As the blue and white tints of winter finally clear, shades of spring can be found rousing from hibernation. Out with heavy drapes and slate greys, and in with a fresh palette of pastels, purposeful vibrant brights, statement touches, and fabulous foliage.

The country’s major metropolitan luxury real estate markets broke consecutive records throughout 2021 as Canadians’ urgent, pandemic-influenced demand for housing mobility and strengthening confidence in the country’s economic recovery drove price gains, eroded inventory and propelled markets to historic highs.

Canada’s metropolitan luxury real estate markets are undergoing an unprecedented phase of evolution and expansion, according to Sotheby’s International Realty Canada. One year following the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic, the compounding effects of dramatic changes in the housing preferences of affluent Canadians, new demands across multiple generations of homeowners and buyers, significant cash accumulation, easy access to borrowing, and pent-up local and international demand, are rippling across the market. With sales activity and price gains accelerating across major cities across the country as a result, strong performance is projected this spring.

Imagine, if you will, the perfect winter home. What does it look like? Is it a classic colonial with a foot of snow on the roof and smoke spiralling from the chimney? Perhaps the interior is crisp and bright, with sunshine streaming through the windows, blankets to warm cold toes, and a hot drink steaming on the stove. With a few thoughtful touches, any home can feel welcoming and warm, despite the chill outside.

What makes a house truly feel like a home? Aside from the events that take place between its walls, much of a home’s personality is found in the materials, textures, and accents that bring it together. While it can be time-consuming to keep up with the latest design trends—especially the perennials that come in and out with the seasons—incorporating the latest high-end materials into your home is an easy way to give a space an instant, luxurious update. From cozy fabrics to rich metals, here are seven futuristic materials to freshen any room.

From a striking equestrian compound to a palatial estate on Lake Ontario, these are this month’s four featured notable properties for sale over $20 million.

Whether it’s on the ocean, a lake or a river, you can’t beat the serenity of a waterfront home. With the sound of the water lapping at the shore, and the opportunity to go for a swim or a kayak just steps from your door, staying home has never been so inviting.

Circular homes make a striking statement.

These high-design residences are often one-of-a-kind, with interiors as novel as their curving facades. “When you’re buying luxury, you don’t want it to be a cookie-cutter home,” says Michael Pallier, the managing director of Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty. “You want something unique. A distinctive home means something to a buyer.”

Round residences certainly qualify. They are also somewhat rare, according to Pallier, giving them a rarified vibe. He is currently representing the Oculus, an “interstellar” Sydney, Australia, home that melds an expansive circular entertaining area with a more traditionally shaped wing that encompasses the kitchen and bedrooms. The six-bedroom, five-bathroom home was by architect Frank Fox in 1961. The circular entertaining area is at the center of Fox’s design.

Beautiful residential gardens are the green equivalent of surround sound. They envelop, intensify, and enrich the very experience of being. It’s like an embrace from nature.

The opportunity to interact with the landscape provides homeowners with a sense of belonging. “The more personal, the more meaningful,” says Edward Furner, landscape designer and horticulturalist at Mariani Landscape in Lake Bluff, Ill. “Engaging in the landscape—that’s the ideal scenario where homeowners are reaping the biggest benefit.”

According to Sotheby’s International Realty Canada’s 2019 Year-End Top-Tier Real Estate Report, Canada’s two largest top-tier metropolitan real estate markets rallied in 2019, gaining steady traction throughout the year. After a tentative start to 2019, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) led the country in top-tier real estate performance with consistent and confident increases in sales activity and pricing, bolstered by the region’s strong population gains, healthy economic growth and robust labour market. Vancouver overcame several years of uncertainty fostered by ongoing government and regulatory interventions to see revitalized confidence and activity in the $1 million-plus real estate market by the last half of 2019. Montreal’s luxury real estate market achieved notable milestones in its condominium sector in 2019, and the city set new records in top-tier market performance. Despite improvements in the market for real estate under $500,000, Calgary’s uneven economic performance and political turbulence dampened a top-tier market already burdened with supply; as a result, recovery continued to lag.

