When Colin Darrow plans a condominium development, he knows the little things can mean as much as the big picture.

Such as the taps on a bathtub. In one project, the head of Denver Carrington Developments couldn’t get the look and quality he demanded without paying $400 per suite for the taps. So the company invested in the high-end taps and now the suites have the taps you typically only see in five-star hotels.

“I never put in a suite something I wouldn’t put in my own home,” says Darrow.

Darrow heads Denver Carrington Developments, which is launching projects in Kelowna after building a reputation for high quality in Calgary for the past nine years. The company has developed and sold 100 condos in Calgary in the last two years, and hundreds since the early 1990s.

Denver Carrington president Colin Darrow brings to the Interior the same lofty condo-building credentials that brought him great success in Calgary.

“I feel comfortable being a mid-size developer,” he says. “I still know most of the customers that buy from me.”

He is thoroughly experienced in this type of home. He has never built a single-family dwelling – only condominiums. A condo specialist since 1980, Darrow has a degree in business and economics.

He is a founding member of the Canadian Condominium Institute, a national, independent, non-profit organization dealing exclusively with condominium issues, that was formed in 1983.

Born in Canada, Darrow worked in Denver, Colo., for a while. Over the years, he has watched the industry’s greatest and not-so-great developers. He knows that doing the job right always pays off.

For example, he only buys and installs Whirlpool and Maytag appliances. They’re more expensive than most major brands, but they cause fewer headaches for him and his customers.

“The number of breakdowns is close to zero,” he explains.

In fact, areas in which many developers see a chance to save a buck become points of pride for Darrow. “It costs me more money, but I’d rather put in the best products. You won’t see a $49 dining room lighting fixture hanging from the ceiling in any of my condos.”

That commitment to quality affects more aspects of a development than the average buyer would even realize. Trades people, who can choose to do professional- standard work or cut corners, typically take their cue from the developer’s own standards.

“You do your best to get the highest quality of construction,” Darrow says, “but if you’re not installing top-quality materials in the first place, what do you expect the trades to do?”

He also believes a development’s design should address the needs of all its occupants. And it should never make the residents feel like they’re in an apartment building.

“It doesn’t matter what size the building is, you should never forget people are putting their money into it, they’re investing in it. You should create a building that reflects people’s lifestyles.”

That’s the approach Denver Carrington will take in its Kelowna ventures. One of the first projects is a three-phase, 125-unit development on the Westbank First Nations reserve, on land belonging to former band chief Ron Derrickson. It will be in the middle of a golf course, right beside the clubhouse.

The first phase will be townhouses, the second a three-to-four-storey building with an elevator. The third and final phase will be eight to 10 storeys tall.

Denver Carrington is working on another project in Kelowna, but it is too early to reveal the details.

Darrow is looking forward to establishing himself in Kelowna, where he has moved with his son and daughter.

As a single father, he is able to understand the needs of the many singles in today’s condo market.

He knows in his heart the challenges of today’s single parent and puts that knowledge to work in every condo project.

Darrow is already begun working with some respected local professionals, including realtor Jim Mayne and lawyer Jim Ramsey – “wonderful people who are active in the business community.”

And what a community it is.

“I love everything about Kelowna – the skiing, going out on my boat . . . it’s an amazing lifestyle,” adds Darrow.

“And one of the great things about doing business here is that you can really make a difference.

“It’s a lot more gratifying doing business in Kelowna. I truly enjoy the fact that I can make a positive contribution to the community.”

As if to present an omen about fitting in, a remarkable coincidence emerged when Denver Carrington first looked at the condo project on the Westbank reserve.

The thoroughfare on which the project to be named Denver Carrington Place will stand has for many years been named Carrington Road.

“It’s amazing,” he says with a smile. “Somebody asked me if I named my company after the road. I said, ‘No, but some people are going to ask me if I named the road after my company.’ In fact, neither is the case.”

One thing’s certain: Darrow intends to make it another project that fills him with pride – from the exterior architecture, right down to the taps and light fixtures.

For further information, call Colin Darrow at 250.868.7317 or e-mail denvercarrington@shaw.ca