Outdoor spaces in today’s personalized luxury homes might feature multiple pools, a pickleball court, a nine-hole golf course, a Pilates studio or all of the above.GETTY IMAGES
In Canada’s high-end housing market, luxury is no longer about square footage or flash – it’s about radical personalization.
According to Canadian experts who work with affluent clients, it’s about creating customized spaces where individual tastes, interests and pastimes can be indulged.
Lori Morris, a Toronto-based interior designer whose work has been featured in Architectural Digest and Forbes, says that one growing trend is “his and hers” wings of the house, where each partner has their own private place to work, sleep, exercise and play.
“For me, for example, that could mean a wing dedicated to my wardrobe,” she says. “It wouldn’t just be a closet. It would feel like a full-on department store with a beautiful display of every category in a woman’s wardrobe, with sitting areas.” Someone else might want a cigar lounge, a whisky or scotch room or somewhere to store and show off their cars, she adds.
As society’s obsession with longevity grows, clients are investing money in their wellness, Morris says. A few years ago, it was a big deal if you had a steam room and a sauna at home. Now, the bar has been raised to include an entire thermal circuit – cold plunge, infrared light room, yoga studio – similar to what you might find in the most exclusive, high-tech healing resort in the Alps.
“It’s a whole wing of your house [becoming] the most exclusive spa ever,” says Morris.
That kind of personalization can extend outdoors, too. A garden might have multiple pools, a pickleball court, a nine-hole golf course, a Pilates studio, or all of the above. “You could have an art gallery or a pottery studio, anything you could possibly dream up,” she says.
When it comes to kitchens, the trend for ultra-high-net-worth clients is to have at least two, Morris says. One is a stylish kitchen that matches the house decor, the other is a behind-the-scenes catering or prep kitchen with restaurant-grade appliances and a working area for your private chef. “It’s still beautiful and cohesive, but it’s the working kitchen.”
A showcase for hobbies, from Lego to wine
For Roman Rockcliffe, president of Rock Cliff Custom Homes, designing for affluent families in the GTA and Muskoka starts with one priority: entertainment.
“We’ve had multiple houses where we’ve put bowling alleys in, basketball courts, indoor pools, games rooms for the kids,” he says. “I’ve done a couple where we put a skating rink right inside the house.”
Downsizers, on the other hand, might prefer a place to indulge their own personal obsessions, like a wine room or a dedicated space for their collectibles. Rockcliffe remembers a client a few years ago who loved Lego so much that he wanted a niche in his front hallway featuring a rave scene with LED lights – all built out of the interlocking plastic blocks.
The ability to indulge in this level of customization – the more idiosyncratic, the better – is a kind of luxury all its own, Rockcliffe adds. “You’re not talking about a client that’s concerned with resale.”
Case in point? “We’re doing a cottage right now up on Lake Rosseau where we’re boring into a cliff so we can put a wine room away from the cottage that’s temperature controlled below ground.”
In a similar vein, Rockcliffe’s team does a lot of car lifts and garages underneath houses.
“We’re doing one right now where the car can actually go all the way upstairs to the guy’s office, and then all the way downstairs to his poker room,” he says.
Seamless tech ‘on the cutting edge of wellbeing’
Smart home devices like thermostats, doorbells, security systems and speakers have become common in high-end homes over the last decade. But Regina Sturrock, who owns a design firm specializing in luxury new home builds, says that smart technology can also enhance the timeless feel of a home when it is integrated seamlessly.
“For example, we’re incorporating circadian lighting, which responds to natural daylight cycles and the overall mood of the space,” says Sturrock, who is based in Burlington, Ont. She points to the programmable Ketra system by Lutron, which can make a room feel like it’s bathed in candlelight, moonlight or full of bright sunshine.
That blurring of the line between indoor and outdoor also extends to entertaining spaces, says Sturrock. She points to Beem by Heatsail, a multi-functional outdoor product that she and her team recently incorporated into a client’s patio space. Beem pendants provide light, heat, mist and FAR-infrared technology, which heats the body instead of the air and purports to stimulate healing on a cellular level.
“It’s really on the cutting edge of wellbeing, and that’s such a strong focus in architecture and design these days,” Sturrock says. She’s also a fan of furniture innovations like the Lazy Louise by Indera.
“It’s a programmable recliner that goes well beyond the La-Z-Boy,” she says. “It aligns the body in a zero gravity pose where your feet and heart are aligned for ultimate relaxation. And it’s a beautiful piece.”
Sturrock says that for her, a dream home should always be a constant work-in-progress.
“I tell my clients to treat your dream home as an art piece. It’s never static or finished,” she says. “It breathes, it grows, it shares history with you. Not only have an open mind but have an open heart and truly find the things that you find beautiful.”
A grounding in impeccable craftsmanship is essential, she notes, like beautiful molding, perfectly flush baseboards and openings clad in quality cut oak or walnut. “Over the years, that will always look right.”
But don’t bring in expensive, showy items just because you can afford it, she says.
“No limitations should mean restraint, so there’s breathing room for those special things to stand out and have their moment, like precious jewellery.”
