Calmante, the Tuscan-inspired neighborhood, features low-maintenance ranch patio homes in the heart of Superior. (Photos courtesy: Boulder Creek Neighborhoods).
The Villas captivated Joe and Jane Printz from the moment they stepped foot into Calmante. The Tuscan-inspired neighborhood, designed by award-winning homebuilder Boulder Creek Neighborhoods, features low-maintenance ranch patio homes in the heart of Superior.
“After we walked through the model homes, there wasn’t even a need for us to see more,” Jane said. “We found a villa floor plan that was perfect for us.”
Chris Mason, community manager at the Villas at Calmante, notes that homebuyers are drawn to Calmante’s main-floor living and perhaps most crucially, low-maintenance lifestyle. “People who move here aren’t necessarily downsizing, but they are ‘right sizing,’” he said. “They’re moving for main-floor living, for the convenience of being able to leave outdoor maintenance chores behind.” These key features, combined with Calmante’s one-of-a-kind location, are what has brought this community to near sell-out status. (At press time, only six homes remain.)
The Printz’s story sounds familiar to Mason. “After one of us took a fall, our family was starting to talk about assisted living,” recalled Joe, a retired physician. “Our current yard is surprisingly high-maintenance, and everything we needed was split between different floors.” The Printzs realized a low-maintenance home by Boulder Creek could be just what they were seeking. The community offers an unmatched lifestyle “in a place we can be very comfortable, and worry less about home maintenance,” Joe said.
Main-floor living brings ease, freedom
Mason concurred, saying, “The villas are ideal for the age-in-place lifestyle.” The smart layouts feature zero-step entry ways (homesite dependent), three-foot-wide doorways and hallways, and spacious bathrooms. Boulder Creek Neighborhood’s meticulous design empowers independence, and main-floor living saves time and energy.
Indeed, while the Printzs did not anticipate moving for “another year or two” from their remodeled custom home in south Boulder, “this came at the right time, and we loved the location and design,” Jane said. While all homes at the Villas feature a main-floor suite and laundry room, an open-concept kitchen and a finished lower level with a rec room, bedroom and bathroom, one floor plan in particular stood out to the Printzs.
“The 53 was perfectly suited for the site we wanted,” Joe said. Mason concurs, “The Villa 53 is easily our most popular floor plan; it’s elegant, well-designed, spacious, and functional. It really speaks to our homebuyers here at Calmante.” Outside, a roomy covered patio is large enough for an entertainment sized table, as well as Jane’s beloved flower pots. “We plan to use the study as my husband’s office and the extra bedroom as my office and sewing room,” said Jane, a retired attorney.
The Villa 53 is so popular that Boulder Creek will soon introduce an additional exterior “elevation” for this popular home. “The updated exterior design for this home features an upgrade in outdoor living space – including a covered front courtyard and an enlarged rear covered outdoor space,” says Mason. “The new Villa 53 will have more outdoor living space than any other plan at Calmante.”
In addition, the walkout lower level is an ideal space – there when needed, but out of the way when it’s not. “There are closets and storage everywhere in this home,” Jane said with a laugh. “We won’t immediately need to unpack some of the things we’ve kept from our travels and our artwork.” The Printzs hope to move into their Calmante home in early December.
Mason adds, “A special feature of this home is what we call the “Entertainer’s Kitchen.” The (optional) entertainer’s kitchen offers a walk-in pantry, a breakfast nook, and an oversized island with prep stations, bar style seating and top-rated Energy Star appliance choices including Viking, Wolf and Jenn-Air. “We love to entertain, and the Villa 53 kitchen is a great space to host friends and family,” said Jane. She added, “We have family all over the country, and it’s always nice when they come and visit. If we had downsized, we would only have one guest bedroom, and that is certainly not ideal for how we envision hosting our family.” Fortunately for the Printzs, the Villa 53 offers three to five bedrooms.
The Printzs considered other communities by Boulder Creek Neighborhoods, as they had heard from friends that Boulder Creek homes are “exceptionally well-built and low-maintenance,” Joe said, but Calmante’s location captured their hearts. Calmante “backs up to thousands of acres of Boulder County open space, and the topography of the site is such that neither side of the street looks directly at the front of another house,” explained Mason. “Each home has some nice elevation of its own.”
The joy of design
Since the Printzs previously oversaw the building of two custom homes and remodeled their current home, they were familiar with the design process and happily surprised with the ease of designing their Calmante Villa 53. Boulder Creek Neighborhoods, in partnership with Saddleback Design Group in Denver, offers an extensive personalization program for the homes at Calmante.
Saddleback Design Manager Lesley Hodges says the goal is to partner with clients to “create a spaces that reflect the buyers’ lifestyle, and can ultimately become their sanctuary.” Hodges and her team help home buyers tap into current and classic trends with a seemingly endless array of choices.
“When you’re building a [custom] home, you start from scratch and are presented with every possible variation,” Jane said. “With Calmante, we started with a floor plan and structure, which gave us a convenient place to start. However, in terms of interior finishing – tile, flooring, countertops, faucets, door hardware, lighting – we were able to make our own decision with the guidance of the professional designers at Saddleback. We believe we are going to be very pleased aesthetically and very comfortable with our selections and upgrades.”
Low-maintenance means time for travel, hobbies
“Now that I don’t ski as much, we travel more, and the move to Calmante will make this more doable,” says Joe. When home, the Printzs enjoy the Colorado outdoors and are eager to explore the Boulder County Open Space just across the street – ideal for walking, jogging, and wildlife watching. They likewise appreciate Superior’s bright downtown revitalization with restaurants and convenient shopping, not to mention the craft breweries, cultural events, and museums that Boulder County has to offer.
Doing more of the things you love is a core belief of those at Boulder Creek … so much so that the Company trademarked a term for it: “Lifefullness®.” “Lifefullness is just about getting your free time back, and using it to pursue your dreams and passions,” says Mason. It’s a main goal at The Villas at Calmante, where the community was created with a neighborhood lifestyle association, Boulder Creek’s take on an HOA. The Lifestyle Association is empowered to manage many exterior home maintenance chores – like snow shoveling, raking, weeding and exterior painting.
“I don’t go so far as to say that our Calmante homeowners can be chore-free,” says Mason, “but our homeowners should certainly see more free time in their futures.”
The Villas at Calmante presents a limited opportunity with only six home sites remaining – each with the ability to choose a floor plan and personalize all interior finishes. Finished homes range from $1.3 to $1.4 million+ (including home sites). For more, visit livecalmante.com, or call the Boulder Creek concierge team at 720.636.7088.
Villa 53 – Artist Conceptual Rendering
Villa 53 – Artist Conceptual Rendering
By Sarah Huber, for At Home
