What happens when you combine a world-class ski resort, the experience of a multiple-award-winning custom home builder, and a passion for excellence?
A one-of-a-kind retreat in the mountains of beautiful British Columbia.
One of Martin Gotz’s priorities throughout this build – and a piece of advice he offers to his clients, as well – is to “design to impress yourself, not your neighbours.” Of course, when this is applied to his own home, it means even more. As the owner and president of Thomas Custom Homes, builder of the first Leed Gold Standard Home in the Canadian Rockies, recipient of multiple awards with twenty five years of experience under his belt – the past ten being exclusively within Whistler’s high end construction industry – we’d imagine that if Martin is impressed, then there’s no doubt that the neighbours would be, too.
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“My company motto is “Perfection doesn’t exist; excellence does,” he tells us. “We accept nothing less.”
Naturally, his personal primary residence was enhanced by both his pursuit of excellence and the eye of many years of experience. “Custom homes are an evolution,” explains Martin. “I brought all my favourite things from the best homes to mine; such as 10” wide plank fir floor and hand-forged iron handrail… I truly believe flow and design are the key elements to a good home.” It would seem that other experts would agree: the home beat out over 70 competing residences to win the silver medal from the Keystone Awards.
“The goal of the home was for a sense of timeless elegance,” says Martin. “ It has an inviting warmth that you’d expect in a mountain retreat. I would not design a home like this in a city – rather, it was designed as a calming oasis where the kids stop fighting and you forget about regular life. If the skiing is not great or you just want a day off, you don’t need to leave the house.” After 20 years of living in ski resorts, however, Martin admits that he doesn’t have the knees for skiing anymore and is ready for a change of pace, although he wishes he could take his home with him. We can see why!
With an expansive 4250 sq ft interior, complete with five bathrooms, four bedrooms, a professional grade kitchen, cinema, billiard room and more – this home was designed to entertain and create lifelong family memories.
While there is certainly no shortage of features to choose from, Martin’s personal favourite feature in the home’s design was the custom fireplace in the great room. “The stone is from Kettle Valley – I designed it with my stone mason to have the perfect presence in the room,” Martin explains. Indeed, the fireplace adds warmth to the expansive room with its vaulted ceilings, millwork and bar.
The kitchen is a chef’s dream and an entertainer’s delight, complete with extra premium Brazilian granite, Thermador professional appliances; including a 48” range, built in espresso machine, warming drawer, dishwasher, a second wine fridge and wine drawer for reds.
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While each of the bedrooms offers plenty of space, the master bedroom retreat has a walk-in closet, six piece ensuite and cozy fireplace to complete the restful, private space. The office – or optional 5th bedroom – also comes complete with its own fireplace.
The location contributes heavily to the wow factor: the property is situated on a prime lot in the Kicking Horse Resort, a world-class skiing destination in the “Champagne Powder Capital of Canada”; home to the fourth highest vertical drop in North America. The resort is located just outside Golden, British Columbia, between the Canadian Rocky Mountains and the Columbia Mountain ranges, at the confluence of Kicking Horse River. “Golden is a cute little country town with nice people,” says Martin. “A large part of the appeal is nature and the lifestyle choice…the area is full of some of the world’s best national parks, and the wildlife is amazing.” Indeed, it’s a mere 1.5 hours west of Banff, 2.5 hours west of Calgary, and an hour from Lake Louise.
Another one of this home’s many enticing features is the incredible views from every window, including the gondola, the trees, and the valley below. “The whole of the house looks across the valley,” says Martin. “Every bit of sun hits the home, including the short winter sun. Sunrise (especially in the winter) is very special – visible from almost every room but particularly enjoyed from the hot tub.. From the kitchen and dining room, you look up the mountain and can see the gondola go by. Every other room has views up the mountain or across the valley.”
The home easily lends itself to a luxurious lifestyle, perfect for adrenaline seekers and nature lovers. “The main benefit of living right in the resort is the ease of use – you can pull up and not use the car again until you leave,” says Martin, adding, “And, of course, the views.” Heated exterior decks with a custom hot tub area and the heated double garage with ski tuning area add comfort and convenience for taking advantage of the majestic scenery in every season.
Is there more? Of course! Let’s not forget the integrated music system, lutron lighting system, alarm system, the wet bar, and energy efficient standards, with on-demand hot water, icynene insulation, and triple pane windows.
Really – there’s only one thing that’s missing from this stunning home, and that’s a new owner who can fully appreciate all it has to offer.
If you think that might be you – check out the full listing here!
Author:
Amy Hurlburt
Amy is a communications associate for PropertyGuys.com Durham Region and contributor for Welcome Mat.