ADDRESS: 380 Macpherson Avenue, Penthouse 614

NEIGHBOURHOOD: Casa Loma

AGENT: Robert Greenberg and Andre Kutyan, Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd.

PRICE: $1,069,000

THE PLACE: A penthouse in the Madison Avenue Lofts, a six-storey structure that combines elements of industrial and Art Deco design. The building stored wire bundles for Toronto Hydro in a previous life, and though converted lofts often fall short on amenities, this building is stocked with an exercise facility, a sauna, a theatre and a meeting room.

BRAGGING RIGHTS: Originally a two-bedroom suite, it has living to space to spare, including a super-sized dining room that could fit a table worthy of Hogwarts’ Great Hall.

BIG SELLING POINT: Henry Liska of Meritor Design lent his elegant and unique aesthetic to the unit: note the hand-painted wallpaper, the tiled drop ceiling in the living room and the French doors leading to the study.

POSSIBLE DEAL BREAKER: To feel right in a home this formal, you’ll have to wear a jacket and tie just to eat your morning cereal.

BY THE NUMBERS:
• $1,069,000
• $772.39 a month in maintenance fees
• 1600-plus square feet
• 330-square-foot terrace
• 11-foot-six-high ceilings
• 3 walk-outs to the terrace
• 2 bathrooms
• 1 bedroom
• 1 parking space

Walking from space to space at the Gladstone’s annual Come Up to My Room event (where the hotel surrenders its accommodations to be reimagined by a clutch of designers) is a bit like taking an absurd, down-the-rabbit-hole-type journey though the minds of several artsy archetypes. There’s the minimalist, who works with little more than white Styrofoam and LED lights; the maximalist, whose room is so packed with hundreds of abstract, laser-cut feathers it’s pretty well impossible to enter; the Parkdale hipster, whose half-shorn hair and acid-wash jeggings are more interesting than the art itself; and the conceptualist, whose work is likely very, very deep but will be likely be lost on everyone without a PhD in philosophy. That said, the show, which is on until this Sunday, is exuberantly creative, spectacularly strange, and well worth a visit. Our six favourite pieces after the jump.

Check out six great rooms from Come Up To My Room 2012 »

(Image: Come Up To My Room, Karolyne Ellacott)

By Monika Warzecha | Illustrations by Jack Dylan | Photography by Emma McIntyre

What used to be a don’t-walk-here-at-night zone is being reinvented by builders like Streetcar Developments and Brad Lamb into a booming mid-rise condo ’hood. By the end of 2010, 68 per cent of the real estate sales in Corktown were condos. These include plenty of lofts: the Queen City Vinegar Co. Lofts (shown above); the four-building Corktown District Lofts (shown below); and Trinity Lofts, an eight-storey, curvy construction that bridges the gap between the Distillery and King Street and gives good space for the buck ($550 per square foot). With nine-foot-high exposed concrete ceilings, the Trinity units appeal to designers who work in the area’s studios or professionals looking for a 20-minute walk to Bay Street.

By Andrew D’Cruz, Matthew Hague, Rachel Heinrichs, Emily Landau, David Lawrason, Jason McBride, Mark Pupo, Peter Saltsman and Courtney Shea. (Images: Light bulbs, sofa, knobs, toy by Liam Mogan; TV by Carlo Mendoza)

Let’s face it: taking a peek through a stranger’s home gives us all a voyeuristic thrill. But aside from when a place goes up for sale, it’s pretty well impossible to get inside without breaking windows (and the law—an open house with a realtor is one thing; gaining access with a crowbar is completely another). That’s why we take such delight in scouring the city every week to find the most opulent, outrageous and storied church conversions, summer getaways and stately mansions on the market. Here, our 10 favorite houses, condos and cottages of the week from 2011 (with a yurt thrown in for good measure).

