Nestled in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, overlooking the edges of the 4,200 square kilometer recreation area known as Kananaskis Country, lies a small community of country homes.  

One of those homes was a dream in the making for over a decade. A husband and father of two young girls happened upon a site, high upon a hill that looked out to rolling fields teeming with wildlife, numerous trees and plants set against a backdrop of the Rocky Mountains and he knew he had to own a piece of this land.  

With a shell of a house sitting on a hill, this family was ready to move ahead — this time with the help of a team of interior designers led by Kirsten Janes. Over the years, the dream had been refined, images pulled from magazines, furniture pieces purchased, kitchen cabinets built and stored for future use, sketches drawn, and an overall concept was developed of a “prodigal” son settling down in a new land. The dream was alive.  

This project took five years of meticulous effort to complete. It was dotted with tribulations and achievements alike, ranging from the re-design of an inherited problematic shell structure, to site access challenges complicated by the remote location and significant snowfall. The high level of detail in design and drawings assured the enduring quality of the end product. 

The 7,500 sq. ft. multi-storey home incorporates Sapele solid wood and veneers in many custom configurations throughout the dwelling. The crowning jewel is the staircase that transitions from stone to wood paneling, railings, and stairs as it ascends from the basement to elegantly tie all of the floors together. Thus far, 4 generations of this family, along with friends and colleagues have had the pleasure of enjoying this family treasure with plans for future generations to also share in the beauty of Kananaskis Country. 

The design efforts of this project were recognized with a Design Innovation Award from the Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada (AWMAC) – Southern Chapter.