House of the Week: $5 million for a historic home in Swansea, complete with a billiards room

Address: 275 Riverside Drive
Neighbourhood: Swansea
Agent: Irene Delorraine, Forest Hill Real Estate Inc., Brokerage
Price: $4,950,000

The place

A five-bedroom Georgian manse in Swansea.

Here’s the living room:

The sunroom, at the back of the house:

The kitchen:

And the breakfast area:

There’s a media room on the second floor:

Also on the second floor: three bedrooms, including this master bedroom.

And the master bedroom’s ensuite bathroom:

There are two more bedrooms on the third floor:

The history

Built in 1929 by Robert Home Smith, who also designed The Old Mill Inn nearby, the home has only ever had three sets of owners. Architect Paul Roth and interior designer Murray Oliver led a recent restoration.

Big selling point

Modern homes lack the richness of this place’s interior. There are birch floors in the billiards room:

Walnut paneling in the foyer and dining room:

And quarter-sawn oak flooring throughout the house:

Possible deal breaker

The ornate and flowery window treatments and wallpaper make the home feel like an English countryside inn. If the buyer is looking for a streamlined and modern place, they may have an easier time with a newer home.

By the numbers

• $4,950,000
• $12,748.14 in taxes (2016)
• 6,310 square feet
• 89 years old
• 8 parking spaces (including the attached garage)
• 5 bedrooms
• 5 bathrooms

The Hunt

Food & Drink

What’s on the menu at Prequel & Co. Apothecary, a whimsical new Queen West cocktail lounge from the owner of BarChef

Just don’t call it a speakeasy