1. $3.75 million for a Victorian that’s Rosedale on the outside and wild on the inside
In leafy, upper-crust Rosedale, the patrician estates are pretty much all classic, subdued and refined—at least on the outside. Behind this redbrick Victorian façade is a Keith Richards–worthy trip of vibrant colours and patterns. Click here for more details and a photo gallery »

2. $2.8 million for a country home built by one of Canada’s most celebrated architects
This sprawling property in the middle of horse country will surely cause you to don riding jodhpurs, take up polo and start speaking with a British accent. Intricately crafted and designed by Ron Thom, a master architect who built the house for an equestrian-loving friend, we love how each room is perfectly positioned to capture stunning views of the surrounding landscape. Click here for more details and a photo gallery »

3. $4.2 million for renowned architect Elmar Tampõld’s Hoggs Hollow home
Proving that style in the ’80s wasn’t all about loud aesthetics—bouffant hair, bright neons, Madonna—architect Elmar Tampõld (who designed the elegant Colonnade building on Bloor Street West, in addition to some 1,000 others across Canada) built this place in 1986 for his own home, and it’s as stunning as it is refined. The cool white staircase that gracefully corkscrews from floor to floor is the most striking feature, but the lush setting is also remarkable. Click here for more details and a photo gallery »

4. $2.5 million to get into one of the Annex’s classic Victorians
No other style of house is more iconic in Toronto than the Annex Victorian, and this gorgeous bay-and-gable, with it two-storey wrap-around porch, is a standout example. Inside, the original chandeliers, sconces, fireplaces and hardwood floors embody the spirit of the era. Outside, the upper veranda is a great place to spy on the Annex’s new peerage class. Click here for more details and a photo gallery »

5. $8.5 million for the former Eaton family 2,500-acre hunting preserve
For some people, summer cottaging is as about as rustic as swatting away a few black flies between the door of their BMW SUV and the entrance to a hermetically sealed, air-conditioned palace. But we think that lacks charm. This former hunting preserve, however, is everything a cottage should be: pared down, close to nature and restful (granted any place would be restful surrounded by 2,500 acres of pristine wilderness). Click here for more details and a photo gallery »

6. A photographic tour of an Occupy Toronto yurt
Sometimes, the smallest spaces are the best spaces—cozy nooks, comfortable corners, intimate grottos. But small spaces aren’t often heroic, with the exception of the mini-yet-mighty yurt. At this year’s Occupy Toronto, the round, tent-like structure became a shelter for social upheaval, a barricade against oppression, and a library (!) all at once, not to mention being cuter than a bug’s ear (just look at all the hand-painted detail!). Click here for more details and a photo gallery »

7. $2.9 million for a house built in a ravine in Lawrence Park South
We’ve always thought that living in a tree house would be cool, but the lack of plumbing and inevitable bird infestation always discouraged us. Living among the trees in this contemporary architectural stunner is a far more appealing option—the spaces are clean-lined and bright, and the open-riser stairs are far easier to manoeuvre than a rope or a rickety ladder. Click here for more details and a photo gallery »

8. $3 million for an arty, three-level condo with a sense of drama
There are three things that make this condo stand out against the hordes of generic glass boxes rising across the city: exclusivity (its one of only 10 units in the building), space (a 6,000-square-foot, three-storey place is as hard to come by in Toronto as a winning sports franchise) and stuff (the original owner was a world-travelling collector). Sadly, none of the wares come with the place (including the stripper pole in the bedroom), but it should give the new owners some interesting decor ideas. Click here for more details and a photo gallery »

9. $1 million for the coolest converted-church condo we’ve seen yet
With the number of church conversions we’ve seen over the past few years, it seems that real estate is the city’s fastest growing religion (sorry, God). This condo, in the bell tower of the Gothic-revival Abbey Lofts, maintains the ecclesiastical feel in a particularly quirky way, with the original beam work left exposed and the top of the tower (now sans bell) turned into a glass-enclosed sun room. Click here for more details and a photo gallery »

10. A mansion in the sky at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Residences
This is just about the most opulent, extravagant condo we saw all year. It’s on the 43rd floor of the new Ritz-Carlton building, so the space comes with an in-house gym, pool, room service, concierge and housekeeping. The most stunning feature, other than the tasteful, if traditional, decor is that the unit looks out onto Lake Ontario and the islands, so you’ll be able to keep an eye on your yacht in the harbor and  private jet at Billy Bishop. Click here for more details and a photo gallery »

ADDRESS: 7071 Bayview Avenue, unit 508

NEIGHBOURHOOD: Thornhill

AGENT: Jerry Hammond, RE/MAX Ultimate Realty Inc.

