Davenport boutique condo offers intimate luxury
‘Understated elegance’ caters to downsizing empty nesters
Growing numbers of this city’s wealthy empty nesters are looking to downsize from larger homes and enter the world of condo ownership, but without sacrificing the luxurious lifestyles to which they are accustomed.
When it comes to truly luxe condo offerings, however, options in Toronto tend to be limited.
“There’s a lot of luxury real estate on the market with hotels and all the activities, the hustle and bustle, if you want that,” says Burnac Development Corp. President Ted Burnett. “But lots of those people just don’t want to move into a 50-storey condo building where you don’t know your neighbours. The transition from the high-class home in Forest Hill, with a lawn and driveway, to a huge pill box — it’s too much to handle.”
Burnac’s new luxury project, 277 Davenport, a six-storey, 10-unit boutique building just west of Avenue Road — or Ave and Dav, where Yorkville meets the Annex — offers the upmarket/downsizing crowd something different, he says. “Here, you’ll know your neighbour; you’ll walk down the hall and say hello to someone. And there are only 10 units, so the elevator will come when you want it.
“It’s a nice transition for an affluent person who becomes an empty nester and who doesn’t want (to deal with) that whole thing with the highrise.”
The suites at 277 Davenport range from 1,819-square-foot units with two bedrooms and 2-1/2 baths to 3,767-square-foot suites with three bedrooms and 3-1/2 baths.
Prices go from $1.65 million for lower-floor suites to $3.3 million for those on the top levels. All units come with one parking space. (The project went on sale late last year.)
The penthouse takes up the entire top floor, has a direct elevator, large patio, a terrace, and a green roof with lounge seating and a swimming pool. It recently sold for $5.3 million — to a local empty nester in the fashion business, Burnett says.
A building with strong horizontal planes punctuated by large balconies and floor-toceiling glass, 277 Davenport is designed by Toronto architects Hariri Pontarini, the firm behind projects such as One Bloor, ShangriLa and The Florian.
Unlike some of the glitzy new hotel-condos downtown, 277 Davenport is aiming for luxuriousness without going gaudy, explains interior designer Tristan Fuller. “It’s not overthe-top luxury. We’re not talking Trump here. It’s more subtle; an understated elegance.”
Suites have 10-foot ceilings in principal rooms, with floor-to-ceiling windows and terraces. Flooring is custom-stained, straight-plank hardwood. All units are wired for future installation of motorized shading and come with a glass-enclosed gas fireplace.
“We’ve designed the principal rooms to serve as backdrops for collections and for entertaining,” explains designer Alana Boychuk.
Kitchens have Corian countertops, 10-foot islands and high-end appliances. The master ensuite has a six-foot Duravit soaker bathtub and Zucchetti shower bar with rain showerhead. “The appliances and fixtures are in keeping with what’s expected at this level,” Boychuk says.
Burnett says 277 Davenport is modelled on the kinds of buildings one might find along Park Avenue in New York — smaller, highend residences with a concierge. “It’s a way of life that’s well-tested in other major cities, and something we thought was lacking here.”