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Imagine for a minute that you have all the money in the world. What cars would you have in your garage? As a passionate car enthusiast this question is commonplace in my social circle, and many-a-beer has been consumed contemplating this all-important topic.
Recently, I was fortunate enough to be invited to witness a collection of cars that quite literally blew my mind. The thing is though, it’s not often that the structure housing an ultimate car collection ends up being as exotic as what it contains.
This is one of those rare cases where car and garage work together in a synergistic way, almost like the cars are organic entities that grew from the structure itself.
Such an awe-inspiring man cave, garage, warehouse, whatever you want to call it, can only be a product of someone equally inspiring. Meet Joanna Pietras, aka “JoJo, the designer and owner/operator of Homes by JoJo - a full service building company that does everything from quaint cottages to commercial gyms.
Nestled in the Hamilton area, the structure itself seems unassuming from the outside. It reminds me a little of some of the new modern town houses popping up all over the GTA.
JoJo is a fountain of information from the second we meet as she walks us through a very “regular” looking door. My last-minute questions hastily prepared are of little use here. Frankly, when seeing a place like this for the first time its hard to gather your thoughts. The amount of detail evident in every crevice is astonishing, and would likely take a fortnight to soak in, maybe more.
Upon entering you’re greeted to a grand foyer of sorts, where JoJo begins our tour with the washrooms. Stunning in their own respect, I can’t help but glance(gawk) at the collection of exotic metal just meters from where I stand. “All in good time,” I tell myself. Those washrooms by the way are likely the nicest I’ve ever seen, anywhere, period. A classmate of JoJo she knew from back home did the artwork, and the quality of the work speaks for itself. The mosaic tile on the wall, was painstakingly laid, and seems to echo a theme, that will become prominent throughout the “cave.” It’s this dedication to quality and a passion for the job that produces results like this.
It’s evident everywhere you look.
“I hate boring.” JoJo repeats this sentiment a few times. She wants people to notice the details. The sports memorabilia display shows us a bit of this. Glass shelves hung with wire give the appearance that the items are floating. A wave pattern adorning the walls reminds me of the ripples on sand dunes. “No one could understand how I wanted to hang the shelves,” says JoJo. Eventually she found a team that did from Winnipeg. Not only did they design the trophy room, but this was also the same team responsible for the display across the room, housing two gorgeous Lamborghini couches imported from Italy and a custom sit-in humidor boasting an exotic collection of over 3000 of the finest cigars available.
It truly seems that Jojo would scour the earth to find the right people to fulfill her vision.
Two black spiral staircases on either side lead up to the entertainment area, each step bears a logo of one of the manufacturers represented on the floor. The staircases are supported by real drive shafts that JoJo found and dismantled herself.
It’s up here that the vision for this massive 20,000 sq-ft building comes into focus. A prominent theme of diagonal lines jumps out everywhere you lay your eyes. It all begins with the angle that the cars are parked in and this theme echoes throughout the building.
This is one of those rare cases where car and garage work together in a synergistic way, almost like the cars are organic entities that grew from the structure itself.
The angled ceiling treatment is out-of-this-world. “It took us over 1000 man-hours to get this just right.” The way it flows into the granite bar, with perfectly matched slabs is pure skill. 15 Lamborghini bar stools from Italy, wrapped in ostrich leather invite you to stay awhile.
The gleaming white floor used throughout the building is stunning. These are the same Italian porcelain slabs that Ferrari uses at their headquarters in Maranello, and the contrast against the gorgeous Ferrari Red piano upstairs is fabulous. “This was the same piano that Tchaikovsky used to play, it can play 3000 tracks on its own,” remarked JoJo as she proceeded to demonstrate.
Custom Lamborghini Murcielago couches made in Poland, a racing-themed poker table, two wine cellars, each containing a rare Ferrari themed Harley Davidson. A third “Ferrari” Harley sits on top of the bar. It seems the owner couldn’t decide between them as they were all slightly different, so he got all three. Obviously! They are the only 3 in existence to boot and let me tell you that they are stunning in person.
My focus gets drawn towards two coffee tables, which look like chromed jet engines. I find out they are real DC-9 turbines converted into furniture. I have never seen anything like it. This is what “helmet fire” must feel like.
The space looks sparse yet the details keep you looking. When JoJo says she doesn’t like boring, I believe her. This place is a feast for the eyes.
All the luxuries and opulence aside, the real focus, the inspiration, for this place is the cars. So I ask JoJo, how this building and its design came about? “The owner needed a place to keep his car collection and show them to his friends when they come over, he likes to entertain!” Even more remarkable, the design, layout, materials, fixtures, and pretty much every other aspect was JoJo’s vision. Having done a few projects for her client in the past, it's obvious that he fully trusted her skills. “In my head, I can see the design in 3D.” Jojo’s gift is undeniable.
