Contemporary Design Makes Zetter a Standout
This article Contemporary design makes Zetter Place a standout by Simon Briault was originally published in the Vancouver Sun on December 16, 2016
David and Deborah Ruggles consider themselves to be discerning homebuyers, so when they decided a few years back to downsize into a smaller place, they took their time to decide on exactly where they wanted to move to and to settle on a development they really liked.
“We’ve bought many, many homes in our lives — too many to even talk about,” said David Ruggles. “For this move, we had been looking around for a few years — everywhere from Gibsons to Kelowna, Tsawwassen, and Vancouver Island. But eventually, we decided that we really wanted to stay as close to home as possible and Langley is just one city over from Surrey, where we are now.”
“Downsizing is obviously a trend that started a little while ago and we’re going to jump on that bandwagon,” he added. “I reckon we probably know every piece of property in the valley and we put a lot of thought into what we want. We had our eyes on Zetter Place from the moment it came on the market.”
The Ruggles’ have bought a two-bedroom townhome at Zetter Place in the West Yorkson district of Langley. The development of 82 townhouses is the work of Lanstone Homes and Focus Architecture and the design of the buildings is proving to be one of the biggest draws for buyers, according to Lanson Foster, Lanstone’s founder and president.
“The typical townhouse that people have been building in the area for a while now has that craftsman, heritage look with gabled roofs and crown mouldings,” he said. “We’ve changed things up for this project with a West Coast contemporary design, which is still fairly new for Langley. It really fits into the landscape in B.C. and it’s been very popular with younger buyers.”
Ruggles would admit he is not one of those, but said that the look of Zetter Place was a big factor.
“Their tagline was modern urban design in a country setting and that’s really what got us interested — we loved the modern, clean interiors,” he added. “When we saw it, we knew it was exactly what we were looking for.”
Design features at Zetter Place that caught Ruggles’ eye include kitchens that come with stainless steel appliances by Whirlpool, including a five-burner gas range and convection oven, a refrigerator with bottom-mount freezer drawer, and a dishwasher with a trademarked AccuSense Sensor Cycle. There are contemporary, slide-out range hoods in stainless steel by Broan, a choice of white, shaker-style cabinets or slab door cabinets with chrome hardware and soft-close doors and drawers. The countertops are made from polished quartz and there are tile backsplashes, deep, double-bowl under-mounted sinks and single-lever, high-arc faucets with integrated spray functions by Grohe.
“We’re a smaller, boutique-style developer so we pay a lot of attention to the interior of our homes and the finishes we use,” said Foster. “I’m a second-generation homebuilder so I’ve grown up in the industry and I’ve been building for the past 25 years.”
Foster said that Zetter Place has attracted interest from a wide range of buyers because it offers a wide range of units. Homes range from 1,232 to 1,978 square feet and have two, three or four bedrooms. Most have side-by-side double-car garages.
Homes feature open-concept spaces and nine-foot ceilings on the main floors and large Energy Star windows throughout for maximum light. There are laminate wood floors and contemporary, flat-stock wood baseboards and door casings. The developers have also included lots of closet spaces finished with single-shelf white wire organizers.
Bathrooms have tile floors and bath/shower surrounds, single-lever, polished-chrome faucets and shower heads and trim by Grohe. There are under-mount, drop-in or vessel sinks, toilets by American Standard and powder rooms on main or ground floors. Ensuite bathrooms have polished quartz countertops and backsplashes, ceramic tile floor and shower surrounds and walk-in double showers with semi-frameless glass enclosures.
Foster said that Zetter Place will provide modern, luxurious living in a convenient location.
“We’re within walking distance of a big transit hub,” he added. “At the same time, we’ve still got a green belt location backing on to Yorkson Creek, which provides access to a huge trail network.”
For Ruggles, the move will mean a change of lifestyle and the ability to live a simpler life without having to look after a 3,300-square-foot home.
“We’re avid cyclists, so it will be great to be able to hop on our bikes, go out the back of the property and be right on the bike path,” he said. “We’re not moving in until next November, but that’s worked out to our benefit. We do have to sell this house, so it gives us a little bit of breathing room to do that at an opportune time.”
Homes at Zetter Place are priced from $419,900. Buyers will be able to move in starting early in the new year.
Zetter Place
Project location: 8520 204th Street, Langley
Project size: 82 townhomes, 1,232 — 1,978 square feet
Developer: Lanstone Homes
Architect: Focus Architecture
Interior designer: Area 3 Design
Sales centre: 8520 204th Street, Langley
Occupancy: From January 2017