Western Living AB, January/February 2019

WESTERN LIVING JAN/FEB 2019

B.C. & ALBERTA L VOLUME 48 L NUMBER 1

WESTERNLIVING .CA // NEW YEAR NEW LOOKS

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Date: December 18, 2018

Western Living

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Timeless and deliberate, Kohler bathroom fixtures embody the beautifully understated elements of minimalist design. At Robinson Lighting & Bath Centre, we carry the full line of Kohler faucets, fixtures and accessories that balance beautiful design with practical function, so you can enjoy your space exactly as you imagined. Visit one of our showrooms and ask our experts how you can bring your home to life.

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SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST CLOSETS

W

hen California Closets designer Ilona Beed collaborated recently with clients Bill and Bev Smith, who were moving from their 3,000-squarefoot family home to a two-bedroom condominium, she encountered a scenario that’s common when it comes to downsizing. The condo’s second bedroom would have to act as so much more, from a guest bedroom to den to home office to storage space.

From a design perspective, such a room presents a unique challenge: how to have a small area be multifunctional without being cluttered, make it practical and comfortable yet stylish and inviting?

That’s exactly that kind of conundrum that designers like Beed love. With extensive experience in transforming all sorts of small spaces, Beed started with the homeowners’ initial wish: a Murphy bed wall unit, so that they’d have a place for their two granddaughters to sleep but also plenty of space for their desk, computer, and printer as well as the ability to display knickknacks like Bill’s prized Coca-Cola pieces.

Meeting in their new home, Beed started designing on the spot with a 3D computer-aided design (CAD) software program, showing the couple many different ideas and configurations in real time. They were able to visualize exactly how the room might look and got a better sense of what they liked and didn’t like.

“What we do isn’t just about taking measurements,” Beed says. “We spend time with people in the consultation process understanding who our clients are and what their needs are.”

Once the pair had decided on the right Murphy bed wall unit, other possibilities came up. Beed helped make a reach-in closet far more functional by replacing existing wire racks with a suspended system, allowing for usable floor space, with attractive, solid, adjustable melamine shelves. This means the Smiths have room to store larger items like their vacuum cleaner and ironing board out of sight while having the option to reconfigure their closets if their storage needs change over time.

Then there’s the focal point of the couple’s living room. After meeting with the Smiths in the California Closets showroom, Beed took what was initially a bare wall and transformed it into a gorgeous media centre, complete with exclusive Italian glass details and a warm, two-toned finish. On an empty wall, she incorporated an electric fireplace, something that the Smiths would have missed from having had one for decades in their previous residence.

For all of the options that California Closets offers when it comes to custom designs, what also sets the company apart is the relationships its team develops with clients. These interpersonal connections build trust, resulting in spaces people love and that align perfectly with their style, wish list, and budget.

“In this case, the clients had traditional tastes but are living in a modern condo,” Beed says. “We keep in mind who they are as people and blend that with where they’re now living.

“I’m thinking about them at the centre of everything,” she adds. “You have to understand who people are to produce the right thing for them. This project morphed into a lot more than the second bedroom, and we had a lot of fun.”

California Closets specializes in more than custom-designed closets; the company transforms dens, offices, bedrooms, garages, and other areas in a completely personalized experience. In-house experts provide professional installation of products that are all proudly made in Canada.

Ilona Beed

To book a complimentary consultation, please visit www.californiaclosets.ca/vancouver

Created by the Western Living advertising department in partnership with California Closets

CaliforniaClosetsJANFEB19DPS.SR_as.indd All Pages

604.320.6575 californiaclosets.ca/vancouver VANCOUVER 2421 Granville Street | BURNABY 5049 Still Creek Avenue

2019-01-04 2:24 PM

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DESIGN

19

One to Watch

Henry Norris of New Format Studios looks at design from a new perspective.

20

Shopping + Openings

Textured jute rugs, luxe emerald-hued seating and more goods we’re coveting right now.

24

Lighting We Love

Statement-making lamps and light fixtures from today’s top designers.

FOOD + TRAVEL

47

Bright Lights, Cold City Hunting for the northern lights, 30,000 feet above the ground.

FEATURES 27

Great Spaces

A dozen of our favourite rooms offer a dozen different ways to get inspired.

36

Labour of Love

A pair of WL editors take on a “quick” reno of a 1940s Palm Springs hacienda— and all of the resulting challenges.

Bites

Food news to chew on, from hot restaurant openings to must-have gadgets.

50

Better Off Med

Forget the souvlaki: we’ve put a fresh twist on Mediterranean flavours to kick off the New Year right.

58

20

The Most Honest Guide to Heli-Skiing

Yeah, it’s expensive. But sometimes, it’s actually worth it.

PLUS

66

Trade Secrets

A tapered island bar steals the spotlight.

CONTENTS 1 2 j a n / f e b 2 0 1 9 / westernliving.ca

58

“I’m the type who hates the driving, parking and waiting in line almost as much as I love skiing, so I’ll take a few good days over a slew of mediocre ones.”

Cover: Lance Gerber; this page: food: Clinton Hussey; playroom: Ema Peter; heli-skiing: Daniel Stewart

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27

Vanguard II Area Rug Collection VANCOUVER | COQUITLAM | SURREY | VICTORIA | JORDANSFLOORING.CA RUG SHOWN IS CEA7399

WESTERN LIVING editorial publisher Samantha Legge, MBA editorial director Anicka Quin executive editor Stacey McLachlan art director Jenny Reed travel editor Neal McLennan associate editor Lucy Lau contributing editors Amanda Ross, Nicole SjĂśstedt,

Barb Sligl, Jim Sutherland, Julie Van Rosendaal city editors Karen Ashbee (Calgary), Jyllian Park (Edmonton), Rosemary Poole (Victoria) editorial interns Daniela Becerril, Ali Hodroje email mail@westernliving.ca

westernliving.ca online coordinator Theresa Tran production manager Kristina Borys production support technician Ina Bowerbank designer Amanda Siegmann marketing manager Kaitlyn Lush marketing coordinator Christine Beyleveldt vancouver/victoria tel 604-299-7311 head office/sales inquiries web westernliving.ca tel 604-299-7311 email gsepulveda@canadawide.com

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national media sales representation

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E VA L I N A B E AU T Y.CO M C RU E LT Y A N D PA R A B E N FR E E

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EDITOR’S NOTE

“LET’S FINISH THAT” WEEKENDS

Q& A This month we asked our contributors, What’s your top resolution for 2019?

Lance Gerber, “Labour of Love” page 36 Travel more. 2018 was a great year for work travel which I find quite enjoyable. Experiencing new places always inspires me in ways I may not have expected and opens doors to new opportunities and relationships.

Julie Van Rosendaal, “Better Off Med” page 50 Every year my resolution is to invite people over more. I’m always worried that the house is a mess, or we only have one bathroom, and really, the people I want to have around my table don’t care about all that. Bring on the chaos!

BEHIND THE SCENES

Our contributing editor Amanda Ross tests out the structure in their Palm Springs home before they renovated it. To see how it all turned out (say goodbye to those peach walls!) turn to page 36.

VISIT

anick a quin, editorial director anick a.quin@westernliving.ca 1 6 j a n / f e b 2 0 1 9 / westernliving.ca

FOLLOW US ON

Anicka Quin portrait: Evaan Kheraj; styling by Luisa Rino, makeup by Melanie Neufeld; outfit courtesy Holt Renfrew, holtrenfrew.com.

Follow Anicka on Instagram @aniqua

I recently read a story inspiring readers to set aside a “let’s finish that” weekend (a concept so grabby that it’s become known as simply “LFT”), for wrapping up those projects we’ve all been meaning to get to. Even if that Netflix series is asking to be marathoned, the story advised, take 48 hours and focus on those around-the-home tasks that have been piling up, waiting for that elusive moment when you finally have time to finish them.