PRICE: $1,990,000

THE PLACE: A two-bedroom-plus-den condo in Thornhill’s Avignon on Bayview. The low-rise, boutique-style development is home to 81 suites, and amenities include an indoor pool, sauna and boardroom (in case you really, really want to take your work home with you—or annoy your downtown colleagues by making them drive to Thornhill). The interior is designed by Tas DesignBuild, the firm behind King West developments M5V and Zed Condominiums.

BRAGGING RIGHTS: While downtown condos often look out onto other downtown condos, the concrete jungle doesn’t appear anywhere in this unit’s sightlines. Instead of viewing construction cranes, you can check out the treetops of the nearby Don River Valley (deer have even been spotted in the area).

BIG SELLING POINT: Space. At nearly 3,000 square feet, you’ll have plenty of room to stretch out. Your friends in the 416 paying twice the price for half the space are sure to be envious.

POSSIBLE DEAL BREAKER: For an urban animal that works in the core, commuting into the city from Markham might not be worth it.

BY THE NUMBERS:
• $1,990,000
• 2,800 square feet
• $1,770.25 a month in maintenance fees
• 2 bedrooms
• 2 electric fireplaces
• 2 walkouts
• 2 parking spaces
• 1 ravine view

ADDRESS: 3 Clarendon Crescent

NEIGHBOURHOOD: Casa Loma

AGENT: Leanne Weld, Royal LePage J&D Division, Brokerage

PRICE: $5,495,000

THE PLACE: Built in 1906, this brick and stone house sits on a double lot on a private road with only six other residences. It’s even a listed heritage property (but don’t worry, the interior isn’t ancient—the home underwent extensive renovations in 1996).

BRAGGING RIGHTS: The house is currently owned by Andy and Valerie Pringle, who is better known as the erstwhile co-host of Canada AM and the host of the Canadian edition of Antiques Roadshow (she’s also a member of the Order of Canada—no big).

BIG SELLING POINT: The 105-year-old house was designed by architects Curry, Sproatt and Rolph, who had a hand in the 1907 alterations of the Financial District’s St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and built the National Club on Bay Street. If that doesn’t get you a membership, we don’t know what will.

POSSIBLE DEAL BREAKER: We love the rich, vibrant colours adorning the walls. But if you’re into the stark, ultra-modern, all-white-all-the-time look you’re out of luck.

BY THE NUMBERS:
• $5,495,000
• $30,577.09 in 2011 property taxes
• 105 years old
• 6 bathrooms
• 5 bedrooms
• 5 fireplaces
• 3 storeys

By Victoria Webster | Interior photographs by Michael Graydon

Max Gotlieb, a partner at Cassels Brock, and his wife, Heather, have lived together in Forest Hill since 1984. Though they spent much of the past two decades renovating their family home in the area (the couple jokes that they had a construction crew in their employ full-time), there was always another house on Heather’s mind. For years, she passed one of the neighbourhood’s most stately Georgian revivals while shuttling her three kids to school, and she dreamed of one day living there. It went on the market only once, briefly, in all those years, long before the Gotliebs were ready to move. Heather feared she had missed her chance. But in 2006, she and Max started talking about finding a larger space, and, miraculously, her dream house was up for sale. The place was massive—9,500 square feet—and perfect for entertaining, but outdated: the third floor had never been upgraded and was still laid out as servants’ quarters. They hired the developer Joe Brennan to update the house, completely gutting the upper floors. He also punched out the back to facilitate flow and add an additional 1,000 square feet (Max says the cost of buying and renovating was “many, many millions”). The Gotliebs don’t consider themselves philanthropists (“I’m not Peter Munk,” says Max), but they attend several fundraisers a week—and host many themselves, including large receptions and grand, expansive dinner parties. After all, they now have a home where they can entertain 200-plus people at a time—which is exactly why they bought it.

Every weekend we round up the highlights from the other websites in the St. Joseph Media family. Check them out, after the jump.

