Country Homes
August 28, 2023
Josh Greenbaum And Vogue Homes Create An Elegant And Accessible Retreat
Josh Greenbaum has always had an eye for detail, something he relied on when he started crunching numbers at accounting firm Ernst & Young. That meticulous attention would help him segue into working with Vogue Homes, his family’s construction and development company. In 2018, Josh swapped spreadsheets for Sheetrock and joined the business his grandfather started in the late 1960s. Once he began working with his father on the planning, marketing, construction and selling of Vogue Homes (an uncle and cousin manage the infrastructure side of the business), he discovered a new passion.
“Every time we had a model home, I would get them set up for public viewing,” says Josh. “And the more I was exposed to design, the more enthralled I became.” He helped clients select their finishes in Vogue Homes’ design studio and, on the side, he began advising friends on their own spaces. In 2021, he launched Josh Greenbaum Design, and this custom house by Vogue Homes in Thornhill, Ont., was his firm’s first project. Josh liberally mixes high and low for balance, often installing affordable elements with higher-end finishes like custom plaster details. The principal bathroom’s handmade wall tile looks perfectly imperfect when juxtaposed by a smooth, expansive marble floor. Ribbed glass inserts in the kitchen cabinets break up the millwork, and the front entry’s 20-foot-high ceiling feels less imposing with a frame of applied molding inset with wallpaper along one wall.
Scroll down for a look inside.
Indiana limestone facing, a hand-carved portico and a hip roof with a bell curve give distinction to this newly built home. To fit in with the established neighborhood north of Toronto, the 4,000-square-foot house leans traditional, with a muted palette infused with layers of texture. Deemed a “bungaloft,” the home has an appealing layout for both seniors and those with mobility issues (an elevator goes from the basement up to the second storey). The principal bedroom and bath are on the main floor, with two bedrooms and two baths upstairs to accommodate visiting family and caregivers.
A floral wallpaper panel in a plaster frame adds interest in the foyer. Porcelain tile channels marble but without the maintenance. “The inspiration was glamorous, using natural materials,” says Josh of his design vision. Reflective surfaces abound, especially in the use of antiqued mirror. “Glam touches elevate the space from neutral and subdued to something with a little extra oomph,” he says.
In the family room, applied moldings and a Calacatta Viola fireplace surround add richness.
Custom plaster moldings were first mapped out digitally, then handmade and applied, adding depth and dimension to the living room’s tray ceiling.
“Walnut anchors this island; we needed something with a presence that would hold its own,” says Josh.
The built-in cabinets off the kitchen feature antiqued mirror behind the open shelves for added sparkle and ribbed glass for texture.
The ceiling fixture seems to float over the dining room’s dark wood table and white oak herringbone floor.
The powder room boasts a custom escarpment limestone sink.
A hallway niche on the second floor is a useful workspace.
Three wall panels defined by applied mouldings inset with grasscloth create quiet drama and add texture in the main-floor principal bedroom.
The shower in the principal bathroom eschews the typical curb surround for a clean look that’s accessible — suitable for an owner who wants to age in place.
“Brass warms things up,” says Josh of the faucets and shower fixtures.
“In a custom-build, the customer starts with a blank canvas,” says Josh. “Whether the final product includes elevators, custom imported stone walls, dog showers or whole-home automation, there’s a world of possibilities.” And when the home’s designer is a former accountant, no detail is too tiny to be overlooked.
Ryan Fung
House & Home
Architectural design by Marco Santos; design by Josh Greenbaum