“This house has a lot of unique features. People come around the corner and find features they didn’t expect to see,” says Justin Bobier, general manager of Crystal Creek Homes.

Among surprises in the 3,401-square-foot beauty (4,805-square-feet, including lower-level development), is an ornate great room maple ceiling seeming to defy gravity, curved maple bulkheads and extensive use of wood and an opulent Venetian plaster effect gracing the dining room.

Now officially in its junior year as Crystal Creek Homes, the company’s roots were planted just a decade earlier in Edmonton, then followed up with several homes in the Calgary area, beginning in Valley Ridge.

“We started as cabinet installers and what we noticed was we were working in high-end homes and the customer just wasn’t being serviced. People were wanting to do a built-in cabinet somewhere and the builder was telling them they couldn’t,” says Bobier.

And so, he says, what started as a hobby grew into a custom home building company once he and business partner Tyler Scarlett recognized the need. Now, under Crystal Creek Homes, the pair crafts between 17 and 20 high-end houses annually—a number they expect to maintain.

“Our goal is that if you are someone who wants to be in this area and are looking for a builder who pays attention to the fine details, that’s where we want to be,” says Bobier.

In addition to Monterra, Crystal Creek Homes also builds in Swift Creek Estates in Springbank, Hawk’s Landing at Priddis Green and Elbow Valley.

As for the Churchill, walking into the palatial English-inspired estate, one would almost expect to see Winston, himself, seated in the study overlooking the grand foyer. To the left a full-sized cloak closet hints at the expansive woodworking detail within, from the built-in shoe shelves to scores of hanging space for overcoats.

At the rear, the living room and delectable kitchen are poised for stylish gatherings and separated by a two-way fireplace punctuated by reclaimed timbers. “It doesn’t have the great room concept, but is more separate rooms to give it a more stately and traditional feeling,” says Bobier.

A curved wall provides a unique nook leading to an outdoor terrace and another spot to house a kitchen table on the opposite wall. Here, not only are sights of the Rockies in view but the massive culinary space also serves up more than a taste of eye candy.

A custom hood box is flanked by reclaimed timbers and faced with brick to showcase a top-of-the-line Wolf range. Granite countertops, a bi-level central island with space to seat the whole family, furniture grade cabinetry, and integrated stainless steel appliances round out the entertainer’s dream kitchen.

For formal fare, the dining room will be as much a conversation starter as the cuisine, from its 11-foot ceiling height to the plaster and wainscotted feature walls. And more handsome detail is afoot in rich Brazilian walnut hardwood throughout the main level paired with Italian travertine tile housing in-floor heat to keep toes toasty in the foyer.

“This is a house for entertaining dinner clients, and it really is also designed for a family. Everyone has their own space but there are also rooms for everyone to come together,” says Bobier.

Tops on the man of the house’s list is sure to be the three-car garage, featuring a unique side entrance designed to also make the most of exterior living area. Another family-friendly area of the Churchill is its lower-level development —with a walkout patio to boot— boasting a 72-inch flat screen TV for watching the game or the latest flick. And just so guests bellied up to the bar don’t have to crane their necks, a second flat screen is mounted above the full wet bar.

Two bedrooms and a full bath round out the lower entertaining Mecca of the six-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath estate address.

Saving the best for last, the second storey is fit for royalty. Even the kids’ quarters are havens to explore. Up on a pedestal is a princess suite, including a private full bath, while down the hall are some more masculine-appointed digs book-ending a Jack-and-Jill bathroom the boys can share.

Meanwhile, the stately master bedroom in the John Haddon-designed abode is plucked right out of the pages of an architectural magazine. Its entrance, a rotunda, practically needs a tour guide to point out what to peek at first. To the right is a dressing room, with scores more built-in cabinetry, while straight ahead is a bathroom oozing in opulence—from its freestanding tub and dual-headed shower to his-and-hers vanities with vessel sinks and towering selection of drawers for toiletries. Full of Old World charm is the master suite, which makes the most of the curved wall extending to the ensuite, lending space for a sitting niche as well as ample room for a fitting king-size bed.

Bobier says young families have been enticed by the small-town lifestyle and abundance of water at Monterra on Cochrane Lakes. In addition to Cochrane Lake, a reservoir, ponds and waterfalls are all part of the plan for in the eight-year, 875-home community.

“We are seeing a lot of people from Ontario and they miss the water—there is no comparison in Calgary with the number of water features,” he says, adding the minimum lot size is a quarter-of-an-acre.
Crystal Creek Homes currently builds in the area from the $800,000 mark, with the custom builder’s average home in the $1-million range, says Bobier. The Churchill is priced at $1.94 million, including the state-of-the-art boiler and media system (and the 72-inch TV!) and will be available for a September 2007 possession.  NL