Western Living June 2021

C

E B R AT I N

50

G

1971

EL

2021

YEARS

SUMMER LIVING Taking in the Views on the Sunshine Coast

PLUS

8 Beautiful

Bathroom Designs

$5.99 Western Living June 2021

Our Favourite Local Getaways

PM40065475

One to Watch Textile Designer Tafui McLean

1275 W 6 AVE. VANCOUVER | 604.730.1275 1348-C UNITED BLVD. COQUITLAM | 604.529.6868

inspirationfurniture.ca

Enjoy the unique touch of Italian design, of furnishings created by our finest craftsmen.

Allow yourself to be seduced by the timeless beauty of our collections. Grace your home with a touch of harmony.

summer harmony

19

HOMES + DESIGN

11

Trade Secrets

12

Shopping

A sofa from a tennis star, a cozy fire pit and more new homewares perfect for summer living.

11

FEATURES

14

One to Watch

Tafui McLean’s soft art, brought to you by bold and beautiful coastal views.

14

19

8 Beautiful Bathrooms

From sleek, modern takes to cake-inspired wallpaper, we’ve got the ultimate bathroom design inspo.

25

Worth the Wait

12

The story of this gorgeous Sunshine Coast home by BattersbyHowat begins with WL clippings—from some 20 years ago.

PLUS

16

Great Spaces

An urban brewery that does day-to-night flawlessy from Simcic & Uhrich Architects.

TRAVEL

33

Oh, the Places We’ll Go!

Travel is (finally) closer than ever—here are the B.C. spots we can’t wait to visit.

Way Back WL

Continuing our 50 year anniversary celebration with a look back at a 1988 marvel by Werner Forster.

25

B.C. & ALBERTA L VOLUME 50 L NUMBER 4

33 6 june

42

COVER: Ema Peter; Stairs: Shelter Residential Design/Ema Peter; Golden Skybridge: Tourism Golden; Bathroom: Janis Nicolay: Room: Ema Peter

Shelter Residential Design gets extra creative with this sunny reading nook.

CONTENTS 2021 /

westernliving.ca

1

1706 W 1ST AVE VANCOUVER 604 683 1116 LIVINGSPACEHOMES.COM NEW CONSTRUCTION / RENOVATIONS

WESTERN LIVING editorial publisher Samantha Legge, MBA editorial director Anicka Quin art director Jenny Reed travel editor Neal McLennan assistant editor Alyssa Hirose editor at large Stacey McLachlan contributing editors Karen Ashbee, Julia Dilworth,

Melissa Edwards, Amanda Ross, Nicole Sjöstedt, Barb Sligl, Julie Van Rosendaal editorial interns Olivia Armstrong, Maria Diment, Bridget Stringer-Holden email mail@westernliving.ca

westernliving.ca senior production manager Kristina Borys (on leave) production support technician Ina Bowerbank production coordinator/ad design Nadine Gieseler digital ad coordinator Kim McLane project coordinator Landon Spenrath head office web westernliving.ca tel 604-299-7311 email sales@canadawide.com

sales representation

director of sales Brianne Harper (on leave) sales manager Anna Lee senior account executives Johnny Alviar,

Mira Hershcovitch, Charie G. Ilon, Amy LaJambe, Joan McGrogan, Sheri Stubel address Suite 230, 4321 Still Creek Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5C 6S7 tel 604-299-7311

u.s. sales representation, hayes media sales tel 602-432-4868 email lesley@hayesmediasales.com

european sales representation, s&r media sales manager Sylvie Durlach tel +33 1 44 18 06 62 email srmedia@club-internet.fr

Suite 230, 4321 Still Creek Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5C 6S7 tel 604-299-7311 fax 604-299-9188

chairman & ceo Peter Legge, OBC, LLD (HON) president Samantha Legge, MBA vp of hr/admin Joy Ginete-Cockle vp of finance Sonia Roxburgh, CPA, CGA executive creative director Rick Thibert creative director Cathy Mullaly director of circulation Tracy McRitchie accounting Terri Mason, Eileen Gajowski circulation Katie Gajowski, Kelly Kalirai office manager/sales coordinator Lori North executive assistant to the ceo Charie G. Ilon

PRIVACY POLICY From time to time, other organizations ask us if they may send some of our subscribers information about products and services that might be of interest. If you prefer that we not provide your name and address, please contact us at the address listed above. You can review our complete Privacy Policy at westernliving.ca.

