It once was that condos were condos, homes were homes and never the twain shall meet. Until Twenty One Clairtrell, an elegant mid-rise condominium located on a quiet, leafy neighbourhood near the shops at Bayview Village.

The Garden Collection, by the Rockport Group is a selection of ground floor suites each with its own patio for enjoying the great outdoors. The rationale behind the patio suites is for families who want the carefree condo lifestyle, but still have outdoor space, explains Jack Winberg, Rockport Group’s CEO. “By bringing fresher thinking to the design of our Patio Suites, residents are able to step outside through sliding doors to a garden oasis not only for growing plants, but also for patio entertaining.”

The outdoor theme at Twenty One Clairtrell doesn’t stop there. There’s a lovely sixth floor outdoor terrace with lounge and bar for residents to enjoy. And the building’s 14 penthouses come with their own outdoor space so you’ll never have to face that drive to the cottage again. Those on the 7th floor each have their own rooftop retreat, perfect for entertaining al fresco.

This boutique style condo – situated in an established residential neighbourhood -- is also within walking distance to the bustle of North York’s city centre. Five minutes is all it takes to walk to the exclusive shops at Bayview Village; ten minutes’ walk takes you straight to the North York Centre for the Performing Arts, the library, and a score of cafes and restaurants. Of course, with two parking spots included with the penthouses, you may want to drive instead or take advantage of the TTC just minutes away.

Access to outdoors is a huge draw for buyers at Twenty One Clairtrell, but what’s equally enticing is the indoors. What this project offers is space – lots of it -- with Garden Collection suites starting at over 720 sq ft, and a bevy of penthouse suites starting at 1,463 sq ft.

The suite features are almost too numerous to mention: 9 and 10 ft ceilings, engineered hardwood floors, European-inspired lacquer kitchen cabinets with either quartz or granite counters, and a European Energy Star appliance package. The spa-like baths come with porcelain or glass tiles, marble countertops, and separate glass showers in the master ensuite.

These features are wonderfully showcased in the Mike Niven designed model vignette at the presentation centre, where open concept meets elegance. White upper cabinets appear to fade away into the white walls and ceiling, while dark wood lower cabinetry blends into the dark wood floors. Pendant lights illuminate the white quartz topped island, with its two white leather bar stools. The kitchen is open to the dining area but the enlarged arch between the two rooms is framed with wood so that the kitchen becomes an unobtrusive backdrop. Attention is drawn to the dining table thanks to two modern stainless chandeliers overhead and a unique relief cut artwork that dominates the wall behind it.

In the living room, chocolate brown walls frame a marble fireplace, setting a quiet mood for the library-like space. The dark walls also allow the unusual bookshelves to make a statement without overpowering the space. A neutral sofa and cream coffee table are the yin to the yang of the walls and shelving, while heavy silk drapes in a dulled brass colour lend a quiet hush to the room.

The model vignette, done simply in this dark and light scheme, never approaches high contrast mostly because of the perfect scale of each element, which means they neither recede nor dominate.

The exquisite vignette reflects the feel of the whole building – with 128 suites – with its fine balance between sophisticated lifestyle and access to outdoors. Although the building fronts on a side street – with the street address of 21 Clairtrell – the magnificent lobby with concierge could be in the heart of any major city. As well, each ground floor patio suite comes with a comprehensive security package including fully fenced and gated patios.

As for amenities, Twenty-One Clairtrell has a state-of-the-art exercise room, a mud room for pets, an elegant guest suite, bicycle storage and a 6th floor lounge and bar with beautiful outdoor terrace for all residents to use.

Prices range from the $320s to just over $1.4million.

Now, for a limited time, Rockport is offering a Special One Bedroom Package for the next 10 sales at Twenty One Clairtrell. For every one bedroom and one bedroom plus den suite, purchasers will receive two years of free maintenance.

Twenty One Clairtrell is now under construction with occupancy scheduled for late fall 2012.