Located in the thriving northwest community of Evanston, Berkshire is a four-bedroom two-storey masterpiece that is as stylish and elegant as it is functional and family-friendly. At 2,609 square-feet, it is amazing how much use they were able to squeeze out of all the available space, and actually have bedrooms that have the size, look and feel of actual bedrooms instead of mere afterthoughts.

“Sometimes you go into a show home and you see really big master bedrooms with lavish attached ensuites and then you go into the second and third bedrooms and you find these small cramped quarters that can barely fit a bed in them,” says area manager Steve Williamson.

Not so with the Berkshire, where the three spare bedrooms are all more than adequately sized (each one about 10-feet-by12-feet) to accommodate the needs of families with growing (and grown) children that this model is designed for. “And you get a really generously sized bonus room on top of that too.”

The Berkshire design was actually a 2008 SAM Awards finalist for the $405,000-$434,999 category, which goes hand in hand with Sterling’s most recent prize: the 2009 JD Power award for highest customer satisfaction rating.

“These awards just goes to show that not only do you get the best quality homes at Sterling, you also get top-notch customer service,” Williamson tells New Home Living.

The Berkshire does earn its marks, with nine-foot ceilings and an open design that shows off its elegant allure, coupled with big windows throughout that give it a bright and cheery ambiance.

The Berkshire is designed for a family’s convenience with numerous features that enhance its livability. The flex room just off the wide foyer is a perfect place for a home office, den or computer room where kids can do their schoolwork.

There is an ample sized laundry with all the storage space that a growing family needs. The option used in the show home puts the laundry room (hidden behind double sliding doors) and pantry in a spacious hallway off the garage.

“This walk-thru pantry is one of the most popular features for the home because it means so much to families to be able to easily bring in groceries and stuff straight from the garage,” Williamson adds. “In addition, we paid particular attention to the size of hallways throughout the home, moving furniture around would never be a problem.”

The kitchen is an elegant study in style and function with wide granite countertops providing more elbowroom for the family’s chef. The angled centre island with flush eating bar is another exceptional feature that adds to the Berkshire’s allure. “It’s a terrific spot for people to congregate during parties and provides a convenient place to eat quick meals for families on the go,” he says.

The huge bonus room upstairs is made even bigger by the vaulted ceilings and gives the home an even more impressive ‘wow’ factor. More importantly, its location off the top of the wide and well-lit staircase, serves to separate the master bedroom from the three other bedrooms.

“This gives the parents some well-deserved privacy by keeping the children’s quarters basically on the other side of the house,” Williamson adds. “The best thing with the Berkshire is that it has a very flexible design, as long as we don’t move the staircase, we can move rooms around to fit the buyer’s needs.”

The Berkshire opened in Evanston two months ago and now there are only three lots left in the community where this model can be built. “It’s really very affordable starting at $470,000, and maybe in the low $500,000s to make it similar to the show home,” Williamson says. 

FAST FACTS:
BUILDER: Sterling Homes 
AREA: Evanston
DEVELOPER: Qualico
STYLE: Two-storey, four-bedroom single family home
SIZE: 2,609 sq.ft.
PRICE: Starts at $470,000
ADDRESS: 394 Evanston Dr. N.W.
DIRECTIONS: From Deerfoot Trail North, exit onto Country Hills Blvd. Turn right onto Beddington Trail, which becomes Symons Valley Road. Turn right onto 128 Ave. then another right onto Evansford Circle.
HOURS: Monday to Thursday, 2 to 8 p.m., weekends and holidays noon to 5 p.m.
For more information, visit http://www.sterlinghomesgroup.com