WESTERN LIVING MAGAZINE is published 8 times a year by Canada Wide Media Limited, Suite

230, 4321 Still Creek Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5C 6S7. Phone 604-299-7311; fax 604-299-9188.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. All reproduction requests must be made to COPIBEC (paper reproductions), 800-717-2022, or CEDROM-SNi (electronic reproductions), 800-563-5665. The publisher cannot be responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. This publication is indexed in the Canadian Magazine Index and the Canadian Periodical Index, and is available online in the Canadian Business & Current Affairs Database. ISSN 1920-0668 (British Columbia edition), ISSN 1920-065X (Alberta edition). Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #40065475.

BC

EastIndiaCarpets.indd 1

5/19/21 8:46 AM

q& A

EDITOR'S NOTE

Anicka Quin portrait: Evaan Kheraj; styling by Luisa Rino, stylist assistant Araceli Ogrinc; makeup by Melanie Neufeld; outfit courtesy Holt Renfrew, holtrenfrew.com; photographed at the Polygon Gallery

This month we asked our contributors, What have you learned about yourself in the past year?

ODE TO JOY

Amanda Oster and Stephen Li of Provoke Studios, "8 Beautiful Bathrooms" page 19 Follow Anicka on Instagram @aniqua

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m big fan of bold and beautiful colour. (A little secret: a past WL art director once confessed that whenever he wanted to sell me on a particular cover image, he’d make sure to include a little magenta somewhere to seal the deal.) So I was immediately struck by one of the bathrooms we’re spotlighting in this issue—the one by Pure Design’s Ami McKay on page 22. It’s lovely and neutral where it needs to be—on the main fixtures—but, where it wants to be, it’s bold and beautiful, just how I like it (see: the colourful tiled wall behind the tub). “We called this the Pure Joy home,” McKay told me, “because that’s what matters to the homeowners: that they walk into the house and feel joy.”

I love the idea of pure joy as a mantra for designing your home—and I suspect that, in the past year, many of you have found ways to make your own spaces a little more joyful too. For me, those shifts have been both minor (more plants in the office; a fresh coat of pale pink paint) and major (moving into a new place altogether this past September). And with luck, someday in the near future, my home will be a space for friends and family to gather again, creating another layer of joy.

But while I’ve put a lot into my personal space this year, I’m still dreaming of venturing a little further afield—and I think I’m not the only one who’s itching to travel as soon as we’re all in the two-shot nirvana that (fingers crossed) will come soon, soon, soon. We planned the travel package in this issue in the high but uncertain hopes that a lighter-on-the-lockdown future is on the horizon. So, we’ve spotlighted a few local gems (and how lucky we are in Western Canada to have so many) that just might be safe to put on your summer agenda. My eyes are on the Sunshine Coast, a place that has brought me joy every summer for decade or so now. Read all about it in “Oh, the Places We’ll Go” (page 33).

Whatever your joy looks like this summer—colourful or quiet, on the road or close to home—I hope you’ll share your stories with me. Find me on Instagram, or drop me a line at anicka.quin@westernliving.ca. Until then, here’s a toast to that feeling, and to all of us finding it in the months to come, in any shape it wants to take.

We have learned that our friends keep us sane and that doughnuts are our favourite food group.

Frances Bula, "Oh, the Places We'll Go!" page 33 Having restrictions on activities improved some aspects of life. Only being able to go to the gym or pool by booking made me value and stick to my slots. Being limited to B.C. (or my health region) made me explore new places or return to forgotten ones.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Photographer Kyoko Fierro snaps this month’s One to Watch, Tafui McLean (page 14), in front of the mural Tafui designed—part of the Vancouver Mural Festival—outside of Zebraclub on South Granville.

VISIT

FOLLOW US ON

anick a quin, editorial director anick a.quin@westernliving.ca

westernliving.ca / j u n e

2021

9

N E W & N O TA B L E • TA F U I ' S P L AY F U L P AT T E R N S • B E A U T I F U L B AT H R O O M S • S U N S H I N E C O A S T M O D E R N

TR AD E S ECR ETS D esig n e d by MARK SIMONE, S H E LT E R R E S I D E N T I A L D E S I G N

The Look: Found Space

Ema Peter

Building a house on a 30-foot slope was a challenge, to be sure—but for Mark Simone, principal of Shelter Residential Design, the dramatic topography also offered a unique opportunity. The resulting Whistler home (built with the help of structural engineering firm Twin Peaks Engineering) centres on a three-storey volume that’s carved right into the rock, connected to a smaller wing that straddles the ridge.