(For me, the piece brought to mind all of the abandoned knitting projects sitting in a disorderly pile in my linen closet, left there when another more urgent project—a baby’s early arrival, a friend needing some comfort—took its place.)

So I picked up this challenge, and got even more ambitious: laser-focusing on one room (my bedroom, too long neglected) to finally update the artwork, install shelving, replace a dresser I’d been meaning to get to—really getting into the small details of this one, defined space. Sometimes the commitment of an LFT weekend is just what you need to make your surroundings really sing again.

The New Year is often when we feel most inspired to lock down some LFT time, so we’ve brought you a bit of extra motivation in this issue to help you tackle that one room in your home you’ve been meaning to update.

We’ve chosen a dozen “Great Spaces” (page 27) that each shine a spotlight on one inspiring room in a great project: a personal office that’s designed to help clients feel right at home, too; a powder room that’s an ode to the matte finish; a feature wall that’s more than just wallpaper. They’re all great jumping-off points for your own LFT weekend.

Whether your LFT goal is small or perhaps, like our travel editor Neal McLennan, Palm Springs-sized (see page 36), we’d love to see how it ends up. Send us a pic of your 2019 “let’s finish that” project when you wrap it up—and, meanwhile, here’s wishing a very Happy New Year to you all.

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DESIGN N E W & N O TA B L E L S H O P TA L K L L I G H T I N G W E L O V E

O N E TO WATC H

Curiouser and Curiouser Henry Norris, furniture designer, New Format Studio

m

Design, according to Henry Norris, is actually a lot like sports. “There’s an element of victory and defeat,” says the 31-year-old Vancouverbased furniture designer. “I like that feedback is harsh and that you have a very strong sounding board as to whether what you’re doing is successful.”

If this surprising analogy wasn’t enough evidence that Norris likes to take the route less travelled, his designs will hammer the point home.

Each piece explores the possibilities offered by new materials and techniques: his sculptural Prairie screen dividers combine lacquered aluminum and plastic composite, while the sleek steel Connect credenza creatively combines modern manufacturing with traditional joinery techniques. His work as a whole, says Norris, is all about “staying curious”—which is why he is now experimenting with resin, presenting him with yet another way of looking at the world. “It inverts the design thinking—you’re working with a negative shape instead of a positive.”—Stacey McLachlan

4 11:36 AM

Kyoko Fierro

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ON TO THE NEXT

Norris in his Parker Street Studios workshop, pictured with his Connect credenza and salt-pack aluminum Mers table.

westernliving.ca / j a n / f e b

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DESIGN // SHOPPING

by Rosemary Poole

Leisure Time

Anicka’s Pick

The furniture equivalent of a luxurious velvet track suit, Gus Modern’s Nexus modular seating (starting from $1,365) is based around a single chair and chaise that can be combined into sofas or sectionals. Available in four fabrics, including this gorgeous shade of spruce. cfinteriors.ca

Intertidal Table price on request, brentcomber.com

One of the greatest furniture designers to come out of the West Coast is surely Brent Comber—his Alder cube benches and Drum stools inspired a whole generation of designers to celebrate both lesserknown woods and the beauty of their imperfection.

For his new Intertidal collection, Comber looks at the influence of shifting tides in the intertidal zone, working with coastal basalt rock and ice glass (with cracked, criss-crossed ice patterns) this time. The designs are at once moody and beautiful, and they’re bound to influence a new set of furniture designers.

For more of Anicka’s picks, visit westernliving.ca

NOTEWORTHY New in stores across the West.

Out of This World Gone Coastal

Pacific Natural by designer-of-the-moment Jenni Kayne (Rizzoli, $60) takes a holistic approach to entertaining, with recipes, planted landscapes, homedecor ideas and DIY projects all organized by season. chapters.indigo.ca

Midas Touch

This stone and metallic stool by Kartell ($500) makes a statement— no, an exclamation point!—with its beautifully detailed, faceted surface. Available in chrome or gold, as shown. livingspace.com

Global Effort

Surface Tension

Ethnicraft’s Stairs series of oak cabinets (four-door sideboard shown, $4,268) reimagines flat-front cabinetry with a stepped facade designed to create a sense of movement. hutk.ca 2 0 j a n / f e b 2 0 1 9 / westernliving.ca

Designed in New Zealand and ethically made in India, Nodi rugs (doormats from $220; larger sizes from $1,560 to $4,320) are made from braided jute and wool, imparting a modern, textured materiality to interior spaces. providehome.com

Interconnected glass plates form the Eclipse three-piece chandelier ($5,600) from Lee Broom’s ongoing, masterful Observatory collection of lighting. (Aurora arrives this spring.) lightform.ca

DESIGN // SHOPPING

OPENINGS Hot new rooms we love.

By Ali Hodroje

Details, Details

Endurance Test

Ligne Roset’s Ura mirrors (small, 22-inch diameter, $698; large, 30-inch diameter, $1,100) are a study in subtle craftsmanship, with edges finished in red-black or yellowgold lacquer. livingspace.com

Vancouver Sunja Link Body Shoppe Vancouver-based designer Sunja Link’s recently launched boutique is both a fashion-and-beauty oasis and a local spa retreat. The Main Street shop, which carries Link’s eponymous line of comfy womenswear, is home to a wealth of hard-to-find products— think soothing skin balms, Japanese bath soaks and algae extract–infused shampoos—that are meant to make you look chic and feel good. On-site massages, facials and waxes are available, too. sunjalink.com

To mark the occasion of its 75th anniversary, Ikea has released a collection inspired by old favourites, such as the shapely Råane armchair ($49.99), a nod to a 1983 design. ikea.ca

Fireside Companion

Nest’s Hearth reed diffuser ($66) is the scent of wood fire, combining oud wood with frankincense and hints of smoky embers. nordstrom.com

The Shape of Things

These colour-blocked stoneware plates ($75 each) by Kalika Bowlby— our reigning Maker of the Year—are ready to serve or put on display. kalika.ca

2 2 j a n / f e b 2 0 1 9 / westernliving.ca

CALGARY The Raven’s Room Discerning locavores should be familiar with the Raven’s Room: the expertly curated home-wares-and-gifts shop began as an online store in 2017 before opening a bricks-and-mortar outpost at the Shoppes at the Devenish. There, find the same quirky artisan items—some from around the world—that you’ve come to love from the locally owned biz, including adorable fox-shaped mugs, honeysuckle-scented candles, and throw pillows adorned with silhouettes of bears. theravensroom.ca

Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg BonLook One of the country’s go-to sources for affordable prescription glasses—consider it the Canadian Warby Parker—has landed on the West Coast with five stores in B.C. and Alberta. The omnichannel Montreal-based brand specializes in stylish frames for men and women— from ombré cat-eyes to oversized aviators to vintageinspired wire rims—and employs in-house opticians who help shoppers find their perfect fit. bonlook.com

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DESIGN // LIGHTING WE LOVE

By barb sligl

SNOW WHITE

Mesh It Up

Wipe the slate clean with monochromatic yet oh-so-bright takes in lighting. Airy, glassy, matte, soft and feathery—these fixtures are a welcome whiteout.

The Meshmatics chandelier (from $5,635)

by Dutch designer Rick Tegelaar for Moooi has a barely-there mesh shape that’s part mathematical precision and part poetic simplicity—a fine formula for diffused, delicate light. livingspace.com

Shape Shifter

Featherweight

Hundreds of white goose feathers are used to create the Eos Up flush-mount lamp ($270) from Umage. Its Danish design is earthy, ethereal and Nordic cool. omgitssmall.com

A striking mix of materials and geometric forms topped with a simple white shade, this table lamp by Kelly Wearstler evokes both the feminine and masculine charm of its name, Cleo ($700). cfinteriors.ca

David Arnott

Stage Star

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Whether “Playing,” “Waiting” or “Looking,” the posing, starkwhite raven of the Bird lamp ($217) by Italian designer Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba for Seletti brings cheeky (and cheep!) vibes into any room. lightform.ca

hang loose

designer’s pick

Never-ending Glory (from $3,840) by designers Jan Plecháč and Henry Wielgus for Lasvit is a series of handblown glass pendants in various finishes (we like the milky opal), inspired by granddame theatres from La Scala to the Bolshoi. livingspace.com

Peep Show

Aim by Flos ($1,115), informinteriors.com

“Our go-to for lighting is Flos’s Aim collection.

