The people have voted, and the 2024 People’s Choice winner is a modern farmhouse featuring everything from a stunning open-concept main living area with exposed wooden beams and floor-to-ceiling windows to a cottage vibe, waterside views and both upper and lower patios.
Designed and built by Modello Homes, the custom home with its mix of traditional and contemporary elements backs onto a manmade pond on an estate lot in Greely. It boasts 3,800 square feet with another 2,000 square feet in the walk-out basement.
The project took the coveted People’s Choice Award sponsored by All Things Home at the recent Housing Design Awards organized by the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association.
The award is the only one voted on by the public. It features a range of finalists, from production and custom homes to renovations, kitchens and more in seven rounds of voting online as well as at the Fall Home Show.
MORE: Voting rounds in this year’s People’s Choice Award
“We were super happy to win this award. It was a recognition of our hard work, dedication and the collective effort of our team,” says Rosario Franco, who, with his business partners, Rick Wilson and Julian Campagna, launched Modello Homes five years ago. It was the first time the company had entered the Housing Design Awards, making the win doubly exciting.
The award also has special meaning because it’s publicly determined, notes Franco. “It’s not just judges making the decision. We have the support of our community.”
Built as a “spec” home (it had no buyer when it was designed and constructed but has since been bought), the home was a labour of love, according to Franco, who says the company is known mostly for its modern designs.
“We wanted to do something we were really passionate about, something that shows we can do different styles. It was a lot of fun doing this project.”
Coincidentally, the 2023 People’s Choice winner, a comprehensive kitchen renovation, was also farmhouse-influenced.
A pleasing blend of styles & a backyard retreat
The home — which was also a finalist for the design awards’ 3,001 sq. ft. or more custom home trophy — spotlights classic farmhouse features with modern touches on the confident exterior, including stone with a contemporary flair around the entryway, windows with sleek muntins on the panes, board-and-batten siding and a steeply pitched roof with sharp gables.
“Every home on the street is custom and unique, and this one fits in by having its own character,” says Franco. “Our muted, earthy colour palette echoes the tones of the surrounding homes, so the farmhouse blends into the streetscape while still maintaining a modern appeal.”
MORE: The multi-record-setting 2024 Housing Design Awards
Inside, the happy blend continues. The spacious main living area includes exposed wooden beams, wide-plank hardwood floors and a sleek, wall-mounted fireplace with a floor-to-ceiling surround of porcelain tile with mitred edges. An open loft overlooks the main area and large windows, including a clerestory arrangement, flood the home with natural light and connect the inside and outside worlds. Windows in the great room frame the pond and other homes in the neighbourhood.
The gourmet kitchen features custom millwork, high-end appliances, and a generous island with a honed quartz countertop. Adjacent to the kitchen is a sunlit dining area, also with expansive views of the outside.
The master suite boasts a coffered ceiling, a cosy sitting area, and a luxurious ensuite bathroom.
The ensuite was a finalist for the award for contemporary custom bathroom, 101 sq. ft. or more. A heated porcelain floor, brass fixtures, a free-standing tub and a dual-entrance shower create a spa-like atmosphere with large windows offering a view of the water.
“We’re super proud of the ensuite,” says Franco. “The wall sconces and underlighting in the double vanity are really nice,” while an adjoining beauty vanity with custom millwork and additional storage heighten the luxurious feel.
The one-off backyard features covered upper and lower patios, ideal for cooking and entertaining or a quiet, private evening with family.
Like the relaxing interior space, the backyard adds to the home’s “cottage feel,” says Franco. “That’s another unique part of this project.”
