Neighbourhood: The Beaches Agent: Shea Warrington, Royal LePage Estate Realty Price: $5,000,000 Previously sold for: $552,000 in 2001 Last renovated: 2014
In 2001, the current owners purchased this home as a one-bed, one-bath cottage. It’s since been expanded to over 5,000 square feet, with two major renovations, in 2006 and 2014. They added three bedrooms and three bathrooms, along with a living room, basement rec rooms and terraces.
The home is set back from the street, making it feel private and somewhat hidden. The front entrance is accessible by a walkway that runs between two houses on Victoria Park Ave. It’s also got two driveways, with parking for four cars.
The place sits on a 15,000 square foot lot in the middle of a ravine, where you can spot all sorts of wildlife, including owls, foxes, eagles, deer and hawks.
And finally, it’s built for house parties and entertaining. The current owners have hosted a bunch of large functions here, including a wedding with over a hundred guests.
Here’s the walkway from Victoria Park Ave. That sign is a cheeky nod to Harry Potter:
In the front hallway, for wallpaper, the owners used journal entries that their children made on a trip to Italy:
There’s an office with a gas fireplace near the front of the home. The desk is actually part of a double Murphy bed, which turns this into a spare bedroom:
Here’s the living room. It has another gas fireplace:
The kitchen has stainless steel countertops, two dishwashers and a six-burner Wolf stove. The 14-foot island has a built-in butcher block:
In the dining room, there are three double doors and a walkout to a deck:
This enclosed solarium has a view of the lake. The windows and doors can be opened up, and it also has heated floors:
There are three bedrooms on the upper level, as well as a laundry room. This bedroom has a den with a private terrace that has seasonal views of the lake when the trees are bare:
There’s plenty of built-in closet space in the den:
Here’s the second bedroom, with tropical wallpaper and vaulted ceilings. It also has some built-in storage:
This is an original bathroom, shared by the first two bedrooms:
The primary bedroom has two walk-in closets and another walkout to a private terrace:
In the primary ensuite, there’s a walk-in steam shower with a built-in bench:
The basement has a family room with carpeted flooring. There’s also another laundry room on this level:
Here’s the bathroom in the basement, with a walk-in shower:
This room is currently set up as a gym:
The backyard has a gas firepit:
And there’s a whimsical playhouse outside for the kids:
Here’s another exterior view of the home, where you’ll see another deck area:
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Andrea Yu is a freelance journalist based in Toronto. She reports on a wide variety of topics including business, real estate, culture, design, health, food, drink and travel. Aside from Toronto Life, her writing has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Chatelaine and Cottage Life.