It beautifully matches our interiors and is nice and whimsical, which can break up the order of a room in a welcoming way.”

David Arnott of Stark Architecture, Vancouver, starkarchitecture.com

L

Live Limitlessly.

We are proud to reveal the new look of Resource Furniture.

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We hope you are inspired by our new website, and we look forward to helping you continue to design differently and live limitlessly.

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HOMES R O O M S W E LOV E L A N E D I TO R S ’ E S C A P E I N PA L M S P R I N G S

Great Spaces ADD AN ELEMENT OF SURPRISE The entry to this Vancouver home is beautiful in its simplicity—quiet millwork for a hall closet, a dark wood screen lining the stairwell—but designer Ami McKay of Pure Design wanted to add a little something more. “Everything in there is white and bright,” she explains. “And we wanted to have something with a bit more punctuation.” Inspired by her travels to Mexico and Spain, McKay selected hand-painted tiles from World Mosaic for the stair risers. “I think it’s a perfect opportunity to make you smile when you walk up the stairs,” says McKay. “There’s something beautiful there.”

Janis Nicolay

Every home has a magic spot that deserves the spotlight. Here, we’ve gathered a dozen of our favourite rooms, from an entryway with surprising detail, to a playroom made for climbing the walls—and each great space offers a little snapshot of inspiration.

westernliving.ca / j a n / f e b

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HOMES // GREAT SPACES

GET FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR SEATING For this riverside home in Calgary, architect Anita Gunther of Sturgess Architecture intentionally kept the design of the main floor flexible. When the conversation is flowing and guests are gathered in the living room, the furniture, of course, faces toward the party.

But should any guest wish to face the river on the left, or the internal courtyard on the right, each piece can rotate—including the Living Landscape sofa, which can turn in any direction. And the space just feels playful— geometrics on the carpet and side table pair up with clean lines throughout, along with vibrant hits of colour in the red Muuto chairs and canary yellow chaise longue.

ADD LUXURY WITH LAYERS

Robert Lemermeyer; Ed White

The stunning Gordon Smith painting in this master bedroom is the showpiece of the room, but it didn’t mean the rest of the space had to disappear. Instead, designer Jennifer Heffel of HB Design created a luxe palette of materials and colours that would complement the painting, and hold its own, too.

A silk wallcovering lines the space in a soft grey, while the area rug was selected both for its rich texture and its branchlike pattern—a nod to the painting, as are the softly coloured chartreuse pillows on the bed. Touches of antique brass in the reading lamps and bed frame give warmth to the space.

2 8 j a n / f e b 2 0 1 9 / westernliving.ca

Cheryl Silsbe

PERSONALIZE YOUR HOME OFFICE Edmonton designer Melissa Ennis brought plenty of wow into her home-based office: a mural-like wallpaper, a metal screen perfectly aligned to the organic waves of the wallpaper behind it, and a cozy Mongolian stool for guests. Just as important for a space like this, she says, is to bring personal pieces in as well. To balance utilitarian pieces like the file cabinet and the printer, Ennis added a sewing machine from her husband’s grandmother, pictures from her travels and a touch of greenery. “As clients visit, they know a bit about who I am, and they can feel comfortable,” says Ennis.

westernliving.ca / j a n / f e b

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HOMES // GREAT SPACES

ADD INTEREST TO A DOOR The pocket doors in designer Tina Wilson’s Vancouver condo were more than 100 years old—and had seen better days. When they sanded the fir doors down to remove the dark cherry stain, the panels within the doors were revealed to be little more than plywood. Rather than paint and disguise the flaw, Wilson decided to add some interest to the door faces. Drafting her skilled seamstress mother into action, Wilson created linen-covered inserts for the bedroom-facing side of the door, and mirrored pieces for the living-room side to make the space feel larger. No mirrors on the bedroom side? “I wasn’t into that,” laughs Wilson.

Powder rooms can be the jewel box of the home—but they don’t have to literally sparkle. Designed by Chad Falkenberg and Kelly Reynolds of Falken Reynolds Interiors, this room features matte finishes throughout—from the faucets to the basalt stone on the wall behind the sink—but plenty of texture, too. The Rombini tiles from Mutina cast strong shadows thanks to a floating mirror, and subtle veining in the basalt stone provides visual interest, too. It’s a simple palette, but with striking results.

3 0 j a n / f e b 2 0 1 9 / westernliving.ca

Jackie Brown; Ema Peter

MAKE IT MATTE

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Richmond Showroom I 13780 Bridgeport Road I 604.244.1744

HOMES // GREAT SPACES

TREAT A WALL AS ART When designer Aly Velji spotted the large, two-storey wall that lined the staircase in this Calgary home, he knew he wanted to do more than just the standard framed artwork. “I said to the homeowners, ‘Let’s do something that’s more impactful,’” he says. After poring through wallpaper designs and not finding the right fit, he turned to local company Interiors to Inspire to commission a custom wall treatment.

Working with a palette of navies and rusts with touches of gold and silver, the company designed a custom treatment constructed from layers of plaster. The results are as spectacular as he’d hoped they be. “It’s the first wall that people see when they turn the corner.”

In the master bedroom of this Calgary home, designer Nyla Free wanted to create something unexpected. Designed in partnership with intern architect Marvin DeJong, the millwork on either side of the entrance doors features storage in the lower half, and built-in niches for displaying artwork on top. The black inserts were painted to look like metal.

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Joel Klassen; Phil Crozier

GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR STORAGE

MAKE A SPACE COZY WITH A TONE-ON-TONE PALETTE

KEEP THE FOCUS ON A DRAMATIC CEILING

This cozy nook in the bonus room of a Calgary home was designed to be both a focal point and a comfy spot in which a kid can hang out and read before bed.

Veranda Estate Homes created the millwork for the nook, and designer Nyla Free went for both drama, with the rich charcoal colour of Benjamin Moore’s Witching Hour, and warmth, with wool plaid seating and nubbly textured throw cushions. The navy throw invites a snuggle up for an hour or two—and also nods to the pale blue sofa that sits directly across from the nook.

Nyla Free; Ema Peter

The breathtaking vaulted ceiling in this West Van home wasn’t always the focus of this master bedroom. Dark wallpaper behind the bed drew the eye away from it, says designer Lucila Diaz of Harmony Sense Interiors, so she swapped out the wallpaper for a white and subtly textured design from Phillip Jeffries, and selected a pair of dramatic Foscarini pendants to immediately draw the eye up to the ceiling. A neutral palette in the room is dotted with supportive accents of black in the throw pillows and Platner side table.

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HOMES // GREAT SPACES

TURN A BEAM INTO A CUSTOM PLAYROOM High ceilings on the main floor can sometimes result in lower ceilings in the basement, but designer Denise Ashmore came up with a creative solution for her clients: keep the support beam exposed to gain height, rather than dropping the ceilings to mask it. The result was the starting point of something just as inspired: the homeowners turned the playroom into a custom ninja warrior course for the kids, thanks to that beam. Sturdy hexagonal commercial floor tiles from Shaw Contract are both stylish and durable (if a juice box stains the floor, they can be popped out and replaced), and are ready to handle whatever these young warriors have for them.

