WHY BUILD? JUST BUY
Prestige model home in Île-Bizard was a perfect fit for couple
Building a home is a thrilling experience. It is also time-consuming and can be daunting, with endless decisions to make, various professionals to deal with, and the inevitable delays or cost overruns. But what if you found a newly constructed house that was perfect in every way and in the ideal location?
This stroke of good luck happened to Natasha Larente and her husband. In 2004, they were looking for a building site on ÎleBizard when they spotted a stately residence built by Les Habitations Luciano Grilli, which specializes in building custom high-end homes. It was the company’s prestige model home, and it was for sale. The couple could not have been happier, as it had everything they wished for and more to eventually raise a family in.
The lot is not huge for a highend home, approximately 1,200 square metres (12,248 square feet), but it is ideally situated on a cul-de-sac and adjacent to the Parc Régional de L’Île-Bizard. It is also within walking distance of the St-Raphaël golf course and the bicycle path nearby. Much of the lot is taken up by the house, which is 14m x 13m 08 (46feet x 43 feet), and has three levels including the basement. Its style is classical, with a multi-gabled roof covered with two-tone asphalt shingles and stone on the facade. The side and back walls are covered with brick. The front door and garage doors are made of cedar, which adds a colourful deep hue contrast.
The front garden is beautifully landscaped with perfectly trimmed evergreens and a variety of flowering plants. The couple added a wrought iron fence on the side of the house to separate the garden from the recreational area in the back where a paved walkway leads to a heated pool with a waterfall, a spa and a lounge area. This space is protected by a wrought iron fence. Here, the landscaping is mainly composed of tall shrubs to insure privacy. Strategically placed rocks add texture to the greenery. Beyond the perimeter extends the wooded area of the park.
The house includes four bedrooms and four bathrooms, with several reception areas for relaxing and a stunning kitchen. Natasha comments that it is well-proportioned and laid out, with plenty of storage space and counters. The cherry wood cupboards are beautifully crafted with elaborate upper mouldings and doorknobs. The island has two levels, and like the counters, it is topped with granite with chiselled edges. Among the extra touches, we find a wine cooler in the island and a small flat-screen TV set at one end of the room.
In every room of the house, there are speakers to listen to music or radio programs. The sound system is operated by remote control. The formal dining room is lavishly furnished with an elaborately carved china cabinet, a table set that can seat eight comfortably and a tall grandfather clock. All the furniture in the house comes from J.C. Perreault and the draperies from Avenue Design.
The store’s designer collaborated with Natasha on the choice of fabric, tassels and shapes of the valances. The coffered ceiling gives this room an added touch of elegance.
In the living room, an imposing leather sofa faces the gas-burning fireplace with a travertine mantle. Like in most rooms, the floor is composed of oak planks. The large window overlooks another room and not the outside as in most conventionally designed homes. This is because the couple had a solarium built on the other side. This extension is quite large — 9.5 m x 6.5 m (31.8 feet x 21.2 feet) — with many windows on three sides overlooking the forest. The walls and ceiling are covered with cedar planks and the heated floor with tumbled marble which has a soft finish and a worn look. Natural stones were used for the mantle of the wood-burning fireplace. This is the family’s (Natasha, her husband and two kids) favourite room where they eat, play, relax and enjoy the beautiful outdoor view in all seasons.
The master bedroom offers a spectacular view of the pool from its balcony accessible by a patio door. Like the draperies, the bedding and pillows of the queen size bed were custom-made by Avenue Design and each element chosen by Natasha. The room has a gasburning fireplace, a boudoir and the essential walk-in closet.
As was said at the beginning, this house was perfect in every way, except for the walk-in closet which was not as functional as the owners would have liked it to be. So they had it redesigned by California Closets. The company specializes in custom-built storage units, from bookcases to wine bars, entertainment centres and, of course, closets. This one has now plenty of shelves for shoes and hanging space so that clothes are visible and easily accessible, with a few drawers for fineries. A model home serves as a showcase for the craftsmanship of the builders. And they certainly got high marks with the design of the en suite. Only quality materials were used: cherry wood for the vanity, mirror frame and the base around the whirlpool bath, marble for the countertop with two wash basins. The room includes a spacious shower stall that can be seen reflected in the mirror as well as a heated ceramic floor. The ensemble gives this bathroom a refined opulence, emphasized by the delicate chandelier and drapery. Such a well-appointed house would not be complete without a home theatre. This one is lavishly furnished and designed with four leather armchairs with electric commands, a 102-inch screen and a top-of-theline sound system. The ceiling is painted to represent a night sky with planets, nebulas and shooting stars. The walls are decorated with posters of some of the family ’s favourite movies. Natasha and her husband love their beautiful home, but spending quality time as a family comes first, and her husband, who works long office hours in Montreal’s downtown core, wants to shorten his commuting time. So the couple made the decision to put the house up for sale. Interested parties can contact the real estate agent at 514696-7700. If you would like your home considered for an article in the Montreal Gazette’s Homefront section, please contact pmastro@look.ca.