It’s funny though when we talk about value. The structure built from the ground up with all the interior furniture and finishes cost around $4 million. Far less than what I can see in just a small cross-section of the cars on the floor.
As I walk the red carpet laid between the cars in a controlled path, I’m speechless. Even the Toronto Auto Show didn’t have so many exotics on display in one room. I’m giggling like a school-girl on the inside, trying to contain my excitement. There are about 50 cars here, plus a row of choppers, a Shelby Cobra replica, and an Austin-Mini tucked between one of the staircases.
Jumping out at me right away is the Lamborghini Aventador Pirelli Edition, which retails for a cool $565,000. The matte black engine cover and red accents are unique and amazing.
A rare Bentley Continental Supersports ISR in an even rarer color combo is the fastest car on ice setting a World Record of 331 km/h over a frozen Baltic Sea. The list of cars is dizzying and includes but is not limited to:
Bentley Arnage- one of the owner’s favourite to kick around in.
Bentley Mulsanne
2 Rolls Royce Phantom Dropheads and a Phantom Coupe
Rolls Royce Ghost
An imposing blacked-out Phantom
Starke Kollectiv Supercharged Range Rover
Hummer H1
A jacked up Ford Super-Duty that could probably climb Mt.Everest
Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster
Mclaren MP4-12C roadster
Mercedes SLS AMG
Mercedes AMG-GT S
Ferrari California
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
Ferrari 599
Ferrari 458 Italia Spyder
Ferrari F430
Aston Martin DBS
Gemballa Porsche 911 Turbo S
Corvette C6 and C7
A 1000 HP Camaro
The man cave is about passion, design, and the automobile. It is an ode to cars and a shrine to showcase some of the greatest road-going machines in the world.
There’s some classic metal here too, and the General is well represented, with a Chevelle SS, a first and second-gen Camaro and the first-gen Firebird.
Being the nerd that I am, I couldn’t help but do some math on the astronomical value of these cars. I’m estimating that this collection sits in the neighborhood of $12-15 million CAD. Wow!
To be fair, getting wrapped up in the numbers here takes away a bit from the stunning design everywhere else. The man cave is about passion, design, and the automobile. It is an ode to cars and a shrine to showcase some of the greatest road-going machines in the world.
As we exit through the same unassuming door, I can’t help but think what a great experience it was to see a car collection of this magnitude in the flesh. This is something I will never forget.
For more information on this man cave of epic proportions, visit Homes by Jojo and like them on Facebook and Instagram
Photo Credit: Scarfone Automotive Photography
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Recently, I was fortunate enough to be invited to witness a collection of cars that quite literally blew my mind. The thing is though, it’s not often that the structure housing an ultimate car collection ends up being as exotic as what it contains.
This is one of those rare cases where car and garage work together in a synergistic way, almost like the cars are organic entities that grew from the structure itself.
Such an awe-inspiring man cave, garage, warehouse, whatever you want to call it, can only be a product of someone equally inspiring. Meet Joanna Pietras, aka “JoJo, the designer and owner/operator of Homes by JoJo - a full service building company that does everything from quaint cottages to commercial gyms.
Nestled in the Hamilton area, the structure itself seems unassuming from the outside. It reminds me a little of some of the new modern town houses popping up all over the GTA.
JoJo is a fountain of information from the second we meet as she walks us through a very “regular” looking door. My last-minute questions hastily prepared are of little use here. Frankly, when seeing a place like this for the first time its hard to gather your thoughts. The amount of detail evident in every crevice is astonishing, and would likely take a fortnight to soak in, maybe more.
Upon entering you’re greeted to a grand foyer of sorts, where JoJo begins our tour with the washrooms. Stunning in their own respect, I can’t help but glance(gawk) at the collection of exotic metal just meters from where I stand. “All in good time,” I tell myself. Those washrooms by the way are likely the nicest I’ve ever seen, anywhere, period. A classmate of JoJo she knew from back home did the artwork, and the quality of the work speaks for itself. The mosaic tile on the wall, was painstakingly laid, and seems to echo a theme, that will become prominent throughout the “cave.” It’s this dedication to quality and a passion for the job that produces results like this.
It’s evident everywhere you look.
“I hate boring.” JoJo repeats this sentiment a few times. She wants people to notice the details. The sports memorabilia display shows us a bit of this. Glass shelves hung with wire give the appearance that the items are floating. A wave pattern adorning the walls reminds me of the ripples on sand dunes. “No one could understand how I wanted to hang the shelves,” says JoJo. Eventually she found a team that did from Winnipeg. Not only did they design the trophy room, but this was also the same team responsible for the display across the room, housing two gorgeous Lamborghini couches imported from Italy and a custom sit-in humidor boasting an exotic collection of over 3000 of the finest cigars available.
It truly seems that Jojo would scour the earth to find the right people to fulfill her vision.
Two black spiral staircases on either side lead up to the entertainment area, each step bears a logo of one of the manufacturers represented on the floor. The staircases are supported by real drive shafts that JoJo found and dismantled herself.
