Room to relax

When homes finally started going up in Bridgwater Forest in 2008, no one really knew what the novel community was truly going to look like once it matured.

At the time, the vision was of a neighbourhood filled with a creative cross-section of home designs, featuring distinct architectural details such as cultured stone, front porches and no front-mounted garages.

Lots were to be smaller in size to create a more neighbourly, cosy feel.

Today, that vision is in full bloom, and no street embodies it better than Lake Forest Road.

Running off Bridgeland Drive North, just a short way into the Bridgwater Neighbourhoods’ original phase, it’s everything that was visualized back then and more.

Mature trees now line the streets and frame the homes, creating a vibrant, welcoming feel as you walk or drive down the road.

Each home has its own distinct personality, giving the street character and warmth.

One of those homes is an elegant 1,514 sq. ft. bungalow that sits squarely on a pristine 42-foot by 97-foot lot.

“A beautifully landscaped front yard with mature trees… including a lovely pine tree right in front of the home, gives it immediate curb appeal,” says Stephanie Baron of Century 21 Bachman & Associates. “The area is now well-established. This is a lovely street that’s close to walking paths, dedicated greenspace and more.”

Step inside, and the home feels much larger than you might anticipate.

Baron says the free, airy feel stems from a key design feature.

“Each space, from the family room right back to the kitchen, has a vaulted ceiling. Add that to the fact that each space is already a generous size, and you have a home that feels much bigger than its listed square footage.”

And while the well-kept bungalow’s square footage provides plenty of room to move, its floor plan is something of a modern-traditional hybrid.

“I’d say it’s more of a combination of open-concept and traditional,” she says. “Each space is separate, with a living room at the front of the home. It offers a vaulted ceiling, large picture window and an electric fireplace set in a taupe cultured stone surround and a TV niche above.”

Access to the next two spaces — a formal dining room and kitchen — is provided by a wide hallway that allows traffic to move from the front of the home to the back in seamless fashion.

“Entertainers will love the dining room, which is right in the centre between the living room and kitchen. It has a beautiful, peaked ceiling with elegant chandelier, a cantilevered sideboard nook and a transom window high up to let in natural light.

Then there’s the kitchen, which has a multi-faceted personality.

An eating nook for two or three sits at the centre of the dining room’s rear wall, which features a cutout that deftly opens up onto the kitchen.

The kitchen itself is huge, offering a compact island, a wealth of espresso-stained maple cabinets and plenty of counter space.

“There’s also a patio door that provides direct access to a private, low-maintenance backyard with a two-tiered deck and artificial turf play area,” she says. “It’s perfect for barbecuing and relaxing outdoors on warm summer nights. There’s also a door to an attached garage to the rear.”

Baron notes that families will love another aspect of the tidy home’s floor plan, too.

“The primary bedroom is separated from the other bedrooms for maximum privacy. It has a vaulted ceiling, walk-in closet and a three-piece ensuite with walk-in shower, making for your own peaceful retreat. Two more bedrooms and a four-piece bath complete the main level.”

Head downstairs and you’ll find a fully- finished lower level.

“It was professionally finished in 2014 and comes with a spacious room with media area and wet bar, electric fireplace, dedicated work area, two more generous bedrooms, a full bath and a laundry room,” she says. “It adds about 1,200 sq. ft. of space to the home, giving it a total of just over 2,700 square feet of total livable space.”

Priced under $600,000, this turnkey home offers exceptional value, says Baron.

“Having all that it offers at this price point in Bridgwater is huge. You don’t find many family homes with five bedrooms, a fully finished lower level, double attached garage and low-maintenance backyard for under $560,000 in this area.”

lewys@mymts.net