Cementing the shift of its flagship community from the almost-finished Blackstone in Kanata to the southeast end of the city, Cardel Homes has opened five model homes at Ironwood in Riverside South.
A little more than a year after launching sales at Ironwood, Cardel is thrilled to have models for buyers to walk through.
“It’s challenging for people to look at a floor plan that’s in black and white with measurements, so having space come to life is very important for people,” says Betsy Leeks, Cardel’s sales manager.
The five models include three two-storey singles that are all linked for touring so you don’t have to go outside to get to each one (a bonus in poor weather!) and two townhomes backing onto the singles.
“They’re all very different. But they’re all inviting and they’re all going to appeal to someone’s family,” says Kendra Halluk, a Calgary-based designer who does the interiors for Cardel’s models. That’s because even though each is unique, the common element to all five is a calming feeling they evoke, she says.
“They’re inviting, very livable. That’s always our goal — to appeal to a lot of different people and make them feel comfortable, make them feel like they could see themselves living in our models.”
While the homes are grounded in neutrals and earth tones, there are fun surprises in each, whether it’s the slat wall and separate basement suite in the Paxon, the signature Cardel window wall and asymmetrical fireplace of the Devon, the welcoming second-floor family room in the Grayson, the expansive main floor in the Elm or the open foyer with bench seating in the Aspen.
They also range from an almost white palette (the Elm) to the somewhat dark and moody Paxon with its earthy browns and blacks, and are influenced by different styles, such as California desert, modern, vintage vibe meets modern, and modern farmhouse.
Halluk likes to start with the kitchen when designing a home. “The kitchen sets the tone for each model. I like to draw them from scratch and maximize all the space and be practical, yet still have a showy feature to your home.” With that in mind, she showcases a mix of glass cabinets, open shelves, two-tone cabinets, a backsplash that pairs a quartz ledge stone with shiplap — “just to make them look very different” and show buyers what you can do with varying budgets for upgrades.
Cardel made small tweaks to the floor plans before building the model homes at Ironwood, says Tanya Buckley, senior vice-president of Cardel’s Ontario Housing Division. “These plans are tried and true for us. They’ve proven successful community over community. And so, we felt very little needed to be done to them. It was more what’s resonating and what’s not.”
But she says they did look at ways to add more bedrooms, which is why two of the models show bedrooms and full bathrooms in the basement and the Aspen townhome comes with the option to replace the second-floor loft with a fourth bedroom (the model shows the loft).
The homes they’ve chosen as models are meant to showcase the variety of floor plan options available to suit various buyer needs, she says.
Adds marketing manager Claire Brown: “It’s everything we’re good at, but just refreshed.”
The homes
Model: Paxon
Type: Two-storey single on a 34-foot lot
Features: 2,296 sq. ft.; 3-5 bedrooms; 2.5-4 bathrooms
About this home: The Paxon offers a main-floor bedroom and bathroom option that’s great for multigenerational families. The model shows the standard layout instead with an open flex room styled as an office. An unexpected touch is the office’s slat wall divider that’s visible as soon as you come in the front door, setting the tone for the edginess of this model that’s also seen in the moodier dark tones of the kitchen, fireplace surround, glossy black powder room tile and laundry room.
Another unexpected element of this home is the basement suite. The floor plan offers an optional side entrance (shown in the model) that can be used for a dedicated entrance to the basement, and the basement can include a living room, kitchenette, bedroom, full bath and separate washer and dryer, which are all shown in the model. Cardel is marketing it as a flexible space.
Model: The Devon
Type: Two-storey single on a 38-foot lot
Features: 2,323 sq. ft.; 4 bedrooms; 2.5 bathrooms
About this home: Like the Paxon, although to a lesser degree, the Devon is decorated with generous amounts of black accents that add a touch of chic to the home. Halluk also went asymmetrical with the fireplace detailing, adding a modern edge to the styling. She’s paired that with other unexpected touches like a partial shiplap backsplash.
The model shows optional features such as the bump-out in the office (this time in black shiplap), the alternate kitchen and a Cardel signature — a two-storey great room with a full wall of double-stacked windows.
“It just feels ‘wow,’” says Leeks, who spent years selling the predecessor to the Devon, which also had those windows. “Nothing says Cardel more than that window wall to me… I’ve said this a million times: I’ve heard people swear when they see it, and I’ve seen people drop to their knees when they see it.”
This is the only one of the models that does not have a finished basement.
Model: The Grayson
Type: Two-storey single on a 38-foot lot
Features: 2,346 sq. ft; 3-5 bedrooms; 2.5-3 bathrooms
About this home: An earthy palette with punches of rust gives this home a California desert vibe that’s soothing and welcoming. Aimed at a family, there’s a fully finished basement perfect for hanging out in or playing games, plus a bedroom for a teenager or adult family member who wants their own space.
It also has the option to turn the main-floor office and powder room into a bedroom suite for a family member with mobility issues, although that option is not shown in the model. Similarly, there’s the option to turn the handy second-floor family room into a fourth bedroom but Cardel has chosen to show the model with the standard layout of three bedrooms and the family room.
“I love the bonus room,” says Leeks. “I think they are really attractive features at different stages” of family living.
Fun touches in the home include wood slats around the fireplace, the wet bar in the basement games area and the Nordic influence in the kitchen.
Model: The Elm
Type: Two-storey townhome
Features: 2,064 sq. ft; 3 bedrooms; 2.5 bathrooms
About this home: Yes, this is a townhome, but the main floor definitely feels like a single. A wide main hallway and the open-concept layout add to the feeling of roominess.
“This is one of my favourite floor plans that we offer,” says Leeks. “Two of my family members have this house.”
The fresh, neutral palette of almost white on white helps, while still having warmth. “We played on different textures just to make it a little bit more interesting,” says Halluk.
Although the model is an interior unit, the floor plan also comes as an end unit.
Model: The Aspen
Type: Two-storey townhome
Features: 2,246 sq. ft.; 3-4 bedrooms; 2.5 bathrooms
About this home: The Aspen is the largest of Cardel’s three townhome floor plans at Ironwood and comes with more square footage than some singles. Done in a modern farmhouse style, Halluk opted to omit the foyer closet in favour of a bench and hooks “just to show something different where you kind of drop for the busy family and go.”
There’s the option to add a fourth bedroom in place of the second-floor loft (not done in the model) and add an electric fireplace in the basement (done in the model).
“The cohesiveness of the decor is just fantastic,” says Brown, who loves the main-floor layout, which is great both for families and for entertaining.
Touring the model homes at Ironwood
The sales centre and models are open at various times through the week. Check our Ironwood development summary for more information.
