Another house that could suit Phuket!

Some houses I discover while searching for interesting blog bits do look like they would fit quite perfectly here in Phuket. Perhaps, even becoming more successfully located here in the tropics, then where they are built. Recently reading the real estate section in The Globe and Mail,  I came across this renovation of a classic late mid - century house on the chi chi Bridle Path in Toronto. The bones of this house are very tropical in feeling.

The creator owner/builder/architect is not noted in the article but, Leslie Dan a Canadian business man and philanthropist lived in the home for a time. It would be interesting to learn where the vision came for the original design. Mr. Dan arrived in Canada from Budapest in 1947 after the second world war with false papers that helped him survive the Holocaust. With just ten dollars in his pocket, speaking no English at the tender age of eighteen, he started working to earn funds to attend university. I imagine he owned the house after the first owner/builder as the home was built in 1963, however that is just assumption. Mr. Dan graduated from university in 1954 and could easily have been the man behind the design. There is no mention of the original architect but, I think s/he may have returned from somewhere with a significantly warmer climate then Toronto in 1963, when this house was designed.



Stone facing and wood creates textured interest to the facade.
Gorgeous big windows, perfect for a view on a tropical garden, over hanging roof areas will protect from sun.



The house has been recently renovated and somewhat reconfigured by Ray Civello, another very successful entrepreneur. He contemplated tearing the home down and matching the areas huge mansion style developments when he purchased the property but Civello recognized and felt the excellent bones of the house in it's 12' high ceilings and large main rooms and instead renovated. Mr. Civello owns a number of spas and admires Japanese and Indian cultures, now this essence flavours the home's renovation.
A zen like spa area... open those doors to tropical breezes... (it looks like snow out there now.)

The kitchen looks like it would provide anything the  sunbathers on the terrace would require.




The master bedroom and ensuite needs no adjustment to fit into the tropics ... it looks like it might be a little cold in Toronto though, the floors are cool and perfect for the tropics, the stone Budda also fits right in!







The 12' ceilings create great airflow, perfect for the tropics. I am not totally sold on the office and family room decorating but, the dining and living areas compliment the exterior textures perfectly.


Pictures courtesy of The Globe and Mail.