With hardwood floors, glass tile, granite countertops and vessel sinks, a newly restored 14-suite condominium in the Oliver neighbourhood could well be one of Edmonton's hidden gems.

Developers extensively renovated the 40-year-old building, located at 11325 103rd Ave., transforming it from an apartment long past its glory days to a chicly contemporary condo, says Kurt Masse, head of Keystone Capital.

"Basically, we've rehabilitated this building," Masse says of the structure he's named Trademark Luxury Condominiums.

"It isn't completely gutted, but it's pretty close. Once you're inside, it would be pretty tough to tell the difference between (it) and a brand-new unit."

The four-storey, brick-and-sided building on a quiet, tree-lined street close to downtown restaurants, transit, cafes and nightlife offers what Masse calls boutique-style condo living.

"The boutique has the connotation of more upper-ended and personal touches and that's exactly what we tried to do here," Masse says.

Those extra touches are abundantly on display in the show suite where Masse has married espresso-stained solid maple cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom with the dark richness of wide-plank engineered hardwood floors in the living area and bedrooms.

Porcelain tile, the colour of linen, gives floors in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room a cool sophistication, while kitchen backsplashes of white subway tile inlaid with coloured mosaic glass channel the vibe of a New York loft.

Countertops are all thick-slab granite, the tiled bathroom floor is heated from beneath and the bathtub is luxuriously deep. A glass vessel sink atop a dark wood cabinet in the bathroom combines art house style with everyday function.

The developer didn't scrimp on details, even going so far as to put full-sized top-loading washers and dryers in each suite.

"There is a smaller version and we went and tried them ourselves," Masse says. "You'd be lucky if you could get three pairs of jeans in and you wouldn't be able to get all your bedding in one load. So from a realistic standpoint, we knew we had to go with a bigger, full-sized laundry unit."

Suites also come with smooth-top range, refrigerator with pullout freezer drawer on the bottom, dishwasher and microwave hood fan.

The goal was to make the condos as esthetically pleasing and functional as possible without spending so much on renovations that it would be out of the price range of buyers.

Masse says Oliver and the surrounding area are full of new, ultra-posh condos and ones like his that have been converted from apartments.

"There are a lot of older buildings that got converted during the boom. ... A lot of them are almost like apartment rentals where maybe laminate and a coat of paint got put in and they're selling from the 130s to the 150s. ... Or there's the newer buildings where you can easily hit $400,000.

"So we're trying to find that middle ground where you get a character building with a great location ... but you give it all the amenities of a new building."

The renovations run more than skin deep. There are new balconies, windows, plumbing fixtures, patio doors and electrical panels. The building also has a new roof and boiler.

"Every single water shut-off in this building has been replaced," says Masse. "We put in programmable thermostats to save money. ... You have all the new flooring, new cabinets, new lights, walls, plumbing, electrical. We've hit all of it."

Prices in the Trademark start at $169,900.

"It's affordable, yet still cool." Sizes range from about 500 to

1,100 square feet. There are one-, two-and three-bedroom units. The building also has a few unique two-level suites.

"On one level there would be the living room, kitchen and half bath and ... then there's three bedrooms and a full bath and a laundry room downstairs," says Masse.

The condo's location, style and price appeal to a particular demographic.

"Our target market would be 25-to 35-year-olds. They've got a career and are at the point where they want their own place. They want to live the New York lifestyle where they can just hop on the transit or go for a walk or meet your friends at the local pub."

For a first-time buyer, they're a good investment, too, he says.

"With a lot of the condo conversions, people bought into some of the units where the full building wasn't rehabbed ... so if some people fix up their units and some don't, that can bring down the value of the whole building. But when the whole building starts out as top-notch, it's a safer bet for your investment."

The showsuite is open Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 4 p.m.

To find out more about Trademark Luxury Condos, visit the website at trademarkcondos.ca