Elevate Your New Home Design with Refreshingly Streamlined Upgrades

There’s a moment in every homebuying journey when you picture your life unfolding inside the freshly painted walls of your new home—morning coffee at the kitchen island, laughter from the playroom or the quiet retreat of your ensuite at the end of the day.

That vision of comfort, belonging and function is why smart home design matters. With more than 44,000 homes built or in progress, we’ve learnt what families value most: space that adapts, kitchens that function, basements that flex and style that feels modern yet livable.

Every Anthem home starts with functional floorplans and strong standard features designed for comfort, efficiency and timeless appeal. From there, our tried-and-true design options make it simple to customize your home in ways that fit your unique lifestyle.

That’s the idea behind Refreshingly Streamlined Upgrades—sensible, curated options tailored to each Anthem floorplan, giving you enough choice to confidently personalize your home without ever feeling overwhelmed. From transforming a kitchen into your family gathering hub, a mudroom into your daily drop zone, or a basement into a play space, our design options elevate your home—and your everyday—into something extra functional and refreshingly yours.

Upgrading Your New Home: From Overwhelming to Empowering

When you hear “home upgrades”, you might imagine confusing packages or stressful decisions. We’ve reimagined the process, replacing chaos with clarity so you spend less time sorting through clutter and more time enjoying the excitement of building a new home.

• Easy Comparison: Standard vs. Optional Features
  Many of our home design options come to life with animated renderings, showcasing each space as if you were walking through it yourself. They clearly show what comes standard and how each feature builds on the last, making it easy to visualize the impact of every upgrade level. No guessing from sketches or flat drawings—decisions become clear and straightforward.
• Professionally Curated Options
  Guided by our design team, each home design features a curated set of upgraded options tailored to its layout, size, and flow. Every option is designed to enhance functionality, livability and value—while excluding anything that doesn’t genuinely elevate the way you live. This ensures you can personalize your home confidently, without feeling overwhelmed by too many decisions or questioning whether each choice is worth it.
• Interactive Design Tool
  Explore any floorplan online and watch how structural options come to life. Use the interactive tool to toggle between available floorplan configurations—like adding a main floor bedroom, a working kitchen or an alternate ensuite—and see how each one integrates into the space. Try it on our popular Front Drive 110 in Edmonton or the Front Drive 124 in Calgary models to see the possibilities. This tool highlights some of our most popular design options, but the options extend far beyond what you’ll find here. Our sales team can guide you through the full range of structural customizations.

Anthem’s Custom-Inspired Home Design Options

Modern Kitchen Designs

If there’s one room that anchors a home, it’s the kitchen—the heart of daily routines and family life. A thoughtfully designed kitchen makes cooking, hosting, homework and cleanup feel easier and simply more enjoyable. Kitchen upgrades are also among the most impactful for long-term home value.

Cabinet Layout Options: Sleek Design, Custom Feel

Every Anthem home design begins with a strong kitchen foundation, but upgrading your cabinet layout elevates it from thoughtfully designed to custom-inspired.

With each cabinet level, the details evolve: full-height cabinets extend to the ceiling, maximizing storage and giving the space a taller, grandeur feel; an over-the-range microwave is replaced with a chimney-style hood fan, adding a modern, high-end statement; and built-in appliances create a seamless, integrated look typically found in custom-built homes.

Watch how each level transforms the kitchen and how small design choices create a striking visual impact. Even when life gets messy (and pancakes tumble off the island), it still looks polished and refined, making cabinet upgrades one of the smartest choices a homebuyer can make.

Working Kitchens: A Second Space for Serious Cooks

Love to cook, entertain, or simply keep your main kitchen spotless? A working kitchen (also called a spice kitchen) is a game-changer. Many homebuyers choose to convert the pantry included in most Anthem floorplans into a fully functional secondary kitchen with appliances, ventilation, and the option to add a sink or even an additional window.

It’s a true luxury to have a dedicated space for heavier cooking, baking, or meal prep. Homeowners often choose this option to separate everyday meals from entertaining or to accommodate family members with varied cooking styles.

Most single-family, front-drive garage homes offer the option to convert the pantry into a working kitchen, including in popular communities like Cornerstone in Calgary and McConachie Heights in Edmonton.

SEE A WORKING KITCHEN IN AN ANTHEM SHOWHOME 

• Cornerstone Front Drive 122 (Calgary)
• Chelsea Front Drive 124 (Chestermere)

Basement Development

Every Anthem home comes with an undeveloped basement, providing a flexible space for storage, hobbies, or future plans. For those contemplating developing their basement, completing it during the initial build process is generally more cost-effective and less disruptive to your daily routines.

Our finished basement options add flexibility, functionality and even financial opportunity with up to 600 SF of additional living space, two bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a large living area.

Practical today, profitable tomorrow, and always versatile—basement developments are among the smartest investments you can make when building your new home. In Alberta, they consistently rank among the home improvements that provide the highest return-on-investment.

