27 Blencathra Hill Markham

This $5 million Markham home has a huge sunken living room you'll never want to leave

If you're a lover of mid-century design, then you know the coolest thing you could ever have in your house is a sunken living room. 

The sunken living room, sometimes called a "conversation pit", was first seen in 1927 but rose to fevered popularity mostly in the 60s and 70s.  

But like a lot of design trends from the 70s – like orange and brown everything, statement stone fireplaces that looked like something out of the Flintstones, and shag carpeting over hardwood floors – they kind of disappeared.  

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The foyer.

Thankfully, the owners of 27 Blencathra Hill have updated the once "avant-garde" home into a beautifully modern ode to mid-century design and kept the epic sunken living room.  

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The living room. 

The U-shaped couch is to die for (and looks like it could seat 30 people)!

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The view from the dining room. 

Plus, there's wood and stone accents, a fireplace, an atrium-like window above, and a double door that opens to the backyard – it's all simply breathtaking. 

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The great room. 

And if you think the living room is beautiful, the rest of the house is equally stunning. 

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The gym. 

The custom-built mansion is sitting pretty on over an acre of land and has both open concept spaces, as well as plenty of private rooms.

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The back patio. 

The home gets stunning light thanks to the floor-to-ceiling mahogany Bauhaus doors and windows that span the entire back side of the house.

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The dining room. 

There's also a clever use of architectural elements, such as the artful division between the living and dining room, that allow light to reach into the different spaces. 

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The office with built-in shelves. 

You'll notice the nods to mid-century design all over the house, but most notably with the natural mahoghany and teak wood seen in the doors and windows, as well as the wood slatted ceilings and custom cabinetry. 

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The main floor has limestone flooring. 

You'll also notice that the statement stone fireplaces are still there, but have been modernized with smaller stone to make it less garish (and dated). 

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The kitchen with corian counters and built-in appliances. 

The kitchen has been updated with all modern features but still has that retro feel, thanks to the sleek cabinets and wood feature wall. 

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

One of the bedrooms. 

The home has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. 

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The primary ensuite bathroom. 

The bedrooms and bathrooms are minimalist and sleek in design. 

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The primary bedroom.

The primary bedroom has a six-piece ensuite, as well as a walk-out to the backyard. 

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The office/library. 

There's also a stunning private library with wall-to-wall custom-built bookshelves and a gym on the main floor. 

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

A view into the epic living room from outside. 

As for outdoor space, there's plenty of it. 

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The resort-like backyard. 

The backyard is very resort-like, although doesn't have a pool to give it the full effect.

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

The backyard. 

But with an acre of land to work with, there's no doubt you could add one. 

27 Blencathra Hill Markham

A view of the house at night. 

The home is currently listed for $5,388,000.

Photos by

27blencathrahill.relahq.com


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