Read More - Flaire Condos

POST HOMES
PH2 nationalpost.com
newcondos
NATIONAL POST, SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012
Q&A
Fiftyyears
ofbuilding
homesbrings
perspective
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Price range: $179,900 to
$364,900
Location: Prince Edward
County
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MENKES
Active for more than five
decades in Toronto’s lowrise, high-rise and commercial markets, Menkes
Developments Ltd. started
as a family business and
remains so today. The
developer has several sites
on the go: among them,
the Four Seasons Hotel &
Private Residences is nearing completion, Fabrik just
opened for sale and Noir
goes on the market this fall.
Alan Menkes is president,
high-rise residential.
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Q Menkes has been in the de-
velopment business for over
50 years. How has the Toronto
market changed in that time?
A When my father, Murray
Menkes, started out in real
estate, the industry was much
smaller and the idea of buying
from floor plans was almost unheard of. In those days, builders
built the homes and waited for
the buyers to come along.
We are proud to be one of
the pioneering condo developers in Toronto. Over 35 years
ago, when condominiums
were first introduced, they
were really thought of as appealing mainly to empty nesters. Today, condos are an incredibly significant and vital
part of our real estate market.
Q How would you compare
Toronto to other markets?
A Toronto is the North American market leader in condominium development. But
what sets our market apart
is not just the sheer volume,
but the fact that the activity
is not just concentrated in
one or two parts of the city.
Condominiums are available
in diverse locations — the
downtown core, the suburbs,
around subway stations, in
up-and-coming neighbourhoods. As an industry, we have
designed and adapted buildings to meet the needs of a
variety of consumers and to fit
into different urban contexts.
Q Menkes works in both
condominium and house
development. What differs
about those two markets?
A With condominiums, you
have greater construction
complexity and a much longer
timeline for delivery. From
point of sale to delivery, you
may be dealing with a buyer
for three or four years. That is a
very long relationship and we
make it a priority to keep our
purchasers informed about the
progress of their new home.
Menkes was one of the finalists
for the 2012 Tarion Award of
Excellence and I like to think it
was recognition of the quality
of our product and our customer care approach.
Q As a developer you’re helping to shape the Toronto of the
future. How do you envision
Toronto evolving?
A I see Toronto evolving into
a city with greater density, but
not necessarily just tall towers.
You will see more mid-rise development as well as innovative
mixed-used projects that combine housing with other uses.
National Post
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LAIR HAS flair
A luxurious model suite at the Shops at Don Mills
is designed for newlyweds By Lisa Van de Ven
The design team at Munge Leung brought their own flair to the model suite at Flaire. The result is lush
and luxurious: a monochromatic palette punctuated with pops of turquoise, black and reflective accents for glamour. “When we were designing the model we were thinking of newlyweds starting their
life together,” Munge Leung intermediate designer Jung Park says of the 930-square-foot two-bedroom
suite, located at the Shops at Don Mills. “It’s soft, tranquil, modern and edgy,” she notes. She wanted a
suite perfect for entertaining that spoke to a sophisticated palette. “We brought added richness in with
texture.” Suites at Flaire, by Cadillac Fairview and FRAM Building Group, range in size from 504 to
1,100 square feet and are priced from the mid-$200,000s to the $400,000s. The sales office is located
at 6 Pabst Ln., North York, and is open Monday to Thursday from noon to 6 p.m. and weekends from
noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call 416-445-8868 or visit flairecondos.com.
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While the Munge Leung
team custom-designed most of
the furniture, they used original
statement pieces that caught the
eye, such as this classic chromeand-cream-leather Knoll chair.
“We liked its sculptural shape,”
Ms. Park says.
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While colour may be at a
minimum in the suite, pops of
pattern invite extra interest. For
instance, the rug by American
designer Kyle Bunting is an untraditional cowhide carpet that
features a geometric pattern
and feels lush underfoot.
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“It adds sparkle,” the designer says of the Roll & Hill
chandelier, created from bronze
and dark glass. It’s one example of the glass accents used
throughout the room — keeping
the living areas feeling light and
airy. “It opens up the space,” Ms.
Park explains.
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A slim profile pony-skin
chair packs punch and pattern.
Framed with chrome, it ties
in with the other metallic accessories in the room. “It has a
strong character,” Ms. Park says.
“It’s a nice accent piece.”
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Designed by Munge Leung, the dining table continues
the tones and materials found
throughout the space, with a
glass top and black chrome
base. “We needed something
that wasn’t too bulky to balance out the kitchen cabinetry
beside,” Ms. Park says. “Wood
would have been too heavy.”
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The dark leather headboard extends up the wall in the
guest room and out on either
end, accentuating the height of
the room. “We wanted it to feel
like a luxury hotel room,” the
designer says.
DIVA CONDO
FLAIRE
CLASSIC COOL
A Knoll chair looks
fine in this
must-see model.
SANDBANKS ∆
SUMMER
VILLAGE
HANDOUT
SANDBANKS SUMMER
VILLAGE
Sandbanks Summer Village is
an 80-acre condominium-run
cottage community on East
Lake in Prince Edward County.
Construction is underway,
with the amenities built and
some cottages occupied.
Builder/developer Cottage
Advisors of Canada
What’s new Two new cottage
designs are now on offer.
Building One-storey cottages
with an optional loft
Suites All of the units
available have two-bedroom
layouts.
Size 800 to 1,250 square feet
Occupancy Ongoing
Features Features include
three-piece master ensuites,
lofts with cathedral ceilings,
large porches and sunrooms.
Amenities The site has two
pools, a fitness centre, shuffleboard, a clubhouse and private waterfront with kayaks
and canoes.
Standouts The project will
have tennis tournaments,
book clubs and more.
Sales office Located at 392
County Rd. 18, Cherry Valley.
Open daily from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. Call 613-476-5286 or
visit summervillage.ca.
L.V., National Post
Price range: $249,900 to
$614,900
Location: Sheppard Avenue
West and Dufferin Street,
North York
DIVA CONDO
Diva Condo features a
modern exterior of precast
concrete, brick, steel and
glass, and a location in North
York’s burgeoning west end.
Currently in pre-registration,
the project is close to parks,
the Allen Expressway and the
Downsview subway station.
Builder/developer Torbel
Group
Building Nine storeys
Suites One-bedroom, onebedroom-plus-den, two-bedroom, two-bedroom-plus-den
and three-bedroom layouts
are available
Size 595 to 1,455 square feet
Occupancy September 2014
Features Units will have
granite kitchen countertops.
Amenities The site will feature a rooftop terrace with
two barbecue areas, a fitness
centre, saunas, party room,
lounge and executive
concierge.
Standouts Yorkdale Mall,
Downsview Park and Earl
Bales Park are close by.
Sales office To register, call
416-636-0555 or visit divacondo.com.
L.V., National Post
TODAY’S CONDO LOCATIONS • SITES TO SEE
FLEX YOUR PECS
Keep in shape in
this condo’s
fitness centre.
Alan Menkes
FOR SALE
EAU YES!
Float away your
cares in Prince
Edward County.