Full House | 6 Winning Game Rooms - From timeless Old World–inspired spaces with handsome woodwork to playful modern rooms with colorful décor, these stylish game rooms up the ante on form, function, and fun.

Marking a Grand Entrance | It’s often said that you only get one chance to make a first impression. Thankfully, there are many ways to impress when it comes to designing a compelling entryway. The first thing visitors see when they step inside your home, an inviting entry can set the tone for the rest of your décor and establish your aesthetic at a glance. Let these six elegant properties inspire your own grand entrance and make that first impression one worth capturing for posterity.

Charming Neighbourhoods in Oakville, Ontario | Cozy mansions nestle beneath lofty boughs, afternoons are lost to leisurely golf sessions, and former fishing villages now provide the perfect milieu for peaceful lakeside living. Close to the buzz of Toronto and growing rapidly, is it any wonder Oakville is one of the most sought-after communities for urbanites looking to get away without getting away? With convenient public transport to whisk you into the city, and a high-achieving public school system, it would be easy work to call Oakville home.

6 Modern Kitchen Features Every Home Needs | No remodel adds more value to your home than a kitchen overhaul: your efforts to update a kitchen often net out in a positive return on investment. But many modern kitchens are also replete with the kinds of bells and whistles that only the most serious cooks will ever use. Bypass the extraneous when you revamp by noting the following kitchen makeover must-haves.

What’s new in Art, Architecture, and Design | Beautiful, bold, and beneficial are the catchwords this season in the worlds of art, architecture, and design. We’re decorating our bodies, building healthy environments, and brightening our rooms with rainbows of color. Here’s what’s happening.

Austin’s Bouldin Creek Offers Hip Luxury | Homes range from 1920s bungalows to contemporary houses

Bouldin Creek, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Austin, Texas, offers an artistic, bohemian vibe in a sublime suburban setting of streets shaded by Heritage Oak trees.

4 Top Neighbourhoods in Mississauga | Those looking to cozy up to Toronto may be won over by the lakefront lifestyle Mississauga has to offer. The sixth most populous municipality in Canada, this thriving city offers options for those looking to be near the action while also holding onto a slice of suburban life. Boasting the historic Port Credit perched on the shores of Lake Ontario, long rambling walking trails that stretch all the way to Toronto, and neighbourhoods flooded with annual festivals, Mississauga isn’t one to miss. Review these neighbourhoods in Mississauga and plan your next adventure—or your next place to put down roots.

6 Simple Ways to Add Glamour to Your Bathroom Design | Whether a spacious ensuite or a curated powder room, the bathroom is a space replete with design possibilities. A place for reflection and rejuvenation, the bathroom deserves to be thought of as the retreat it is. Implementing savvy design choices in your bathroom can transform your morning routine, turning the space into a point of inspiration and leaving you refreshed for the day.

Ensure your bathroom keeps pace with the rest of your design-forward home via strategic updates, taking cues from these of-the-moment trends.

Life’s Been Good | The Eagles’ Joe Walsh Lists His Home in Beverly Hills | Whether it’s his timeless work with the Eagles, the James Gang, or on his own, Joe Walsh’s Hall of Fame contributions to rock and roll are without a doubt, some of the most memorable. Today’s special edition of our weekly video feature showcases Walsh’s contemporary home in Beverly Hills, California.

Modern Edge | Kaly Ryan and Bram Sawatzky of Willow & Stump Design Co., have been cleverly marrying form and function since 2014 — all with an ethos of sustainability. Their multidisciplinary studio in East Vancouver has garnered national attention, thanks to the duo’s steam-bending and 3D fabrication techniques, seen on smart, stylish items like the canoe-inspired Fluyt bench that doubles as a storage unit, and the Corian chair, which incorporates thermoformed curves and complex patterns carved into the seat and back.