"We're very fortunate," says Adam. "We were able to give it another shot. This time, we really wanted a custom design. With that in mind, we borrowed from some of the features in our old house, took some stuff we liked from other designs we saw -- plus we incorporated a number of Sean (Checkley)'s ideas."
That's the key to coming up with a truly customized home, says Checkley, who along with dad Dennis owns and operates Hallmark Homes.
"To us, the difference is in the details, and that means being hands-on. I try to be at the home as often as possible, which often means I'm there every day to check on things," explains Sean, adding he typically works out many of a home's design details on-site with clients. "I want to have fun doing it. My goal is to build a lasting relationship with my clients."
That was just fine with the Rickners.
"This time around, we decided to go with a smaller builder that would be more hands-on," says Cathy. "Sean was here when we needed him to answer questions that we had, unlike our first builder."
The result, adds Adam, is a home that has all the features they wanted. That said, getting all the different features -- there are plenty of them -- took time.
"It took six months to come up with the design and then another six months to build it, but it was worth it."
One of the first mandates the Rickners -- who live with their daughter and Cathy's brother Walter -- stipulated was that the main level's floor plan be decidedly open concept in nature.
There were three reasons for that, says Cathy.
"First, an open concept design looks bigger and you don't feel so crowded in. Second, Adam likes to cook, so he wanted a kitchen that was open and easy to get around," she says. "Finally, Walter is vision impaired, so we want an open plan that incorporated a lot of lights, windows and space into the mix."
Even though the kitchen/great room area is large and wide open -- there's also an area that houses a baby grand piano to the left of the kitchen (looking from the expansive foyer) with a den/TV room immediately to the rear of the piano area -- it's still warm thanks to maple espresso floors, cappuccino cabinetry (tons of them) and flecked beige ceramic countertops.
Cathy says the light-coloured countertops and off-white paint were a decision arrived at in concert with Sean Checkley.
"The countertops and lighter paint were a must," she says. "So many of today's homes go with dark colours, but it makes for a dark interior. We went with lighter colours to not only brighten the interior, but to increase the feeling of space. The beige countertops offer just enough contrast, and 12-foot ceilings in the great room and dining room open things up even more."
Sean concurs.
"We also went with a three-sided fireplace between the great room and kitchen not only to provide a relaxing focal point, but to have some division between the two spaces," he says, adding that a rear wall of windows also adds interior illumination. "And we chose darker flooring to contrast with the light paint and give the area a bit more punch. There are also tons of pot lights, all of them on dimmers."
Another feature unique to the home is using a curved one-third wall to define the lower-level stairwell, which runs through the home's centre.
"Again, it keeps things open but offers some subtle division," adds Checkley. "The curved cutout by the stairwell also serves as a place for Cathy to display various decoration, especially at Christmas."
There are two other custom features of note on the main level -- a curved three-quarter wall that has a display area (much like a planter) on top to showcase Cathy's treasured mermaid, and a four-and-a-half-foot wide hallway that provides an entrance to the master bedroom.
"It's such a wide hallway, it makes it so easy to get around -- plus, it gives us the room we need to hang Walter's large paintings," says Cathy. "And I love the ledge on top of the curved three-quarter wall -- it was made especially so we could have the mermaid at the entrance."
Due to the fact that there was a lack of storage space in her old home, Cathy also asked Checkley for something else: lots and lots of closets and storage nooks.
"Definitely, I wanted a lot of storage space, so from the angled walk-in coat closet in the foyer to all the closets upstairs and through the lower level, I now have almost enough room to store all our stuff," she laughs. "And the 10-foot ceiling in our ensuite was another must -- it makes it feel so much bigger."
Downstairs is a walk-out basement that is nearly as expansive as the main floor. Absent from the area is a media room, another design feature that the Rickners had Hallmark amend.
"There's no media room because we thought -- and it's turned out that way -- that an open area with big screen TV and a sectional seating arrangement would be cozier and more intimate," Cathy says. "There's also a wet bar with fridge and cabinets and an area for a four-piece dinette (surrounded by four windows). We wanted a walk-out basement with lots of glass so it would be bright and easy for Walter to get around as his bedroom is down here."
As for Adam, there are two areas that he revels in -- a steam shower room (a.k.a.. Adam's Paradise) and a computer room that not only accommodates all the high-tech hardware he uses as part of his job for CBC Winnipeg, but his guitar and amp.
"I love the fact that I have my own bathroom to use, complete with steam shower," he says. "And the computer room works well, too. Overall, the lower level is a space that we all enjoy for various reasons."
Not to mention the entire home, which is a true custom design down to the lower-level laundry room for Walter and voluminous storage areas for Cathy.
"The give and take with Sean really made a big difference in the final outcome. We're couldn't be happier with the end result," Cathy says.
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