Space-age design and retro décor are on full display in Carol and Don Carruthers' atomic ranch-style home

Tucked away on a quiet inner-city boulevard, lined with century old trees and dotted with mature lilac bushes, sits a vintage, 1950s-era architectural gem. Its space-age design – angles, offsets and images of starbursts, atoms and boomerangs (think The Jetsons) – is known as atomic ranch, a mid-century design trend inspired by the era's fascination with the space race. The design is funky, retro and eclectic, with sunken living spaces, vinyl tile and even a décor wall dotted with vintage bowling balls. Carol and Don Carruthers purchased the home in 2001 from the original owner, thinking they would renovate and flip it. But they fell in love with the home's quirkiness, laying plans for a modernization aside in favour of retaining the home's vintage character and mid-century feel.

Space-age design and retro décor are on full display in Carol and Don Carruthers' atomic ranch-style home

Tucked away on a quiet inner-city boulevard, lined with century old trees and dotted with mature lilac bushes, sits a vintage, 1950s-era architectural gem. Its space-age design – angles, offsets and images of starbursts, atoms and boomerangs (think The Jetsons) – is known as atomic ranch, a mid-century design trend inspired by the era's fascination with the space race. The design is funky, retro and eclectic, with sunken living spaces, vinyl tile and even a décor wall dotted with vintage bowling balls. Carol and Don Carruthers purchased the home in 2001 from the original owner, thinking they would renovate and flip it. But they fell in love with the home's quirkiness, laying plans for a modernization aside in favour of retaining the home's vintage character and mid-century feel.

Affordability, community and amenities have drawn many to Calgary's northern neighbour

While most people take great care to choose the place they want to call home, one could say Airdrie chose Wendie and John Pilkington. More precisely, their son and his growing family chose Airdrie for them, when he relocated from England to a new job in the city of nearly 65,000.

Since 2014, the elder Pilkingtons have resided in Cooper's Crossing, which has been voted Airdrie's best community for five years in a row.

"Airdrie is where the kids are and that's where we are," said Wendie Pilkington, admitting that even when they first moved, they weren't sure they would remain. After nearly 30 years of living in England's comparatively grey climes, Airdrie's year-round sunshine was particularly attractive.

Trends shaping the city's short- and long-term development

Absent a crystal ball, the future of housing in Calgary is very much up in the air. At the same time, there are some notable trends that offer clues to what's on the horizon for the curious, the concerned and those who just like to plan ahead.

"I think the findings from the 2016 census highlight changes in the Calgary housing market," said Rylan Graham, a sessional instructor in the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary.

"We saw significant growth in many of the inner-city neighborhoods developed pre-World War II, and at the periphery of the city through new greenfield development. These areas are where most of the population growth occurred from 2011-2016."

On Oct. 16, Calgarians will go to the polls to determine the city's mayor, councillors and school board trustees. In the competition for the mayor's chair, a three-man race has emerged between incumbent Mayor Naheed Nenshi, veteran city councillor Andre Chabot, and local lawyer and former Alberta Progressive Conservative party president Bill Smith.

Nenshi, Chabot and Smith recently sat down with CREB®Now's Mario Toneguzzi to discuss some of the most important real estate and housing-related issues impacting Calgarians, now and in the future.