PLAY WITH YOUR VERTICALS AND HORIZONTALS

Ema Peter

The gorgeous renovation of this West Vancouver townhouse actually started as the solution to a problem: namely, a skylight that was a bit of an eyesore. Designer Geralynne Mitschke had a millwork column detail installed that lined up perfectly along each mullion in the skylight, and then carried it down to the floor along the wall. Wood slats in between these columns add visual interest, and their angled descent down the wall mimics the terraced view outside the windows. Finally, dark wood shelving was cantilevered into the columns, a space for the downsizing owners to showcase their personal collections.

3 4   j a n / f e b 2 0 1 9 / westernliving.ca

PHASE 1 60% SOLD – PHASE 2 COMING SOON

TRANSIT-ORIENTED HOMES STARTING FROM MID $400’s Port Moody is the stunning setting for a new community of 1, 2, 3, & 4 bedroom homes, street-front retail, and enriching amenities, including a residents-only one-acre elevated backyard and 9,000 sq.ft. clubhouse. Located just across the street from scenic Rocky Point Park, and only steps from shops, restaurants, and Brewers Row, homes are also just a 10-minute walk to Moody Centre Station, where you can hop on the Evergreen Line and West Coast Express.

PRESENTATION CENTRE 50 Electronic Avenue, Port Moody Open Daily 12 Noon – 5 PM (Closed Fridays)

NOW SELLING 50ElectronicAve.com 604.492.2202

Prices quoted are exclusive of taxes and subject to change without prior notice. In our continuing effort to improve and maintain the high standard of the 50 Electronic Avenue development, the developer reserves the right to modify or change plans, specifications, features and prices without notice. Renderings and images provided are an artist’s conception and are intended only as a general reference and are not to be relied upon. This is not an offering for sale. Please see disclosure statement for specific offering details. E&O.E.

3 6   j a n / f e b 2 0 1 9 / westernliving.ca

Easy Breezy

One of the home’s defining features is a two-storey breezeway that connects the main living area with the bedrooms. The author and his wife, Amanda Ross, brought in the Moroccan tile but kept the period chandeliers. The entryway, where Ross strolls (opposite), likewise got the same tile treatment.

Labour of Love A pair of WL editors take on a “quick” reno of a 1940s Palm Springs hacienda—and all of the resulting challenges along with it.

by Neal McLennan // photographs by lance gerber

HOMES // PALM SPRINGS

The Money Shot

This hidden backyard oasis was what drew McLennan and Ross (pictured) to the massive project. The planters, deck and French doors are all new, but the soaring fireplace is original (though now updated with gas).

My

chest tightened and my heart skipped a beat as I gingerly moved my way around a debris-strewn floor in the dark, my iPhone’s flashlight illuminating heaps of dust and piles of construction garbage. Windows sagged in their frames and the floor felt spongy underfoot in what appeared to be a decrepit old house. “What in God’s name have you done?” I croaked to my wife, who was 2,000 miles away on the other end of the phone. “Trust me,” she said. “We just bought our dream home!”

The fixer-upper in question is a 1945 Spanish Colonial in the Mesa, a leafy mountainside neighbourhood of Palm Springs. Prior to my introduction to it, my wife (WL contributing editor Amanda Ross) and I had previously owned a mid-century house on the other side of Palm Springs. We had sold it a couple of years prior and had been on the hunt for the perfect replacement ever since. While we had loved our foray into modern architecture, we quickly felt the limitations of what had been originally designed as a tiny tract home. Its floor plan had been conceived by famed mid-century architect William Krisel, we would tell ourselves, but the reality is that our small house was just one of a number of stock designs that developers replicated throughout the city in the 1950s and ’60s. Houses identical to ours were everywhere—some fixed up, others waiting for keen design types to alight upon them. But the ease and clean lines that had initially drawn us to it were in the throes of what felt like an overwhelming kitsch suddenly overtaking the desert city. Houses everywhere were festooned with hanging chairs, blue shag rugs and stylized paintings that were supposed to evoke the swinging aspect of the postwar years. It started to feel like a formula and, relentless house-porn addicts that we are, we decided to put our stamp on something entirely different.

Our search took two years with a realtor who had been given a clear list: something with architectural history, or a “story,” something we could make our own (i.e., a fixerupper) and something with a certain charm that only we would know when we saw it. We homed in on the Mesa, since it’s nestled right up to the San Jacinto Mountains and is the oldest neighbourhood in town. That meant an eclectic mix filled with mid-centuries, 1980s drug lordstyle houses, Barry Manilow’s compound on one end, Suzanne Somers’s on the other and designer Trina Turk’s

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MINOTT

HOMES // PALM SPRINGS

Back in black

The main living area was a jumble of rooms, but nothing a swinging sledgehammer and 14 months of renos couldn’t fix. The floors and kitchen are new, but the monumental mirror over the fireplace is original, as are the iron windows flanking it.

abode smack in the middle. The ’hood’s wending roads were a welcome antidote to the grid system that dominates the rest of town, and it’s one of the few areas that offer staggering views of the Coachella Valley.

After an unfortunate bidding war (evidently, this was also someone else’s dream house), we emerged the proud owners of TV actor Robert Stack’s house, a charming decades-old Spanish hacienda with a wing of bedrooms accessed by a long glass-walled breezeway, an outdoor courtyard with a fireplace and lemon and lime trees.

Which all seemed charming, with Amanda’s enthusiastic descriptions of a modern Moroccan retreat, until I arrived down a few weeks later to take stock of what she had signed on for while I was staying up in Canada. A rabbit warren of rooms would become a giant great room, she said on the other end of the line. The blazing-hot breezeway would no longer feel like a terrarium once we addressed the glass, and the mishmash of mixed materials everywhere would soon be transformed into a black-andwhite oasis—she practically screamed with excitement: “Marrakech oasis!” I tapped the single-pane original wrought iron casement windows and fretted about their

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energy efficiency. “Well, yeah, that’s going to be a problem,” she said breezily.

We were lucky that Amanda’s father, Bill Ross, is an architect and her sister, Jocelyn Ross, an architectural designer; both were immediately pressed into service with the promise of an unlimited supply of eventual desert getaways as their remuneration. We retained a local contractor, who took a look at Bill and Jocelyn’s drawings and declared we’d be in our new home for Christmas—a mere four months away. “Don’t worry,” he said.

“I got this.” A cocktail napkin sketch materialized into a bona fide blueprint, surveys were commissioned, a demo permit procured, and we were off to the races with a full vision articulated by Jocelyn that wove together a palette of natural wood and stone, charcoal tones and layers of texture and fringe.

That old saying about the best-laid plans? Well, it applies here. All the things that had been easy in our formulaic mid-century home now became a challenge in this unscripted, sprawling space. Three-foot-thick adobe walls may be great for energy efficiency, but they’re also great at getting in the way of new wiring or piping or, frankly,

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HOMES // PALM SPRINGS

Puzzle Pieces

The feature wall of tile (left) looks great now, but it had to be completely torn out halfway through the reno thanks to a less-than-excellent installation the first time around. The master suite (bottom left) had a last-minute tile job when McLennan found some toogood-to-pass up tile at a Scottsdale mega-shop; the artworks are by Eric Fischl and Brian McKee.

anything except costly demo charges. The triple threat of unsexy expenses—plumbing, electrical and air conditioning—reared its head too many times to count, and I started to avoid the contractor’s calls in the hopes that the relentless problems would solve themselves. If I just willed them away, would they go away? I may have said, “You got us into this!” on more than one occasion, but Amanda chalked up my balking to my usual reticence. Money was spent, nerves frayed, and more words were exchanged.

