Hilltop House

This stately Westboro home celebrates its privileged hilltop location while remaining sensitive to the scale of the neighbourhood. Its massing artfully follows the form of the hill slope with stepped composition, strategically moderating the perceived scale of the house from the street. The combination of smooth and split faced limestone, zinc panel, and oversized windows are balanced by the warmth of stained mahogany and cedar at the home’s exterior.

The main living level is divided between a public living area and the private master suite for single-floor living. These public and private zones are anchored by a central axis—a soaring two-storey Foyer Gallery which travels from front to back of the home—creating a strong connection between northward hilltop views and the private backyard oasis.

White marble flooring throughout main level is accented with warm wood tones and vibrant wall art, creating an elegant and luxurious lounge feel. Living, Dining, and Kitchen are combined within a single open space and are truly the heart of this home. These spaces are adaptable; equally suited to daily family life and hosting large social gatherings, a quality that was of particular importance to the homeowners.

An abstracted, minimalist expression, this main stair is the centrepiece of the home. White marble treads cantilever from the wall appearing weightless in spite of their inherent mass, and match the decadent marble flooring of the ground floor.

The open riser design and the absence of stringers or visible railings provide filtered views from front to back of the home, and allow the flow of ambient light throughout the day. Simple in appearance, the stair itself is a feat of engineering and construction ingenuity, combining utter decadence with the basic requirement for safety and function.

The home’s back yard is a manicured private garden oasis that extends the house’s spatial organization to the outside. The linear swimming pool and hot tub doubles as a reflecting pool, and is aligned to the axis of the house’s centre hall, terminating at the back of the yard with a sculptural teak root feature wall. To the sides of the pool axis are areas for lounging and socializing. A waterfall fountain/feature wall offers the peaceful sound of water trickling down the angular stone face into a collecting pool, and anchors a secluded seating area.

An extension of the home’s interior living space, the four-season Outdoor Room can be opened up to the pool terrace thanks to a massive folding glass partition. During the cooler months, the warmth of the fireplace provides a comfortable outdoor retreat protected from the elements.
To round out this home’s outdoor amenities, a rooftop patio at the second floor overlooks the backyard and offers an extension of the games room to the outside.

Landscape architecture by Holbrook & Associates; Interior design by 2H Interior Design. ◼