And at the heart of the whole stunning structure: a dramatic, windowflanked staircase. Here, open-tread stairs and a guardrail of floating slats allow light to shine down onto a sundrenched reading nook: a welcoming hangout spot for the home’s littlest residents. “There’s not a lot you can do with a space under five feet for adults, but for kids, it’s something fun,” says Simone. “The light coming in, the connection to the landscape... it’s a special moment.”

westernliving.ca / j u n e

2021

11

HOMES + DESIGN SHOPPING Editor’s Pick Za stool

Set Match

available at Inform Interiors, $538. informinteriors.com

Tennis icon Maria Sharapova is still serving—but now in the design studio, not on the court. Her first ever furniture collection is in collaboration with Rove Concepts, and includes the Maria sofa ($3,124), a plush velvet seat inspired by minimalist Japanese architecture. roveconcepts.com

There’s a truism in the design world that simple is hard. When you have a piece that’s minimalist, there’s really nowhere to hide an error—every cut, every join must be perfect, or the flaw is all you’ll see.

Emeco’s latest offering from renowned designer Naoto Fukasawa—known for his work with Herman Miller, Muji and more—takes that mantra seriously. The Za stool (which means “a place to sit” in Japanese) is constructed from recycled aluminum, and it was Emeco’s first foray into working with round shapes (their famous Navy chair is not, of course, round). There are no fasteners or connections, and each stool is hand-brushed and then anodized. Za is available in three heights and six powder-coated colours—I’m already coveting a simply beautiful Za in coral orange for the home office.

—ANICKA QUIN, Editorial Director

For more editors’ picks visit westernliving.ca

Handle It

It’s the tiny tactile details that make Rocky Mountain Hardware’s handcast Organic collection (from $52) special—the door pulls and grips are all about unrefined, natural edges that bring the outdoors in. cantubathrooms.com

Burning Up

Backyard gatherings don’t have to end when the sun goes down. The Hideaway black firepit ($1,099) has a clean-lined design and storage space for wood, so it won’t get in the way in the daytime—and will be the life of the party at night. crateandbarrel.ca

NOTEWORTHY

New in stores across the West.

BY A LY S S A H I R O S E

Bench Warmer

Montreal design studio Rainville Sangaré just launched the minimalist Biau stool ($399) and bench ($999) in collab with EQ3.

The ash-wood seats are inspired by the look of tree logs stacked in a truck—and are surprisingly comfy. eq3.com

12 june

2021 /

Well Read

Former WL Designer of the Year (and judge!) Omer Arbel has just released his very first monograph ($120). The book is full of gorgeous photos of Arbel’s most iconic works, from small tabletop designs to large architectural projects. Make space on your coffee table. phaidon.com

westernliving.ca

Blown Away

The traditional bohemian hand-blown technique used in Artemide’s Stablight (starting from $630) means that no two are quite the same. They’re sold individually or as a trio in pretty, subdued colours: green/amber clear, aqua clear and brown clear. luminosalight.com

Shape Up

The Abstract Black Column ($2,269) by Ethnicraft was designed to spice up corner spaces—and provides valuable storage as well. The minimal but artsy form is interesting from all angles. fullhousemodern.com

Soft Rock

Poltrona Frau’s Martha rocking chair (from $5,150) is all kinds of soothing. This sophisticated take on the traditional rocker has a petal-like backrest made to look like it’s floating on the saddle leather frame. livingspace.com

HOMES + DESIGN ONE TO WATCH

Statement Wall

Tafui McLean’s bold graphics make for gorgeous home decor, but are striking on a larger scale, too—case in point, her mural on Vancouver’s Zebraclub clothing store (left).

She finds the ocean particularly inspiring. “It’s often the place I go to clear my head, it’s a part of my process,” says the artist.

Common Thread Tafui McLean can point to the exact moment that art changed her life. It was decades ago, in Jamaica. Then-five-year-old McLean couldn’t stop crying on her first day of school—that is, until her teacher gave her a sketchbook and some paint. “It was meant to pacify me, and for me, it was like breathing,” says the artist. She held tight to that soothing feeling, and later fell in love with textile design in high school art class.

After studying studio art at Dawson College and design at Concordia University, McLean made her home in Vancouver, and now much of her work is inspired by the Canadian landscape. She also draws inspiration from West African textiles—her studies in precolonial Indigenous art led to an interest in the storytelling power of repeat patterns. “I noticed that there was a common thread in textiles from different Indigenous groups across Africa, and even

14 june

2021 /

westernliving.ca

in Asia,” she says. “And that was really fascinating to me as an artist, especially as someone who was born in Jamaica.” The motto of Jamaica is “Out of Many, One People,” and that message of unity rings very true for McLean.

That same draw to unity also makes sustainability fundamental to McLean as she creates her own art prints and pillows (which she calls “soft art”). “I believe in respecting the land,” she says. “We are not separate from it, and we are not separate from each other.” McLean chose organic Belgian linen for her pillows because it requires less water for manufacturing than other materials, and she makes small zippered pouches with the offcuts. Coming next for the Tafui line is a wallpaper, and soon she will have fabric by the yard available for fans of her signature bold, abstract patterns.—Alyssa Hirose

Kyoko Fierro

TAFUI M C LEAN, artist and textile designer

HOMES + DESIGN GREAT SPACES

DAY TO NIGHTCAP

One in a Brew

“There’s a certain kind of design language attached to breweries, and what was particularly exciting about Superflux was the opportunity to break that language,” says architect Bill Uhrich.

