Function First

November 5, 2024

But Headingley bungalow certainly doesn’t skimp on style

There’s an art to the design process that goes into creating a luxury home.

On one hand, a builder wants a home to be distinctive so it will be memorable and stand out in the minds of prospective home buyers.

On the other hand, the home must be livable. If it isn’t, it will lack the function required to make it a comfortable, user-friendly place to call home.

Jillian Swan, the owner of Huntington Homes, says function always comes before fashion when she convenes with her design team to conceive a custom plan.

“The big thing for us is functionality,” she says. “That has and always will be the most important thing for us — how can you design function into a home? Style is important, but a home’s design starts with function and goes from there.”

In short, Huntington’s 2024 Fall Parade of Homes entry at 32 Ash Cove in Headingley’s Forest Grove Estates serves as a masterclass in how to design a luxury home.

Case in point is the entryway of the home’s main living area.

While most builders simply have it open directly onto a wide-open living space, Huntington’s design team opted to go a different and more distinctive route.

“We placed a four-sided Tyndall stone fireplace in the middle so that when you come in, it partially blocks the view of the great room, so you don’t see everything at once,” says former Huntington Homes owner Rob Swan, who now serves as a hands-on design consultant. “It looks great and creates subtle separation.”

Once in the main living area, you can’t help but marvel at its bright, spacious feel.

That’s no accident, says Jillian.

“We love natural light, so as we always do, we put in big windows, which are larger than normal because ceiling height in the main living area is 11 feet rather than 10 feet. The result is more natural light and a more spacious feel. The window coverings are also custom.”

At the same time, the seamless synergy created by the finishes in the main living area makes for an exceptionally inviting living space.

Engineered white-oak hardwoods mesh perfectly with the Tyndall stone-clad fireplace, while a simple entertainment unit with hidden wall speakers and a burgundy mantel/display ledge beneath a huge TV niche impresses with its clean lines and user-friendly setup.

The great room then flows effortlessly into a huge kitchen/dining area possessing the same subtle charm — and function — as the great room.

“The countertops are charcoal-grey quartz. They aren’t shiny but are very cool to touch. The backsplash matches the countertops, while the off-white cabinets complement the countertops perfectly. There’s also another splash of burgundy at the kitchen entrance and around the double wall oven.”

Meanwhile, the spacious dining area — which is near the kitchen and great room, yet is still a well-defined space — is next to another cool design feature, says Rob.

“The backyard deck is accessible not only through patio doors behind the dining area, but also from the primary bedroom. You can enjoy the country view while visiting with company, and then get up and walk out onto the deck in the morning with a cup of coffee.”

As is always the case with a Huntington-designed home, the rest of the main floor complements the great room perfectly.

There’s a walk-through pantry that connects seamlessly to a mudroom with tons of storage space, main-floor laundry, powder room with automatic sink featuring temperature control and two huge secondary bedrooms.

The bedroom wing is then completed by an appropriately opulent primary bedroom.

“It’s a warm, inviting space with a rear wall of windows that let in lots of natural light and highlight the countryside view,” Rob says. “A garden door connects to the backyard deck, there’s a big walk-in closet with a window, and the ensuite offers a heated tile floor, huge air-jet tub next to a large window and a gorgeous walk-in shower with oversize rainfall shower head.”

Finally, there’s the lower level (it comes standard with a wood structural floor), which is unrelenting in providing the function and style discerning home buyers demand.

“The rec room was divided in two by a wall in its centre,” says Jillian. “There’s a media area with wet bar on one side and a games area on the other. There’s also a home gym, two more bedrooms and a full bath. Every home we design is thought out right down to the smallest detail, and I think this home shows that. Most importantly, our homes are a product of love.”