WHITE ROCK:
Hillside home with commanding views of Semiahmoo Bay just a lucky ticket away
A PRIZE-WORTHY HOME
Located a stone’s throw from the busy thoroughfare that is White Rock’s oceanfront, you could easily miss the prize home that is among the offerings in this year’s VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation Millionaire Lottery.
That ’s because the 5,200-square-foot three-storey house is the last home at the end of Anderson Drive. The secluded hillside house with Italianate architectural influences commands southwest views of Semiahmoo Bay, while being protected on three sides by a forest of stately fir trees.
It may be somewhat hidden away, but it’s worthwhile seeking out.
The four-bedroom White Rock house is one of seven grand-prize packages from which the top winner can choose in this year’s lottery, now celebrating its 20th anniversary. In that time, close to $40 million has been raised — with $2.3 million brought in last year — to benefit Vancouver General Hospital, UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehab Centre and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.
The grand-prize winner can also choose from properties in the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan, or take a cash prize of $2.5 million.
A tour of the completely furnished White Rock home — the grand prize is worth over $3 million, and includes $140,000 in furnishings and electronics — confirms the foundation has chosen a real crowd pleaser. On the bottom floor is a media room, equipped with a built-in projection unit and large screen, and a custom-milled wood bar area. Down a hall is a wine cellar behind an attractive wroughtiron gate, and a powder room.
To get to the next level, you can mount an attractive open-case stairway and admire the view of tall fir trees through vertical windows. Or, you can take the easy way, and step into a five-by-fourfoot elevator to reach the second and third floors.
“People won’t use an elevator if it is too small,” says Ron Peterson, president of Ronco Construction, which built the home. “They get claustrophobic, which is why we outfitted it with a mirror interior to make it feel roomy.” The elevator also has no door, relying on a light beam across the opening that stops the car if the beam is interrupted. At each floor level, the elevator opening is discreetly hidden behind a panelled door that could be taken for a closet.
The second level features two roomy bedrooms with ensuites. But the master suite, at 35 feet long by 16.5 feet wide — about 600 square feet — rivals the size of some one-bedroom Yaletown condos. Adding to its sense of space is a wraparound deck measuring 31 feet across the oceanview front and 27 feet along a side that looks out onto the heavily forested fringe of the 6,800-square-foot lot.
The master ensuite bathroom is equally impressive; it features white Carrera marble, painted white vanity and cupboards, a frameless shower and a double slipper claw-foot white tub. With no homes nearby, obscured glass is unnecessary, giving the bather clear views of the ocean and forest.
The home’s best views are from the third level, where the great room and kitchen are located. The top deck, also wraparound style, is larger than the lower, measuring 45 feet along the seaview side and 27 facing the forest.
To maximize the views, the builder installed nine-foot-high movable glass doors suspended from a sturdy 24-foot long-steel beam header. The window system, manufactured by Eclipse Architectural, allows the homeowner to push the doors aside, accordion style, for a single unimpeded opening.
Dominating the kitchen is a massive Caesarstone- topped island that seats four people comfortably, while a side nook offers an alternative eating space. The kitchen is equipped with high-end Thermador appliances, including a 36-inch gas range and an integrated refrigerator and dishwasher.
Above the great room is a 10-foot-high coffered white ceiling. Separating this room and a formal dining room is a doublesided natural gas fireplace with a mantle and surround built with man-made limestone fashioned from concrete. At one end, is a service bar and sink and glass fronted cupboards for supplies.
As if 5,200 square feet wasn’t enough, the home also has a two-bedroom suite with separate ground-floor entrance, fully equipped kitchen, four piece bathroom and powder room.
The prize home, at 1329 Anderson Street, is open to visitors from Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.