Since Simcic and Uhrich Architects took on the design of Vancouver’s Brassneck Brewery in 2018, they’ve become the go-to team for tasting rooms across the city. “We’ve kind of accidentally become brewery architects,” laughs principal Bill Uhrich. “But it’s a fun sector to be in.” So when given the chance to bring Superflux Beer Company’s first tasting room to life, they were all in—and eager to stray away from the recycledbarn-board, white-subway-tile vibe that defines many urban breweries.

“As we developed the project, it became clear that what Superflux was looking for was something very, very different from your traditional tasting room,” says Uhrich.

The brewery is known for its innovative brewing process and cheeky branding, and the architects wanted the space to reflect a sense of mystery and surprise. That’s achieved through an inconspicuous entryway that leads into the massive brewery facility. “The actual tasting room is hidden in the heart of the building,” explains Uhrich. “It’s a very immersive experience.”

The tasting room itself is all about contrast, with warm woods and contemporary furnishings juxtaposed with the utilitarian manufacturing equipment. Giant perforated wood panels (featuring 81,000 hand-drilled holes) give a sense of separation from the tanks behind, while a curved bar and heightened seating allow patrons and bartenders to connect.

The East Vancouver brewery is blessed with both north- and south-facing windows, so the architects planned for a mood shift from day to night. In daylight, the brightness shows off subtle, natural colour variations in the stainless steel, concrete and Canadian ash. After sunset, dimmers bring out a golden quality in the wood, and the last slivers of sunshine make the space look almost churchlike. “The character changes from being this very light, bright open space to feeling very warm and nestled-in,” says Uhrich. You could say every hour is happy hour.

—Alyssa Hirose

16 june

2021 /

westernliving.ca

Find more inspiring spaces at westernliving.ca

Dasha Armstrong

Superflux Beer Company brings good vibes around the clock.

Bringing homes to life

robinsonco.ca Vancouver Penticton

Kamloops Edmonton

Calgary Saskatoon

Winnipeg Brandon

Burlington Toronto

V��� Set The Right

Therapeutic Bath by

Relax and rejuvenate in an expertly crafted bath. Designed for small spaces without compromising on quality, comfort, and ergonomics.

Visit our showroom and learn how to create an at-home spa retreat.

NORBURN LIGHTING & BATH CENTRE

4600 Hastings Street Burnaby, BC (604) 299-0666 www.norburn.com

8

BEAUTIFUL BATHROOMS

by alyssa hirose and anicka quin

GO FOR HIGH GLOSS ON MILLWORK TO MAKE CURVES SHINE This sexy powder room was once a bleak and bland little forgotten bathroom in the basement of a home in Vancouver’s Shaughnessy neighbourhood, but Tanja Hinder

and Lauren Bugliarisi of Marrimor

In the Mood

Ema Peter

The counter was given an ogee edge, which adds to the hotel-like vibe of the space. The powder room is next door to a renovated games room that’s designed to feel like an underground speakeasy—and this moody space is the perfect companion.

gave it a baroque and beautiful update. The inset vanity and surrounding millwork is all custom, its curved frame setting it up to feel furniture-like in the room. The team at Marrimor had the gold-plated mirror custom designed in cleaner lines to provide a quiet contrast, and paired it with polished brass faucets from Waterworks. Cole and Son’s Macchine Volanti wallpaper has metallic, sparkling moments throughout its playful zeppelin design, and the rich black paint has a blue undertone—Topsoil by General Paint—and a super high sheen to highlight all of the curves in the room. “We wanted it to feel really blingy,” says Hinder. “Everything in this house was so royal.” westernliving.ca / j u n e

2021

19

HOMES + DESIGN BEAUTIFUL BATHROOMS

BRING A FEW ROUND ELEMENTS INTO A HARD-WORKING, FUNCTIONAL SPACE This bathroom operates as a change room and shower for the outdoor pool—and that can mean a half-dozen kids dropping off wet towels and bathing suits on any given day—so designer

Sophie Burke of Vancouver’s Sophie Burke Design

selected sturdy materials for the space. Hard-wearing grey tile lines the floors, Caesarstone’s Rugged Concrete tops the bench, and vertical tiles on the walls can stand up to any wet items on the towel hooks. Black accents throughout offer a fresh colour contrast, and the round fingerpulls on the cabinetry and curvy light fixture from Cedar and Moss bring a playful element. It’s designed to be kid-friendly—and to anticipate that not all kids will carefully put away their wet things. “At least mine wouldn’t!” laughs Burke.

