Harmony: 'We really had no choice. We had to build our dream home.'
Customized Baywest Homes model makes the perfect move for this family.
Thirty somethings Tania and Keanan Largo-Afonso fell in love with the lake and golf community of Harmony in 2017 when they purchased their first home, a two-bedroom bungalow, in one of the initial phases of the Springbank development. At the time, the home, a former Stampede Lottery Dream Home built in 2016, was perfect for the young couple, who both work downtown. But, they’ve since welcomed two children — Madison, four, and Noah, who just turned one, as well as two fur babies — a Bernese mountain dog, Harley, and Jackson, their cat.
“The home worked really well for us — it’s really beautiful — but we bought it before we had kids and our family is growing. We just didn’t have enough space, and needed to get something bigger,” says Tania, who works in human resources for an energy company. So, in January, the couple began their search for a bigger home in earnest. Without question, they wanted to stay in Harmony. Over the years they’d forged strong bonds with their neighbours and their kids have plenty of friends in the neighbourhood. Plus there is plenty to do for a young family. Harmony offers amenities for all age groups including two signature lakes — a 40-acre fresh water lake (now open) with a sandy beach and clubhouse, and a 100-acre lake, which is currently under construction. More than 25 kilometres of pathways, a climbing wall, a dog park, a skating ribbon and toboggan hill are just a few more attractions in the amenity pool. The 18-hole Mickelson National Golf Club brushes up alongside the community and, with Keanan an avid golfer, it was one of the reasons that the couple picked Harmony as their community of choice.“But the No. 1 thing that we love about Harmony is that it is a family community and it is so beautiful. When we first moved to Harmony there must have only been 60 homes built, but there were hundreds of kids. Everything that is being designed is for a young family,” says Tania.
The couple initially found a resale home close to their bungalow, but the deal fell through, leaving them with only one option if they wanted to stay in the community — to build a new home. “We really had no choice. We had to build our dream home,” says Tania with a laugh. The couple began touring Harmony’s estate show homes and gravitated towards Baywest Homes’ Ambrose model, a two-storey, four-bedroom, 3,326-square-foot home with a welcoming kitchen and three-car garage, which they fully customized to suit their family’s needs and their chosen lot — a west-facing 18,000-square-foot lakefront property with its own private dock. The sloped property is perfectly situated to capture the stunning mountain and lake views, as well as the evening sunsets. The couple put the lot on hold and closed the deal at the end of February. “We really didn’t think twice; we just pulled the trigger. The lot is just spectacular and you can see the mountains from every angle. We then went really overboard and upgraded everything. But it’s our forever home and we really wanted it to take us through as the kids grow,” says Tania.
The Largo-Afonso’s added another 700 square feet of living space to the main and upper level of their home and developed the walk-out lower level, which adds an additional 1,697 square feet of living space, including a home gym and customized wet-bar and entertaining area. “Customization is something Baywest offers in all of our product lines,” says Graham Dredge, area sales manager in Harmony for Baywest Homes. “We work with our clients to ensure they are building a home that fits their wants, needs and budgets.”He notes that the Ambrose is one of Baywest Homes’ top-selling estate home designs. “It’s truly designed with family in mind. The main floor of the home boasts a welcoming front entry that leads into a luxurious chef’s kitchen and open-concept living space, perfect for entertaining guests.”
And the home’s layout was the main reason the couple chose it.“We entertain all of the time. We are always having the neighbours over for dinner or drinks,” says Tania, adding that the camaraderie in the community is one of the huge draws to the community. “I love to cook, especially for large groups and it’s so great, everyone can just walk home. It’s a great way to socialize.” That said, the family added more square footage on the main floor to increase the size of the kitchen island, and greater space in the dining room to fit a 10-seat table and allow for a separate playroom for the kids. The floor plan was already beautiful, but we really wanted a kids’ playroom on the main floor in addition to the home office and adding that extra square footage allowed us to add a huge wine cellar in the basement and a separate reading room off of our master bedroom,” says Tania, adding that she and her husband are really passionate about wine, especially wines from the Okanagan boutique vineyards.
The family is hoping to take possession of their new home in the spring, but, until then, they often walk over to their new property to watch the home unfold and to sit on their dock and enjoy the sunsets. “We’re so excited to see it all come together,” says Tania.
Read the full Calgary Herald article here.
PHOTO BY DON MOLYNEAUX /Postmedia