curved hallway connects the children’s bedrooms. 

The third floor houses the observatory, where the telescope can be used to gaze up at the stars through the glass dome overhead.

Down in the basement is this soundproof shuffleboard room with a Nickelodeon colour palette. 

A peek outside highlights this sculpture—one of four matching pieces scattered around the grounds—bought from an estate sale 30 years ago. 

The swimming pool, hot tub and waterfalls are all peach granite from Northern Ontario and are surrounded by shrubbery and trees. 

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