Natural Selection

For the custom millwork from Northmount Industries, designer Kevin Mitchell opted for tamo (a Japanese ash) and gave it a light stain. “With it being so heavily patterned on the walls,” says Mitchell, “we felt a tighter grain on the wood competed less with the tile.”

MINIMALIST SPACES CAN STILL BE BOLD—WITH THE RIGHT TILE Designer Kevin Mitchell of Mitchell Design House was tasked with creating a minimalist primary ensuite for an architecture-obsessed client—though the Calgary-based designer is no minimalist himself. “It was an exercise in restraint for me,” says Mitchell. “Typically I’d have art in the bathroom, and I’d liven it up with colour, but he liked that monochromatic, very tranquil feel.” Mitchell still made the space feel lively and engaging, with large-format, 4-by-8-foot porcelain tile from Julian Tile on the walls, designed to look and feel like marble. By minimizing the grout lines, the marble pattern comes front and centre, via a quieter tile pattern on the floors and a more dynamic one on the walls. And that sculptural tub from Kohler provides just the right amount of softness in the space. “I just loved how organic the shape of that tub was,” says Mitchell. “You want a bit of curve in there to make it a little bit more inviting.”

20 june

2021 /

westernliving.ca

Sophie Burke: Ema Peter; Kevin Mitchell: Eymeric Widling

Pattern Play

Organic objects like the rattan baskets from Twenty One Tonnes and a Libeco towel from Bacci’s warm up a typically cool space like this pool change area.

Reflecting Beauty

Designer Kelly Deck included a dedicated vanity in this space, strategically placed opposite the window.

“You’re getting all the natural light bouncing off the mirror during the day to do your makeup, which is really nice,” says Deck. “And we’ve got sconces on either side for additional lighting.”

Ema Peter

QUIET DESIGN DEMANDS A FEW WOW MOMENTS, TOO This spa-like primary ensuite gets its quiet vibe from an almost all-white interior, with Benjamin Moore’s Oxford White on the walls and marble on the floors and counters. But that vanity is the real showstopper. “We wanted the vanity to be quite rich,” says designer Kelly Deck of Vancouver’s Kelly Deck Design. Instead of opting for white with the cabinetry, the team worked with book-matched crotch mahogany on its face—a lovely pairing to the elegant wood legs of the nearby McGuire chair. “I find, in a space that’s as quiet as this, form is really important,” says Deck. “So the chair is timeless, but at the same time it has really beautiful form, and you can really see that in the negative space around it.

Sculptural-looking furnishings really elevate a room like this.”

westernliving.ca / j u n e

2021

21

HOMES + DESIGN BEAUTIFUL BATHROOMS

BRING IN NEUTRAL ACCENTS TO ADD BALANCE TO A COLOURFUL ROOM “We called this the Pure Joy home,” says designer Ami McKay of Vancouver’s Pure Design. “Because that’s what matters to the homeowners: that they walk into the house and feel joy.” For the couple, it meant they wanted colour, and a lot of it—blues, yellows and pinks throughout the home. “And not a subtle yellow—electric yellow,” says McKay. To make the vibrant palette work for this bathroom, McKay brought in hand-painted terracotta tiles by Tabarka Studio from Mosaic World—some in that bright yellow, others in blue and green—and, importantly, paired them with neutral bands of tile and marble. “It keeps it from feeling overwhelming,” she says, “and just adds more texture and simplicity.”

Warmth in Wood

Location, Location

The stool from Sunshine Coast-based Barter offers a perfect spot for a glass of wine.

22 june

2021 /

westernliving.ca

Janis Nicolay

The floating fir vanity is designed to feel like a piece of mid-century modern furniture.

FIND A COLOUR PALETTE YOU LOVE—AND BE CREATIVE ABOUT THE SOURCE Emma Kelly and Francesca Albertazzi, co-founders of Rudy Winston Design,

encourage their clients to think outside the box when it comes to inspiration—and the owners of this home in New Westminster, B.C., definitely understood the assignment. “Emma and I were absolutely overjoyed when the client presented us with a picture of a beautiful cake,” says Albertazzi.

The team at Rudy Winston worked with the client’s company, Rembrandt Renovations, to translate the layered vanilla cake—decorated with fresh flowers—into a powder room. They began with a floral Designers Guild wallpaper, and drew the green colour from that wallcovering into the bathroom cabinetry. “We brought in other elements that latched onto the colours and shapes in the wallpaper,” explains Albertazzi. A brushed gold mirror and gold wall sconces add clean lines and a contemporary touch to the whimsical space.

