ADDRESS: 53 Coldstream Avenue
NEIGHBOURHOOD: Lawrence Park South
AGENT: Boris Kholodov, Royal LePage J&D Division, Brokerage
PRICE: $2,995,000
THE PLACE: A contemporary stone-and-steel ravine getaway located in the highly desirable John Ross Robertson school district.
BRAGGING RIGHTS: You’ll be living green, literally. The home’s original owners voluntarily planted more than 350 native trees (including birch, basswood and sugar maples) to help restore the surrounding Coldstream-Kimbark ravine—a city-protected green space that means your wilderness view will never be replaced by a condo tower.
BIG SELLING POINT: Surrounded by greenery and complete with a catwalk leading up to the front entrance, its basically like living in a really posh, secluded tree fort (only way better, because it has central heating, AC and a killer gas fireplace).
POSSIBLE DEAL BREAKER: The lack of garage means you’ll always be brushing something off your windshield: fallen leaves, snow, an apocalypse-heralding infestation of locusts, this or this.
BY THE NUMBERS:
• $2,995,000
• $25,000 in property taxes (estimated)
• 4 bedrooms
• 4 bathrooms
• 3 storeys
• 3 skylights
• 2 fireplaces
• 1 natural stone interior wall
-
- The Umbriano stone driveway, with a shed off to the side
-
- Outside accents include steel cladding, aluminum louvres, stucco, cedar and polished concrete.
-
- The facade is primarily a combination of Eramosa split-face limestone and sandblasted fleuri-cut stone, sourced from Wiarton and Owen Sound.
-
- The sloped property is two storeys high at the front and three at the back.
-
- Birch trees, emerald cedars, juniper, azaleas and more provided by Evergreen Brick Works
-
- Property located on the slope of the Coldwater-Kimbark Ravine
-
- The front door
-
- The front door
-
- The oak and glass staircase, passing by a stone wall
-
- White oak flooring runs through the house
-
- The living room, with a fantastic view of the ravine
-
- The living room
-
- Facing the dining room
-
- Thermodynamically, this is a pretty smart location for a fireplace.
-
- Encased in limestone, the fireplace separates the dining room from the kitchen.
-
- The open-concept dining room
-
- The dining room, with the kitchen off to the left
-
- The dining room walks out onto the balcony, which leads into the backyard.
-
- The kitchen
-
- The white quartz countertop
-
- Custom walnut cabinets
-
- The Miele six-burner gas cooktop
-
- The twin convection oven and speed oven
-
- A Miele coffee system
-
- The stairs
-
- The natural stone accent wall
-
- Access to the study
-
- The study, with a cowhide rug and walnut cabinets
-
- Art?
-
- The master bedroom, with the largest headboard we’ve ever seen
-
- Sleeping in the treetops
-
- The master bedroom’s dressing chamber behind the headboard
-
- The marble—sorry, master bathroom; the toilet gets its own little room
-
- The second bedroom. Yes, everyone gets walnut closets.
-
- The third bedroom
-
- A second bathroom. Take a bath and laugh at your jealous neighbours.
-
- The living room, with one set of glass doors leading out to the patio
-
- And the other set providing a view of the backyard. Up front is another limestone fireplace and a walnut stand for a TV.
-
- The guest bedroom. Something about that light and the way those lamp arms loom over the bed doesn’t sit right with us.
-
- More walnut cabinets
-
- The office. Guess what those cabinets are made of?
-
- Another bathroom
-
- Trough sinks are in vogue, apparently
-
- The laundry room
-
- The rather adorable patio
-
- The small shed/prison cell off the driveway
Not ordinarily a fan of minimalist design, but there are always exceptions to the rule and this home is definitely the exception. The view of the trees from the master bedroom is sublime. The surroundings are the star. The owner voluntarily planted all those trees? Goes straight to Heaven just for doing that.
December 14, 2011 at 2:19 pm | by Mel S.this house is perfect. Love, love, love. Love all of it.
December 14, 2011 at 4:39 pm | by jsThis place is fantastic!!!!
December 15, 2011 at 9:40 am | by PedroVery nice, but I can’t help but feeling this would be like living in a series of architecture firm waiting areas strung together…. I am probably too middle class in my taste I suppose.
Also, really, no garage? There is green and then just silly. They took the time to plant 350 trees and build a custom shed, but not even a covering for a vehicle? Way better selling point would be an eco garage with a built in quick charging station for your EV. Mixing green bona fides with reality. (Then again, my [non-existent] Aston Martin would look great parked at an angle on that slate walk up…
December 15, 2011 at 11:26 am | by IgnatzBeautiful, but I can see the lack of garage as a big deal breaker. We live in TO and the reality is the elements can really mess with cars. A garage is a luxury (I live in the city and street parking is the norm) but at this price range, it shouldn’t be.
I wonder what the owners will think when potential buyers all pull up in their luxury SUVs.
December 15, 2011 at 12:14 pm | by sidThe minimalist, “looks like a presentation centre” look doesn’t always appeal to me, but it’s been tastefully staged. The non-existent garage is definitely a deal-breaker.
December 15, 2011 at 12:35 pm | by MethinksNo garage, no pool, no thanks!
December 15, 2011 at 5:45 pm | by Johnathan VrozosAs Macdonalds would say : I’M LOVING IT!! Amazing! possibly the best home ever in TL without the snarky corny captions. The only thing which seem wrong is that cowhide rug in the study….wrong wrong wrong but apart from that..worth every penny!!
December 16, 2011 at 1:00 am | by Peter212The best yet, can’t believe everybody going on about there not being a garage…most people can’t use the garage anyway because they use it as storage for all the crap they own.
December 19, 2011 at 10:21 am | by ChalbeI’m buying this place after I win the Lottomax $50 million. Don’t care about the garage, as I don’t drive, much less have a driver’s liscense.
December 22, 2011 at 10:45 am | by LuisThis place is STUNNING!! Now this is worth every penny, especially given all the landscaping, the lack of garage is a downside though. I think the living room (across from the dining room) could use some more furniture, for such a large space, but I can look after that after I move in… ;) Dream house!
January 5, 2012 at 12:46 am | by betsey