Hutton Show Home Review
by Jill Munroe, New Home Buyer's Guide
Building Homes, Building Dreams is the motto of Urbanity Custom Homes. It is evident throughout this two-storey home there is emphasis on the little details. The Hutton is not only designed with comfort and beauty in mind, it is energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
This home has achieved a BUILT GREEN™, GOLD level standing. Urbanity President, Georgina Nunes-Serrao is proud of this accomplishment saying building “green” is a builder’s responsibility “to protect our children’s future while providing a healthier home” for everyone. She points out Canadians spend 90% of their time indoors and that “new home smell” is actually chemicals being emitted into the air and is not healthy. To combat this, Urbanity uses water-based lacquers and paints, mainly hard surface flooring, low emission carpets, an active heat recovery ventilator, a controlled fan that ensures automatic ventilation of the home, and many more features too long to list.
All of this green technology and energy efficiency is built into a warm and welcoming home. The front entry is full of natural light that streams in from every direction. The beautifully crafted Eastern wrought iron and maple staircase is open to all 3 levels of the home, including the ready to be developed basement with its nine foot ceilings and in floor heating. Just to the left of the front door is a dining room/den with a bulk head ceiling and three stain glass transoms. A wonderfully designed great room, with its electric fireplace and built in maple shelving units, opens to the kitchen and dinette.
Functionality is the number one priority of this home’s kitchen which boasts a walk thru pantry from the back garage entrance. The maple cabinets, granite counter tops, double built in oven, countertop stove, microwave fan unit, and stainless steel fridge make it a pleasure for any cook preparing a casual or formal meal. The maintenance free, covered deck off of this room makes it easy to enjoy any meal outdoors with family and friends.
Upstairs is open and bright with a large bonus room with a built in window bench for extra seating and extra storage below it. It is large enough to set up a separate computer or play area. Just across this space are three bedrooms and two bathrooms, including the large master en suite. The maple floors and cabinets along with the three and a quarter inch baseboards are continued throughout the upstairs. The master bedroom and its 9 foot tray ceiling comes with rope lighting that sits in the crown molding giving the room a romantic, soft, ambient light. This mood continues into the en suite which has a large 6 ft by 3.5 ft air jetted jacuzzi with chromatherapy lights. The shower is big enough for two and there is ample storage space for toiletries as well as a large walk in closet.
Georgina Nunes-Serrao points out; “Urbanity means, quality and refinement”, she goes on to say her goal for each of the homes she builds is “to demonstrate energy efficiency and still look elegant without looking odd.” She believes the Hutton achieves that both inside and out. Georgina, along with her husband Roy Serrao plan to continue helping people realize their dreams.
Kensington Show Home Review
by Colin Evans
Note: The following review was published in the New Home Buyer's Guide. The Kensington show home has been sold and is no longer available for viewing. Click here to view our latest show home.
Bungalow
1608 sq. ft. Main Floor
1179 sq. ft. Developed Basement
Four Bedrooms
Lavish use of natural materials and a marvellous open floor plan make the Kensington B a masterpiece worth seeing.
The foyer features a slate insert, mirrored closet and 12 ft. coffered ceiling with medallion. To the left of the foyer, double French doors with bevelled and blasted glass open to a carpeted den with oak hardwood border.
An open hardwood hallway leads to an elegant open dining room featuring an arch supported by fluted columns, a bayout, oak flooring and a coffered ceiling with medallion and accent lighting.
Further into the house is a large open space accommodating the great room, kitchen and eating nook. The great room has an eye-catching stone fireplace surrounded by three stained-glass transom windows and two large vertical windows. It also has plant ledges, oak hardwood flooring and a 12 ft. ceiling with crown mouldings.
Adjacent to the great room is an incredible open kitchen with an angled island featuring a granite countertop and eating bar, an oak wine rack and an oak liquor cabinet with steel mesh. Overhead, a drywalled bulkhead matches the shape of the eating bar and supports three hanging lights. The solid work spaces are brightened by natural light entering from glass-block windows recessed in the ceramic-tile backsplash with granite inserts. Extra storage is provided by a walk-in pantry with French door. Other features include a coffered ceiling and ceramic-tile floor.
The eating nook also has coffered ceiling and ceramic-tile floor. Ample natural light bathes the nook from a bayout with three large windows and a door with grilled glass insert opening to a large maintenance-free deck in the backyard.
