Renoir’s paintings are notable for their vibrant light and saturated colour giving amazing detail to his figures that softly diffuse to create a visually arresting scene. The 2,229-square-foot Renoir show home has this same vibrancy and the sheer amount of natural light that its huge windows let through creates this same feeling of sunny airiness, and its location atop a ridge overlooking the Bow River Valley adds luster to this rare jewel.

Its cheery brightness gives a sense of unbound optimism, tempered by the stylish finish that has a classical glamour about it. “We find that there’s too many modern designs out there and we stuck to a more traditional design with the Renoir,” says area manager Jodi Hodgson. “It has a traditional design and décor with a modern flair, which we find unique in today’s market.”

The lavish amount of luxurious detail that went into it is unusual for a bungalow show home, especially in these recessionary days, but it really gives a good effect and shows off the stunning potential of the home in eloquent style. With extensive rock detail exterior, this triple car garage home is the suburb’s scene-stealer.

 Talk about a dramatic entrance, the Renoir wows with its grand foyer, complete with 13-foot barrel vaulted ceilings, decorative tile inlays set into Brazilian Chestnut flooring and a series of chandeliers lighting the way to the sumptuous living space. The curved staircase adds dramatic flair and character.

It is part of Baywest’s French Estate Collection and is designed for the lifestyle needs of the more mature families with older children, or semi-retired couples accustomed to the finer things in life. “It is designed specifically for ridge lots and its large windows and a walkout design enables owners to really enjoy the beauty of their surroundings,” Hodgson says.

The kitchen is artistry personified, featuring glazed and stained alder cabinets that stretch to the ceiling, and add drama with their rich, mahogany hue. There’s a large butler’s pantry dividing the formal dining room from the kitchen, which not only has an aesthetic value but a functional worth as well.

The formal dining room provides an elegant setting for dress-up parties and its wainscoting and a Victorian-flavour burgundy-and-gold wallpaper design give it the look and feel of a distinguished, heritage home further heightened by the chandelier hanging from its tray ceiling.

Paneled, Sub-Zero appliances blend into the woodwork, while a grand central island boasts granite countertops in an unexpected, leather-look finish. There are also two dishwashers — the one in the butler’s pantry is wood paneled and set up for fine china, and then you have an everyday dishwasher in the kitchen.

“Even though this is a more formal home, it’s features like this that bring in the more modern, earthy textures, making it feel a little more down to earth,” Hodgson tells New Home Living.

Another eye-catching feature is the 13-foot concrete fireplace in the nearby great room. The elegant centrepiece is stunning in a soft white, and complements the coffered ceilings’ vanilla-hue, while providing contrast against the hardwood floors.

Soak in the natural beauty of the surroundings in the master bedroom with its big bay windows and soak some more in its elegant central soaker tub, surrounded by capiz-coloured honeycomb tiles that also cover the bench and flooring detail in the oversized steam shower.

The lower level is developed at the show home and features another bedroom and bathroom area, along with a wet bar, games area, storage and crafts room and media room. “It’s the perfect place to entertain and is ideal for overnight guests,” Hodgson adds.

The enclosed media room houses the home theatre and projector, and the rest of the house is also wired for home automation to control the blinds, the lighting and all of the audio.

The Renoir starts at $955,185, but the show home with all the upgrades comes in at $1,394,520. NL


FAST FACTS:
BUILDER: Baywest Homes
AREA: Cranston Estates
DEVELOPER: Carma Developers
Size: 2,229 square-feet
PRICE: From $955,000
DIRECTIONS: Follow Deerfoot Tr. south to Marquis of Lorne Tr. Follow west to Cranston and follow the signs.
HOURS: Monday to Thursday, 2 to 8 p.m., weekends and holidays noon to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit http://www.baywesthomes.com