Welcome to a new standard of living. Located in the heart of the downtown core, your new home is steps to everything— work, play, shopping. Treat yourself in the building, featuring an indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, party room, reading room, guest suite, security, etc. Once pampered, head up to your over 1100 square foot, fully renovated home in the sky. Featuring new flooring, entire new kitchen, new lighting, and fresh paint. The new flooring is just the right amount of character and colour, which provides a beautiful glow. Enter the modern kitchen and be welcomed by the top of the line stainless steel appliances complete with hood-fan! Don’t forget to look down at the stunning tiles, which also greet you at the entranceway. Make your way down the hall to the oversized master bedroom complete with its own en-suite.

   Feel the need for more space? Open the storage room in the unit and the possibilities for extra in unit storage allow the new owner to keep those extra items neatly tucked away and close by.

   For urban living, this is the ultimate! The residence has one underground parking space and visitor parking, but given the great location the new owner may well be walking or cycling rather than driving. A large lower level storage locker is also included.

   The unit is listed on the multiple listing service for $328,700 and is available to accompany a short closing    period. For more information please contact Jeff Mziray and Matt Richling of the Ottawas Condos Team at 613-563-1155 or info@OttawasCondos.com

Penthouse Living with "Gunter"

 One of a kind, two story penthouse condominium downtown.Enjoy birds eye views of the Nation’s Capital from your personal 350 plus sq ft terrace. Entertain over 50 guests from your private deck in the sky. Gorgeous hardwoods, master bedroom mezzanine overlook with 20ft floor to celing windows located on the perfect corner with premium South West exposure. This unit truly is one of a kind - Ignite your imagination…

For a private showing please contact Matt Richling at the Ottawas Condos Team at 613-286-9501 or Matt@MattRichling.com.

Finally a 1+den downtown! Located in 324 Laurier (The Mondrian)! This unique and urban loft features exposed concrete ceilings/pillars, floor to ceiling windows, stunning hardwood, granite, stainless appliances, ALL overlooking downtown. Imagine - Sundays lounging on the outdoor rooftop terrace pool/sundeck with the other residents. 664 sqft of well laid out floor space,perfect for entertaining, business and living. THE BEST walking location to ALL downtown government buildings.

For a private showing of this unit please contact Matt Richling and the Ottawas Condos Team at 613-286-9501 or Matt@MattRichling.com.

Breathtaking panoramic views of the Parliament from every room in this 1359 sqft condo in Claridge Plaza (200 Rideau Street). Corner unit with floor to ceiling window, large balcony, 9ft ceilings, double sinks in both oversized bathrooms, and upgraded mirror doors are just a few of the upgrades. The Delancy model is literally a one of a kind (one per phase). There is not a condo in the city with a better view.

For a private veiwing please contact Matt Richling and the Ottawas Condos Team at 613-286-9501 or Matt@MattRichling.com.

Take a look at this really interesting time lapse of Rideau Street and 90 George, which interestingly enough is taken from 200 Rideau! Credit to Robbie’s Photo Art on Flickr!

—

http://www.MattRichling.com

Earlier last week I sat down with Alexander Jamie LeBlanc (or Jamie), one half of the team nicknamed “Ottawa’s designer guys”, to talk about the Alexander Crawford Design Boutique located at 1089 Somerset Street West and the interior design work they do for clients. If you are looking to add a little spice to your home or condo, these are the guys to talk to!

Matt: Tell me a little about yourselves!
AJ: Well we have told this story what feels like a hundred of times, Luc and I have worked independently for about 10 or 12 years and we didn’t even know each other. I have moved to Ottawa and was doing a design for a retail store, and by fluke was working in the store one afternoon. Someone had asked for help and turned out to one of Luc’s clients. As the story goes on, Luc’s client engaged both of us and didn’t give us a choice. Either you are going to work together or neither of you are going to work! It was forced, and that recommendation turned into another recommendation, and just kept going from there.

So you have experienced a little bit of growth since then?
We have grown from literally an 8 foot desk, to then last year being in the top three design firms in the city of Ottawa. We have brought the business from a hundred thousand a year to a few million a year. So we have significantly grown, now currently in our fourth year.

