Wish List: New Homes Combine Luxury With Livability

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In an age obsessed with authenticity, building a new home, especially a custom-designed one, can be the perfect way to reflect your inner creativity and love of design.

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Certainly home builders and designers have taken note; Today’s design wish lists are multifaceted and have changed over the course of the last two years to incorporate more livability and more private spaces.

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Chris Lemke, managing partner of Alberta-based design-build firm Alloy Homes, says he’s seen a lot of changes in design features that buyers are putting at the top of their must-have lists.

“Without a doubt, the current No. 1 request we get is for at least one and often two home offices,” he says, adding that the work-from-home culture is here to stay and it’s not just about Having a space to work that is private and bright, but also a place where virtual meetings take place, so a selected Zoom background within the office is of the utmost importance. “This is something completely new for us, but it makes sense: the room you’re sitting in says a lot about you and your professionalism.”

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He says requests for home gyms, spas and steam rooms are also increasing.

“We’ve put them on half a dozen times this year. The pandemic has really disrupted the way recreation works for them,” Lemke says, noting that that also translates to a desire to expand living space out into the garden. “If you are design wise, you can double your life footprint. Certainly, in the summer, you can use your outdoor spaces as you would indoors, and through design, you can create outdoor microclimates that will see you through the shoulder season.”

Most interior design wish lists also include smart design with an open-concept theme, lots of beautiful finishes, and plenty of natural light to define, showcase, and nurture homeowner spaces.

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Calgary custom home builder Van Manna Homes says its custom home clients expect thoughtful, functional spaces with larger square footage in the spaces where they spend the most time: luxurious kitchens, pantries, and Large foyers, large master suites, and ample entertaining spaces to hang out. with his family, both inside and outside.

But the tendency to build is not only driven by a desire for authenticity, but also by a sense of place and connection, initiated by a strong and vibrant community.

The oldest and most established communities offer an environment rich in amenities, which has been cultivated for decades. Many new communities are emulating this feeling by planning comprehensive village centers and planting mature trees, giving buyers many location options throughout the city and its perimeter.

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Balancing open common spaces with those that offer more privacy was something the design team at Urban Indigo Fine Homes kept in mind when creating two custom boutique-style infill homes in the downtown community of Killarney, in southwest California. Calgary. The houses are brother/sister designs, one has a modern Tudor look (the Wilma), the other is a modern craftsman (the Willix). Both are mirror image floor plans featuring 3,000 square feet of living space, comprised of an open-concept main floor, with three bedrooms upstairs, and a finished basement with nine-foot ceilings.

A private study on the main floor offers an escape from the open public spaces, while on the lower level a floor-to-ceiling glass wall separates a home office from recreation space. The Urban Indigo Fine Homes team also blended contemporary finishes and features with more traditional elements, along with softer architectural pieces such as arches and organic shapes.

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“We wanted to create a clean, elegant look with a modern twist, while keeping those traditional details, so that the houses maintain that timelessness and value,” says Fatima Nasser, the company’s president and designer.
Along with lots of glass (there’s a 10-foot-high floor-to-ceiling 12mm glass railing on the main staircase), rounded edges, a long, elegant island with cascading edges, the homes feature crown molding combined with flat cabinets. And, taking center stage in both kitchens is a work of art: a La Cornue gas stove.

“It’s really the details that make people look twice,” says Nasser, adding that both houses were designed to communicate with each other, creating beautiful synergy and streetscape, something that’s important to think about when creating a home. New construction in an older neighborhood. In addition, the facade of each house makes a nod to a past time, while incorporating contemporary elements.

The Wilma showcases interior details and colors that are softer (yes, says Nasser, the arches are a design element that’s here to stay), while the Willix features lots of black accents and more contemporary trim, while retaining a more contemporary vibe. of modern country house.

Both homes are bright and airy, offering a fourth bedroom and two flex rooms on the lower level, as well as a vibrant city center location close to restaurants, cafes, green spaces, and public transportation. “These are all things that people are looking for these days,” says Nasser.