Acreage Advantage

“Often, spaces with incredible views still need window coverings because of the privacy element,” explains Pollard, “but in this case we opt to not use any window coverings at all.” Wall-to-wall windows aren’t a problem when you live on a farm.

“The only people looking in are going to be the horses,” she laughs.

Off the Wall

Kelly and Albertazzi both adore wallpaper—they say it brings something to a space that no other element can bring.

But they also emphasize the importance of balance: modern decor keeps the space from looking stuck in a certain era.

USE MIRRORS AND GLASS TO GIVE WIDTH TO A SLENDER SPACE

Rudy Winston: Francesca Albertazzi; Beyond Beige: Provoke Studios

The length of this bathroom in Langley, B.C., presented a challenge to Reisa

Pollard, owner of Beyond Beige Interior Design. “We were trying to

manage the space without having it look like this long tunnel,” she shares. A single, sweeping mirror on one side visually widens the room, while the all-glass shower on the other keeps sightlines clear for that gorgeous patio view. Pollard thought drywall wouldn’t do for a bathroom this grand, so stone masonry, reclaimed barn board and wow-factor windows make up this extra-tactile space. “The goal was to have a really strong relationship between the interior and the exterior, which is rather unusual for a bathroom,” says Pollard. westernliving.ca / j u n e

2021

23

HOMES + DESIGN BEAUTIFUL BATHROOMS

WHEN WALLPAPER ISN’T AN OPTION, GO FOR GORGEOUS TILE INSTEAD

24 june

2021 /

westernliving.ca

Curve Appeal

To keep the drama focused on the walls, Velji went with a dark grey matte paint on the millwork for the vanity, while a splash of gold on the brass faucets and lighting warms up the room. “Everything in here is hard edged, so doing this circular mirror moment, plus the globe light fixture, helps to break up all of those hard lines. It makes it less masculine and gets a bit of that softness in there.”

Joel Klassen

As part of a long-term age-in-place plan, this black and beautiful powder room in Calgary also hosts a shower, for a time when the homeowner’s office might convert into a bedroom. “Because this was a powder room, we wanted to make an impact,” says designer Aly Velji of Alykhan Velji Designs.

“But because there was a shower attached to it, we couldn’t wallpaper like we normally would—we wanted something more durable.” Velji’s team worked with porcelain tile throughout that features dark blue and white veining, similar to a marble— but more durable and cost effective than natural stone. “It’s really unbelievable what porcelain tiles can do now,” he says. “The possibilities are endless with porcelain, and you have more budget to do what you want with it.”

WORTH THE WAIT BattersbyHowat brings a long-planned dream home to these homeowners on the Sunshine Coast.

by Anicka Quin photographs by ema peter

westernliving.ca / j u n e

2021

25

HOMES + DESIGN WORTH THE WAIT

S 26 june

2021 /

ome things are just worth waiting for—and a dream home ranks pretty high on that list. For these homeowners, that wait was a 20-year stretch of clipping out gorgeous homes from issue after issue of Western Living, and filing those pages away until they could finally build a dream home of their own on this remarkable lot on the Sunshine Coast.

As it turns out, when they reviewed those files of clippings, it was obvious they were being drawn to the work of one team in particular: BattersbyHowat, the Vancouver architectural firm that’s been much lauded and admired for its thoughtful and beautiful approach to West Coast modernism. It was clear: that firm was their dream choice. And dreamy is just what BattersbyHowat delivered.

westernliving.ca

Island Rising

Viewed from inside the home, the curve of the soffits and roofline outside mirrors the curve of Texada Island in the distance. In the dining area, the Flat table by Rimadesio is paired with Hiroshima dining chairs

by Maruni (right).

Light Box

The design team was intentionally minimal about the landscaping, using pressure-treated ties in a random path down to the waterfront.

westernliving.ca / j u n e

2021

27

HOMES + DESIGN WORTH THE WAIT Grand Entrance

The main entry is at the rear of the home, lined in white and covered to protect it from the elements (left). The principal suite (below) features a custom bedframe, and a Lamino chair

by Swedese by the window.

“It looks out at this quintessential kind of Canadiana. it’s bedrock, pine, water.”

28 june

2021 /

westernliving.ca

The team’s design gives you just what you’d want from a home sited on a location as stunning as this one. On approach, as you drive in from the woods, the exterior appears modest and understated, clad in a vertically bevelled black siding of varying widths that creates an almost randomseeming texture and pattern. “The house doesn’t give anything up as you approach it,” says architect David Battersby. “It’s almost a non-eve nt. Whenever you do anything black, especially in the woods, you don’t really see it—it disappears.”