Tell us about some of your projects that you have done in the past…
Well we don’t like to brag about some of the big stuff because it dose not make some of the smaller stuff feel as special. But we do everything from hotels, to full condo developments like the one we just did for 101 Richmond Road. All of those condos are designer ready with designer finishes, also the lobby, theater, rooftop terrace.

What was one of your most memorable or oddest project that you have completed?
Hmmm that is a hard one. I would probably say the strip club. A pub style strip club. We have done an optometry clinic, one of my most favorite was Dr. Jill Taylor, right across from Tommy and Lefebvre on Bank St., it is very modern and is a favorite.

For the average person who is feeling the need for a little more, can they still hire you to redesign their condo?
Whether it is the 5 million dollar cottage we are doing right now, a 20 thousand square foot home we did last year or a its a 400 sq ft condo, the rules are the same. We charge for an initial consultation and by the hour after that. So everybody is on the same playing field, which makes working with us very easy. The largest hurdle is just getting us booked which right now is about a month in advance.

What are some of your goals?
Our goal right now is to have four or five little boutiques from here [1089 Somerset Street West] up to Richmond road.

We are sitting in one of your two boutiques right now, Alexander Crawford Design Boutique. What can people expect when they walk through the doors?
All of our stores are in fact boutiques, so people that come here can expect personalized service and have hired full time interior stylists to assist them. For the average client that is coming off of the street can still get educated response, not an answer from a sales clerk with no experience. They can come through here and flip through fabrics to pick their drapes or for a sofa and get the input from the interior stylists.

What about some of the furniture or pieces you carry and sell in the boutique?
A big thing to keep in mind is our price point. I like to use a decanter as an example, we sell one for $22 and we sell one for $225. When we do the purchasing for our nick naks (which there are a lot of) or for the furniture we try and cover everybody. We just introduced a new collection that Luc and I have worked on, called “My First Place. The My First Place goal is that no piece of furniture is over a thousand dollars. So you can get a full, Canadian made, lifetime warranty sofa for under a thousand dollars. Which normally would be an import or second grade, not like the life time warranty etc. But we also have five thousand dollar sofas, it is all depending on our clients and where their niche is. There is a piece of designer furniture here for everybody, no matter of their price point.

Tell me about your style.
Our style is best described as modern art deco. We both love art-deco which is very thirties feel, and we both really love modern so when you cross the paths, we are the result. With that being said, as designers we do not pigeon hole our work. I did not go to school and learn one particular design style, we do everything from transitional to traditional to contemporary to modern and our clients reflect that.

What is next?
I see us expanding the stores outside of Ottawa, and we are in talks with major television production companies. It is exciting!

What is one of your favorite places in Ottawa?
Hogs back falls!
(Luc popped in from working with a client)
Luc: I am from Ottawa and I cannot just pick one. I have always enjoyed the market because it is the most lively of Ottawa itself, also I find that the architecture of downtown also really does it for me.

For more information make sure to stop by the Boutique at 1089 Somerset Street West or visit:
http://www.crawfordalexanderboutique.com
http://www.designsby2.ca

—

http://www.MattRichling.com

Matt Richling is a sales representative with RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd., Brokerage, Independently Owned and Operated - The opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the RE/MAX or RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd., Brokerage.

Last week was full of snow and horrible weather. Every day I wake up and pray before I look outside, hoping for 30 degree heat and tropical sun (living in Ottawa and being blessed with both summer and winter weather you certainly appreciate summer that much more). While we might not have the amazing summer weather yet, us Ottawatonians still have passions that we enjoy. While driving from one appointment to another, I was blown away by the amount of people who were running outside along a half frozen Rideau Canal. It was certainly less than zero degrees Celsius, with powerful winds, and a decent amount of snow flakes yet these passionate runners where still outside doing what they love. I have been running almost daily for the last year and while I can say I enjoy it, doing it outdoors in the winter takes it to another level. It blew me away. The passion of doing something they loved, just oozed out of them as they would run past smiling (well, almost all of them).

It made me think about my passions and how much I love helping clients find their perfect home. So often I find myself doing things that I hear other agents complain about doing for their clients, but it just does not bother me and I frankly enjoy it too much. When the single father has almost given up searching because his past agent would not work after 6pm. Being at the office during Easter Sunday dinner, because the family from out of the country needs to find their son his first home before they fly home. The whole family (husband and wife, with both sets of parents) rings the doorbell at an open house at 4:10pm to see this specific property, just as I am turning off the lights to go home. The list goes on. I am not your typical agent, and neither is the level of service that I provide. I might not be able to promise a perfect smooth closing, but I can promise I will be there, with you, the entire time.

