New Homes

New Homes

Clean slate

When it comes to building a home, there’s always more to it than meets the eye. If that task involves conceiving a grand-prize lottery home, the process becomes even more challenging, said Frank Cotroneo of Artista Homes.

"The design of this home actually took about eight months to a year," he said. "Then, of course, we had to build it. To say the least, the whole process was pretty involved."

The reason for all that attention to detail was simple: when you’re building a grand-prize lottery home — or any home for that matter — luxury and livability must be balanced; otherwise, if a home is too over the top it might have a lot of visual pop, but won’t be practical in its overall design.

"We were really pleased with how the home’s design turned out," said Cotroneo. "While the lot was gorgeous (with its spectacular wetland views), it wasn’t huge, so we had to design a home that really maximized the available space. It took a bit of time to accomplish, but we got in all the elements we wanted."

While the home is indeed palatial in terms of its scale and finishes, it is, above all, a home that is one very practical palace. Spaces on all three levels are functional, wetland views are captured perfectly and the choice of materials makes for an interior that features a simple, understated elegance. A modern/classic design, neither style is heavy-handed, creating an appealing interior.

It all starts in the foyer, said Cotroneo. "In this case, the wetland view was so amazing that we didn’t want to close the foyer off from the family room, so we put in a tempered glass dividing wall (that’s framed beautifully by whitewashed wooden beams above and to the side). When you enter the home, the first thing you see is the view."

That view is captured perfectly by a collection of floor-to-ceiling windows in a family room that features a simple, uncluttered design.

"We wanted the view to be front-and-centre, so we purposely kept the family room’s design simple," he said. "The windows frame the view perfectly, while the 19-foot ceiling increases the feeling of space, and allows tons of natural light to flow into the area. The focal point of the family room is a ribbon fireplace set in a Tyndall stone surround that adds colour and a nice earthy texture to the space."

Instead of having both the family room and kitchen on the same level, Artista’s design team opted to elevate the kitchen three steps to make it a truly defined space.

"Elevating it ensured that it wouldn’t be separated from the family room by just a bit of furniture," explained Cotroneo, adding that the elevated kitchen allowed for a 10-foot ceiling in the rec room below.

"We then put a bank of three windows behind the informal dining area and a huge picture window and patio door off the kitchen. We just had no choice but to make that gorgeous view front-and-centre."

The kitchen is also gorgeous in an understated way. There’s an eight-foot-by four foot quartz island with seating for three, a wealth of warm, medium-brown maple cabinets (including pantries either side of the fridge) and tons of room to move.

"It’s perfect for entertaining with the expandable dining area and door to elevated deck that overlooks the water. You can sit outside on the deck, chat in the kitchen and visit after dinner in the amazing family room. We also put a wing in off the kitchen that contains a huge laundry room, separate mud room with custom closet, powder room and door that leads to the attached triple garage," Cotroneo said.

Head upstairs via a cleverly hidden staircase, and you encounter an open area that features a novel layout. To the right is a catwalk that leads to the master suite; to the left is an office with a pleasant design twist.

"It has a door that leads to your own private balcony with privacy railing that allows you to sit outside and enjoy a drink or read a book in total privacy," Cotroneo said. "The view from the catwalk is spectacular, and the catwalk positions the master suite away from the other bedrooms to give it a nice, private feel."

Once again, Artista’s design team kept the design simple. "You’ve got the view, your own balcony, the whitewashed maple hardwoods and lots of space and light. The ensuite is big, bright and spa-like with a picture window, stand-alone soaker tub, custom glass/tile shower, tile floor and semi-floating maple vanity with granite countertop and dual sinks. And the walk-in closet designed by For Space Sake is just amazing," he said.

Amazing is a word that could also describe the 1,000 sq. ft. walk-out basement. A big fourth bedroom, spacious three-piece bath, media and great rooms with wetland views and a door to a covered patio make for a functional, fashionable area that’s ideal for entertaining or hanging out with the family.

"We’re really happy with how the home’s overall design turned out," said Cotroneo.

"It’s a home that’s as livable as it is luxurious. The design couldn’t have turned out any better."

lewys@mymts.net

Todd Lewys
July 9

New Homes

FORM and FUNCTION

As exciting as style is — especially in a new home — one design feature should always trump it. That feature? None other than functionality.

