From the outside, this house on Highbourne Road reminds me of a quaint English cottage. But on the inside, the home is a far cry from anything cottage-like. It’s modern, bright and surprisingly spacious.

Located in Forest Hill the four plus bedroom home is listed for $2,795,000. The kitchen, living room, dining room and family room all blend together on the main floor with the open-plan layout.

The sunny kitchen with an eat-in area is roomy enough that an entire family could all be milling around and you wouldn’t be on top of each other.

The kitchen and the family room also open up onto a huge deck that overlooks the garden. While nothing spectacular the lawn seems big enough for kids to run around on.

The adjoining dining room on the main floor does seem a bit cramped, which might explain why the owners decided to convert one of the garages into an outdoor dining room.

While impractical if you wanted to park two cars inside the garage I can’t help but love the fairytale vibe it’s giving off. I can just imagine hosting a small wedding or a garden tea party in the backyard during the warmer months.

Upstairs there are three bedrooms, a bathroom and a master bedroom with an en-suite. The master bedroom is delightful with a huge bay window, fireplace and a walk-in closet that looks like it could house an expansive wardrobe.

I’m drooling over en-suite bathroom. I love how they kept the antique vanity and clawfoot bathtub.

Thank heavens there’s a new shower though, no one wants old school water pressure. There’s also a bidet if you’re into that sort of thing.

Downstairs the finished walk-out basement has enough room for a guest bedroom, bathroom, mudroom, laundry room and storage area.

There’s also a huge playroom that could easily be turned into a recreation room when the kids get older.

Specs

• Address: 3 Highbourne Rd.
• Price: $2,795,000
• Lot Size: 37.5 x 116 feet
• Bedrooms: 4 + 1
• Bathrooms: 4
• Parking: 4
• Walk Score: 71
• Transit Score: 86
• Listing agent: Donna Thompson
• Listing ID: C4054953

Good For

A family who loves to entertain and is likely going to end up hosting some epic garden tea parties for their daughters in the summer. 

Move On If

You want to park both your cars in the garage. With one of the garages being converted into an outdoor dining space you’re going to have to leave one on the driveway, which means brushing off snow every single winter.