SPLIT-LEVEL DESIGN RARE YET RIVETING
Young, growing urbane family adds special touches to roomy, multi-purpose home
The West Springs area of Calgary has been home for Simon and Nikki Briggs for the past three years. The townhome in Wentworth they shared with their lively toddler was cosy and happy, but when a second child was on the way, it was time to upsize.
They’d been watching the development of a new boutique neighbourhood right under their nose; the Rise at West Grove Estates by Bri-mor Developments located east of 77th Street S.W. on the north side of 11th Avenue S.W.
“If we were going to move, we didn’t want to live any further west than this area. There’s good access to the mountains, good access to work downtown. We knew if we didn’t build now, we’d have to go further west and away from downtown,” says Nikki, currently on maternity leave from her career in banking.
Simon, also in banking, says they’d been through the Brookfield Residential show home in the Rise several times and had thought that someday, they might build that model for themselves. A slow economy and adjusted housing prices last year, and the added attraction of the future Baby Briggs presented the right opportunity.
Brookfield’s Tevera model home in the Rise is one of the most unusual yet compelling floor plans they offer. It’s a 2,508-square-foot estate home with a front drive garage and a rare split-level plan. The design appealed to the Briggs in a big way.
The great room, kitchen and dining area and pocket office are on the main floor. The bonus room over the garage is up one level, then, three bedrooms and two full bathrooms are up another half flight of stairs. The double garage has an adjoining mudroom and half bath at ground level. There’s also a basement.
“The bonus room on a different level than the bedrooms suited us more than having a two-storey with a bonus room next to the kids’ rooms,” says Simon.
The Briggs added another 600 square feet of living area in the basement, with a bathroom, bedroom and media room so relatives from their native New Zealand will be comfortable during month-long visits to Calgary.
“There’s a bouncy castle down there right now for our toddler,” Nikki says.
They upgraded tiles, the countertops and flooring and replaced the standard fireplace with a stunning floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace.
They kept the colour palette light to sustain the bright feeling of the home.
“The colours are very neutral and grey based. We’re bankers — we don’t have a lot of creativity,” Nikki says in jest.
The urgency to stake their claim in the Rise was well founded as construction in the small neighbourhood of just 200 homes is winding up.
Cedarglen Homes and Brookfield are the sole builders, and Brookfield has fewer than 20 homes left to sell.
“We’re really in the final stages of the community,” says marketing manager Justin Castelino.
Of those homes, three are movein ready for a buyer who might be leaving a rental situation or have sold their property and would love to live in the West Springs area, he says.
“Our quick possession homes are a Versa, a Verona and a Corsano priced from the high $800,000s to the mid-$900,000s.”
A new home buyer interested in the multilevel Tevera would need to build from the ground up, at a starting cost of $890,000.
“It’s a unique offering to those who like it. It’s a choice not offered in a lot of places,” Castelino says.
For families with young children, the multilevel plan provides separation without being too far.
“If my kids were in the bonus room and I’m in the kitchen, it’s only half a flight of stairs away. It’s a fantastic plan for growing families — one that can grow with them.”
Simon and Nikki are happy to be in a family community full of parks and green spaces, close to the amenities and restaurants they love, like Mercato in the West 85th shopping district.
“Everything we need is within spitting distance and meets all of our requirements. We wouldn’t consider being anywhere else in the city,” says Simon.