Located off of Highway 22X, just south of Copperfield, Mahogany opened its first show homes in mid-September to Calgarians seeking the benefits of a master-planned lake community. With plans for, among other things, a 63-acre private lake, a large central park and a portion of the community dedicated to naturalized wetlands, Mahogany offers residents outdoor spaces and experiences most Calgarians have to leave the city—and sometimes even the province—to enjoy. In addition to the commercial centre and schools that are planned for the neighbourhood, Mahogany is ideally situated within our city in that it will have C-Train access on the new southeast line and is right next to the new South Calgary hospital currently under construction.

Sabal Homes, one of Calgary’s eminent builders, has two showhomes on display in Mahogany, one of which is the 2,547-square-foot Vida (pronounced VIE-da). Available in four distinct, historically-themed architectural styles—Arts and Crafts, Coastal, French Country and Shingle, the Vida is a two-storey, three-bedroom home with attached two-car garage.

“We feel privileged to be building in Calgary’s newest and most innovative lake community,” says Chris Lu, Sabal Homes’ senior marketing manager. “It’s great to be building beside builders who all have different strengths and product offerings. We complement each other as a group and further reinforce the appeal of Mahogany. Our homes in Mahogany are constructed to Built Green™ specifications. It’s the first community that we’ve built in to have this environmental standard.”

Entering Vida, one of the first unique features you will notice is the walk-in closet in the foyer. Any family who has struggled to fit four seasons of outerwear and shoes for our unpredictable climate into a small, one-rod closet will appreciate the shelves, hooks and racks provided in this large space.

 “The Vida is designed with family functionality in mind. Our buyers and visitors alike have fallen in love with the overall layout and how big each room is,” says Lu.

Moving farther in, a flex room with double French doors is outfitted as a den. Carpeted and set apart from the rest of the open-plan home, this room can serve as a quiet retreat for reading or work, or in a different incarnation, a playroom for young children.

The rest of the main floor has beautiful wide-plank alder hardwood floors in a warm charcoal hue, which contrasts nicely with the cream-coloured cabinets in the U-shaped kitchen. Elegant black granite counters complement the stainless steel appliances, while the slate mosaic tile backsplash manages to capture all these hues to unify the space.

Alongside the kitchen at the back of the home is the dining area, which looks out into the backyard and is big enough to seat eight comfortably. To the left of that is the lifestyle room, with seating arranged around the substantial fireplace, finished with a thick mantel and floating hearth. A powder room completes the main level.

Moving up the open and airy staircase, the first space encountered is the innovative entertainment room, centrally located with two open entrances, making it more accessible to all family members. This spacious area allows sufficient seating for the whole family and will no doubt be a popular gathering place for movies and games.

At the front of the house is the master bedroom, or master retreat as Sabal calls it. At nearly 275 square-feet for the bedroom area alone, Mom and Dad have space for their bedroom furniture and seating, if they wish. The five-piece ensuite includes a double vanity, shower stall and soaker tub, which is surrounded by charcoal and brown slate in the same hues as is used downstairs. It’s touches like these that show Sabal’s attention to detail and make each room feel a part of the home as a whole.

At the back of the house are two secondary bedrooms and another full bathroom. These bedrooms are also generously sized so that they can accommodate queen beds. Capping off the upper floor is a large laundry room with matching front-loading washer and dryer, cupboards for storage and loads of counter space for folding.

“When buyers buy a Sabal Home, they get two things, value and style,” says Lu. “Our trademark is our home design; we work hard to offer a layout that is unique and stylish yet very functional. Our value comes from having stylish designs and specifications yet being affordable.”  NL