Dream Home Rising

AFTER LIVING in eight homes in nine years, Randy and Afton Therrien have created their forever home in Kelowna’s Black Mountain neighbourhood. The house is not only the family home, but doubles as a showcase for Randy’s business, Candel Custom Homes. “We don’t want to move anymore,” said Randy. Using their experiences with what they did and didn’t like in their previous homes, the Therriens designed their forever house to adapt as their young family grows up. “We truly tried to think of everything,” said Afton. With ample room — 4,900 square feet of living space and 1,900 square feet of garage set on .28 acres — the home is an entertaining paradise. And living in the Okanagan means frequent visitors.

“We joke about the Therrien resort!” Randy laughed.

Upon entering the house, one’s eyes are immediately drawn to the stunning view from the great room window. The sweeping panorama stretching from the Kelowna International Airport to Peachland is the focus of almost every room in the house, and large windows throughout take advantage of the spectacular view and serve to bring the outside indoors.

The great room, with its feature stone fireplace, flows into the dining area and the kitchen, where the family gathers. The kitchen reflects the Therriens’ love of entertaining, with two built-in cabinet dishwashers, a 48-inch gas cooktop, double electric wall ovens and a breakfast bar that can also be used as a coffee bar or serving spot. The gleaming white sinks, counters, cabinets and backsplash give the room a coastal vibe and soften the look of the stainless steel appliances. Small appliances are hidden inside the cabinets for a clean appearance. The kitchen design is efficient and symmetrical with the two dishwashers, two pull-out towel racks and even the two beverage centres balancing each other out.

The Therriens worked to make the most of each space, carefully considering the house’s layout to achieve privacy, while maintaining the view as the focus.

In the dining room, a pendant light with diverse glass shades — created by Afton and designer Natalie Butler from Natalie Ann Design — serves as both a cool piece of art and a light fixture that doesn’t obstruct the view to the outside or the great room.

A walk-through pantry adjacent to the kitchen leads to the garage and the upper patio off the kitchen. With its builtin barbecue, seating area as well as fireplace and television, the patio is popular with the family at dinnertime and in the evening. Shade-o-matic blinds reach down to the floor and can enclose the entire deck.

The brightly lit main floor master bedroom is painted white for a simple-yet-elegant look with large windows that focus on the view. Its en suite has double sinks, and a large steam shower

with a heated seat and floor replaces the bathtub. For long soaks, there is a hot tub in the outdoor living space.

A huge walk-in closet with two whimsical starburst light fixtures offers floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, pullout features, an island with shoe storage in the back, a washer and dryer, a makeup table and even a beverage centre.

The main floor also includes a home office with an adjacent bathroom so it can double as a bedroom.

The second floor is the kids’ zone for the Therriens’ two young children. Both have their own bedroom, walk-in closet and four-piece bathroom so as they grow into teenagers and university students the space will still work. The children share a toy room that can become a media room as they grow, and the floor has its own full laundry.

An elevator leads to a 10-by-15-foot rooftop patio that offers a breathtaking 360-degree view. Surrounded by glass railings so as not to interrupt the vista, the patio is finished with creamy white outdoor porcelain tile and has an audio line so Randy and Afton can relax while listening to music.

On the lower level, Randy picked out the hammered copper sink and dark stained wood cabinets so the bar area would feel pub-like. The island is the height of a raised table, comfortable for people to stand around and chat. And the nearby wine room sits behind an iron grate door, with warm brickwork highlighting the bottles.

With its comfortable furniture and giant pull-down screen, the lower living area is a perfect spot for the family to curl up and watch a movie.

The area also includes a full gym. A tiled bathroom by the spare bedroom doubles as a pool change room. A pool was a high priority for the outdoor living space. The Therriens chose a pool with soft padded bottom, a shallow area for kids to play or adults to sit in, a slide and stairs that lead to a six-foot deep end.

The stamped concrete pool deck is all about relaxation, with a seating area, lounge chairs and even a day bed. There’s also an automated safety cover for the pool.

A window adjacent to the lower level bar slides open to serve drinks, and hanging chairs give the area a Mexican bar feel, while outdoor speakers keep the music going. While the design is sophisticated, the yard is also child friendly and includes a sandbox, ground-level trampoline and a fort above the garden shed.

Randy designed the oversized double garage to accommodate his work vehicle, a full-sized crew cab truck with an eight-foot box. A sports locker in the garage stores golf clubs and hockey gear.

A side driveway leads to a second garage with space to fit five vehicles, along with a storage room, mechanical room and an area for Randy’s son to practice his hockey shots.

The Therriens worked to make the most of each space, carefully considering the home’s layout to achieve privacy while maintaining the view as the focus. Randy did a lot of the architecture for the house, while Afton worked with Natalie on light fixtures and colours. “We aimed for a West Coast Modern,” said Afton. Comfort was key to the design, and with five zones of heating and cooling on the top two floors and radiant heating in the floor in the basement and the garages, the temperature in almost every room is fully customizable. Electronic air cleaners on the furnaces keep the dust down in the house, and steam humidifiers keep the humidity level comfortable. To keep allergens down,

BY BARB AGUIAR

PHOTOS BY LIPSETT PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP