LOTTERY HOME LUXURY
Stunning grand prize from Homes by Avi supports Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation
Top prize a showstopper in Harmony
If ever there was a year to win the lottery, 2020 just might be it.
That’s why the team at Homes by Avi knocked themselves out this year with the stunning $1.5 million Rundle show home offered as the grand prize in the Kinsmen Children’s Hospital Lottery.
The fully furnished 3,347-squarefoot home, plus $10,000 cash, will go to a lucky ticket holder in the final draw on Sept. 3. Proceeds this year will go to the Special Children’s Fund bringing relief to families going through the emotional turmoil and financial hardship of having a child in the hospital.
Since the lottery’s launch 28 years ago, more than $29 million has been raised in support of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. This is the sixth year that Homes by Avi has been involved and the second home built for the lottery in Harmony, a partnership of Bordeaux Developments and Qualico Communities.
Doug Beach, Homes by Avi vice-president of single-family homes, says the company rallies around the lottery every year.
“How do you not get pumped up about helping the Alberta Children’s Hospital? We’re super jazzed that we get to do this,” Beach says.
Interest in Harmony, located west of the Springbank Airport, has increased ten-fold with the opening of the Mickelson National Golf Course, he says.
“It’s ballooning. Between Mickelson and the lake, that place is a gem. Everyone is excited about having the house out there this year,” he says, adding that the Rundle marks the return of the premium estate home as grand prize.
A room-by-room virtual tour on the lottery website shows every aspect of the home, from intricate detailing to the grand architecture and the Rockies as a backdrop.
The interior selections and furniture were chosen by Julie Punter, show home manager in charge of selections and presentation.
The dark wood beams on the 14-foot main floor ceiling and the dark, wide-plank hardwood floors can be seen from the front entrance. The woodwork is a rustic touch befitting a home in the Foothills, Punter says.
To the left of the large foyer is a massive mud room.
“Because Harmony is close to the mountains, we left this area open and elongated the cubbies for skis or snowboards. It’s a drop zone, for family, guests or grandchildren coming through,” Punter says.
A long hall connects the garage to the kitchen, with banks of floor to ceiling cupboards that act as a pantry. The kitchen has luxury stainless steel appliances and a ninefoot island. The cupboards, stained a taupe-grey colour, are a perfect match for the granite countertops and the custom metal barn door separating the office/library from the kitchen. A ladder rolls across the built-in bookcases. The metal extends to the fireplace in the great room with large windows and an endless view.
The Rundle has two bedrooms upstairs — a guest room at the front of the home with the master bedroom, walk-in closet, ensuite and laundry area all at the rear. The master has a sliding door to the deck where the future grand prize winner can enjoy morning coffee.
“The master bedroom is warm and inviting and the feature wall is very classy,” she says, adding that the custom board and batten wall, painted in an accent colour, was a staff collaboration.
The downstairs entertaining area with built-ins, three televisions and pool table is a fun space Punter put together. Next to it is a theatre room with a 100-inch television mounted on a funky blue fabric panel, which is actually a soundproofing board. A third bathroom and another bedroom complete this area.
Punter chose lighter furniture throughout the home to offset the dark wood and aimed to keep it chic but practical.
“With a lottery home, it’s a different experience knowing people are going to get the furniture, too,” she says.
The home is temporarily closed to the public but can be toured in detail online. Tickets are also available online, by phone or mail by visiting childrenshospitallottery.ca.