ROSEDALE RE-RENO
It ’s the memories that c ount. This gracious home has been the site of many family dinners, book club gatherings and parties. “We held our son Scotty’s bar mitzvah in the backyard under a massive tent,” the homeowner says. “Hugh Hefner attended a cocktail party during a TIFF event we held in honour of the documentary my husband helped make with Hefner.”
However, she says it is dayto- day life that is the most memorable. “The property allows for outdoor grilling and dining on spring and summer nights, as well as soccer games and tetherball.”
Although it was completely renovated when they bought it in 2005, the current owners wanted working fireplaces so they decided to “re-renovate,” completely revamping the whole home.
Spacious principal rooms feature wide- plank Brazilian cherrywood floors, crown mouldings and custom-framed wainscotting. The family room and living room each has a fireplace. The library has wall- to- wall, floorto-ceiling built-in bookshelves.
The perfect place to host an elaborate dinner party, the dining room has free-floating service tables and modern French doors to the garden. The gourmand’s dream kitchen has topof-the-line appliances.
The original master bedroom, with its his- and- hers closets and ensuite bathrooms, was a selling point. “The walk- in was as big as a small store, the same with the bathroom, which we redid. It was so expansive we couldn’t resist the potential,” the homeowner says.
The lower level includes a massive entertainment cen- tre, an additional bedroom, an ensuite bathroom and a kitchen/bar. An elevator connects all four levels.
It took over a year to renovate the iconic Rosedale home, which is on a 163x54-foot lot. The homeowners bought the adjacent house and received special permission from the South Rosedale Heritage Conservation District to tear it down and provide additional green space, says listing agent Liora Tal of Forest Hill Real Estate. “Set on one of the few double lots in the area, this historic home, designed by Beaumont Jarvis early in the last century, is one of the few vestiges of a truly dignified time. The extensive renovation in 2006 maintained the elegant architectural hallmarks on the outside while completely updating it into a truly modern classic on the inside.”