Extra Living Space or Legal Basement Suite

Many buyers finish their basements to create a more comfortable and connected home. It’s an easy way to expand your living space for growing families, weekend guests, or future needs. Whether it becomes a cozy family room, play space, home gym, or a creative studio, a finished basement transforms what was once storage into a vibrant, everyday extension of your home.

For even more flexibility, a legal basement suite converts the lower level into a self-contained living space, independent from the main floor. It’s ideal for multi-generational households, hosting long-term guests, or generating rental income to help offset mortgage payments.

SEE A BASEMENT DEVELOPMENT IN AN ANTHEM SHOWHOME

• Cornerstone Laned 160 (Calgary)
• Pine Creek Laned 150 (Calgary)
• Chelsea Front Drive 124 (Chestermere)
• Kinglet by Big Lake Front Drive 120 (Edmonton)

Main Floor Bedroom & Full Bathroom: Flexible Living Spaces

Many of our home designs feature a home office and a half bathroom on the main floor—a setup that works beautifully for many families. For those seeking more versatility, this space can be converted into a main floor bedroom and a full bathroom complete with a stand-up shower. The result is a bedroom, a spacious closet, additional light from a new window and a private bathroom just steps away.

This home option is ideal for hosting guests who value privacy and comfort, accommodating multi-generational families, or providing main-floor convenience for anyone with mobility considerations.

SEE A MAIN FLOOR BEDROOM CONVERSION IN AN ANTHEM SHOWHOME

• Cornerstone Front Drive 122 (Calgary)
• Pine Creek Laned 130 (Calgary)
• Chelsea Front Drive 124 (Chestermere)
• Weston at Edgemont Front Drive 120 (Edmonton)
• Dansereau Meadows Front Drive 170 (Beaumont)

Side Home Entry: Everyday Convenience & Privacy

A side home entry is one of those quietly brilliant customizations that enhances flow, functionality, and household movement, without changing your home’s footprint.

Discreetly positioned along the side of the home, the entrance connects to the stairwell for easy access to both the main and lower levels, yet out of sight from main living areas. Many floorplans even offer the option to add a second door, fully separating the main floor from the lower level to maintain privacy between the two.

This secondary entry makes day-to-day life easier, whether its managing teenagers coming and going, running a home business, or letting a dog dart outside for a game of fetch. It’s also a practical solution for homes with a basement suite, clearly defining separate living spaces.

SEE A SIDE ENTRY IN AN ANTHEM SHOWHOME

• Cornerstone Front Drive 122 (Calgary)
• Kinglet by Big Lake Front Drive 120 (Edmonton)

Open Railings: Light, Bright, and Connected

Replacing a standard stub wall with open metal spindles or modern glass railing instantly transforms your staircases and hallways. Natural light flows more freely, rooms feel larger, and sightlines open, creating a sense of spaciousness and connection between rooms and levels. This option enhances your home’s visual appeal and delivers the airy, open concept feel today’s homebuyers expect. It’s a subtle detail with a big impact—adding sophistication, style, and a sense of flow that’s immediately noticeable.

EXPLORE RAILING OPTIONS IN AN ANTHEM SHOWHOME

Explore a variety of railing styles in Anthem showhomes across Calgary and Edmonton—or browse our online galleries and virtual tours to find your favourite look.

Fireplaces: Warmth & Wow

Every Anthem floorplan offers the option to add a fireplace to the great room, a feature that brings both literal warmth and emotional comfort. Imagine cozy winter mornings, relaxing evenings with family by the fire, or a festive spot for hanging stockings during the holidays. A fireplace adds ambiance while turning your living space into a showpiece.

Anthem’s fireplace options let you tailor the focal point of your living room to match your style—from a simple, modern mantle to a dramatic full-height stone or tile surround. Enhancing your living room with a fireplace not only enhances daily living but adds a lasting “wow” factor, elevating both the design and appeal of your home.

 EXPLORE FIREPLACE OPTIONS IN AN ANTHEM SHOWHOME

Explore a variety of fireplace designs, finishes, and styles in Anthem showhomes across Calgary and Edmonton—or browse our online galleries and virtual tours for inspiration. 

Homebuying, Refreshingly Streamlined

What begins as Refreshingly Streamlined Upgrades becomes something even better—a homebuying journey that’s straightforward, empowering, and exciting.

Our curated design options are designed to feel right today, make sense for years to come, and reflect how modern families live across Calgary and Edmonton.

Because at its core, Refreshingly Streamlined is about respecting your time, your budget, and your vision. Clear choices. Thoughtful options. No overwhelm.

See How Refreshingly Streamlined Designing Your New Home Can Be

• Explore Calgary Home Designs & Floorplans
• Explore Edmonton Home Designs & Floorplans
• Visit an Anthem Showhome

Ready to take the next step?

Ready to take the next step?

Talk to an Anthem sales team today about available homes and communities.

Connect With Us