A FUSION OF OPTIONS
Choices abound with latest condo offerings at LeBreton Flats
Four distinct yet strikingly modern models at Claridge Homes’ Fusion complex illustrate just how right the development’s name is: each offers something unique and different, yet together they bring unity.
Fusion is Phase 3 of Claridge’s LeBreton Flats development, an urban oasis that features many of the same amenities as the first phases: floor-to-ceiling windows, a high ratio of green space to buildings, Energy-Star appliances and sustainable design, and communal rooftop terraces.
Fusion comprises 146 units in three separate buildings: the Fleet Street Tower, the Lett Street Tower and the boutique townhomes that join them. Each building makes up one side of the grassy courtyard where the pool is found, with the fourth side open to the 140-yearold Fleet Street Pumping Station and its aqueduct.
The four model units and about 65 unsold units, which are sold finished, include many upgrades in their list prices, such as upgraded kitchen and bathroom cabinets, 1¼-inch granite counters, maple or rustic four-inch oak hardwood floors, and kitchen backsplashes in marble or glass tile.
FLOOR PLANS
Claridge lists 20 different floor plans for Fusion, of which four are sold out. Single-floor units range from the one-bedroom, onebathroom Lily, starting at $271,000 for 613 square feet, to the twobedroom-plus-study Daisy, with 1,215 square feet and starting at $587,000.
There are also two-storey, two bath garden homes and stacked townhomes with two or three bedrooms and two, 2½ or three bathrooms available, ranging from 1,225 to 1,640 square feet. They start at $489,000.
THE LILY
The Lily is the most compact model, but decorator Beata Kuchciak has infused it with a contemporary vibe and high style. It’s a bright space that easily fits both sitting and dining areas and a master bedroom big enough for a queen-sized bed.
The dining area’s glass table and white leather chrome-based chairs draw the eye to the window end of the room, where its greater width allows seating for six. A rectangular rug with a stick-figure motif mimics the shape of the space and defines the sitting area with its tufted grey sofa and high-gloss white coffee table and television stand. Punches of red and pink add drama throughout.
The kitchen’s dark granite countertops are echoed in the bathroom, and slim European-sized appliances maximize the space. A breakfast bar separates the kitchen from the living area, and has room for two.
THE LILAC
The Lilac features the most modern style. Claridge’s Pamela Tobin and her daughter Leah Randall, who decorated the remaining models, furnished the two-bed, two-bath unit in white, punched up with dark floors and counters and hits of bright yellow.
Particularly effective are the chevroned feature wall and accent pillows of the master suite. Above the bed, wall art from Mobilia with a blend of cool and warm hues offers visual interest.
The hallway from the private space to the main living space is wide enough for an open shelving unit and the relative darkness of its interior location serves to draw the visitor toward the light and roominess of the living space and its walls of windows.
In the living area, a white sectional, dining chairs, and shag rug play up the modern vibe, and the Big Bang pendant light from the Modern Shop cements the feeling.
“We used a minimalist decorating style so that the windows and the spectacular views would be the showcase,” says Tobin.
The Lilac comes with 1,150 to 1,165 square feet and starts at $563,000.
THE TULIP
In contrast to the Lilac, with its grouped sleeping and bath areas, the Tulip’s living space separates the master and second bed and bath from each other. The 1,030-squarefoot space feels open, yet its defined rooms, grey-and-raspberry colour scheme, sparkling accessories and unusual configuration make it the cosiest of the larger models.
“Its exposed concrete columns give it a New York loft industrial vibe,” says Tobin.
Decorated with a young professional in mind, the grey walls and dark cabinetry and counters in the kitchen and bathroom contrast with light hardwood floors. A glass dining room table helps give the unit a spacious feeling, while grey upholstered chairs suggest long dinner parties. An elegant Medusa chrome pendant lamp from Mobilia adds glamour and warmth while a leggy silver armchair from HomeSense adds sparkle.
The Tulip starts at $498,000.
THE DAISY
The Daisy is a two-bedroom, twobathroom unit that includes a study in its 1,215 square feet. The model, decorated to appeal to the emptynester, has a more traditional style than the others, and is predominantly white with copper accents, including a trio of round vases that enliven the dining room table, a geometric wall sculpture, a teardropshaped lamp base and the frame of an accent mirror, all from Mobilia.
Tobin and Randall made the most of the unusual triangular living area and the model’s spectacular wall of windows. The study, with its acrylic desk and staggered shelving unit, is tucked into one angle, the dining room and balcony into another. In between, a white sectional from Urban Barn defines a sitting area made cosy with a white circular rug, small round woollen ottoman and pair of grey upholstered armchairs.
The Daisy starts at $587,000.
IN THE AREA
On the edge of downtown, Fusion is within walking distance of Parliament Hill, Chinatown and Little Italy. To the north is the Ottawa River, the Canadian War Museum, and the LeBreton Flats space where Bluesfest and other events are held each year. It is also right beside Pimisi Station, which is under construction as part of the city’s light-rail line.