HAVING IT ALL
Home hunters drawn to bigger spaces, outdoor fun at Polygon's latest addition to Ladner's Hampton Cove riverfront community
When Polygon's Pilothouse apartment project went to market, there was the expectation that it would be a big hit with the downsizing homebuyer.
And it has been — but not exclusively.
More than half of the 87 homes in Ladner's Hampton Cove riverfront community have now sold, yet not only to those who may have left a good-sized single-family home in favour of one of the apartments at Pilothouse.
“We have had downsizers from the area, that's who we anticipated would be buying,” says Goldie Alam, Polygon's senior vice-president of marketing. “But we're finding we're now getting more couples and single professionals coming from Richmond and Vancouver. I think it's because people are expanding their search geographically right now.
“People are discovering that when they come out here, the homes are a little bit bigger, the
kitchens especially … Other buyers are discovering that too: young families with children.”
Homes at Pilothouse, the only apartment component in a master-planned community that will eventually have upwards of 600 residences, are now move-in ready, with a good number occupied.
Soon set to make the move are
first-time buyers Irina Genova and partner Karim Mestadi. The two have been renting a one-bedroom apartment in the Ironwood neighbourhood of Richmond, and quickly settled on a two-bedroom unit at Pilothouse after launching their home hunt earlier this year.
“We were looking for a new two- or three-bedroom condo or
townhouse in a nice, quiet neighbourhood,” says the 34-year-old Genova.
Pilothouse, a U-shaped, three-storey building that fronts the water, fit the bill nicely. The same might be said of the entire Hampton Cove community, which faces a marina and the 16-kilometre Millennium Trail, and is a stroll
away from a golf course and but a short drive from the shops, services and restaurants in Ladner.
“It's a nice neighbourhood,” says Genova, who was drawn to “the idea of a new condo in a beautiful residence built by a quality developer.”
Exteriors at Pilothouse reflect what Alam calls “seaside architecture.”
“We were inspired by Shutters hotel in Santa Monica,” she says. “The white trim has kind of a beachy feel, but upscale. So it's got the criss-cross detailing on the railings, the colours that include blues and whites, the bracket detailing ... It looks to me like a hotel when you drive in.”
Interiors are showcased by two smartly outfitted display homes, both two-bedroom units that are designed as extensions of that seaside vibe, notes Celia Dawson, Polygon's senior vice-president of interior design.
“The furnishing of our homes continues that feel and the courtyard extends those thoughts right to the river,” she says, adding that each show suite has a design theme: Seaside and Westcoast.
“The Seaside-themed home is a natural and easy extension of the architecture and setting,” she says. “Cool, breezy fabrics, furniture and art are blended with warm, sunny hints of colour.
“The Westcoast-themed home is true to our West Coast location. The colour palette and style is calming and warm with sunset-red pops of colour.”
Both units showcase huge windows, 10-foot-high ceilings, openplan layouts and enormous kitchen islands with open shelving and plenty of storage space. They are, Dawson says, well suited to our new work-from-home world.
“Our kitchen islands have been designed to give a large surface that will work well for cooking and desk space at the same time,” she says. “We have also located an outlet with a USB connection in this location for ease of laptop and ipad connections.”
Homes at Pilothouse, the second-to-last-phase at Hampton Cove — a final townhome component called West Hampton is still to come — are fitted with engineered hardwood flooring in the main areas and plush carpeting in the bedrooms. It's in one of the show homes' bedrooms that Dawson and her team again opted to address the needs of those who might be working from home by furnishing it as an office.
“The room is clearly large enough to house a bed, but we have chosen to show it as a perfect office setting, large enough for one or even two for home office needs.”
Kitchens at Pilothouse have engineered stone countertops, marble tile backsplashes, recessed pot lighting and stainless steel appliances, while bathrooms are fitted with porcelain tile flooring and flat-panel laminate cabinets. Master suites showcase frameless glass showers, dual undermount sinks and ample storage.
“There's tons of space,” Alam
says. “That's so important to people right now when they're spending so much time at home.”
Every unit will have a deck or patio space, while common areas include a river-facing lawn and courtyard with a fireplace. Available to all residents of Hampton Cove, meantime, is the 12,000-square-foot Hampton Club, with resort-like amenities that include an outdoor pool and hot tub, an enormous great room, gymnasium, children's play area and guest suites.
It's part of a community that Genova and Mestadi are clearly eager to call home.
“We are very much looking forward to having more space — this time, our own — and enjoying the sunny days in this lovely neighbourhood,” Genova says. “We can't wait.”