Inside, the lower floors feature classic décor, while upstairs, the style is a bit more urban and downtown, Taskey says. Throughout the public spaces, tones of cream, tan, brown and turquoise in flooring, wall coverings, furniture and draperies produce a cozy, inviting and sophisticated ambience.
Caramel porcelain and travertine tile combine with brown and turquoise patterned carpeting in the lobby and reception area, and decorative lighting adds a warm glow.
Tall ceilings lend grandeur and spaciousness to the public spaces on the first floor. The great room’s floor-to-ceiling windows admit tons of natural light and overlook Gates Circle and green space. The great room, one of the retirement community’s main gathering spaces, features motorized shades for audiovisual presentations, upholstered stacking chairs for meetings and presentations, and decorative pendant lighting with fabric shades.
Down the hall from the great room, the lounge and library are furnished with comfortable upholstered chairs in conversational groupings, a card table, and double-hung windows with transoms and mesh shades with decorative fabric. A first-floor arts and crafts studio and activities room is furnished with tables, chairs and cabinet storage.
The formal dining room impresses with carpeted floors, soft window treatments, and a creamy wall covering with a subtle floral overprint on the upper walls. The café, a casual space for lighter fare, has lots of windows and features shades of turquoise and brown with white trim. The café will serve sandwiches, salads and pizza prepared in its own pizza oven. There’s also a private dining room for family events and birthday parties, furnished with a single, large dining table and a buffet piece.
Located along carpeted corridors that reflect the turquoise and brown color scheme, the elegant apartments will reflect their owners’ tastes in flooring, countertops and wall colors. Throughout the building, the elegant apartments have open kitchens, walk-in showers and no transitions in the flooring so it’s easy for occupants to move around. The apartment homes on the lowest floors have traditional mullioned windows and faux wood blinds, while those on the top floors feature casement windows with contemporary white mesh shades. All kitchens feature granite or quartz countertops, luxury vinyl tile flooring, wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and tile backsplashes, as well as island seating areas with pendant lighting.
“The people who signed up early made selections from boards that we put together,” Taskey says. Others will be able to customize their apartments to their own tastes.
The soaring, two-story cocktail lounge on the top of the building is sure to be a favorite gathering space for residents, who will enjoy expansive views from the floor-to-ceiling windows. The lounge features wood-look, luxury vinyl tile flooring, glass wall tile, hanging decorative lighting and contemporary wing chairs around the tables.
The products specified for Gates Circle will create an environment that is upscale and sophisticated. Krista’s company, Design Specialists has been in business for 30 years. They service clients in a 3-hour radius in the senior living, healthcare, corporate, hospitality and higher education industries.
“Design is my passion and I love to help my clients actually enjoy the process,” she says. “I truly believe that we make a positive, lasting impact on the spaces we create and the people we touch.”
Krista says she is enjoying her work on Canterbury Woods Gates Circle, a unique continuing care retirement community in the heart of Buffalo that offers numerous programs and activities for residents and the reassurance of life care should their needs change.
“It’s a great location and a community that has a lot going for it,” she says.
Canterbury Woods Gates Circle is scheduled for completion this fall. To learn more about this unique and innovative retirement community, please call 716-929-5817 or find more information here.