At the entry of the home on the inland side of the house, the first invitation in is a wall clad in white. “We wanted the spaces where you enter the house, or look out from when you’re in the house, to be really bright,” says architect Heather Howat. The entryway is not just distinctive, it’s practical, too: “It’s all in the recesses and protected,” she notes.

As you might expect from a waterfront home, views are paramount—but how the team at BattersbyHowat positioned the home to take in those views is anything but standard. The structure was designed with a slight boomerang shape, which not only mirrors the rocky bay below but also has the effect of directing the views from inside to various moments along the shore.

The main room, for example, looks out to the big view—Texada Island, the Strait of Georgia—but the master bedroom is angled toward a point and the particularly beautiful shore pine that grows there. “It looks out at this quintessential kind of Canadiana,” says Battersby. “It’s bedrock, pine, water.”

Colourful Moments

The shade of orange on the throw pillow was chosen to match the bark of the arbutus t rees on the property, and the Twiggy floor lamp by Foscarini offers a bright pop of red in the room.

The coffee table is from Vancouver furniture designer Brent Comber.

westernliving.ca / j u n e

2021

29

HOMES + DESIGN WORTH THE WAIT

High Low

The boomerang design of the building, paired with a simple gable roof, results in high ceilings in the main room (above), and creates more intimate moments in the wings, like the home office (opposite page).

While the home itself is clad in black, each window is clad in white, creating brightness for the viewer inside—as you can see in the principal ensuite (right).

30 june

2021 /

westernliving.ca

Inside, the varying ceiling heights are a result of pairing a straightforward roofline with an unusual room layout. “It’s really just a simple gable roof on an irregular form,” says Battersby. “So that’s why you get all of the tapering lines. It’s this graduated spatial experience, as you walk through these room s and the ceilings are getting lower and lower.”

The design allows for 15-foot ceilings in the main living spaces, and more intimate rooms on either end—the principal suite on one side, and a home office on the opposite, where ceilings come down to seven feet in the corners. Sliders open the main room out onto a deck—which feels spacious thanks to that boomerang design, but is kept intentionally modest so as not to block any views from inside the home.

While a neutral palette of warm woods, easy-to-maintain concrete floors, and oatmeal and charcoal tones on the furnishings provides a beach-home vibe and lets the view take centre stage, there are moments of colour that reflect the natural surroundings. An orange throw pillow on the sofa is inspired by the bark of the arbutus trees on the land, and the back-painted, sunshine yellow glass backsplash in the kitchen reflects the view from beyond the windows behind it.

It’s a home that has ease of movement, through open rooms meant for friends, family and gathering, into the cozier, private spaces, like a den designed for a quieter night by the television. All in all, it’s a dream-home space that was worth the wait. “They want to have a special house on this really amazing property,” says Howat.

“And they waited 20 years to do it.”

westernliving.ca / j u n e

2021

31

G O LD EN • COMOX • VI C TO R IA • LI LLO O ET • P OWELL R IVER • PENTI C TO N

Courtesy Tourism Golden

High Hopes It hasn’t been a great year for openings, what with the pandemic and all, but one of the few new attractions is most compelling in a who-the-heck-thought-of-this sort of way. The Golden Skybridge sounds like the fourth instalment of the Thor franchise, but in fact, it’s just a straightforward description. It’s located in beautiful Golden, B.C., and it features a pair of suspension bridges so high (130 metres and 80 metres, to be exact) that the prefix “sky” seems fine.

For a frame of reference, Vancouver’s beloved Capilano Suspension Bridge checks in at 70 metres, or just a hair taller than the waterfall the Golden Skybridge hovers over. There’s the usual accoutrements—boardwalk through the forest, ziplining—and the addition of bungee jumps will debut later this summer.—Neal McLennan

westernliving.ca / j u n e

2021

33

In a normal year, this feature would be dedicated to waxing poetic about all that was new and fancy in the West. The shiny urban hotels, the striking mountain retreats, the nouveau restaurants that everyone is clamouring to get into. But this was not a normal year. Not only did Annus Covidus ensure that openings were few and far between, the vast majority of us have also travelled a fraction of what we’re used to. And if you’re like most, this summer you’re not looking for the latest and greatest thing—you just want to get going, somewhere. Anywhere. So, with that in mind, we’re dreaming big (and small) about where we’ll be off to this summer—if we can—and what places have been calling to us throughout this year of forgotten travel. by frances Bula, melissa edwards, Alyssa Hirose, Stacey M c Lachlan, Neal M c Lennan and Anicka Quin

34 june

2021 /

westernliving.ca

Beach: Stacey McLachlan; BSBH: Jade Ratcliffe; Oysters: Fanny Bay Oyster Co.

Oh, The Places We’ll Go!