Simply put, if a home doesn’t possess a high level of function, it doesn’t matter how stylish it is. Consequently, some larger, very fashionable homes lack function because too much emphasis was placed on style.

On the other hand, some homes are loaded with function despite seeming on the small side. The Mendoza — a 1,656-square-foot, two-storey design found at 152 Cherrywood Rd. in Bridgwater Trails — is one of those designs, said Broadview Homes’ new homes sales consultant, Rich Juchnowski.

"Almost everyone who’s been through the home has said they thought the home is larger than its listed square footage," he said.

"We’ve had a lot of compliments on this home. It’s deceptively large and features all kinds of function on all three of its levels. All the available space is very well-used."

There are several reasons why the Mendoza feels closer to 1,800 or 1,900 square feet in size, said Juchnowski: a generous foyer, cavernous (and bright) living room/dining room, a highly functional kitchen, two secondary bedrooms with — get this — walk-in closets, and a spacious (and well-appointed) master suite.

While the Mendoza is a relatively compact 1,656 square feet (not including the finished lower level; more on it a bit later), its foyer — the space where first impressions on a home’s functionality are made — is not a mere postage stamp. In fact, it’s about eight feet wide by seven feet deep, with a double closet. Score a point for a positive first impression here.

Next comes the cavernous living room/dining room, where that inherent feeling of livability goes up another notch. "The dining room is about nearly 12 feet by 11 feet in size, while the living room is 16 feet by nearly 13 feet," he said. "There’s a table for six in the show home’s dining room, and it fits perfectly. If you’re entertaining, you could easily extend it to a table for 10. It’s next to a large window, while there’s a huge picture window on the living room’s front wall. There’s lots of room for furniture and all kinds of room to move."

Meanwhile, the island kitchen — which measures about 10.6 feet by 15.5 feet — is tucked away, yet still open to the dining room and living room. "It’s actually semi-hidden," Juchnowski said. "Which is a great feature as any mess in the kitchen will be hidden. The (three-foot by three-foot) island is a handy feature but is optional. There’s a huge (standard) window over the double sink, while the Thunder maple cabinets and (grey) glass tile backsplash are options. The (dark brown) laminate plank flooring is also an option."

Another option is the finished basement, which can be used as an in-law suite, or rental suite for students attending the University of Manitoba. "It’s an option that costs about $40,000. That includes a side entrance and fully finished lower level with bedroom, full bath, living room and kitchen area. We finished the basement in this home to show how much extra livability it provides. When you finish the lower level (it offers 514 square feet of livable space), you have a home that offers 2,170 square feet of total living space with four bedrooms and 31/2 baths."

Because the Mendoza’s upper level is roughly the same size as the main floor — they’re both just over 800 square feet in size — it’s also exceptionally functional. Both secondary bedrooms are larger than normal (at 10 feet by 11 feet and 10 feet by 10 feet, respectively), the main bath is huge, and the master suite is plenty big at approximately 14 feet by 12.3 feet.

The functionality in the three bedrooms doesn’t end there, said Juchnowski. "Both secondary bedrooms have walk-in closets, a feature normal for larger homes but rare for a home this size. The master suite also has a large ensuite with five-foot shower, (cork-style) vinyl floor and a big walk-in closet."

Another standard feature — oversized windows — makes the home feel even more livable, he added. "There are huge windows everywhere, in the living room, dining room and kitchen on the main floor, in the master suite, both bedrooms and even downstairs, where there are two large (transom-style) windows in the bedroom. There are even two large windows over the staircase. All that glass makes it a naturally bright home."

While this option-laden version of the Mendoza is priced at $438,900, a more basic version could be acquired by a budget-minded young family for significantly less, said Juchnowski. "With basic finishes and without the side entrance and finished lower level, the starting point for this home would be about $359,165. You can upgrade the flooring, cabinets (to Thunder oak) and countertops for about $8,000 to $10,000. We just sold a home down the street for $370,000. You can always finish the basement and put a garage on the (20-foot by 20-foot) garage pad at a later date."

It’s difficult to surpass the value and functionality the Mendoza offers, said Juchnowski.

"Broadview’s designers got every detail of this home right," he said.

"Few homes can rival the style, function and value that it delivers."

lewys@mymts.net

By Todd Lewys
June 11