We kept making site visits, but it was clear progress wasn’t being made. “Don’t worry—the guts of the house take the longest,” the contractor would assure us. Finally, a check-in three weeks before Christmas brought things to a head: the 13-foot waterfall quartz countertop—conceived by Jocelyn as the centrepiece to her design of the open-concept kitchen—had been installed with two mismatching pieces that were not only different colours but also different thicknesses, resulting in a sizable lip at the transition. To boot, workers had covered it up in the hopes that we wouldn’t see it. More digging around and it was revealed that the feature wall of natural stone Moroccanstyle tile had been installed with such shakiness that it appeared to have been done in the middle of one of SoCal’s more considerable earthquakes. We staggered backwards to assess: Christmas habitation was a pipe dream, we were savagely over budget and our contractor was not even remotely up to the task. I looked to Amanda for a reassuring “Trust me.” Instead, she said quickly, “I think we should dump it.”

Thankfully, Jocelyn flew down for an emergency assessment. Yes, the counter had to be ripped out, as did the tile, but through the mess of the site she was able to see what had been accomplished. She put together a game plan for getting us out of this morass. Step one: fire the contractor and hire a new one. Step two: Amanda and Calgary-based Jocelyn would take turns buzzing the site almost weekly to monitor progress. And with that, the house slowly started to emerge from its shell. The black and white Moroccan-patterned tile soon transformed the various spaces with a drama I hadn’t envisioned; the studs were closed up and the walls texturized to match the existing original surfaces; the bathroom fixtures were all plumbed to perfection in sparkly modern glamour. Ultimately, a cadre of princely trades became our salvation in making sure the job got back on track—a concrete mason, a magician tiler, a contractor with a heart of gold. And with that, our nightmare finally turned into a dream.

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2018-09-26 1:45 PM

PROMOTION

#WLDOTY

WESTERN LIVING’S ANNUAL DESIGNERS OF THE YEAR

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WLDOTY has become an essential night for the local Vancouver design community to celebrate, reconnect, have a few glasses of wine, and toast the winners. The folks at Article opened their doors to the design community for the first time, and as our gracious hosts for the night, provided cushy breaks on their sofas for guests.

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS VENUE SPONSOR

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A peek inside the airy atrium at Article, designed and styled by Laura Melling

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2. A vignette showcasing Article’s furniture 3. The grand entrance at #WLDOTY 4. Jennifer Mehalko from Parts and Labour with friend

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5. Guests check in at the event 6. Guests mix and mingle before the awards 7.

Mind the Minimal giving us major concrete and mini planter envy

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9. Bram Sawatzky and Kaly Ryan from Willow and Stump, winners of Furniture Designer of the Year, pose with Western Living Editorial Director, Anicka Quin

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10. Stanley Park Brewing serving us the last of the summer peach ale 11. Rosé, red, white and every sip in between from Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country 12. The CF Interiors team enjoying the evening 13. Gloria Macarenko from CBC and Leeta Liepins from Our City Tonight 14. Western Living’s Fashion Designer of the Year Gaby Bayona, owner and creative director of Truvelle Bridal

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2018-11-27 9:32 AM

NOW OVER

70% SOLD

A R ARE CHANCE TO CRE ATE A NEW FA MILY LEG ACY IN WE ST M AUI Imagine a home spacious enough to bring your entire family together. Luana Garden Villas is the last opportunity to own a new whole-ownership home at Honua Kai Resort and Spa, just steps from West Maui’s famed Ka’anapali beach, and with direct access to Duke’s Beach Bar, Ho’Ola Spa and 38 acres of resort amenities.

Luana is a collection of three-bedroom villas with over 2,000 sq.ft of open-concept, single level interior living space, huge lanais, outdoor kitchens and private garages.

Each villa is nestled within one of three intimate garden enclaves, each with its own pool, hot tub and fire pit. Truly a resort within a resort.

Priced from around $2 Million © 2019 PowerPlay Destination Properties (Hawaii), Inc., Real Estate Broker. This is not an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy, to residents of any state or province in which restrictions and other legal requirements have not been fulfilled. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. The information provided herein is solely for informational purposes, and is subject to change without notice. No representation, warranty or guarantee is made as to any of the contents, including, but not limited to, the depiction of specific materials, appliances and other items in any unit; the exact floor plan of any unit; any views from the premises; or the current or future appearance of any landscaping. Refer to the governing documents and sales materials for full details of the offering. Obtain the Developer’s Public Report (Registration No. 8101) filed with the Real Estate Commission of the State of Hawaii and read it before signing anything. All features, services, amenities, descriptions and other information are subject to change at any time without notice, including the third-party management of the Resort. The features, services, amenities and other privileges of ownership are limited to those included in the Luana Garden Villas Sales Contract and the Amended and Restated Declaration of Condominium Property Regime of Honua Kai, as further amended. WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED, OR QUALIFIED THIS OFFERING. The listing broker is PowerPlay Destination Properties (Hawaii), Inc., 130 Kai Malina Parkway, Lahaina, HI, license number RB 20039.

FOOD+TRAVEL MEDITERRANEAN MODERN L HONEST HELI-SKIING L THE BEST NEW GEAR

T H E C H EC K- I N

Above It All Nature can’t be trusted. There are no guarantees when it comes to whale watching, and the wise get backup tents for their outdoor weddings. This no-promises approach applies to the northern lights, too: the famed aurora borealis, those dancing streaks of colour that illuminate the night sky on every postcard north of Kamloops, can be elusive.

But isn’t this unpredictability all part of the thrill?

On a trip to Yukon last winter, I boarded a midnight flight to try to catch a glimpse from the sky. The inky air was dusted with stars, and ethereal streaks of white light were sketched over the wings of the plane—but there were no electric pinks or greens to be seen. There was still something magical, though, about gliding thousands of miles above the snowy landscape in a dark cabin, quietly sipping a gin and tonic and soaking in the endless night.

I wasn’t seeing the lights I came searching for, but in that moment, I accepted it.

The man beside me, however, wasn’t so complacent: he sat with his camera lens trained patiently on the view, waiting for his aperture to capture what was beyond the naked eye’s ability. When the shutter finally snapped shut, it locked in what I couldn’t see: on his LED screen, glowing bright in the pitch-black plane cabin, there were the colours we’d been chasing, captured in their full glory. Turns out that they had been out there in the sky all along, hiding in plain sight. Well played, nature. Well played.—Stacey McLachlan

The northern lights arise when charged particles emitted during a solar flare penetrate the earth’s magnetic shield and collide with atoms and molecules in our atmosphere. Simple.

Neil Zeller

Aurora 360 Experience, February 7 to 11; $1,045 for flight, $2,939 for four-night experience

SHINE ON

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FOOD // BITES

BITES Food news to chew on.

openings

the bookshelf

Tacofino Ocho

8 E 5th Ave., Vancouver Who The royalty of Baja-meets-West-Coast Mexican, Kaeli Robinsong, Jason Sussman and executive chef Stefan Hartmann Why we’re excited There’s seemingly no end to the Tacofino empire’s expansion (Tacofino Ocho will be the sixth location—yes, it’s a chain, but it’s our chain), though the new 88-seat Mount Pleasant room focuses on firegrilled meat and veg dishes. tacofino.com

Como Taperia

201 E 7th Ave., Vancouver

key ingredient

Who Ace bartender and friend to all Shaun Layton teams with Meat and Bread’s Frankie Harrington Why we’re excited The overwrought tapas scene of the ’90s is due for a revisit, and there’s no better duo to tackle the concept. Expect a heavy-on-the-sherry wine list and smart, snackable seafood plates in a cozy Main Street space. comotaperia.com

Stay Sharp It’s likely that no one will ever be as into knives as Knifewear founder Kevin Kent, but The Knifenerd Guide to Japanese Knives ($45) makes geeking out over blacksmithing, sharpening and collecting seem more accessible (and more exciting) than ever. knifewear.com

