FULL-ON LIVING
Forest Hill 260 Warren Rd. (Spadina Road and St. Clair Avenue) Asking price: $6.299 million Taxes: $40,184 (2014) Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 6 MLS # C3150163
‘Built in 1929-30, this house exhibits the classic Tudor Revival style popular in luxury houses of the period: half-timbered with a steeply pitched roof and dormers, arched entranceway, decorative chimney and diamond-paned casement windows,” says listing agent Isabel Beveridge of Royal LePage J&D Division, who has listed the property with Daniel Lynch.
The 6,400-square-foot centre-hall home has large principal rooms, superior updates and a mixing of modern with existing period space and façade, Beveridge says. “Why dispense with beautiful elements if they can enhance the design?”
Grand proportions, high ceilings and “a wonderful sweep of windows and doors opening on to a generous landscaped private garden make the family room the best fea- ture of this house,” she says.
The backyard has terraces for dinners, drinks or picnics around the pool. “It can accommodate huge numbers whether for extended family gatherings or chic cocktail parties,” she says. In winter, it also provides a gorgeous snowy scene to be enjoyed while sitting near the family room’s wood-burning fireplace.
Most of the agents who have toured the house are also taken with the “stunning kitchen, with floor-to-ceiling windows, a gorgeous breakfast/casual dining room and a whole pantry room,” she says.
They are also impressed by the sophisticated master bedroom, which has tall French doors overlooking the garden. A terrace is ideal for morning coffee before the hectic day begins. The master suite also has a fireplace, his-and-hers walk-in closets and wall-to-wall built-in walnut storage space for the family clothes horse. The spacious five-piece marble-clad ensuite bathroom has a standalone soaker tub, a large shower and leaded glass windows.
The combination living room/ library has a marble fireplace, mouldings and pocket doors that can be closed to separate the spaces. Across the hall is the sunny formal dining room.
A retreat unto itself, the third floor has a bedroom with a cathedral ceiling and a tandem sitting area.
The 2,300-sq.-ft. lower level has a media/entertainment room and a wine cellar.
The 67x173-foot property is surrounded by other estate-sized properties. “It will appeal most to people who want their children to walk to Bishop Strachan School or Upper Canada College,” Beveridge says. “It’s a big house perfect for big families.”