The Adelaide, whose model opens Oct. 29, is a bungalow that incorporates many rustic elements, ‘only it’s got that modern twist.’
The development Windrose Estates
Builder/developer MacPherson Master Builders
Size 2,492 to 4,255 square feet
Price $1,349,900 to $1,654,900
Sales centre 5 Cranberry Trail E., corner of Highway 26 and Cranberry Trail East in Collingwood. Open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Contact Phone 705-293-2201 or 705-446-7601, or visit windroseestates.ca
Sensing a tilt in architectural preference among its buyers, the builder of new chalet-style homes in Collingwood has earmarked many residences in its new collection for a more modern design.
MacPherson Master Builders says its new mountainside Windrose Estates project, 90 minutes north of Toronto on Georgian Bay, will have contemporary adaptions of its traditional designs. The enclave of 43 houses on one- to two-acre lots at Sixth Street and Osler Bluff Road is near Osler Bluff Ski Club.
"If you drive around to where the custom homes are being built, I'd say 70 per cent of them are modern, so there seems to be a trend towards it," sales representative Jennifer Wootton says.
"Now, [buyers here] can select the sleek contemporary style of the Mountain Modern collection with its slightly flatter rooflines, glass railings and expansive windows or the classic style of the Signature Collection, which features a traditional chalet look with an upscale, but rustic feel.
"And because the modern designs incorporate some of the natural elements of the more traditional homes, the two collections blend together beautifully."
For instance, cultured stone façades with wood railings and windows will be replaced by grey stone and black windows showcased by a three-bedroom bungalow, called the Adelaide, to be completed in October.
"In the upcoming model, [opening Oct. 29], you're going to have a lot of those rustic elements you'd find in the Signature Collection, only it's got that modern twist," design consultant Michelle Pasquale says. "Instead of a typical birch tree branch, you'll get that tree-like feature, but you'll get it in chrome."
Aside from having two masters with bathrooms and walk-in closets, this more-than-2,400-square-foot bungalow will be similar to the traditional plan with an office and great room with a 17-foot ceiling and an indoor/outdoor fireplace.
"The floor plans themselves change very little," Ms. Pasquale emphasizes. "So far, the feedback has been quite good … giving people the option to chose from the best of both possible worlds."
Currently representing the largest of the three- to five-bedroom plans – all with double-height great rooms, full basements and triple garages – is the Britannia model home. The two-storey chalet contains more than 4,200 square feet, including one of five bedrooms on the main floor and a butler's pantry between the dining room and eat-in kitchen.
Buyers will get a $25,000 upgrade credit, $25,000 appliance voucher and $70,000 landscaping package. However, each house – completed about a year after purchase – will have oak staircases, smooth nine-foot ceilings and posts and beams as standard.
"People in the area tend to love post and beam in the great room," Ms. Wootton adds. "Even if you go modern, you can still put them in and stain them grey or white, it'll still give you that chalet, Collingwood/Blue Mountain feel."
The sense of luxury will also extend outside with frontages spanning up to 300 feet.
"We're the only estate development in the Collingwood area now where you can have a one- or two-acre lot," adds Ms. Wootton, who notes the average frontage in town is 60 feet. "Most of them have some view of the escarpment, Blue Mountain and Osler ski club, and some are backing onto trees."
Residents will also be close to popular parks, marinas and Scandinave Spa, which is renowned for its therapeutic outdoor steam baths and cold plunge pools.
Lesser-known local hot spots include a farmer's market, three breweries and boutique bistros, such as the Huron Club and Oliver & Bonacini Café Grill, plus artist studios and cafes at the Tremont and 65 Simcoe, a former hotel and newspaper building, respectively.
"Collingwood is a four-seasons playground," Ms. Pasquale says. "We're close to everything – the downtown core, trail system, golf courses and ski slopes, as well as the [Blue Mountain] Village, which is a great highlight."