WHEN Crown Homes' Fadi Kais sat down to design his latest show home, his goal was to produce an interior that deviated from the norm.
That meant coming up with an open-concept floor plan that was markedly different from those conceived by his competitors.
"I like open plans, but not totally open," he says. "So when I sat down and started sketching pictures, I wanted the plan to be different, but not one big, open-concept space. I'm quite happy with this design. It turned out to be quite unique. So far, the reaction to it has been very good."
Little wonder. Instead of having a foyer, which then (as many of today's designs do) leads to a hallway that takes you to a totally open-concept great room, he incorporated the foyer into an open-concept area that encompasses a sitting area and formal dining room. With a 20-foot ceiling soaring over the foyer and an abundance of windows, the sitting area/dining room feels even larger than it is.
At the same time, additional light flows into the area from above, where a bonus room/loft area resides to the right of a dark maple staircase that takes you to the home's upper level.
Kais then created an extra-wide, angled entrance to the great room area to simultaneously hide the kitchen and add interest.
"The idea was to make the transition into the great room area as effortless as possible," he explains. "This is a home aimed at big families, so having the wide entrance and two open-concept, yet separate areas lets you cook, wash dishes or watch TV while staying connected to the kids while they play, or company you might be entertaining."
Meanwhile, the bonus room/loft area upstairs, which is defined by smart dark maple railing with burnished metal spindles and surrounded by four huge windows, also opens onto both the lower and upper levels.
"It's an area that a family can use for the purpose that suits them best -- a family/media room, exercise room or office area. It's set underneath an 11-foot ceiling, and gives you all kinds of room to work with. It can be anything you want. Best of all, it's close to the bedrooms upstairs and only steps from the main level."
Another stairway -- five steps, to be precise -- then takes you up to the bedroom wing, which houses three bedrooms, a four-piece bath and a spacious laundry room. As might be expected in a 2,994-sq.-ft., two-storey home, space is abundant in all rooms (which sport large windows and double closets with dark maple doors).
With tan short-twist carpeting, earth tone walls and a logical floor plan, the functionality and fashion quotient is high.
"To me, it's important to have a good blend of both," Kais says. "I wanted the area to be as convenient as possible, so I put the laundry room up where all the laundry is created. The main bathroom is between the two secondary bedrooms, again for convenience. And the master bedroom is set well away from them so parents can enjoy as much privacy as possible."
Not to mention space and luxury, as it turns out. Absolutely cavernous with four large windows and a jauntily angled walk-in closet, the master suite offers limitless potential to be turned into the sanctuary that weary parents often yearn for. A four-piece ensuite with ceramic tile/tempered glass shower, corner jetted tub (set in chocolate brown ceramic tile and dark maple/granite vanity provides a private oasis of sanity.
Just as 165 Marine's upper level was designed to promote peace and privacy, the main level's great room was designed to be the home's activity centre. With an island kitchen, eating area for six (in the centre of the room) and bright, spacious living room (with wall-to-wall entertainment centre with curved shelves and gas fireplace at its centre), there's plenty of room for company to gather and visit without feeling boxed in.
"I made it very open so that everyone can stay connected right from the kitchen to the living room. Right now, there's a table for six in the middle. If you don't need it there, you can simply put in another couch to further define the living room and add seating space. In the kitchen, I placed an induction cooktop in the island (which seats two) and a built-in (stainless) oven to save space and increase counter space."
There's one last feature large families will appreciate: a wide-open lower level with 1,500 sq. ft. of livable space (courtesy of two steel beams) and five 36-inch windows, which allow natural light to stream in.
"It (the lower level) also has a 10-foot ceiling. When you add in the lower level, the home comes in at nearly 3,500 sq. ft. of space. That should provide all the room large, active families need," he says.
lewys@mts.net
DETAILS
Homebuilder: Crown Homes
Address: 165 Marine Drive, Van Hull Estates
Size: 2,994 sq. ft.
Style: Two-storey
Bedrooms: Three, plus bonus room/loft
Bathrooms: 2.5
Price: $699,900 (inlcudes lot & GST)
Lot size: 56' x 110'
Lot price: $145,000
Contact: Joe Pereira or John Rodrigues, Coldwell Banker Real Estate at 227-4756 (Pereira) or 227-2203 (Rodrigues).
