Soaring ceilings, fine finishes

Drive through most neighbourhoods in the city and you’re bound to see the occasional infill home pop up amid rows of long-established homes.

They can be drab, quick builds that are executed with a palpable lack of imagination.

Even worse, two tall, slender homes might be built when a 50-foot lot is subdivided, dwarfing the smaller houses on either side and making the area feel crowded.

That isn’t the case with a new infill home at 411 Wallasey Street in Crestview, says Mauro Zappia of Zappia Group Realty.

“There was an older home on the lot, which is a good size at 55 feet by 112 feet. It was knocked down, and then the builder, Forest Ridge Homes, set about building a brand-new bungalow that was going to be filled with exceptional features, features you don’t normally get in standard infill homes.”

You can tell immediately that the 1,493 sq. ft. home isn’t your run-of-the-mill infill build.

“To say the least, it has great curb appeal,” Zappia says. “The covered front porch looks amazing, and the home fits right in with the surrounding area. The builder also left mature trees in front of the home, which was a nice touch.”

As impressive as the home’s exterior is — it was built on piles, including the front porch, backyard deck and garage — its interior is even more so.

First impressions of its open-concept main living area will undoubtedly be favourable.

“This is where the first exceptional design feature comes into play. When you first look at the home, it looks like a two-storey home due to a high roofline with window over the front porch,” explains Zappia. “Make no mistake, this is a bungalow, but one that starts off with a very exceptional design feature.”

That design feature turns out to be a soaring, vaulted ceiling under which the entire main living area is favourably situated.

“It’s 15 feet, six inches high at its highest point,” he notes. “But it’s most spectacular over the great room, where the ceiling is carved out. A large window high up allows lots of natural light to come in, while a circular, candelabra-style chandelier adds a fantastic touch of luxury. Warm luxury vinyl plank flooring adds to the inviting feel with its warmth.”

Add in lots of large well-placed windows and you can’t help but be uplifted by the bright, airiness.

The home’s generous square footage allows for seamless flow between each well-defined space, such as the great room, kitchen and dining area.

And while the grand great room is the main living area’s pièce de résistance, the rear of the home, where the kitchen and dining area are located, are the home’s unmistakable heart.

“Again, the kitchen isn’t what you see in most standard infill homes,” Zappia says. “It’s very modern and has quartz countertops, a mid-sized island with eating nook for two, off-white cabinets, and a beautiful taupe micro cement-finished hood fan, which is a special touch. The stainless appliances come included in the sale price of the home.”

He adds that the garden door between the kitchen and expandable dining area leads out back to a wonderful area that extends the living space in summer months.

“There’s a huge covered back deck that’s perfect for relaxing or for hosting family or friends for dinner or barbecues. There’s plenty of room to spread out to dine and visit.”

Wander back inside and there are more thoughtful and highly functional design touches, such as a main floor laundry room, two large secondary bedrooms, a spacious, well-appointed main bath, and, of course, the primary bedroom.

Placed in its own quiet corner of the home, the latter is a fortress of solitude that weary parents will enjoy retreating to at the end of long, busy days.

“An oversized transom window above the bed and large window on the rear wall let in tons of light and also provide views of all the mature trees that surround the home,” says Zappia. “A doorway on its side wall features a big walk-in closet to the left, a makeup or dressing area in the centre and a gorgeous four-piece ensuite with tiled tub/shower combination to the right.”

Downstairs, a huge lower level offering over 1,300 sq. ft. of space to develop nearly doubles the home’s square footage.

“This home represents an opportunity to get a brand-new home in a mature, established neighbourhood,” Zappia says. “The workmanship is exceptional, as is the location. It’s a real alternative to building in a community where you have to wait for everything to mature.”

lewys@mymts.net