Tired of shelling out rent to someone else, she’d been on the hunt for a place on her own for a while (“I think I drove my realtor crazy,” she says), but nothing really seemed like her. And just like that, she fell in love. Well, sort of.

The style of the 525-square-foot one-bedroom unit seemed to suit her, especially its floor plan, which wasn’t anything like the scores of places she’d been through previously, which all looked exactly the same. “At first, I wasn’t sure, but then my realtor just kept telling me to ignore the colour, ’cause it’s just paint. Everything was pink, even the baseboards. Well, except the bedroom. That was a really dark yellow.”

While some toning down was in order everything else was a great fit for Kendra, who, coming from a not-so-bright basement suite, was about to see the light. In addition to a central Melrose Place-like courtyard, the gated three-storey building was a short walk to downtown, where Kendra, who works in marketing, was employed at the time. She’s since changed jobs and her office is now not far from the Chinook Shopping Centre, but her very own place is still a central jumping off point to access her office and family and friends who’ve gradually spread out across the city over the years.

Blonde laminate hardwood and tile underfoot, a funky raised eating bar in the kitchen – which also had brand new black appliances from being refurbished two years earlier – sweetened the pot in Kendra’s eyes. “New appliances were really important to me, and good ones, including a dishwasher,” she says. “I like all the detail in here too – the knockdown ceilings are nice, and the French doors really sold me.”

And cliché as it were, even if the location was removed from the Mission and Bankview addresses she’d been eyeing, the price was right. “With the interest rates so low at the time, I pay just a few dollars more for my mortgage than I had for rent,” she says, adding one property she put an offer on suffered flood damage last spring.

While she’s an admitted workaholic, Kendra’s bachelorette pad does become the gathering spot for the odd Girls’ Night Out, and likely makes her the envy of her suburban-dwelling friends when the Stampede’s fireworks light the sky. “Some of my neighbours and I have gone out to watch them in our pyjamas,” she jokes.

What has become of the pastel pink that was so much a part of the digs before she moved in? While she did keep one deep purple wall along the entry side of her digs, Kendra enlisted the help of some pals to give her first home of a more modern look. Now set against a rich grey main hue, the splash of purple juxtaposes nicely as a feature wall behind her kitchen table. “I had to keep the one purple wall,” she admits with a smile.

In addition to its location and design, a condo board that allowed pets impressed Kendra. “I always wanted a cat. It drove me up the wall not being able to have one when I rented, so that was really important.”

So, she got a feline roomie, Riley, who appears purr-fectly at home in her main-floor haunt. In fact, she discovered after moving in most of her neighbours have pets also, which worked out even better than expected. “It’s great. It’s like a cat fiesta out there,” she jokes, pointing at the courtyard. “When I go away, my neighbour just pops over and feeds her in the morning, and we all leave our doors open so the cats can play. Nobody believes me how they all get along.”

And the overall condo lifestyle appeals to Kendra, especially because she’s so busy. “We’re pretty lucky. They’re out shoveling first thing in the morning when it snows. And in the summer, the condo board is good about keeping the flowers up out in the courtyard.”

And while her complex sees less drama than Melrose Place, the central courtyard does encourage the occasional socializing among neighbours. “Coming from a basement suite, it’s nice. You’re just so isolated. And now everybody is out barbecuing on their decks in the summer.”

Though she realizes the condo lifestyle may not always be her style, Kendra appreciates the ease and location for the time being, with her favourite breakfast spot and new stores cropping up all the time along Edmonton Trail. “They just put in this cool new flower shop, and there is a great bakery, too,” adds Kendra.

And when it is time to sell, she knows her investment will have been worth it. “There aren’t any places for sale now, but the mirror image of this place sold for $25,000 more than I paid, and that was six months ago.”   CL