Dream lottery
The Big Brothers Big Sisters lottery home is warm, inviting
Sherwood Park bungalow offers chance at livable luxury.
Look up the word “home” in the dictionary, and after the usual definition — “a place where one lives permanently” — you will find another interpretation: “a place where something flourishes.”
Standing in the front entrance of the grand prize for the Big Brothers Big Sisters 33rd Dream Home Lottery, it’s easy to picture several things flourishing — sense of comfort, a hint of inspiration, a growing family. This dream home is a physical manifestation of the philosophy by which the Boys & Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area operates.
“We try to perpetuate the same thing with our home Where: 120 Balmoral Cove, Balmoral Heights, Sherwood Park Grand prize: $1.4-million dream home (includes lot, home, furnishings, landscaping and GST) Ticket purchase deadline: lottery that we stand for as an organization — home and family and successful people,” says Lana Tordoff, marketing and communications manager for the organization.
The 3,771-square-foot bungalow is situated in Sherwood Dream Home draw and Win50, May 1, 2013 Draw date for Win50: 12:30 p.m. May 17, 2013 Draw date for dream home: 2 p.m. May 17, 2013 Park’s Balmoral Heights, an estate home community where you might see a luxury sedan stopping to let a small gaggle of geese cross the street.
Built by Avanti Homes, the dream home manages to feel open without being cavernous. An intelligent blend of furnishings (all included in the prize) from Christopher Clayton Furniture & Design House — contemporary, rustic and traditional — creates what Tordoff describes as “livable luxury.”
Grey, wide-plank engineered hardwood floors laid on an angle draw you in from the front entrance to the main living area, where an open-concept kitchen, great room and dining room inspire both fine dining and informal family gatherings.
Walls painted a warm grey, and washed in natural light from the many windows, provide a neutral backdrop for a blend of cosy and contemporary furnishings, with the occasional punch of orange adding spice to the decor.
The kitchen features maple cabinetry, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and sleek, thin-stacked mosaic tiles in cream and taupe.
In the living room, two curved wedge sofas flank a traditional, antiqued silver-leaf coffee table with scroll legs. A two-way fireplace, peeking through to an outdoor deck, is perfect for cool summer evenings.
The solid, dark brown dining table, with a hand-hewn feel, grounds the cream-coloured fabric of the dining chairs. Sunlight reflecting off the silver mosaic mirror casts mini constellation light shows on the walls and drapery.
It’s a combination of details — such as the tubular glass pillar candle holders with dangling crystals set next to the folk art print of a barn on the fireplace mantle —that makes the dream home feel both upscale and livable.
That is exactly what the home’s designers intended. Al Black of Above the Bank Interiors and Bonnie Walters of Walters and Walters Design Inc. have been collaborating on Big Brothers Big Sisters Dream Home Lottery interiors since Dream Home 10.
“You don’t want the décor to be too wild and wacky, but still unique,” says Walters. “One thing people have consistently said about our homes is that they feel they could move right in.”
The master bedroom maintains an elegant simplicity with its steel-tube canopy bed and a crescent shaped chaise with ottoman. Muted orange accent pillows carry the colour theme from the main living area, and dark, inky drapes create a dramatic backdrop.
A huge walk-in closet houses one of two washer/dryer sets (the other is in the basement) and ample hanger and drawer space for the huge wardrobe you will have now that you have no mortgage. In the master-suite bathroom, the rectangular stand-alone soaker tub and huge walk-in shower compete for showstopper status.
A study on the main floor (which could easily be transformed into a nursery) keeps the contemporary vibe eclectic with preppy striped wallpaper, a zebra print chair and ottoman, architectural bookcases and a minimalist ebony lacquer desk.
The massive sectional and wet bar in the lower-level family area will ensure that everyone has a seat and refreshment at the next Grey Cup party or movie night.
A coffee table and a console table, both made with weathered, reclaimed railroad ties and stainless steel legs add a touch of rugged sophistication.
Two additional bedrooms, each with a walk-in closet, are ready for kids or guests.
The Boys & Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area supports children and youth in a variety of ways, including after-school programs, mentoring, summer day camps and drop-in clubs.
Programs focus on core values, life skills, academics and health.
The Big Brothers Big Sisters Dream Home Lottery has raised over $18 million over the course of 32 home lotteries. However, Tordoff says its tough to assign a dollar value to the work that the organization has been able to do because of the lottery funds.
“What we’re talking about is the big picture,” says Tordoff. “I think everyone wants to win the prize; who wouldn’t? But, at the same time, the community has really demonstrated a true support for the programs that provide kids with the resources they need to succeed.”