The 3,048-square-foot Amara is simply brimming with grandiose detail that makes this a candidate for estate home of the ages. Just the flooring packs an unbeatable design punch by combining highly polished black and white marble with new, funky dark leather floors.

This chiaroscuro pattern is maintained throughout the home giving it a sheen of executive elegance and dramatic weight. The nine-foot ceilings and the big, plate glass windows found throughout bring a ton of natural lighting into the main living areas giving it a distinct aura of inimitability.

But the Amara is far from being an all-style no-substance show home and the form-follows-function foundation turns it into a home people can see themselves living in and not just an ostentatious display.

“For an estate home on a ridge lot in Cranston, this is exceptional value,” says area manager Shilo Hannah. She isn’t kidding. Homes on ridge lots in Cranston usually start around the $900,000 mark without the furnishing. “To build an Amara on a ridge lot would start at $941,000. The show home will sell for approximately $1.15 million and that includes GST, lot and everything you see in it.”

The Amara show home comes with all the possible creature comforts one can expect in an executive class estate home. It has a triple car, side-drive garage that gives the exterior a more appealing street profile (not to mention the convenience it brings) and designer stone accents further enhance its outside charm.

The grand foyer with double front doors give a warm greeting of openness to guests, and the open concept main floor design with nine-foot ceilings is an invitation to entertain. There is a traditional dining room in the middle of the 1,545-square-foot main floor for formal dinners. “It’s a very presentable house to invite company executives for dinner, or for big parties with friends and families,” Hannah says.

Large windows dominate the great room and a modern, rectangular fireplace flush to the wall creates a distinctly metropolitan feel for the area. There is a sunny nook adjacent to the great room with double garden doors leading to the deck. A den — useful as home office or library — is off to a secluded part of the main floor giving it more privacy.

The kitchen is a wonder with extensive storage and quartz countertops, dark stain cabinetry with brushed nickel pulls blend well with the stainless steel appliances, including a wine cooler below built-in wine racks. Pot lights create a distinctive feel for the room and the pendant lights over the centre island give it an even more powerful visual kick.

The staircase with open risers and elegant wrought iron and wood railings add to the dramatic design character of the home. The four window panels over the landing gives it a soft lighting backdrop.
The loft is just off the staircase and makes for a terrific media room with its built-in shelving, perfect for movie nights.

The master bedroom is just about as lavish as you can expect from an upscale resort hotel, with its luxurious, five-piece attached ensuite featuring a marble soaker tub with a three-sided fireplace over it. Dual vanities, an enclosed toilet and a fully tiled shower complete the enticing ensemble.

The upper floor laundry takes into account the convenience factor, with built-in ironing bench and a counter over the washer/dryer for added workspace. The spacious mudroom downstairs off the garage is also good indicator of the functionality of the whole home.

“We only have eight lots left in Cranston where we can build the Amara, and traffic at the show home has noticeably picked up over the last few months,” Hannah says. 

FAST FACTS:
BUILDER: Landmark Homes
AREA: Cranston
DEVELOPER: Carma Developers LP
STYLE: Two-storey estate home
Size: 3,048 sq.ft.
PRICE: starts at $941,000 (show home is $1.15 million)
ADDRESS: 265 Cranarch Circle S.E.
DIRECTIONS: Take Deerfoot Trail south then exit at Cranston Avenue. Turn left at Cranarch Rd, right at Cranarch Way and then left at Cranarch Circle.
HOURS: Monday to Thursday, 2 to 8 p.m., weekends and holidays noon to 5 p.m.