Big Brothers, Big Sisters home lottery returns
Big Brothers Big Sisters lottery offers two houses on Enchanted Way to choose from
It’s an enchanting prospect for prospective homeowners.
In St. Albert, on Enchanted Way (yes, that is the name of the street) two captivating and luxurious lottery homes are set to cast a spell on unsuspecting visitors.
Valued at $1 million each, one of the homes will go to the grand prize winner of the 38th edition of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Dream Home Lottery. That person gets to choose which home he or she wants — and just like finding out whose foot fits the glass slipper in Cinderella, this won’t be an easy task.
Both builders — Veneto Custom Homes and Alves Developments — have used their cauldron of skills to come up with fanciful homes that will leave ticket buyers in a quandary as to which one they should select. Whether they added mystical potions or dashes of pixie dust is unknown, but these two homes dazzle.
Winner’s choice dream home No. 1 is Veneto’s 2,113-square-foot bungalow with a loft. Spacious and bright, the house is modern and elegant while bringing in mid-century modern hints. The 1,681-square-foot main floor is almost completely open, save for a separate dining room and a distinct area tucked away as a master bedroom wing.
Seven-inch white oak hardwood floors enhance the bright feel of the space, with one zone blending into the other. What appears to be an overly tall cupboard space off the foyer is really a beverage/bar centre hidden away behind decorative doors.
Adjacent to it is the long, galleylike kitchen, framed by an almost 16-foot island that includes an induction cooktop and a specialized galley workstation (think prep sink with sliding cutting boards, in addition to an undermount sink on the far counter looking out to the backyard) and an attached sevenfoot table that easily seats six.
Entering the master wing, the house’s modern elegance gets a bit of glam added in. The white and wood tones of the main floor give way to black, gold, grey and cream colours reminiscent of an upscale Las Vegas feel.
Enter the ensuite and white is predominant, with touches of gold and black for an oversized bathroom that befits an Architectural Digest spread. Rounding out the master wing is a large walk-in closet equipped with its own mini laundry room.
More and more people are looking for ease of living and open concept with the master bedroom on the main floor.
Upstairs, the 431-square-foot loft is set up as a den. Forest-like wallpaper murals in shades of grey and black give the room an entirely different feel, as it was designed to be a sanctuary space separate from the rest of the house. To achieve that goal, it also has its own wet bar and a bathroom.
Head all the way down to the finished basement and there are two more bedrooms, as well as the home’s entertainment zone: an open concept theatre space highlighted by LED strip lighting, a full wet bar, and a tastefully done laundry room that doubles as crafting/hobby space. And in the garage there’s a full pet station, including a dog wash area.
“We took comments and feedback from clients and past home lottery visitors on what they are looking for in a home,” said Veneto’s Adrianna Chiumento. “More and more people are looking for ease of living and open concept with the master bedroom on the main floor, which is what we are showing.”
Next door, the elves at Alves were kept busy on their way to completing a fabulous 2,310-square-foot one-and-a-half storey home.
“With our new dream home we wanted a family-friendly home, but with lots of space set aside for a private owner’s retreat,” said Lisa Alves-Antunes. “People are spending more and more time working, so to have a special place to wind down was important. We always start with a bold house. Windows and light are intrinsic to our home designs, and this one is no different. We also tried to give this house a touch of old-world glamour with distinctive black and gold accents throughout.”
The 1,615-square-foot main floor
We also tried to give this house a touch of old-world glamour with distinctive black and gold accents throughout.
captures your attention with charcoal hardwood floors and soaring vaulted ceilings finished in a herringbone pattern. An open-concept great room and kitchen feature quartz countertops. There’s also a large pantry equipped with a coffee station. Next to the kitchen, a three-season sunroom with a firepit can keep things warm on cold fall or winter days.
Done in a style of old-world glamour, the house has a modern yet somewhat traditional feel to it. The den off the entry has a feature wall with dark, textured wallpaper that offers a different take on animal-style hide finish. The main floor also contains two bedrooms, a full bathroom and a laundry room.
Upstairs, the half-storey is completely devoted to the master suite. At 686 square feet, the master bedroom has a Hollywood touch to it — think Audrey Hepburn and accents of black and gold. A huge walk-in closet with an island and seating bench sits in between the oversized ensuite, which includes a custom steam shower and bench and a freestanding tub. Even with the shower and tub, this ensuite is still bigger than most bedrooms and could easily compete with the Veneto ensuite for that Architectural Digest spread.
Down in the 1,349-square-foot finished basement there’s an openconcept home theatre space and board game table framed by a large dandelion wallpaper mural, in addition to a wet bar. Two more bedrooms and a full bathroom finish off the floor.
“The Dream Home Lottery is our largest fundraiser every year,” said Danisha Bhaloo, fund development manager for the Boys & Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area. “Last year we raised over $1 million, and that money went directly to support our 5,300 kids.”
This year Bhaloo is hopeful they will raise as much with the funds supporting access to safe places, positive relationships, healthy meals, homework help and enriching experiences for these children.
“Our goal is that they have the supports they need … and become successful adult leaders in our community,” added Bhaloo.