For his first contribution to London’s Dream Lottery, Vasile Caniuca, owner of Millstone Homes, desired to create something special. “I wanted to give

“I wanted to give back to my community, and this is my way of doing that,” says Caniuca. Born in Romania, he appreciates the lifestyle offered in Canada and his adopted city, London. So he set out to build the “best dream homes ever and these are a real dream!” he says.

“The homes are receiving rave reviews for their quality and unique features,” says St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation president and CEO Michelle Campbell. “The dream of owning homes like these has helped raise more than $30 million net since 1996 for London hospitals that provide specialized, complex and critical care for patients from across the region,” she adds.

Caniuca describes the Highland home, adjacent to the Highland Country Club, as “a French farm house with contemporary touches.” It features clean lines with a white limestone and stucco exterior, accented with black trim.

Inside, the colour palette leans toward neutral tones of white and grey. In the kitchen, black cabinetry contrasts with white quartz countertops and backsplash.

There is a separate family room and office on the main level. The upper level has three bedrooms, including an expansive master suite.

The Wickerson home, in Wickerson Woods - behind the Boler Mountain recreational playground, is designed in a West Coast style.

Its exterior is stone, cedar and stucco, with stone carried into the two-storey foyer. Expansive windows across the rear kitchen and great room, plus cantilevered balconies on the main and upper levels, offer breathtaking views of Boler Mountain and downtown London beyond.

“They’re million-dollar views,” Caniuca says. “It’s like living in a high-end resort.” The upper level has three bedrooms, including the master retreat. It stretches across the back of the home and is separated from the ensuite bathroom by an oversize walk-in closet.

A finished lower level, with a walk-out to an expansive patio, includes another bedroom. This level also features a basketball court with a 15-foot ceiling.

Both homes have walk-in kitchen pantries and upper level laundry rooms. Each features white European oak floors throughout. The basketball court’s floor is constructed from Canadian maple.