Drawing its inspiration from the Muskokas and other lake-friendly regions of Canada, the Carma community strives to elicit thoughts of spending time at the cottage, and this stunning show home is awash in features which do just that.

“The lake is definitely the number one draw, and the proximity to the new hospital – which will be right in Seton – is second,” says Wayne Tordon, home planning specialist for Baywest in Auburn Bay.

A comfortable marriage between cottage chic and modern design, the Olympia III has turned more than its share of heads in Auburn Bay. “The thing people really comment on in this home is the staircase. They love the look of the spindles and open risers,” says Tordon.

Also netting the thumbs up from visitors is unique use of the massive kitchen island, with the portion facing the adjoining great room doing double duty as a TV niche. “That’s really not an expensive upgrade; it’s probably only about $1, 500,” says Tordon.

Exotic Brazilian walnut hardwood adorns the open main floor of the fashionable family abode, a rich look that is continued in the plethora of cabinetry purposely brushed with a darker stain for a uniform, modern look, says Tordon.

And what would a cottage be without scores of glass to bathe the living space in natural light? The showhome more than delivers in this department, thanks to a wall of windows in the aptly-named great room which will be dually appreciated by households with little ones to keep an eye on in the backyard.

Couples with and without wee ones have been drawn to the plan, thanks mostly to the more-than-generous sizes of the secondary sleeping quarters for the whole crew. “It keeps the fighting down,” jokes Tordon.

Meanwhile, Mom and Dad’s retreat is awash in relaxation space and all the luxuries of a resort suite, right down his-and-hers vanities, a double shower and deep corner soaker tub in the ensuite bathroom and spacious walk-in closet.

A loft “studyette” also on the second level is poised to become a central home for the family computer, in public sight so parents can monitor Internet use and homework. Due to its front-and-centre locale, buyers crafting the plan have opted to extend the studious haven over the entry to become a full-blown office, Tordon says.

Back on the main, the builder has floated plenty of family-friendly features into the mix. Among them, main-floor laundry features under-mount appliances, allowing for room to fold clothes on built-in counterspace, while the well-sized room also seconds as a handy cloakroom just inside the garage on messy spring days.

The Olympia III can be built starting from $420,000 based on a $135,000 lot and GST in Auburn Bay, where Baywest is crafting nautical-themed digs from around the $345,000 mark upwards of $550,000.

Tordon estimates about $65,000 in upgrades were included in the decked out lake address, but those looking to see a more standard home for Baywest need look no further than the Rushmore III show home right next door.
The lake at Auburn Bay is currently being filled, and is expected to be ready for use when the hot weather hits the southerly Carma community. Now that some of the mature man-made lake areas around Calgary are nearing completion, the 2005 SAM-award winning hot spot provides some of the best real estate value in the city.  NL