The Magazine
The Luxury Real Estate Magazine
Art Installations in Private Homes
The power of a sculpture on the viewer is markedly different than that of wall art. While paintings, photographs and tapestries tell a story or, in the case of non-representational art, which conveys a mood, three-dimensional works are often seen as having special attributes that elicit, arguably, more powerful responses.
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Tips for Selling Your Home from Our Agents Across Canada
When it comes to selling that all-important investment, your home, there are many factors to consider. In addition to freshening up the paint — a must before you list — here’s what savvy real-estate brokers across Canada recommend.
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Creating Your Zen
You have your home theater, and you’ve got your game room, your bar room, your home office, and now all you want is a little peace and quiet. What you need is a Zen room—a calming space to relax and recharge. “People are very much affected by the surroundings they’re in—their mood, their wellness,” says Rina Okawa of ZEN Associates, a landscape- and interior-design firm with offices in Boston and Washington, D.C. She describes a Zen room as “a personal and private space surrounded by beauty that can lift your spirits up, refresh your mind, and revive your five senses.” “Especially with all that chatter out in the world,” says New York–based interior designer Charles Pavarini III, “we need a space where we can realign our thoughts, our energies.”
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High-Tech Happy Hour
There’s more to a quality home wet bar than an extensive liquor collection. Having on hand the right sleek, smart-looking gadgets to dispense and mix your drinks, and keep them ice cold, will make entertaining guests even easier. These devices will have you and your guests drinking in high style.
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Latest In Art, Architecture and Design
To understand the latest trends in art, architecture, and design, you have to go back to the time when objects were handcrafted, bricks were hand-molded and every element in the house was a work of art. Rediscovered and burnished by a new generation, these old ideals are setting a new style.
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Homesteader | What Life is Like on a Farm
Whether it’s a country home or more permanent abode, many urbanites have entertained the idea of owning farmland outside the city. If you find that your daily commute is routinely filled with daydreams of greener pastures, it may be time to start getting serious about making your farmstead fantasies a reality. One property located in the idyllic New Jersey countryside makes a serious case for a rural retreat.
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Open House: A Floating Loft in Amsterdam
For land-scarce metropoli like New York, architectural innovations tend to scale vertically: without a place to spread outwards, development takes to the skies. Meanwhile, in Amsterdam, innovation can be found at sea. A district of water homes located on a string of artificial islands adjacent to the city’s historic canals feels distinctly Dutch: dubbed the WaterWonen project (translates literally to living in water ), modern houseboats are moored at a harbor conceived by Danish architecture firm Monteflore (responsible for designing one of the city’s most luxurious hotels). The independently-sailing vessels include homes—like this spacious steel converted cargo ship—that invite guests to come down out of the clouds and enjoy the delights of open water.
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Sotheby’s Miami | The Third (RED) Auction
Two of the world’s art and architecture stars, Theaster Gates and Sir David Adjaye, have collaborated with musician and activist, Bono, to CURATE THE THIRD (RED) AUCTION to support the fight against AIDS. Centered on the theme of light and the color red, the collection of contemporary art and design will be exhibited and auctioned during Art Basel in Miami Beach and Design Miami.
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Field Notes | Properties on Stunning Acreages
What makes a house a home isn’t just the interior—equally important is the setting of your home and the way the exterior inspires you. You’ll find yourself picking up gardening or learning tennis just for the chance to spend more time outside on these properties with remarkable acreages.
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Montreal's Most Walkable Neighbourhoods
Montreal’s culture is a vibrant, eclectic mix of English and French, old and new, high-end and working-class. Whether you’re moving to the city or just planning a visit, the city’s walkable neighbourhoods, including thoroughfares, side streets and alleyways, are best explored on foot. Don’t let the winter put you off—the city’s snow-clearing chops are top-notch, and today’s parka design is quite fashionable.
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New Development Spotlight | Sapphire Residences – Colombo 1 in Sri Lanka
There is nowhere quite like the Sapphire Residences – an exquisite collection of apartments and penthouses boasting uninterrupted panoramic views overlooking the Indian Ocean and the Beira Lake. Inspired by the famous Sri Lankan blue jewel, Sapphire Residences has been meticulously designed for those who expect the best things in life.
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Mood Board | Cottage Charm, Cabin Chic
When it comes to rural escapes, it can be easy to be pulled in several directions at once. A cabin in the woods, or an escape by the sea? The timelessness of a log cabin or the bright refinement of an English country cottage? Whatever your aesthetic, you’re sure to find a detail to suit your taste from these two approaches to the weekend retreat—whether you’re leaving home on an adventure or bringing fresh design to your existing space and staying put.
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This North York Home Caused An Uproar When It Was Built In The ’90s. Now, It Can Be Yours For A Cool $3 Million
One of Toronto’s quirkiest homes, the angular blue property at 1 Bond Ave. that made waves in cookie-cutter Don Mills when it was built in the late ’90s, is on the market. The house, along with its fraternal twin property at 3 Bond Ave., drew the chagrin of neighbours when it was built at the turn of the millennium.