• Like the rest of the world, Fashion can’t seem to decide whether rising artist Lana Del Rey—who performed at Toronto’s Mod Club on Wednesday—is plastic or genuine, street or poetic, dramatic or earnest. At least on this much everyone can agree: the girl can dress herself. Read the entire story [Fashion] »

• Canadian Family examines the controversy over a $5 “baby tax” at a U.K. all-you-can-eat buffet. We’re pretty confused ourselves; there’s no way such a measly fee will keep those annoying scamps out. Read the entire story [Canadian Family] »

• Ottawa’s food editor Shawna Wagman presents her holiday wish list for those of an epicurean bent—if you can’t find these picks in Toronto, remember to check out our 19 fantastic finds for food and wine fanatics. See the list [Ottawa Magazine] »

• Last month we also showed off 19 perfect presents for the jet-setting cosmopolitan—meanwhile, the sneaks at Where were putting together a full 50 gifts for travel lovers. View the gallery [Where] »

• While stressed-out Torontonians are used to replacing time-consuming meals with potato chips, 20 Minute Supper Club offers two recipes that incorporate those crispy calories into actual food. See the recipes [20 Minute Supper Club] »

• As long as the bakeries of the world keep cranking out ludicrous and awe-inspiring cupcakes, we will never stop looking at cupcake galleries. WeddingBells has another 24 creations to admire, including replicas of popcorn buckets, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, pandas, cheeseburgers and black-eyed Susans. View the gallery [WeddingBells] »

• Every year Quill and Quire selects its favourite book covers. The picks from 2011 include a paint-by-numbers-inspired piece for Giller Prize winner Johanna Skibsrud’s latest and a supremely unsettling axe-toting woman for Alexi Zentner’s Touch. View the gallery [Quill and Quire] »

• The first ever Roller Derby World Cup is being held in Toronto this weekend, and Karen Aagaard makes an appeal in Torontoist for media coverage that looks past the players’ pseudonyms, appearances and amusingly banal day jobs and actually addresses, you know, the sport. Read the entire story [Torontoist] »

Lenny Kravitz (right) (Image: Elhormiguero)

Lenny Kravitz is a name we haven’t heard in a long time, save for occasional radio play of “American Woman” and news of his daughter Zoe’s exploits. It was recently announced that Kravitz has been pegged to design a 10,000-square-foot floor at Toronto’s Bisha Hotel and Residences downtown, and we’re intrigued at the idea of Kravitz extending his unique aesthetic sensibilities to interior design (although we can’t help but imagine snakeskin and leather everywhere). Check out five things we learned about Kravitz and his love for design below.

1. Lenny Kravitz: design prodigy
Kravitz caught the design bug early—he used to constantly rearrange his room as a child in New York City (instead of playing with Lego, he had the physical strength to move furniture). “If your environment is inspiring to you, if it makes you feel good, you’re able to be more creative,” Lenny told the Toronto Star.

2. This isn’t a passing fancy; he’s owned his own design firm since 2003
Kravitz takes this business seriously—he even founded an eponymous interior design firm in 2003. Since then his projects have included the Florida Room at the Delano Hotel in Miami, a recording studio in the Setai Hotel in Miami, and private residences in New York and Paris.

3. Kravitz’s project with Bisha will cost $150 million
In Toronto, Kravitz will be teaming up with Lifetime Developments and INK Entertainment for this $150 million project located at 56 Blue Jays Way.

5. Kravitz wants to hang out in Toronto more
While Kravitz hasn’t decided on a firm vision for this Toronto project, he feels the city will help dictate his design choices. “I love Toronto, it’s a beautiful city. I’m going to make a special trip. I’ve never gone to hang…so I need to stay a week and see everything.”

• Kravitz to bring touch of soul to Toronto hotel Bisha [Toronto Star]

ADDRESS: 75 Portland Street, Unit 904

NEIGHBOURHOOD: Waterfront Communities—The Island

AGENT: Brandon Ware and Lee Michael Colucci, Private Service Realty Ltd.

PRICE: $794,900

THE PLACE: The 11-storey Seventy5 Portland is another project from Freed Developments, the company behind the Thompson Residences and Fashion House condos. The sub-penthouse has an open-concept layout and polished, sealed concrete ceilings.