Nuts to You While some nut-cheese vendors proudly avoid imitating cheese flavours, Victoria’s Cultured Nut happily embraces the challenge of replication with its assorted cheeses: top sellers include the Creamy Casanova cream “cheese,” though its plant-based butter is a go-to for vegan bakers, too. theculturednut.com

E:Né Raw Food and Sake Bar

737 Pandora Ave., Victoria

Pang

762 Broughton St., Victoria Who Chef Jeff Kalesnikoff of Foo Ramen Bar fame Why we’re excited Victoria may be the master of fast-casual lunchtime fare, but Kalesnikoff is set to up the game further with his Asian-fusion fare—think spicy Korean-style meatball sandwiches with fermented chili mayo and smoked tuna salads with kimchicitrus vinaigrette. pangvic.ca

in the kitchen

Bar Bincho

2204 4 St. SW, Calgary Who The team behind Calgary’s Ikemen Ramen Bar Why we’re excited Bar Bincho’s menu skews izakaya style, specializing in very shareable plates of yakitori (mocha bacon, anyone?), gyoza and Asahi-battered oysters in a nofuss neon-lit Mission space. facebook.com/binchoyyc

Who Two pros of Japanese cuisine: lead chef Shawn Lee and GM Allen Su from Nubo Japanese Tapas Why we’re excited This downtown spot lays claim to the title of largest sake selection in Canada, so it’s appropriate that all the dishes—be they exquisitely plated poke bites, oshi sushi, tartares, sashimi— are prepared with sake pairings at front of mind. nuboene.com

Listen: we all can appreciate that a pour-over is the right way to make a cup of coffee, but the elaborate ritual of it all doesn’t always mesh with our wake-up-late-and slam-a-piece-of-toast-inyour-mouth-as-you’re-halfway-out-the-door schedule.

So praise be to the kind souls at Chemex, who are cutting the lazy coffee snob a break with the new Ottomatic 2.0 coffee maker ($440), which automates the elaborate process with the push of a button. williams-sonoma.ca 4 8 j a n / f e b 2 0 1 9 / westernliving.ca

events True Dumplings Nosh Down!

Calgary Winefest

Putting aside our distaste for the word “nosh,” this night of dumpling making and eating (which even includes a dumpling beauty pageant) sounds like the perfect way to ring in the Lunar New Year. truenosh.com

The Fest is popping open hundreds of bottles (red, white, port, sparkling…take your pick) for its annual celebration of all things wine, so get ready to raise a glass. celebratewinefest.com

Vancouver February 1, True Nosh

Calgary February 22 to 23, BMO Centre

Tacofino Ocho: Lindsay Elliott; Winefest: Alin Bogdan

Bean There, Done That

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Better Off Med

Put the spanokopita down: it’s time for Mediterranean fare to get a modern makeover.

That means ditching the ol’ souvlaki-and-potatoes standards for simple, fresh ingredients that elevate old-world dishes into flavourful, healthful (and beautiful) new favourites.

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recipes by JULIE VAN ROSENDAAL photographs by clinton hussey food styling by jennifer stamper prop styling by nicole sjÖstedt

Crispy Sardines with Salmoriglio

Accessories provided by CB2, cb2.com, EQ3, eq3.com, HomeSense, homesense.ca

Crispy Sardines with Salmoriglio SERVES 4

Small, oily fish are a Mediterranean staple; if you want to tame their fishiness, brine fresh fish in a ratio of 1 part coarse salt, 2 parts sugar and 4 parts water for an hour or up to 24 hours, then drain and pat dry.

Salmoriglio is a lemony sauce that can have the texture of a vinaigrette or something thicker, like hollandaise, and is perfect for dipping or drizzling.

1 lb small oily fish, like sardines, mackerel or herring Semolina or all-purpose flour Salt Mild vegetable oil, such as canola, for cooking

Salmoriglio 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves 1 tbsp grainy mustard Salt 2 tbsp butter, melted 2 to 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Chopped Italian parsley, for serving Pat fish dry with paper towel. In a shallow bowl, season some flour with salt and douse fish with flour.

Heat an inch or two of oil in a shallow pan or pot over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking, and fry fish in batches, without crowding the pan, until crisp and golden. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and sprinkle with salt.

New-School Orzo Salad

To make the salmoriglio, combine lemon juice, thyme, mustard and a pinch of salt in a small food processor (or a tall vessel using a hand-held immersion blender). Pour melted butter and oil in through the feed tube, with the motor running, until it emulsifies and thickens.

Serve with the crispy fried fish.

New-School Orzo Salad SERVES 4 TO 6

Orzo salad travels well, and makes a great side or substantial lunch or dinner topped with leftover fish, grilled chicken or jammy soft-boiled eggs.

Romanesco is a member of the brassica family; it looks like pale green cauliflower covered with pointy Christmas trees. If you’re a fan of fresh mint, add some along with the spinach.

1½ cups uncooked orzo pasta 2 to 3 cups baby spinach leaves ½ small romanesco or cauliflower, separated into small florets ¼ small red onion, finely chopped ½ cup crumbled feta Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 tbsp white wine vinegar ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 2 to 4 eggs (optional) Cook orzo according to the package directions; in the last minute or two of cooking, add romanesco to pot to blanch it.

Drain well, running under cool water to stop it from cooking, and transfer to a bowl. Meanwhile, if you want jammy eggs, lower them into a saucepan of boiling water and cook for exactly 7 minutes; run under cool water and peel once they’re cool enough to handle, and cut in half lengthwise when you’re ready for them.

Tear or thinly slice your spinach into the bowl, along with onion, feta and lemon zest. Squeeze lemon juice over the salad, and drizzle with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat well. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If you like, nestle the soft-boiled egg halves on top.

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FOOD // BETTER OFF MED

Braised Lamb Shanks with Minty Pea Purée

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Roasted Eggplant with Lentils, Goat Cheese and Romesco SERVES 4 TO 6

Eggplant is delicious with the added smokiness a hot oven or grill imparts; it can be grilled in halves or slices, topped with simmered and marinated lentils and garlicky romesco.

2 to 3 small eggplants, halved lengthwise Olive oil, for cooking Salt ½ cup dry French or du Puy lentils 1 garlic clove, peeled 1 to 2 tbsp red wine vinegar ¼ tsp cumin Handful of baby spinach, torn (optional)

Romesco ⅓ cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted 1 garlic clove, peeled 1 thick slice French bread, toasted Salt 2 red peppers, roasted 2 tbsp red wine, sherry or balsamic vinegar 1 tsp paprika ⅓ cup olive oil ⅓ cup crumbled soft goat cheese Pomegranate arils, for serving Preheat oven to 425˚F. Make deep criss-cross cuts in the surface of each eggplant half, place them on (or in) a parchment-lined baking sheet or baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until eggplant is soft and golden. (Alternatively, cook them on a preheated grill.)

Roasted Eggplant with Lentils, Goat Cheese and Romesco

Meanwhile, simmer lentils and garlic clove in a small saucepan of water for 20 to 30 minutes, until just tender. Drain and toss while still very warm with the spinach, red wine vinegar, cumin, a drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt.

To make the romesco, combine almonds, garlic, toast (torn into pieces) and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until bread and nuts turn to crumbs. Add red peppers, vinegar and paprika and pulse until well blended. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil and process until mixture has the consistency of thick mayonnaise, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Spread the roasted eggplant with thick romesco and top with lentils and crumbled goat cheese, or top eggplant with lentils and goat cheese and drizzle with the romesco.

Braised Lamb Shanks with Minty Pea Purée SERVES 4 TO 6

Rich braised lamb shanks get a lift from green peas and fresh mint.

Lamb 4 to 6 lamb shanks, trimmed of excess fat Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Olive oil, for cooking 1 onion, peeled and chopped 3 garlic cloves, crushed or left whole 2 cups red wine 2 to 3 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme

Minty pea purée 2 cups peas, fresh or frozen 1 garlic clove 2 tbsp fresh mint, plus extra for garnish ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese Extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing Preheat oven to 300°F. Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large Dutch oven or braising pan set over medium-high heat and brown lamb on all sides, working in batches so you don’t crowd the pan.

