If you’ve ever been to Cochrane, chances are it’s charm­ed your pants off with its quaint wes­tern appeal. There’s a sense of history that pervades the town as you drive along Main Street, and it’s not just evident in their famous ice cream or a pint of beer from the nearby saloon.

People have been moving to Cochrane since the 1880s to build better lives for their families. This tradition of moving forward to seek a higher quality of life is alive and well in Cochrane. “It’s a lifestyle choice to live in a small town far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city but near enough to city amenities,” says Stacey Wells, marketing director of Stepper Cus­tom Homes.

Stepper is just one of the custom home builders now building in Heri­tage Hills, which is envision­ed as a community built along the Western heritage style, thoroughly modern and yet with the char­­acter of older western style homes.

It’s hard to miss the Stepper’s Davensburg show home as you drive up the hill. Aside from its elevation, the “wow” factor of this heritage house is the presence of a great front porch and a third-level loft base. “This home has three levels—the third level is a bonus room which you can use in many ways: as a media room, an extra bedroom with an ensuite, or maybe an artist studio or any­thing you might think of,” says Wells.

Coming into the house, you are greeted by a covered porch and the panoramic view of the mountains. There’s a second-floor balcony up above as you come through the wide welcoming foyer—where you can see the entire main floor with its nine-foot ceilings and eight-foot doors. “It’s in keeping with the colo­nial heritage look,” says Jason Sawer, sales assistant for Stepper Custom Homes in Heritage Hills. There’s a formal dining room and a den that can be transformed into an office, a study or a TV room.

Near the back there’s the kitchen complete with granite countertops, stainless steel appli­ances and a sink housed within the island. There is no lack of counter or cupboard space for the kitchen fana­tic either. Plus the extra height of the cabi­ne­try ties in with the nine-foot ceilings of the main floor.

Further ahead is an eating nook with garden doors to the back deck. Lots of windows cover­ed in planta­tion shutters make this area bright and airy. The three-and-a-half-inch stained ash hardwood flooring reflects the dark colour choice for the fireplace.

The open plan of the main floor makes it conducive for en­ter­tain­ing. Having a separate rear-entry for the mudroom and a half-bath is excellent for families with young children. “It gives them a place for extra storage when they’re coming out of the back­yard or from play,” says Sawer, refer­ring to the cubby­holes which keep the clutter out of sight of the main entry.

The use of big windows along the stairwells is a Stepper signature design trait. “It keeps the stairwell nice and bright,” says Sawer. A small hall­way greets you as you approach the second floor covered balcony. “You can come out and see the views over the mountains.”

The master retreat is big enough to hold a king-size bed and the ensuite has all the necessary features from a separate water clo­set with pock­et doors, a corner soaker tub and big windows to bring in natural light. The two other bedrooms are good sized so there’s no arguing about who gets the bigger room either. A second-floor laundry makes it con­venient to schedule a laundry system among the household members.

The Davensburg has all the bells and whistles included in its 2,324 square-feet and $600,000 pricetag. The main attraction of the Davens­burg is the third level, which has been transformed into a home entertain­ment area. “Another great characte­ristic of the third level is where it is situated. The sound is contained so it’s not over the master or the other two bedrooms,” says Wells.

The Davensburg is located at 13 Heritage Drive N.W. in Cochrane, a 30-minute drive from Calgary.  NL

For more information http://www.Stepperhomes.com