Working with today’s narrower lot sizes in Calgary’s newest communities, Cardel has adapted with unique designs that use natural light and interior touches to maximize the available space.

As a result Cardel’s popular Windsor III show home in Cranston, in Calgary’s southeast, is an interior designer’s showcase.

A bright and spacious entrance that features a home office, powder room and walk through pantry tricks the eye, making it difficult to believe that this 2,295-square-foot home measures in at 26 feet-wide—a size that makes it amenable to almost all of Cardel Homes’ Cranston lots.

Mike Selinger, Cardel Homes vice-president of sales and marketing, says, “In the industry today, many lots are typically 34 feet wide and our mission is to build exceptional homes that fit this lot size. We know a lot of floor plans can look the same so we focus on building character into our homes.”

Beyond the foyer is a kitchen that can only be described as uncustomary. Standard traditional shaker-style cabinetry goes upscale with library pulls and reeded glass fronts, which serve as accents. All the cabinetry is then topped with a soffet detail that brings the cabinetry cleanly flush to the nine-foot ceilings. In the adjacent eating nook a coffered ceiling adds architectural interest.

Looking out over the caramel-coloured granite kitchen island you eye is immediately drawn to the fireplace treatment, a traditional styled mantle flanked by two built-in ivory lacquered shelves that match the kitchen cabinetry.

“We put a lot of attention to the fireplace detail—we know it should be a focal point and add a ‘wow factor’ to any home,” Selinger says.

Other special touches include eight-foot high interior doors on the main level, another feature that accentuates the feeling of spaciousness and adds a sense of grandeur—another example of how Cardel pays attention to character details.

Window placement is also an important part of the Windsor III design. Upstairs in the bonus room, three transom windows were added to the show home to demonstrate how additional natural light can transform the room.

“It is a completely different room with the additional windows,” Selinger says. “This is very popular with customers.”

The entire home is modelled in a traditional style, which can be seen as soon as you pull up. Cedar shakes and a bay window off the bonus room create a traditional exterior, while touches such as single hung windows bring the traditional styling inside.
Selinger says it is these special touches that allow their Cranston customers to personalize their home without the difficulties associated with building a custom home.

“Our goal is to create custom looking homes without going through the custom building process,” he explains. “We do that by investing time into pre-planning our product options. This exceptional home is built using a pre-planned process and a very skilled design staff that is available through Cardel’s interior design service, ‘Cardel Designs.’ A beautiful home does not need to follow the traditional custom home process.”

Cardel Homes makes sure their customers are able to add the special touches they want by providing an exceptional specification, says Selinger. “We give our customers a substantial allowance to spend on options so that it is easier for them to achieve something special.”

The Windsor III starts at $485,000 including lot and GST, but Selinger says most people are building the model for approximately $530,000, including options that will increase the value of the home and create a unique home environment. To replicate the show home would cost approximately $560,000 he adds, noting that several customers have requested to replicate the home exactly as the show home is built.

“It is very exciting to know that our simplified process and skilled people can produce homes that look this fantastic in this price range.” NL