Zen Habitation: a salon don’s tranquil Rosedale retreat
Zen Habitation: a salon don’s tranquil Rosedale retreat
By Peter Saltsman | May 13, 2015
By Peter Saltsman | 05/13/2015
(Images: Derek Shapton)
After decades on the move, Ray Civello has finally settled down. The 57-year-old salon founder began his career bouncing between hairdressing jobs in New York, Toronto, Montreal and Paris before launching his eponymous parlour in Rosedale in 1989. (He’s since opened six more: three in the GTA and three in Chicago.) He spent the next two decades designing, building and flipping houses all over Rosedale and the Bridle Path, first as a bachelor and later with his partner of 15 years, Kelli McGushin. But when their son, Corrado, was born six years ago, the pair started thinking about pressing pause on their peripatetic lifestyle. In 2013, they bought a stately, somewhat dilapidated house overlooking the Rosedale ravine and, with the help of Alicia Garas of Melacor—the decorating force behind all of Civello’s salons and several of his homes—turned the dark, cramped rooms into a pristine white showpiece. They tore down walls to create a huge open kitchen and sitting area (where they spend most of their time) and added tons of personalized details: a golf simulator in the basement, a meditation room for Civello (who tries to practise every day) and a swimming pool for Corrado. “I think I might stay here for a while,” says Civello. “And that’s a crazy thing for me to say. But I just like it so much. We really live in this house.”
314698 https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-01-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-01.jpg 1200 774 [] https://torontolife.com/style/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation/slide/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-01/ ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-01 0 0
314699 The Elte <strong>carpet</strong> is woven with recycled sari silk from India. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-02-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-02.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation/slide/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-02/ ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-02 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
314700 The <strong>painting</strong> above the couch, by Mark Karasick, is based on a photo Civello took of Corrado at age three. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-03-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-03.jpg 800 1200 [] https://torontolife.com/style/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation/slide/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-03/ ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-03 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
314701 The dining room <strong>table and chairs</strong> were custom built by Civello’s friend Daniel Perez. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-04-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-04.jpg 800 1200 [] https://torontolife.com/style/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation/slide/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-04/ ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-04 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
314702 The globe <strong>chandelier</strong> is by Brooklyn-based designer Jason Miller. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-05-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-05.jpg 585 585 [] https://torontolife.com/style/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation/slide/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-05/ ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-05 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
314703 Civello finds real taxidermy unsettling; the <strong>animal heads</strong> above the fireplace are ceramic. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-06-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-06.jpg 351 605 [] https://torontolife.com/style/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation/slide/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-06/ ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-06 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
314704 The tiny <strong>meditation room</strong> used to be part of a staircase for staff. Civello bought the <strong>gold paintings</strong>, by artist Angel Polisena, while visiting Italy. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-07-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-07.jpg 497 745 [] https://torontolife.com/style/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation/slide/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-07/ ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-07 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
314705 Civello bought the bronze <strong>Buddha head</strong> at Jalan, a now-defunct antiquities shop on Queen West. “They used to love me there,” he says. “I bought half the store.” (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-08-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-08.jpg 674 1011 [] https://torontolife.com/style/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation/slide/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-08/ ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-08 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
314706 The burnt-orange <strong>leather couch</strong> was also designed by Daniel Perez. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-09-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-09.jpg 800 699 [] https://torontolife.com/style/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation/slide/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-09/ ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-09 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
314707 The white marble <strong>Buddha statue</strong>, also from Jalan, is really a garden decoration, but Civello decided to keep it indoors. “It gives me a measure of peace in this crazy world.” (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-10-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-10.jpg 789 1142 [] https://torontolife.com/style/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation/slide/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-10/ ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-10 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
314708 The <strong>painting</strong> on the lower landing is by Toronto’s Greg Angus, who creates art based on the swirling lines of his clients’ fingerprints. (Image: Derek Shapton) https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-11-150x150.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-11.jpg 839 800 [] https://torontolife.com/style/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation/slide/ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-11/ ray-civello-great-spaces-zen-habitation-11 0 0
(Image: Derek Shapton)
The photos in this piece look like they were taken on an iPhone by an upaid intern that had been drinking at lunch. I mean you cut off everyone’s head just to show a carpet? A picture of the corner of a room?