COOL AND FUNKY

The Blue Mountains 595881 4th Line (4th Line and Grey County Road 119) Asking price: $1.95 million Taxes: $9,025 (2016) Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 5 MLS# 1700696

You either get it, or you don’t. “People either love it immediately, or they leave shaking their heads,” says l i sting agent Andres Paara of Royal LePage Locations North Thornbury.

The beautif ul desi g n requires a discerning eye to appreciate all it has to offer. When Paara saw it for the first time, he says it “just popped”.

The materials — polished concrete floors, exposed wood ceilings and beams, exposed steel I beams and a two- storey- high sloped, steel- plated wall — were just some of the features that caught his attention.

“As I toured the residence, I was in awe of the staggering number of minute design and details that were incorporated into this cool, funky residence.”

Paara says the current owners’ first experience was the same.

“They got t hrough t he foyer and entered the main living space. They stopped in their tracks, turned around, looked at me and said, ‘We get it.’ The deal was done shortly after.”

The house was built within an existing clearing on the edge of the forest and a concrete deck was cantilevered around a tree.

Construction created minimal disruption to the site, nestled on a 37-acre property.

The energy- efficient, environmentally friendly residence has a roofline positioned to shield the living space from the high sun in summer.

However, the low winter sun is able to enter and passively heat the home.

Many large windows give the occupants the feeling of being in the middle of the forest, he says.

Windows are strategically placed to allow for cross ventilation.

A hidden r oll i ng wall separates t he guest and office wing from the main living space. The kitchen, both functional and striking, is a subdued reddish- orange/ burnt-orange.

Floors are made of reclaimed Douglas fir beams from a disassembled warehouse in Toronto.

Cork was used on t he second and third floors and the stairs and en suite bathrooms have flooring made of locally quarried limestone.

The owners enjoy its location and say they like being close to the top of the Blue Mountain ski resort, Paara says.

“They park at the top, ski down to the village, have dinner, or grab a pizza to go, take the lift back up and drive five minutes back home.”