Real estate is my passion.

—

http://www.MattRichling.com

Matt Richling is a sales representative with RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd., Brokerage, Independently Owned and Operated - The opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the RE/MAX or RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd., Brokerage.

In 2008 Ottawa residents were able to cut usage by four percent during the one hour global event. This year the Earth Hour message was better received and we were able to cut usage by just over six percent, which is enough to power 58 homes for a month. It might not be the 15% that Toronto cut usage this year during the 60 minutes but we sure did our part. Local business jumped on board, the NAC’s Le Café and the Fairmont Château Laurier, served dinner by candlelight only. At the Westin Hotel, the chef performed an Earth Hour cooking demonstration, reportedly using a candle-powered grill. The nine Bridgehead locations across the city switched off lighting, music, dishwashers and other non-critical equipment in favour of candlelight, and acoustic music. Moksha Yoga Ottawa on Preston Street is held a special yoga class silent and lit with candles.

The skeptics, who include environmental activists, point out that it’s pretty easy to turn off non-essential lighting for 60 minutes a year, whereas making real headway combating global warming is difficult and will involve real — and likely expensive — sacrifices. Indeed, for everyone from multinational corporations to municipalities, Earth Hour seems an excellent marketing opportunity to show they care about global warming, without much pain at all.

So lets do it! Bridgehead, why not do the same thing one night a week? I would much rather sit in a bridgehead with some soft acoustic music and candlelight, (especially if I was on a date - very romantic!) and im sure others would as well. How else can we each contribute? How many of us leave our computers, or other things on at home overnight and during the day?

Toronto dropped usage by over 15%! Ottawa - six percent is a good start, but we can do better!

—

http://www.MattRichling.com

Matt Richling is a sales representative with RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd., Brokerage, Independently Owned and Operated - The opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the RE/MAX or RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd., Brokerage.

Yesterday I checked out the Ottawa Home and Garden Show going on this weekend at Lansdown Park. I am profiling some of the more interesting booths and trends that I saw during my visit. Make sure to check out Ottawa Home and Garden Show GUIDE Part One as well.

Larry Roy gave me a quick lesson on artificial turf over at the SYNLawn booth. Not just for putting greens anymore, now Larry installs the synthetic grass around pools, backyards, playgrounds, pet areas, condo balconies, government buildings, and the list goes on. A true expert in everything synthetic grass, Larry showed me around 40 different types of grass products, to allow for any budget or end look/goal. Of course the product is being used in many LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification projects because of its low VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) and its environmentally-sensitive polyurethane backing. Not only is it a green product but it has almost effort-less maintenance - NO MOWING! Plus you do not need to water it or use any pesticides.

On the subject of artificial, check out the Northern Palm Company booth to see how you can make it feel more like the tropical season year round. Greg Combe explained how the Galvalume product that is used to make the tree’s is 55% aluminum and 45% zinc and can withstand up to 110 MPH winds. Just recently Greg and the crew were featured on Extreme Home Makeover with Ty Pennington, and also did a complete install for musician Kid Rock who puchased over $90,000 worth of trees. Prices start at $2,500 for a seven foot tree complete with lights, and go as high as 14 feet (see above picture).

At the RenoCoach booth, Daniel Wildgen walked me through his consulting business and how he can help “save your marrige”. With over 25 years of experience, Daniel and his team are there to help you make the most out of your renovation dollars. From the initial design, plan and schedual, to onsite project management and consultation, Daniel is deffinatly someone that you want in your corner when thinking about doing that addition or kitchen makeover.

I couldnt get through the show without some food, enter Jason Groulx from the Delta, who was doing a cooking demonstration for 100% organic burgers. VERY tasty, and worth the wait!

Make sure to check out Ottawa Home and Garden Show Guide part one.

—

http://www.MattRichling.com

Matt Richling is a sales representative with RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd., Brokerage, Independently Owned and Operated - The opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the RE/MAX or RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd., Brokerage.

Tomorrow, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour.

—

http://www.MattRichling.com

Matt Richling is a sales representative with RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd., Brokerage, Independently Owned and Operated - The opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the RE/MAX or RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd., Brokerage.