To the right of the great room is a master bedroom with garden doors opening to the deck. An arch supported by fluted columns leads to a luxurious ensuite featuring jetted tub with ceramic tile backsplash and listello border. Other features include glass-black window, corner shower with tile border, walk-in closet, private throne, ceramic-tile floor and large oak vanity with make-up table.
Entering from the double garage, there is a mudroom/laundry room with ceramic-tile flooring and mirrored closet. An oak hardwood hallway leads to the second bedroom. Around the corner is a full bathroom.
An open carpeted staircase with corner plant ledge, oak handrails and wrought-iron spindles descends to a basement with 9 ft. ceilings. Smartly tucked into the corner of a large rec. room is a wet bar with granite countertop. Mounted on the wall above the bar is an oak wine rack with mesh liquor cabinet. On the other side of the rec. room is a lounge area with fireplace installed in a large oak bookcase with fluted trim and three arched niches, the middle one being large enough for a home entertainment system. The rec. room is wired for sound.
Double doors open to a large media room wired for a home theatre. Two large bedrooms in the basement are separated by a main bathroom. A large storage space is found in the furnace room.
Other interior features include California knock-down ceilings, 10 and 12 ft. ceilings on the main floor, smart wiring, intercom and six-pack CD player, security system and built-in vacuum system.
The exterior has extensive use of brick, grilled windows, a gables roofline, exposed-aggregate driveway, sidewalk and steps and a covered front entrance with brick pillar and textured, rippled and bevelled glass in the front door insert and sidelight window.
Brentwood Show Home Review
by Colin Evans
Note: The following review was published in the New Home Buyer's Guide. The Brentwood show home has been sold and is no longer available for viewing. Click here to view our latest show home.
Bungalow, 1504 sq ft.
Four Bedroom, Developed Basement
The Brentwood has a comfortable open floor plan with a dazzling array of fine features. Offering an excellent view of the great room’s incredible stone fireplace, the foyer has its own impressive features, including a magnificent 12-ft tray ceiling, ceramic tile floor, a coat closet with mirrored doors and access to the attached double garage.
Under a grand drywall arch supported by fluted columns flows a natural oak hardwood floor. It passes an illuminated arched art niche and an oak staircase before flowing into the great room.
There the focal point is the stone fireplace, surrounded by vertical windows and arched stained glass transoms. A 12-ft California knockdown ceiling with 12-inch smooth border and crown moulding extends above a plant ledge from the great room to the foyer.
Adjacent to the great room is a kitchen/nook with ceramic tile floor. Under a 10-ft, bulkhead ceiling, the kitchen features an angled island with large raised eating bar, granite countertop, ceramic tile backsplash, double stainless steel sink, wine rack and metal mesh display cabinet. The natural oak cabinets have solid oak raised panel doors and crown moulding. Additional storage is found in a corner walk-in pantry with French door. Other features include granite countertops and ceramic tile backsplash with glass block inserts.
Below a 10-ft. coffered ceiling with medallion is an eating nook bathed in natural light from a large window and door with glass insert opening to a potential backyard deck.
Off the great room is an arched entrance to a master bedroom with 10-ft ceiling, large window and walk-in closet. Under an etched glass transom window is an etched glass pocket door that opens to an ensuite featuring a jetted tub with a ceramic tile ledge and surround. Other features include a ceramic tile floor, shower with tile border, private throne set off by glass block windows, and etched glass window and an oak vanity with makeup table, tile backsplash and full-length mirror.
To the right of the foyer, an arch capped with flutted, custom moulding, opens to a dining room that has an alcove, a large window, natural oak hardwood flooring with dark brown inlay and a 10-ft. coffered ceiling with medallion.
To the left of the foyer is a den/bedroom with large casement window, 10 ft. ceiling and door with decorative glass insert.
The main bathroom has a ceramic tile floor, natural oak vanity and medicine cabinet, 10 ft. ceiling, one-piece tub/shower with tile border and laundry closet.
An oak staircase with wrought iron railing descends to a fully developed 1,232 sq. ft. basement. At the foot of the stairs is a large rec. room with space for a pool table as well as a lounge with stone fireplace and natural oak bar. To the right of the staircase is a fully equipped theatre room with tiered seating and crown moulding. There are two large bedrooms in the basement and a bathroom with one-piece tub/shower.
The exterior features gables, grilled windows, stonetile, a decorative louver, exposed aggregate driveway, sidewalk and steps and covered entry with fluted stontile pillars, a transom and decorative glass in the front door and sidelight window.