In the details

October 4, 2011

By Elisa Krovblit. Photography by Brad Quan, Q Studios

Imagine the luxury of a designer being their own best client, perfecting their own vision and seeing a design project through from beginning to end without a client’s budget or design sensibilities tempering any aspect of the project. Ramsin Khachi, a talented Toronto celebrity designer, has done it.

After searching the market, a house caught his eye, a lovely 4,000-plus-sq.-ft. home on a quiet court in Old Oakville. In the current hot market it was priced well. To encourage multiple offers, Khachi says. He knew it was the right one for him – from a great location to good bones, it would become magnificent.

A lot of work, a lot of heart – and a lot of money – went into turning 79 Raymar Place from the aging formal home it was, into the luxurious and well-heeled three-bedroom residence it has become. Khachi not only came up with an incredible vision for the transformation, he invested himself in the home. He addressed more than just classic design and modern function.

Ramsin Khachi got into the details. While it would be wrong to say “anyone can do a gorgeous home with enough crown moulding, hardwood and Carerra,” the truth is, it seems there is almost a standard list of finishes we have come to expect in a designer house. It’s designers who go beyond the norm and the aesthetic whose work is truly outstanding. Khachi’s renovation is that. Gorgeous – sumptuous is more the word – but it’s what he’s done  with technology, behind the walls, under the floors and in the function of the home that makes 79 Raymar Place not just another pretty face.

The house flows with organic design, the continuity of patterns, repetitions of specific lines and curves, and the cohesive combination of materials and colours work, giving the home a polished finish. A piece of glass that he found in New York, Khachi explains, gave way to inspiration for a pattern that appears through the home, in the front door panels, in the plaster work on the living and dining room ceilings – and beyond. The exquisite glass is inlaid in the upstairs bathroom, and the effect is subtle and stunning.

But beyond the beauty, there’s the function, and if the beauty impresses, then the function will astonish. Many features have solved the little problems, those annoyances that seem beyond your control yet you wish you could change. Have you ever stood outside the shower, waiting, thinking “I hate waiting for the water to heat up.” Yet you wait, every morning. In fact, who doesn’t hate sticking hands under a cold tap to wash them, while the hot water kicks in by the time you’re ready to dry off. Khachi put an end to it by installing floor sensors and a loop on the hot water valve. When you enter the bathroom or ensuite, the hot water is triggered to start flowing. It isn’t wasted, it starts running in a loop until you turn on the tap. Hot water waiting for you. It’s a nice reversal.

Khachi’s actually put a lot of thought behind the plumbing, noting that there’s always a concern of the laundry room plumbing flooding. It’s great having a second-floor laundry room, but if the machine ever overflows it has the potential to do massive damage. Khachi has created an impressive second-floor laundry. With two large front loaders and a large laundry sink, a plumbing break would be serious cause for concern, except Khachi has added several fail-safes. He’s installed an adaptor on the washing machine so that it will recognize when the machine is running improperly and shut it off. The floor sensors ensure that excessive water flow is shut off if the room is unoccupied. The floor is also sloped – ever-so-subtly. Even if a substantial amount of water were able to make it to the flood stage, the slope would keep it from leaving the laundry room and instead direct it right down the drain.

The garage – as attractive and well-planned as the rest of the house – has great storage and running water. It’s beautifully finished with a tiled floor and cabinetry. It also has laser points mounted on the garage ceiling, whose light beams will hit the dash when your car is pulled into the garage and has hit its mark – instead of hitting its bumper against the wall. And when you grab your handbag, your laptop, dry-cleaning, kids, phone and the arm-load of other things you bring in from the car, there’s no more fumbling with keys. Leave them in your pocket, the biometric reader gives you access to the house. It also logs the times of each member of the family and household that enters from the garage. You can check online to see what time your teen actually came home last night – if you want. There is also a biometric reader on the wine cellar so, not only is your collection well-controlled and impressively displayed, it’s also secure.
The backyard is brilliant recreational space, with a walk-out directly from the kitchen. A built-in outdoor kitchen features an incredible, large grill. While backyard fun-in-the-sun is complete with fountain, seating areas and great décor, winter doesn’t put an end to good times. There’s grilling to be done year round. Instead of having to shovel a path to the barbecue, Khachi has installed a heated ground. It senses the weight of the snow and the temperature rises enough to melt a clear path at all times, without wasting energy while the patio path is snow-free.
In fact, the whole house is intelligent and intuitive.

Khachi has designed the heating system so that different zones are controlled by the same furnace. The bedrooms, the main rooms and the entertaining rooms are three different zones. Of course you can see where the energy savings come in, all year long. Instead of heating and cooling more than 4,000- sq.-ft. entirely to the same temperature, you can program each zone to reflect the period of time you will use it. The den can be warm on a cold winter’s day, while the dining room is a few degrees lower since company’s not on the way. The thermostat, just like the biometrics, are online. You can adjust the program from anywhere. In fact, wall panels in various rooms and areas of the home also have access to the server and music files so you can enjoy music throughout the house. Built-in speakers in the dining room, for instance, set the perfect ambiance for entertaining, but all components, wiring and speakers are invisible.

One of the most simple yet functional details is such an inexpensive and easy fix that it’s silly it’s not a common feature in more homes. Khachi has plenty of electrical outlets in the home. But what does anyone ever plug into the hallway outlets? There’s central vac, ample lighting, online music. Hallway outlets that are actually used in any home are most commonly used for plug-in night lights. Instead of ugly plug-ins, Khachi has used a different type of electrical outlet. One plug has been replaced by a night light. Flat to the wall, the glow is enough to illuminate your way through the house comfortably, and ensures the kids feel bogeyman free.

Stylish built-ins cover up the awkward sloping roof in the office and bedroom, which would have made those walls much more difficult to decorate. The heated doggy wash is a great addition to the mud room, while the finishes inside the home and out make it an easy and low-maintenance home. From home theatre to panic room, to access panels for the home gym’s in-wall television, Khachi has left nothing to bother you. Too many of these remarkable and insightful features to mention, the home isn’t just a sumptuous setting, it’s an experience in fine living in both function and fashion. (And it can be yours! Call your agent, Khachi’s got it on the market.

For more information about Ramsin Khachi and 79 Raymar Place visit khachi.com

Filed under: STYLE FILE