garish McMansions fit for a king? Toronto’s Aubrey Drake Graham residence is distinctive. A 21-square-foot pyramidal roof covers the indoor basketball court in Drake’s 50,000-square-foot estate, which is NBA-sized.
Drake Manor, designed by Ferris Rafauli, a Canadian architect and interior designer, is a work of art built of limestone, bronze, exotic woods, and other noble materials. The large estate was meticulously planned and built. Scarface posters are not present.
The Embassy’s Beaux-Arts architecture has been condensed and abstracted to give it a more contemporary vibe. The structure is a nineteenth-century limestone mansion. Rafauli, who operates a luxury design/build firm in Ontario, states that the external profiles and lines are simpler and cleaner. “No stucco, paint, or fake gold.” That is neither Drake’s nor my desire.”
Drake’s favorite room is his master bedroom suite, which is 3,200 square feet and has 1,100 square feet of covered balconies. “The bedroom is where I go to relax at night and where I wake up to take the day by the horns,” he says. You can float on the bed, get away and think in the shower, and talk to yourself while getting dressed in the closet.
The details are always where God is. The brand-new Hästens Grand Vividus bed and foundation that Rafauli purchased weigh one ton and are more expensive than many people’s homes. The headboard’s channel-tufted leather and antique mirror are next to a whiskey and champagne bar. Alexander McQueen hummingbird tapestry from The Rug Company and mother-of-pearl nightstands are included in the bedding.