Add onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Return all the lamb shanks to the pan, add wine, stock, tomato paste and rosemary or thyme, then cover and roast for 2½ to 3 hours, turning lamb shanks once or twice, until the meat is very tender.

Meanwhile, cover peas with water in a medium saucepan, add garlic and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until bright green and tender. Transfer to a food processor and add mint and parmesan. Pulse until mixture is as chunky or smooth as you like it. Taste and add salt if needed.

Spread a large spoonful of pea purée on each plate, and top with a lamb shank.

Sprinkle with fresh mint.

westernliving.ca / j a n / f e b

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FOOD // BETTER OFF MED

Om Ali SERVES 6 TO 8

Om (or um) Ali is a dessert often compared to bread pudding, but is far more interesting and complex—made with broken baked puff pastry, it’s soft and creamy in the middle, almost like rice pudding, with chewy edges and crunchy bits of pastry, coconut and nuts. ½ pkg puff pastry, thawed 1 can sweetened condensed milk ½ cup half and half 3 to 4 green cardamom pods 1 tsp vanilla ⅓ cup raisins (optional) ½ cup whole almonds, toasted and roughly chopped ½ cup pistachios, shelled and chopped ¼ to ½ cup coarsely shredded coconut or coconut chips Vanilla ice cream, optional Preheat oven to 400˚F. Unroll thawed puff pastry, or, if it’s a brick, roll it out to ¼-inch thick—it doesn’t matter what shape it is. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk with a can full of water and the half and half, along with the cardamom. Bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes, watching so that it doesn’t boil over. Remove from heat, scoop out cardamom pods and stir in vanilla.

Butter a shallow baking dish and tear puff pastry into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Place in the baking dish and scatter with raisins (if you like), almonds, pistachios and coconut.

Pour milk mixture overtop, place on a baking sheet (in case there are drips) and return to the oven for about 20 minutes, or until bubbly and golden. Cool slightly and serve warm, at room temperature or cold, with or without ice cream.

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BIRD IS THE WORD

The chopper is a near-perfect tool for zipping you up and down a mountain.

Hop in, huddle up and you’re back skiing in no time.

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THE MOST HONEST GUIDE TO

HELI-SKIING YOU’LL EVER READ

H

The nuts and bolts of the most expensive ski trip of your life.

by Neal McLennan // photographs by daniel stewart

eli-skiing is godawful expensive.

I know that’s a truism—it’s so patently pricey that the mere invocation of it conjures images of European royalty and New York hedge fund managers blowing their inheritances and their bonuses, respectively. But in almost any heli-skiing story I’ve ever read, the actual cost is relegated to a small sidebar at the end, often with the dreaded “from $...”.

I’m telling you this because when my brother-in-law Clarke called me last fall to say that all he wanted for his 40th birthday was to go heli-skiing and that he hoped I could come, I didn’t dream up images of waist-deep pow or choppers banking hard over a cornice laden with snow. I thought, “Oh daddy, this is going to be expensive.” I hemmed

and hawed and hawed some more before my wife—YOLO before there was YOLO—finally goaded me into it. $1,980. Plus tax. Plus tip. That was what it was going to cost me. For that sum—more than an entire season’s pass at Whistler—I would get a guaranteed eight heli runs spread out over a day and a half. That’s it.

Clarke was going to pick up the accommodation, and we would make the drive to Revelstoke with a third friend, Phil, to keep costs down.

But notwithstanding the hefty figure, once I committed I was equal parts nervous and excited.

I had been heli-skiing once before, several years ago, and it was outstanding. The conditions that time were actually just okay—there were none of those snow-flying-in-your-face moments you see in ski

TRAVEL // HELI-SKIING

3 things to

consider before signing on the bottom line:

1

TIME OF YEAR

February is ideal, but it will be more expensive and you’re unlikely to get any last-minute deals or a booking of less than two days at most outfits.

Early season gives you more flexibility, but the drawback is a possible lack of snow and a shorter skiing day (the choppers fly only in daylight).

Late-season temperature swings can cause variable snow conditions—affecting skiing and safety.

2

The awkward upright posture of the author speaks to an altogether lacking off-season fitness regime.

LENGTH OF TRIP

At first blush, the easy answer would be “the more days the better,” and for the hard core that’s true. For me, anything over three would start to be torture—the days are just too long, my legs too sore.

3

EASY RIDER

YOUR SKILL LEVEL

As noted, the actual skiing is, in a lot of ways, easier than resort skiing. So don’t not go just because you’re not an expert. That being said, you have to be comfortable skiing steeps and navigating at least a little in trees (although the snow really does check your speed), and unless you’re in an intermediate group, you’ll have to ski at the pace of the group or risk the stink-eye from skiers wanting to load up the runs.

And you have to be in shape.

6 0 j a n / f e b 2 0 1 9 / westernliving.ca

magazines, and, frankly, our first few runs were on a hard crust that gave way to powder underneath, making for exceptionally tricky skiing. But ultimately the pilot and guides found some slopes where the sun had softened the snow (exposure is everything in the backcountry), and thereafter I enjoyed two days of the best skiing I had ever known. It was late in the season and we were skiing in the alpine (a.k.a. above the treeline), and the terrain was made up of those ungodly beautiful sweeping bowls. And while there wasn’t a surplus of snow, there was a far decreased concern of avalanches. Each run was as good as the very best run you’d have in a given (great) year at the resort, and they just kept coming all day long. I didn’t go the next year or the next for a very simple reason—it’s just too expensive.

Clarke had decided to go with Selkirk Tangiers out of Revelstoke, and, without being unkind, I think it’s fair to say they’re the top of the second-tier heli-skiing operations. The first tier is occupied by the twin gods that are Mike Wiegele out of Blue River and Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH) out of almost every region of B.C. Skiing with them will usually come with a three- to five-day minimum, and prices start at $5,000. If this were Hollywood, these two would be Tom Cruise and George Clooney, the top of the A-list. Selkirk Tangiers?

They’d be more like Matt Damon—well respected, very cool. But the main draw was that they’d take us early in the season, and they’d take us for just two days.

The rub with going in the early season became evident as soon as we hit the Coquihalla and saw that the “highway through hell” had nary a snowbank—not there or on the entire drive to Revy. It was December, and even though Whistler already had a sizable base, the Interior so far had not been blessed with any huge dumps. We actually considered cancelling the trip, but every time Clarke called Selkirk, they told us

not to worry—there was snow in them thar hills, and they’d find it.

Trust us, they said, and we did. It was 6 p.m. as we pulled into the bare streets of Revy, and as we downed our first beer it started to snow.

We awoke the next morning to what seemed like a foot of the white stuff blanketing everything in sight. We were set to be at the office by 8:30 a.m. for an hour or so of mandatory avalanche training, following which we’d be up, up and away. As we were in the early season, the twin—and very real—threats of tree wells and avalanches were less severe, but the Selkirk guides were deadly serious about both. In addition to our training, we’d be skiing with two official guides and another employee on her day off. For every single run, one of the guides would go first to make sure everything was copacetic, and if it was they would relay the green light back to the second guide. We’d all ski in pairs, being responsible for each other, but the final guide would go last, or tail-gun, to help with any crashes and to make sure no one was misplaced. There are operations out there that utilize only the forward guide and have a guest tail-gun, and all I can say is I’d never patronize such an operation even in an early season, low-risk situation.

