This French Provincial chateau in Toronto, Ontario, looks as though it could easily be set in the south of France.
Yet it’s an ocean away — across the street from the Toronto Botanical Garden in a North York community known as The Bridle Path. Once farmland, the leafy upscale neighborhood is today sown with gated multimillion-dollar estates.
A stone and wrought-iron entry gate opens to the property, which encompasses two acres of manicured gardens containing a swimming pool and a sports court.
At more than 20,000 square feet, the mansion has a grandeur and elegance in keeping with those of the proverbial Joneses. Its classic good looks are the work of the current owners and custom home builder and designer Joe Brennan.
A fountain sits outside the arched double-door entry. Ivy-clad turrets and a mansard-style roof with dormer windows adorn the stone façade.
A cathedral ceiling and an ornate open hearth fireplace set the tone in the foyer. The room accesses the main living areas, which feature high ceilings, leaded windows, solid oak doors and fireplaces. Intricate ceiling moldings, millwork and stone floors add to the character.
The foyer opens to a paneled library as well, where wide-plank hardwood floors, a decorative ceiling molding and a gas fireplace with a carved marble mantle and stone hearth are among the details. A French door leads to the stone terrace and gardens.
The kitchen adjoins a light-filled rotunda breakfast room and a butler’s pantry. Features include a heated terracotta tile floor, glass-front display cabinets, pendant lights and granite countertops. The center island has double sinks. A recessed paneled archway leads to a service hall.
The interior of the front-facing turret has stone walls, stairs and a wrought iron handrail. A rotunda-style sitting room off the master bedroom occupies the top level of the back turret.
The uppermost floor is intended for recreation with a billiard room and an indoor hockey rink. A media room and a wine cellar are among other living spaces.
Also on the grounds are a pool house with a bathroom and a separate two-bedroom apartment above one of the garages. There are a total of 8 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. One of the garages can accommodate three cars; the other, two.
Parts of the circular stone driveway, as well as the walkways, are heated.
Barry Cohen of Barry Cohen Homes is the listing agent for 85 The Bridle Path, Toronto, Ontario, which is priced at CAD 23 million or about US $18.4 million.
Barry Cohen Homes is an exclusive member of Forbes Global Properties, a consumer marketplace and membership network of elite brokerages selling the world’s most luxurious homes.