Building new at Sarilia: Contemporary, cosy & immersed in nature

We met Taylor back in the fall of 2020, after she purchased a well-treed lot at Sarilia. As an architectural technologist, she was in the midst of planning her new build, a Humble Home, which she told us about in a previous blog post. 

Fast forward to today: she’s settled into her beautiful new home, and she’s now the owner of a sweet golden retriever named Theo. “He’s five months old now. He loves it out here—running around the yard, he just gets so excited,” she says. 

We recently caught up with Taylor to find out about how the build came together and what she thinks of her new life in the river valley. 

Do you feel that the build of your new home went well overall?
I would say so. It was my first time project managing a build on my own, so it was definitely a learning experience but it was really cool to purchase the land and do the design myself and be really involved in the whole construction process. It was a really good experience for me. 

Can you tell me a about the layout of your home and how you designed it to fit your needs?
It’s kind of funny because I think I went through about 19 different floor plans before I found one I was happy with. It was a process.

The house has three bedrooms and two baths. I have my own bedroom and I wanted a spare room for guests, and the third bedroom is used as my office. I have my own drafting company and I also work from home sometimes in my full-time job with Voce Developments. It’s nice to have that separate space.

It’s open concept. It has a big vaulted ceiling in my kitchen/living room area—lots of windows for natural light. It’s so nice in here during the day because all the sunlight comes in and brightens it up. It’s calm and cosy.

If you had to do it all over again, is there anything you’d do differently in regards to the design or build?
I did all the painting myself, and next time I would definitely hire a painter! (Laughs) 

Can you paint me a picture of what your lot looks like?
I’m in the trees—my land was completely treed before I built. I have a view of the river bank on the other side.

Do you have a favourite room, or favourite feature in your new home?
I have a couple of decks off of the house. My deck on the front is covered, and I have a deck on the other side of the house, so it’s perfect. Any time of day, I can have sun or shade. I can see myself spending lots of time out there this summer. 

Back in 2020, you said it was more affordable to build a home like yours at Sarilia than to build or buy a new home in Saskatoon. Now that your home is complete, do you still feel that way?
Yes, I would definitely say so. My house is just over 1,100 sq. Ft. To buy a similar house in Saskatoon, I can imagine it costing a lot more. I also saved a lot of money by managing the build myself. The lots out here are so affordable. If you can be smart with where you’re spending your money, and how you design your home, it’s definitely more affordable to build at Sarilia.

You’ve been settled in now since the fall. How does it feel to live in a home that you design and managed the build for?
It’s honestly so rewarding. Just to come home and have that sense of accomplishment. Being out here is so beautiful, it’s so peaceful. The drive out really isn’t bad—the roads have been really good. Just coming out, being in the country, in nature—it’s awesome. You can watch the birds and hear the coyotes at night and it’s just so quiet. 

Have you met many of your neighbours at Sarilia?
There’s a ladies night that goes on here, so I went to that and met lots of women there. Everybody is so awesome. They’re so nice out here. 

I was here for Halloween and there were lots of trick-or-treaters coming to my door. One of the ladies made a map for Sarilia with all the houses handing out candy. And then everybody comes around—it was really cool. There’s such a sense of community here.

Even taking my dog for a walk, you see someone on the road and everyone stops and says hi. 

Were there any learning curves that came with moving to the country?
For the first couple of months, it was just monitoring septic and water usage. (Sarilia homes use septic and cistern systems). I don’t use that much water—every couple of days I look at the water levels. 

There is someone who delivers the water, and he can do emergency runs if you need it, but typically he makes the rounds every two weeks. He’ll send an email in advance, asking how much water we need. It’s really easy.

What kind of winter activities do you plan to partake in at Sarilia?
There’s been talk about having a bonfire out here. I’d like to go cross-country skiing. The trails are just down the road. Just going out for walks and being in nature. 

What about summer activities?
Sarilia has its own beach, so I would like to go there this spring and summer. I paddle board and I fish, so I think being down by the river is just ideal for me. 

What do your friends and family say when they visit your new home for the first time?
Everybody says it’s so beautiful out here—being in nature. They notice how quiet it is, and say how gorgeous it is.

Now that you’ve lived at Sarilia for four months, what kind of person do you think would enjoy living here in the river valley?
If you are somebody, like me, who still drives into Saskatoon every day for work, but you like to be in nature, it’s just a good option. It has the convenience of being close to the city, but it’s also a nice getaway from it.