It’s up here that the vision for this massive 20,000 sq-ft building comes into focus. A prominent theme of diagonal lines jumps out everywhere you lay your eyes. It all begins with the angle that the cars are parked in and this theme echoes throughout the building.
This is one of those rare cases where car and garage work together in a synergistic way, almost like the cars are organic entities that grew from the structure itself.
The angled ceiling treatment is out-of-this-world. “It took us over 1000 man-hours to get this just right.” The way it flows into the granite bar, with perfectly matched slabs is pure skill. 15 Lamborghini bar stools from Italy, wrapped in ostrich leather invite you to stay awhile.
The gleaming white floor used throughout the building is stunning. These are the same Italian porcelain slabs that Ferrari uses at their headquarters in Maranello, and the contrast against the gorgeous Ferrari Red piano upstairs is fabulous. “This was the same piano that Tchaikovsky used to play, it can play 3000 tracks on its own,” remarked JoJo as she proceeded to demonstrate.
Custom Lamborghini Murcielago couches made in Poland, a racing-themed poker table, two wine cellars, each containing a rare Ferrari themed Harley Davidson. A third “Ferrari” Harley sits on top of the bar. It seems the owner couldn’t decide between them as they were all slightly different, so he got all three. Obviously! They are the only 3 in existence to boot and let me tell you that they are stunning in person.
My focus gets drawn towards two coffee tables, which look like chromed jet engines. I find out they are real DC-9 turbines converted into furniture. I have never seen anything like it. This is what “helmet fire” must feel like.
ALSO READ: Lamborghini opens new museum
The space looks sparse yet the details keep you looking. When JoJo says she doesn’t like boring, I believe her. This place is a feast for the eyes.
All the luxuries and opulence aside, the real focus, the inspiration, for this place is the cars. So I ask JoJo, how this building and its design came about? “The owner needed a place to keep his car collection and show them to his friends when they come over, he likes to entertain!” Even more remarkable, the design, layout, materials, fixtures, and pretty much every other aspect was JoJo’s vision. Having done a few projects for her client in the past, it's obvious that he fully trusted her skills. “In my head, I can see the design in 3D.” Jojo’s gift is undeniable.
It’s funny though when we talk about value. The structure built from the ground up with all the interior furniture and finishes cost around $4 million. Far less than what I can see in just a small cross-section of the cars on the floor.
As I walk the red carpet laid between the cars in a controlled path, I’m speechless. Even the Toronto Auto Show didn’t have so many exotics on display in one room. I’m giggling like a school-girl on the inside, trying to contain my excitement. There are about 50 cars here, plus a row of choppers, a Shelby Cobra replica, and an Austin-Mini tucked between one of the staircases.
Jumping out at me right away is the Lamborghini Aventador Pirelli Edition, which retails for a cool $565,000. The matte black engine cover and red accents are unique and amazing.
A rare Bentley Continental Supersports ISR in an even rarer color combo is the fastest car on ice setting a World Record of 331 km/h over a frozen Baltic Sea. The list of cars is dizzying and includes but is not limited to:
Bentley Arnage- one of the owner’s favourite to kick around in.
Bentley Mulsanne
2 Rolls Royce Phantom Dropheads and a Phantom Coupe
Rolls Royce Ghost
An imposing blacked-out Phantom
Starke Kollectiv Supercharged Range Rover
Hummer H1
A jacked up Ford Super-Duty that could probably climb Mt.Everest
Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster
Mclaren MP4-12C roadster
Mercedes SLS AMG
Mercedes AMG-GT S
Ferrari California
Ferrari F12 Berlinetta
Ferrari 599
Ferrari 458 Italia Spyder
Ferrari F430
Aston Martin DBS
Gemballa Porsche 911 Turbo S
Corvette C6 and C7
A 1000 HP Camaro
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The man cave is about passion, design, and the automobile. It is an ode to cars and a shrine to showcase some of the greatest road-going machines in the world.
There’s some classic metal here too, and the General is well represented, with a Chevelle SS, a first and second-gen Camaro and the first-gen Firebird.
Being the nerd that I am, I couldn’t help but do some math on the astronomical value of these cars. I’m estimating that this collection sits in the neighborhood of $12-15 million CAD. Wow!
To be fair, getting wrapped up in the numbers here takes away a bit from the stunning design everywhere else. The man cave is about passion, design, and the automobile. It is an ode to cars and a shrine to showcase some of the greatest road-going machines in the world.
As we exit through the same unassuming door, I can’t help but think what a great experience it was to see a car collection of this magnitude in the flesh. This is something I will never forget.
For more information on this man cave of epic proportions, visit Homes by Jojo and like them on Facebook and Instagram
ALSO READ:Ferrari 488 GTB: Extreme Power For Extreme Driving Thrills
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Photo Credit: Scarfone Automotive Photography
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