A fire pit area at the rear of the backyard is a great spot to relax at the end of a long day.
A living room/dining room with pine vaulted ceiling and front wall of windows is a beautiful, bright space.
The kitchen offers modern function and style with a compact island, quartz countertops, maple cabinets and stainless appliances.
The loft-style primary bedroom has treetop views, a vaulted ceiling and an abundance of natural light.
There are some communities that go unnoticed when they richly deserve more attention.
One such gem is the enclave of Spruce Bay Heights, which lies about 15 minutes north of Gimli.
Carved out of dense forest, it houses a wonderful collection of homes and cottages that are surrounded by mature trees that gives the residences — which are set well back on large lots — a pleasing sense of privacy and tranquility.
That being the case, not many of the homes come up for sale, because the folks who live there year-round or spend their summers there treasure being able to spend time in such a calm, laid-back setting.
However, one of those homes has just come available.
“This is one of those places that you may not have known about, but fall in love with the instant you visit it,” says Jeff Brown of Sutton Group-Kilkenny Real Estate. “It has such a serenity to it. When you come here and see all the mature trees, you instantly feel at ease, and at home.”
And there’s a story behind the home that has just come up for sale.
“Initially, it was a medium-sized cottage, much like so many of the homes in the area, but that all changed about 12 years ago,” Brown says.
It was at that point that the current owner arrived with a plan to make the tidy cottage into a special place to live on a year-round basis.
“Because the lot was quite large, there was room to build, so he decided that he was going to add on to the cottage,” Brown explains. “And add onto the cottage he did.”
The residence went from being a quaint cottage to a full-blown home that — once all the dust settled — measures in at an impressive 3,930 sq. ft.
“It is now what I would classify as a bungalow with a loft,” Brown says. “The owner was meticulous with the addition to the back of the home, doing everything to the highest standards, including structure, insulation and finishings.”
At first glance, the rustic home looks like a mid-sized cottage. But looks can be deceiving, and in this case, they’re very deceiving.
“It starts off with an amazing living room/dining area with vaulted ceiling that allowed for huge floor-to-ceiling windows on the front wall,” Brown says. “They let in tons of natural light, while the pine-lined ceiling and warm wide-plank flooring give it a nice, cosy feel.”
Next stop is an island kitchen that’s as modern as the living room is rustic.
“I absolutely love it. There’s tons of cappuccino maple cabinets, gorgeous quartz countertops, a beautiful tile backsplash and newer stainless appliances. It looks great and is incredibly functional. It’s also where the original cottage ended.”
Or, where the cottage got a whole new lease on life.
“As it turned out, the addition added five incredible spaces to the rear of the home that elevated it from a mere cottage to a home that has an amazing resort-like feel,” he says.
“With all the amenities at the rear of the home, you don’t have to go anywhere — everything you need is here.”
Those spaces include a home gym with a patio door for deck access, a dedicated theatre room, remodelled three-piece bath and two more amazing spaces.
“There’s a hot tub room, which is then topped by an incredible space behind it, a huge room with a swim spa with a wall of windows on the rear wall that look out onto all the mature trees in the backyard. It also connects to a deck that wraps around the back of the home.”
Then, there’s a set of stairs off the swim spa room that leads to a loft area with an impressive primary bedroom.
“What can you say? It’s simply stunning.
“Huge windows on three sides let in lots of natural light and showcase forest views, while a pine-lined vaulted ceiling adds an amazing feel of warmth and space.
“A gorgeous three-piece ensuite with walk-in closet finishes off the space perfectly.”
In total, this delightfully deceptive home offers five bedrooms, three bathrooms, beautiful finishes and plenty of room to spread out.
“It’s just nuts, in a good way — there are so many amazing things in this home to enjoy.
“Not only that, but you could age in place here, or it could be a dream home for a family. There’s tons of activities you can do outdoors, all levels of schools are nearby and it’s a private, peaceful and safe area with great neighbours.
“It’s an incredible home, and an amazing place to live.”
Location: 42 Colleen Ave., Spruce Bay Heights
Year Built: 1980
Style: bungalow with loft
Lot Size: half acre
Size: 3,930 sq. ft.
Bedrooms: five
Bathrooms: three
Price: $649,900
Contact: Jeff Brown, Sutton Group-Kilkenny Real Estate, 204-997-5333
