ADDRESS: 16 May Tree Road
NEIGHBOURHOOD: Bridle Path–Sunnybrook–York Mills
AGENT: Kara Reed, Chestnut Park Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage
PRICE: $4,250,000
THE PLACE: This contemporary reinforced concrete home is nestled on an acre of forested land in the heart of Hogg’s Hollow.
BRAGGING RIGHTS: Elmar Tampõld of the architectural firm Tampõld Wells, which was behind a number of city buildings, including the Colonnade on Bloor’s Mink Mile, designed and built the home in 1986. Its contemporary design even earned it a feature spot on the program Toronto: Le Nouveau Monde, a travelling show that toured Paris, Barcelona and Milan in the early ’90s.
BIG SELLING POINT: For the last 25 years, the house has been the private residence of Mr. Tampõld himself, ensuring the authentic preservation of the home’s architectural integrity.
POSSIBLE DEAL BREAKER: The all-white walls and sculptural staircase create a gallery atmosphere conducive to fine art and designer furniture. If you’re just starting to amass your own collection of avant-garde decor items, you might want to wait a few years before moving in.
BY THE NUMBERS:
• $4,250,000
• $19,823 in property taxes (2011)
• 4 bedrooms
• 4 bathrooms
• 3 storeys
• 3 decks/terraces
• 1 elevator
• 1 cedar sauna
• 1 spiralling staircase reminiscent of Frank Gehry
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- The boxy, asymmetrical design reminds us of Montreal’s Habitat 67.
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- An easily scalable wall leading to the second-level terrace
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- The spiral staircase
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- A stark white aesthetic pervades the whole home.
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- The elegant yet comfy living room, adjacent to a sky-lit atrium open to the third floor
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- The splendour of nature
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- The solarium in the back floods the kitchen with natural light.
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- The dining room, with modern chairs and some kind of valve on the table
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- Turns out it costs $4.2 million to buy a stairway to heaven.
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- The multipurpose family room, with some unsettling art and the home’s not-at-all-superfluous second piano
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- Was there not enough desk space for that junk on the chair?
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- A den is hardly a den without a proper day bed.
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- The crux of the staircase
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- This bedroom gives off a cabin vibe with the plaid sheets, the shaggy rug and, of course, the wilderness outside.
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- Close to the earth
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- The second-floor terrace, like a stone outcrop on a wooded hill
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- A smaller side deck
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- The first-floor patio. That makes 15 seats outside total (we counted).
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- Nestled in nature
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- After spending $4.2 million, hopefully you still have some money to pay a gardener.
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- Those cheese grater chairs are probably more comfortable than they look.
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- Our favourite tree
The space is beautiful, but it’s so dated. And they haven’t even shown the bathrooms. This is really overpriced.
November 30, 2011 at 6:36 pm | by MariaI feel like I’m in a museum.
November 30, 2011 at 9:51 pm | by Perry PThis NUT-BAR must be crazy for any person to purchase this estate at that price, any way, eh ! The grounds surrounding the home is unfinished and NO swimming pool. Come on, I would rate this property at a three on a scale of zero to ten. We are not all SUCKERS, jack !!
December 1, 2011 at 8:09 am | by David W. SturgeonWhere is the pool?
December 1, 2011 at 8:20 am | by Cosmo MannellaVery unique and and personal home, not for the masses…
Not my kind of house. Too modern.
December 1, 2011 at 9:30 am | by tenofclubsI actually think this place is beautiful – a bit of updating maybe but I love it. And the location is certainly worth the high price.
December 1, 2011 at 10:30 am | by chalbePlease, TL, what is with the dripping sarcasm – which sometimes spills into outright contempt – in the captions?
Does sarcasm mitigate the feeling that only one of the 1% could possibly afford (or perhaps want) this house? I find it detracts greatly from the experience of viewing this artwork, much like going ’round a gallery with someone who doesn’t want to sound their own depths enough to tease out what they feel when faced with something inspired.
How about removing captions entirely, if you worry about sounding like a real estate agent so much that you tip into criticism? Otherwise you’ll be burning books next!
December 1, 2011 at 10:31 am | by TessaThat 70′s Show. Unattractive and over-priced.
December 1, 2011 at 2:09 pm | by Mel S.Only a very special house could deliver up a photo as stunning as #9, the “Stairway to Heaven”. It is a beautiful house for someone with a taste for simple, graceful lines, set in an urban natural haven. Considering the white walls, the interiors are quite warm. As for the “dated” comment, the house is chock full of classic furniture pieces. That’s right! They were not designed last year, but 30-40 years ago, and have clearly stood the test of time. This is a lovely home for those who want to avoid the cookie-cutter monster homes that abound these days.
December 1, 2011 at 2:24 pm | by TiiaGreat Captions! Tessa doesn’t know what she is talking about. It adds to the enjoyment of the house.
December 2, 2011 at 8:45 am | by HCDon’t listen – I LOVE the captions and miss them when they aren’t there.
December 2, 2011 at 4:07 pm | by redleafGorgeous. That staircase is to die for. I don’t know what over-priced means anymore. A pathetic little piece of dung house in Parkdale sells for 700k+. I’ve seen some decrepit old houses in Rosedale with no yard on the train tracks sell for 3 million. In light of the current market, doesn’t seem that over-priced to me.
December 4, 2011 at 1:34 pm | by seraphIts a lovely house, however we didn’t see any pictures of the bathrooms or kitchen, which leads me to think they are in need of a renovation.
Secondly, the master bedroom reminds me of my boarding school days, with the bedspread right up to the top. YAWN and double YAWN.
Whilst this looks like a glorious house, I think the furniture looks dated for today’s comtemporary tastes and given that there is probably some required renovations and the owner’s ego invloved here, the price is probably on the high side.
That being said it is a very attractive piece and probably well built as the owner did it for himself. So, to the new buyer… should add some “mod cons” to the house and you have a showpiece.
Suggested selling price in the range of $3.5 milos either side.
December 4, 2011 at 1:43 pm | by Alexander McQueen