BRAGGING RIGHTS: Drop the name Philippe Starck and local design groupies are sure to get hot and bothered. The French designer lent his world-renowned touch to the building’s common spaces, including the lobby and the atrium. The residence is also the first Canadian project from Yoo Ltd., the London-based firm Starck heads.

BIG SELLING POINT: The endless table that stretches from the main lobby to the inner courtyard. Flanked by oversized planters, the 100-foot long surface brings an Alice in Wonderland feel to King West. Since the courtyard can be rented for private functions, it’s easy to imagine throwing the swankiest mad tea party ever here.

POSSIBLE DEAL BREAKER: Call us prudes, but the open-concept master bathroom trend in condos is a touch off-putting.

BY THE NUMBERS:
• $794,900
• $597.21/monthly maintenance fees
• 1,233 square feet
• 19-foot-high ceilings
• 14-foot kitchen island
• 9th-floor living
• 2 levels
• 1 bedroom
• 1 bathroom
• 1 powder room
• 1 parking space

The Toronto Blue Jays unveiled their freshly redesigned logo today at an absurdly over-the-top ceremony at the Rogers Centre that included human mannequins and logo ice sculptures. The design is classic, clean and confident—exactly the look a team needs when stacked against division rivals like the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. We love it.

ADDRESS: 388 Richmond St. West, Penthouse 4

NEIGHBOURHOOD: Waterfront Communities–The Island

AGENT: Steven Fudge, Bosley Real Estate

PRICE: $1,095,000

THE PLACE: A two-level penthouse in the Fashion District’s District Lofts community. Built by Context Developments and designed by ArchitectsAlliance, the 14-storey U-shaped twin towers won a bunch of awards, including the 2003 City of Toronto Architecture and Urban Design Award of Excellence and an Innovative Building Award from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

BRAGGING RIGHTS: The 300-square-foot terrace has been featured in the New York Times and Home and Garden Canada for its nod to more northerly terrain. Wooden trellises, a large boulder and planters filled with dwarf evergreens mean you can pretend you’re in a Group of Seven painting (well, one with the CN Tower, at least).

BIG SELLING POINT: A living space designed with intelligence. Light pours in from all sides, and the master suite is tucked away from the entrance and the entertaining space on the second floor. Parties and privacy need not be mutually exclusive.

POSSIBLE DEAL-BREAKER: The terrace was designed for non-gardeners, but it still needs some upkeep. Sure, you don’t have to mow a lawn, but a condo with its own landscaping demands isn’t always what a young, single, social-climbing, workaholic young professional wants in a trendy new home.

BY THE NUMBERS:
• $1,095,000
• $948 a month in fees
• 1,700-square-foot interior
• 300-square-foot terrace
• 12-foot ceilings
• 2.5 bathrooms
• 2 bedrooms
• 2 gas fireplaces
• 2 floors
• 1 movable view

ADDRESS: 16854 McLaren Road

NEIGHBOURHOOD: Caledon

AGENT: John Dunlap, Moffat Dunlap Real Estate Ltd.

PRICE: $2.8 million

THE PLACE: Just your average 1970s, cedar-clad bungalow—if an average bungalow is designed by an architectural legend and sits on enough land to fit a small village.

BRAGGING RIGHTS: The house was built by one of Canada’s most inventive architects (ever), Ron Thom, whose master works include Toronto’s Massey College, Trent University in Peterborough and the Shaw Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

BIG SELLING POINTS: For members of the mink-and-manure set, the woodsy locale is perfect. The property is situated in the heart of horse country and the 25-acre lot means there’s more than enough room for a couple of Seabiscuits.  There’s also a pool and tennis court, which basically means you’ll be living in your own private country club.

POSSIBLE DEAL BREAKER: David Cronenberg is rumoured to be a neighbour, so if his star-studded parties get out of hand (we’re looking at you, Ryan Gosling), your usually quiet backyard could bring new definition to the phrase Hollywood North.

BY THE NUMBERS:
• 4,200-square-feet
• 25-acre lot
• 4 Bedrooms
• 4 Bathrooms
• 2 car garage
• 1 library
• 1 office
• 1 pool
• 1 tennis court
• 1 river flowing through the property