It hadn’t stopped snowing by the time we took off, which, although great for the powder, meant we weren’t going to be able to get too high in the alpine because of visibility concerns, both for the chopper and for us, as skiing in a huge open bowl with blowing snow can make judging grade and depth a wee bit tricky. But the pilot was confident he’d find some sweet spots, and the mood in the very packed cabin was boiling over with excitement and, for me alone, some trepidation. Not only had I not skied yet that season, but also I had actually, for the first time since I was eight, missed the entire previous season as well. So my first turns in 20 months would be on a foreign pair of very fat skis in a foot of fresh snow. What could go wrong?

SKI NEWS When Whistler Blackcomb announced the Epic Pass last year, there was a general shoulder shrug, given that hopping on a plane to Denver and then driving 90+ minutes to Vail seemed an unlikely occurrence. But things are dramatically different this year: there are now 65 mountains covered, including the recently added Stevens Pass just outside Seattle. But the bigger news is the deal signed with Resorts of the Canadian Rockies: the Epic Pass 7-Day will now get you a week of skiing at Fernie, Kicking Horse (which has had a huge expansion in the off-season) and Kimberley—all close resorts that offer very different skiing experiences from Whistler (a four day pass is also available). epicpass.com THE BACKPACK Like most operations, Selkirk offers the Snowpulse Airbag, a backpack that contains a fast-inflating airbag that can save a skier’s life if deployed in an avalanche.

And, like most operations, Selkirk charges skiers a premium ($34 a day), which is a bit like an airline charging you extra for a seat that has a seatbelt on it. Oh well, pay the money. snowpulsehighmark.com

westernliving.ca / j a n / f e b

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TRAVEL // HELI-SKIING

My Gear

Real people and the gear they use.

Sholto Scruton, Sholto Design Studio I’ve been skiing since I was seven, and I can honestly say my Full Tilts are by far the most comfortable ski boots I’ve owned. Until I got these boots a few years ago, I thought comfortable ski boots was an oxymoron. Plus, they have a great backstory. Their innovative shell first came out in the ’70s and ’80s under Raichle, having been created by two former NASA employees using concepts developed for spacesuits. They use Intuition liners, which form to your feet. Intuition is a Vancouver-based company and the leader in this technology.

What’s not to love? They’re pretty f***ing amazing. en-ca.fulltiltboots.com

Cedric and Mary Burgers, Burgers Architecture We are big cross-country skiers, as is our whole family, and the Thule Cross Country Skiing and Hiking Kit is an awesome year-round stroller that has an attachment to convert their child carrier into a cross-country ski pulk. thule.com

Kari Medig, photographer I think I’ll pick my new bindings, the G3 Zeds—they’re actually just coming out this fall, but I had a chance to use a pair for a while.

Such a great light new touring binding. mec.ca

Michael T. Host, MTH Woodworks I ride a Jones Flagship 165 wide.

I love it because the shape and edge design make shredding even easier and more fun. Plus, the top veneer is white oak, and as a woodworker, I couldn’t resist. jonessnowboards.com

6 2 j a n / f e b 2 0 1 9 / westernliving.ca

“The pilot was confident he’d find some sweet spots, and the mood in the very packed cabin was boiling over with excitement and, for me alone, some trepidation.”

One of the first things newbies to heli notice is just how packed the cabin of the average chopper is. Empty seats mean lost revenue, so most heli operations will make sure every spare seat is taken, even if it means morning-of discounts for lucky locals or letting an employee hop along for a special day. In practice, that means that getting everyone in the chopper requires people facing each other to alternate their legs together like teeth on a zipper, and as the day progresses the combination of melting snow and heavily sweating skiers transforms the space into a combo of steam room and boxing gym—dank and very humid, and chock full of testosterone.

After less than 30 minutes in the air we were touching down on an impossibly small landing area and quickly but carefully scurrying out in the crouched position. This is where the guides grab your skis and poles and throw them in a pile, and everyone huddles up while the chopper pulls away, invariably blowing snow into every possible entry point in your jacket and pants. And like that, you’re alone in the wilderness and it’s time to ski. Be it on an epic resort day or deep in the backcountry, no skier ever forgets those first few turns in deep snow.

The skis sink, then, as you pick up speed, their girth gets them to float up while your legs adjust to the bounce, bounce, bounce of powder skiing that only bears tangential connection to the movements you use ripping groomers at your local hill. It’s heaven.

I wish I could tell you my fears over my fitness were unfounded, but they weren’t. I’m in my mid-40s and am in pretty good gym shape, but by the fifth or sixth run my legs were really feeling the pain. My break from the slopes played a huge role in this, as general fitness doesn’t help those muscles utilized in deep-snow skiing, but there is also the fact that your average run is far longer than you’d do in a resort setting.

Unless you spend all day skiing Peak to Creek, even an average heli run will have you sucking air by the time the chopper comes back into sight. Also, time is money—the chopper is waiting for you at the run’s end, and the faster everyone gets down and the faster you load, the

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TRAVEL // HELI-SKIING STEEP AND DEEP

This isn’t a camera trick—the slope is seriously steep, but the heavy snow slows you down (as do trees).

The Perfect Skiing Outfit

We know not to get too matchy-matchy, right?

TOP The new Arc’teryx Sabre LT jacket ($700) adds a longer length and the ability to integrate with your pants for a near-perfect blend of flexibility, near-impervious waterproofing and style. arcteryx.com

BOTTOMS The Teton shell pants ($650) from Swedish import Peak Performance showcase the quirky, style-driven persona of the brand but with the full Gore-Tex technical capabilities the hard-core skier needs. peakperformance.com

GLOVES The Ullr Leather from Helly Hansen ($170) is the glove that keeps you warm, dry and looking good for less than $200—finally. hellyhansen.com

6 4 j a n / f e b 2 0 1 9 / westernliving.ca

more runs you get in a given day—so there’s heavy peer pressure to give ’er. The saving grace for this is that skiing in deep snow is, actually, all things considered, easier than carving on the hardpack of a resort. I’ve often said that I think most good intermediates could handle heli in a group of similarly skilled skiers. And it’s mostly true, but not always—and this began to become clear at the end of our first run, for while we started in the alpine, we were ending in the trees: this awarded us with good visibility in the blowing snow, and all the trees asked in return is that we navigate their very tight confines with fat skis made for floating, not turning at an angle that was north of comfortable. Our group of very advanced skiers had no trouble with this, but by run four or five, my tired legs were squawking at being required to fire off rapid turns at the end of each run, and I parried back at them by hitting a number of trees at speed— one sizable sapling hard between the legs, Jim Carrey-style. At midday we stopped for a brief picnic lunch of sandwiches and soup—a long lunch means one less run—and it was back at it.

By the end of the second day, even the diehards were nearing the no mas point. A shorter trip means you go full tilt for as long as you can to pack in as much vertical as possible, so by 3 p.m. the pilot indicated that we might need to head in. His inflection said, “If you guys need one more run, I’m game,” but we collectively waved the white towel. The previous run was so epic that it wasn’t worth the risk of ending on a lower note.

Was it worth it? For me it was. It may be $650 more than a season’s pass at Whistler, but I’m the type who hates the driving, parking and waiting in line almost as much as I love skiing, so I’ll take a few good days over a slew of mediocre ones. The question is, Is it worth it for you?

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The Look

DARK DR AMA

A tapered island becomes the life of the party.

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designed By

Jane Dabrowski, Paramax Homes

Want to design a one-of-a-kind home bar? Start with an optical illusion. “The tapered shape of the island creates a floating effect,” explains designer Jane Dabrowski from Paramax Homes. Designed with entertaining in mind, this dramatic piece looks right at home amidst a bold materials palette: rift-cut ebony cabinets contrast with the white polished porcelain tiles beneath; above the island, stunning suspension lamps add a little hint of glam, echoing the gold accents that are intermingled with black Ann Sacks backsplash tiles. The result is an inviting, high-gloss bar that draws the eye in… and ultimately draws people in, too. —Daniela Becerril

Tracey Ayton

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