Love at first sight: Kelowna home builder designs stunning hillside home
Perched high in the hills above Kelowna with a view that stretches across the valley, it’s the home they’ve always wanted. After a year of dreaming about their life in the mountains, the Quebec couple were finally ready to see their new home and meet the Kelowna home builder and designer who made their vision a reality.
It may not be the biggest or the most expensive home he’s built, but for Les Bellamy, the award-winning Kelowna home designer and builder behind Bellamy Homes, it’s one that he will remember for years to come.
“There were tears all the way around the board,” says Les. “It was pretty cool for me to drive up the road and meet them. I jumped out of the truck, and for the first 10 minutes, we just caught up as friends. We all recognized the journey we went through together and how fantastic it truly was.”
A fully remote build from day one
It was their dream to move to the Okanagan, and after researching Kelowna home builders online, they reached out to Bellamy Homes.
There was a catch: a recent medical diagnosis kept the couple in Quebec. As a result, they couldn’t visit the Okanagan until their move-in date. What they did have was a clear vision of what they wanted: a property with a view, a west coast contemporary design and a comfortable and accessible suite.
Working with a local realtor to find vacant lots, Les viewed each potential property in person to find a piece of land suitable for their dream home.
“I would go to the property, FaceTime them and show them the land. There were times when I said I didn’t think we could make this work, and that honesty helped build a level of trust,” says Les. “Then, we found a piece of land, and they told me, ‘If you think this is the one, let’s go for it.’”
Nestled in the hills east of Kelowna, the stunning property ticked all the boxes and featured a great view that nearly reaches from Vernon to Penticton in the day and highlights the city lights of downtown Kelowna at night.
Building a client’s dream home
As a Kelowna home designer and builder, Les worked with the couple to understand their lifestyle and create a design that fit their aesthetic and budget. After creating preliminary floor plans that were approved without modifications, Les got started on a detailed animation that included everything from the home to the local flora and fauna.
“When I sent that to them, the response I got was that they couldn’t stop crying because they were so happy,” says Les. “It put a tear in my eye. I’ve never received such an emotional response from a client.”
With the design finalized and the build underway, Les kept his clients up to date on the progress of their new home. And, instead of meeting in person to discuss interior design and look at flooring, cabinets and paint, Les created and shipped colour palettes and found retailers in Quebec that carried the same products so the couple could see everything for themselves.
Experiencing the home in person
Finally, after 12 months of phone calls and Zoom meetings with their Kelowna home builder and designer, they made it to the Okanagan. And, Les says, they couldn’t be happier with the result.
An understated blend of modern and west coast contemporary, the home is wrapped in glass. Stunning floor-to-ceiling windows invite the natural beauty of the Okanagan indoors, where cool colours and modern décor shift the focus to the environment, creating a seamless blend between indoors and outdoors.
Outside, striking landscape features flow around the home. Follow the gentle slope of concrete to the glass railing that seems to reach into the valley below. Beyond the glass, the concrete opens onto an outdoor elevator. Unlike traditional elevators, Bellamy Homes’ custom-designed exterior elevator is open to the elements and coated in a high gloss finish for an elegant look.
“This was one of the most challenging builds I’ve done as a custom home builder because it was 100 percent remote. Usually, we can get them to Kelowna for one week to look at the build and discuss interior design elements. This was truly a test of our abilities and the client’s patience,” says Les. “And, because of it, we built a trusting bond and friendship that we will always remember. I’m proud of what we were able to achieve together.”
Want to learn more about Bellamy Homes and how you can work remotely with a Kelowna home designer and builder? Give us a call at 778-940-7803 or contact us online to turn your vision into reality.