By Adriana Ermter
Photography by The Print Market & Lucas Scarfone
Defi ning a luxury home is more complex than simply adding zeros to the end of the listing’s price tag. The estate is located in a highly desirable location, one that is easily accessible to everything the city offers, yet remote enough to feel like a private oasis. The grounds are lush and beautifully landscaped and complement the home’s eye-catching exterior, while the interior is expansive with a thoughtfully laid-out floor plan. High-quality materials and finishes, upscale amenities, an outdoor pool and hot tub, a multi-car garage, media room and smart-home technology all reign, with every last detail meticulously planned and executed. This is extravagance at its finest. It’s also the standard Cohen Homes & Estates, one of Toronto’s foremost luxury real estate firms, has achieved for more than 35 years. In fact, Cohen and his team are known for selling some of the city’s finest estates. “The homes we put on the market are a combination of luxury and convenience,” affirms Barry Cohen, the president and broker for the family- run organization. “We have a lot of pride in our work. The craftsmanship and quality of the estates we sell justify their value and their description of being a luxury home.”
A timeless masterpiece in Toronto’s coveted Lawrence Park neighbourhood valued at a $26.9 million listing price is the firm’s latest grand estate to hit the market. Just minutes north of downtown Toronto, Lawrence Park was one of city’s first garden suburbs in 1907. Since then, it has grown into a well-situated area complete with inner- city accessibility and exclusive community feel. Bordered by Yonge Street to the west, Bayview Avenue to the east, Blythwood Ravine to the south and Lawrence Avenue to the north, 16 Stratheden Road is a rare, stunning and sprawling stone estate. Twice the size of most homes in the area, Nuvo Homes transformed two properties into one, creating an enormous 150-foot by 135-foot lot, perfectly framed with a matching stone fence. “When you drive up, the stone façade is so gorgeous, you stop just to take it all in,” says Cohen.
Picturesque with grass-bordered stones, the heated driveway leads past the home’s elegant front door to the side of the house and its indoor subterranean 12-car garage, inclusive of a cantilevered hydraulic lift . Backtrack to the wooden front door and it opens to a gorgeous grand foyer with marble floors and soaring cathedral ceilings. This air of elegance and grace flows naturally into the shared living rooms of the home, where the family room features a glass-surround cupola ceiling and a marble ensconced fireplace. Heated stone and repurposed elm floors lead to the main floor’s additional rooms inclusive of a library, solarium, wine cellar and kitchen.
“The gourmet kitchen is simply spectacular,” adds Cohen. “It’s incredibly high-end with a stone backsplash, Miele and Sub-Zero appliances. Everything you could ask for.” With an oversized island that comfortably seats four, a butler’s kitchen with a walk-in cooler offering as surplus of storage and customized details carried over throughout, this kitchen truly is the heart of the home. Six bedrooms and 10 bathrooms help claim the rest of the 10,500-square feet of above-ground living space, complete with a meticulously designed principal suite featuring his-and-hers walk-in closets and an airy ensuite bathroom.
“ IT’S A HOUSE YOU CAN LOSE YOURSELF IN. IT OFFERS THE ROSEDALE FEEL, BUT IN NORTH TORONTO AND WITH MORE SPACE TO LIVE IN AND TO ENTERTAIN, SO THAT YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU COULD EVER WANT AND THEN SOME.”
“It’s a house you can lose yourself in,” says Cohen. “With its hotel-like feel in the back area with the pool, spa, fireplace and lounge chairs, the lighting on the façade, the home theatre in the lower level and an elevator to get you everywhere, it’s the perfect combination of both comfort and convenience.”
Th e lower level is just as opulent as the rest of the house, and it was brilliantly built with family in mind. A state-of-the-art theatre makes movie night an event with big-screen viewing and surround- sound acoustics. A billiard room with ample space to play pool or board games with the kids can easily transform into poker night for the adult set, with its access to the home’s wet bar and cigar lounge. A soothing spa area provides room to relax and unwind.
“Lawrence Park is very peaceful and tranquil with mature trees and parks close by,” says Cohen. “To find a lot size like this in this neighbourhood is extremely rare. Th s is an exceptional home; it’s a rare find. It offers the Rosedale feel, but in north Toronto and with more space to live in and to entertain, so that you have everything you could ever want and then some.”