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Hinterland | The Benefits of Owning a Vineyard
Whether you’ve always dreamed of owning a vineyard or have only recently considered making one your home, there are many benefits to living and working among the vines. From European-style estates in California to a historic homestead in South Africa to a West Coast–style winery in Canada, there is no shortage of opportunities to make the dream a reality. Owning a vineyard is not only about running a business or winning acclaim—though those things are a major plus—it also offers a host of unexpected upsides. So whether you’re an enthusiast looking to bottle the next award-winning merlot, a hobbyist in pursuit of a weekend fascination, or a casual browser on the hunt for an idyllic vacation property, vineyard ownership is an adventure waiting to be discovered.
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Toronto Home Prices Climb In October as Condos, Semi-Detached Houses Edge Higher
Toronto’s housing market showed more signs of stability in October as prices for condos and semi-detached homes jumped even as unit sales were little changed. The average selling price rose 1 per cent last month from September to a seasonally adjusted $810,881 (US$619,419), the first gain in three months. The benchmark price, which adjusts for the types of houses sold, rose 2.6 per cent from the same month last year.
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How to Design Your Home with Autumnal Colours
With the inevitable shift from one season to the next comes a natural desire for change, not only in our wardrobes or our choice of weekend activities, but in our homes. As we welcome all of autumn’s cozy traditions, there is a distinct fall colour palette that emerges, both outside and in.
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The Latest Trends In Luxury — And How They Impact Real Estate
How consumer trends in personal luxury goods open up new possibilities for luxury real estate. The personal luxury market is in a constant state of flux. From art to watches to wine, the luxury market responds to increasing consumer demands for accessibility, personalization and secure service. Here’s how today’s agents can respond to what consumers are looking for next.
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100 Years Later, See How the Great War Changed Art Forever
Artists, wrote the American poet Ezra Pound not long before the outbreak of the Great War, are the “antennae of the race”: they see or sense what is coming long before the journalists and politicians. Pound’s maxim has often been mocked, but in the case of the early 20th century his contention seems well-founded. As early as 1909, the Italian Futurists – whose visual brilliance has long since outlived their ugly and foolish ideology – not only saw war coming but eagerly welcomed it. “We will glorify war”, their poet leader Marinetti bragged in the Futurist Manifesto , seeing military conflict as a means of purging a decadent Europe of its nostalgia, its democratic levelling and its softness, and of asserting noble masculine values. They would not have long to wait.
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The Blockbuster Andy Warhol Exhibition Almost a Decade in the Making
Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again, the much-anticipated survey taking over more than half of the Whitney Museum of American Art in November, will be the first retrospective of Warhol's work in New York for 30 years. During this time the world has changed drastically, explains Jessica Beck, curator at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, who has contributed to the catalogue. “The dialogue around contemporary art has expanded and the perspective on Warhol’s work and life has also grown to include new sides of his practice: early advertising commissions, films, photography, television and publishing.”
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TREB MARKET WATCH | OCTOBER
Toronto Real Estate Board President Garry Bhaura announced year-over-year increases in home sales and average sale prices reported through TREB's MLS® System in October 2018. Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 7,492 sales through TREB's MLS® System in October 2018 – a six per cent increase compared to October 2017. On a preliminary seasonally adjusted basis, sales were down by one per cent compared to September 2018.
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2018 Modern Family Home Ownership Trends Report
A new report released today by Mustel Group and Sotheby’s International Realty Canada reveals the impact of rising housing costs on young families across the country’s major metropolitan real estate markets, highlighting the significant contrast between the home ownership aspirations and realities of this demographic.
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5 Reasons Why The Toronto Housing Market Won't Crash
While it's easy to think that a few slow weeks are a sign of something larger, a more thorough analysis reveals that the Toronto market is still very strong. There have been many news articles about the slowdown of the Toronto housing market, and many industry prognosticators are predicting a crash. While it's easy to think that a few slow weeks are a sign of something larger, a more thorough analysis reveals that the Toronto market is still very strong. This is more likely just a temporary pause, and here are five reasons why prices and activity in the housing market will soon bounce back and continue to climb.
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Mood Board | Rustic Luxury Designs
The cold weather months are a time to head indoors. And what better way to ensure your home is a cozy oasis than by embracing the tenets of rustic luxury? This trending interior design style is made up of everything good about rural living: exposed beams, crackling firesides, warm blankets, and ample room for relaxed conversation. Curated properly, this look can pair well with minimalism: it doesn’t take much to make an elegant, unaffected statement. You also don’t have to be outside the city to bring a bit of the country in—assemble your rustic mix from this selection of pastoral recommendations.
ReadToronto Housing Market Grows 'Tighter' As Sales, Prices Rebound
Fewer homes for sale and growing demand means upward pressure on prices, once again. The Toronto Real Estate Board says the housing market is becoming "tighter" as the number of new listings across the Greater Toronto Area dropped in September, while home sale prices climbed compared with a year ago.
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