39 Beechwood Drive, East York

Your weekend escape got cancelled and you're ok with it. That's because hidden on a hillside above the Don Valley trail, you're tucked away in a home built as an endless retreat. There are two ways to enter. Pull in from a laneway between 68 and 70 Hopedale Ave., straight to your garage and parking spot at your door. Or take the stairway from Beechwood Dr., two cars fitting at its base. The only traffic here is dog walkers, cyclists, or the odd skier come winter. At the top, a newly-laid pea-stone patio sits under a canopy of centuries-old trees offering summer shade, fall colour, and winter stillness. The 101x97 lot offers plenty of space to spread out. The family room is the heart of the home. It fits 25 people for the holidays or just you on a Tuesday. Afternoon light dapples the refinished, whitewashed oak floors that lead upstairs. Black custom cabinetry spans one wall, balanced by the black-framed doors that open onto the deck and patio beyond. The windows throughout the home frame the trees, while original stained glass in the kitchen and dining areas preserves the home's character. The designer eat-in kitchen includes renovated open wood shelves, brass light fixtures imported from Indonesia, and a custom oversized island big enough for a resort-style buffet. In the dining room, dinners don't end with dessert. Conversations continue by the wood-burning fireplace. Upstairs are 3+1 bedrooms, renovated baths, and a primary with a walk-in and new ensuite. The basement has an infrared sauna, room for a home gym, and a hot tub under a pergola just outside the door. The Danforth, TTC, the pulse of the city, are all minutes away but never felt here. Word gets out anyway: featured on Design Sponge and The Ktchn in 2022, in films, commercials, and a music video. But this retreat is all yours.