THE CALL OF THE BEACH HOUSE COMOX I live in Vancouver, and we have beaches here. I know this. I have sand in every bag I own to prove it. But sitting on the patio of a shabby-chic Vancouver Island beach house, G&T in hand, watching the tide roll up so close it’s practically kissing the deck? That’s where I want to be.

This place, this moment, is real. I was there last summer—a cheeky escape while pandemic restrictions were slightly looser— though it seems like a lifetime ago. It’s been a year of pause, and yet so much has changed for the women I went there with. Two of the group are now expecting babies; three of us have made career pivots; one made a movie; one fell in love.

Back to last year. We found the place on VRBO (“The Bayside Beach House”), and stepping into it was like a Nancy Meyers fever dream. Slouchy slipcovered sofas. A heavy, sprawling wooden table under a rustic-glam chandelier. Sun-bleached driftwood tchotchkes on tastefully chalk-painted shelves. It was a glorious cliché of what a “girls’ trip” in your 30s should be. We leaned in immediately: First Wives Club on repeat, wine flowing loose and fast.

In the mornings, when the tide had darted all the way out again (so shy!), I’d pick my way across the damp, barnacle-laden expanse of sand to plunge myself into the brisk water—a ritual of salt and shock to wash away any night-before sluggishness (see: wine flowing loose and fast). One day, sloshing back up to

the cabin, I realized the ground was littered in oysters. Quickly, I gathered them into my towel: the great provider, returning with her bounty. A quick google revealed they were essentially poison.

Oops. I released them back to the sea.

Instead, we hopped in the car and cruised down the winding oceanside highway to the Fanny Bay Oysters to source our seafood from the professionals on the dock. En route, we swung by Cumberland to stroll the main drag, stopping for replenishment more than is really necessary considering “downtown” is approximately four blocks—a coffee here, a pint there, a quick taco pitstop to refuel after hitting the vintage shop. (A leopard jacket and jumpsuit were purchased: like I said, we leaned in.)

Oh, what I’d give to revel in that feeling again: of being somewhere new with nothing in particular to do. Or really, better yet, what I’d give to do this very specific thing: put on matching white robes over our swimsuits, drag the wicker furniture down to the sand, and top up the glasses of my funny friends with chilled rosé as we cackle and preen in our Diane Keaton cosplay, salty air whipping around our hair and perfectly extra hats, soaking in as much sun as the West Coast sky will give us, revelling in being away, apart, together.—S.M.

westernliving.ca / j u n e

2021

35

TRAVEL BRITISH COLUMBIA

For the most part, people don’t really understand modern architecture.

I say this not to be elitist, but to state a truth, one learned over a decade’s work at a design magazine: pictures and stories of houses can only ever tell you so much about a building. You might be able to understand the design concepts fostered by Frank Lloyd Wright, but the only people who truly know Fallingwater are the Kaufmann family and some of the lucky friends who stayed there. To fully grasp what the architect was trying to achieve, you have to spend some time within a building’s four (and sometimes more) walls; you have to use the kitchen, notice where the sinks are in relation to the shower, and so on. And since most of us don’t live in an architect-designed house, we’re typically being put at a perpetual dimensional disadvantage.

But sometimes it doesn’t have to be this way. I came up with the above thesis on the patio of my room at Victoria’s 1 Inn at Laurel Point, the only hotel ever designed by Arthur Erickson and a rare, electric bolt of modernism in Victoria’s landscape of grand but staid traditional architecture. In the early 1980s, the property—then the Delta—was bought by local hospitality magnate Paul Arsens and his stylish wife Arthura (Artie). As luck would have it, the couple was social with Erickson and, with an eye to expansion, they retained the legendary architect to design it. (Story has it that Erickson’s retainer came about as a way to pay off a debt owed to Paul from a game of cards, which, true or not, sounds real.)

The result was what is now called the Erickson Wing, comprising 65 luxury suites that define the hotel. Erickson’s design took cues from the prime oceanfront siting and recalls a ship coming into port. Were Laurel Point a corporately owned Hyatt or the like, Erickson’s work no doubt would have been covered over numerous times by now, with the requisite refresh that’s part of the playbook for a high-end chain hotel. But the Arsens never went in for such slavish acts. Perhaps it was out of deference to their friend, but my guess is that a guest of Room 404 in 1987 would still very much recognize the same room today, notwithstanding that the entire place was overhauled in 2019. That’s because the Erickson rooms still have the hallmarks—tatami doors, light wood, muted tones, plenty of texture—of the master. The hallways, many of them housing the Arsens’ art collections, are the largest I’ve ever seen in a hotel. No actuary would ever approve such a design, featuring space that could be used for revenue instead being earmarked for... aesthetics. But they do force a guest’s perspective to shift from a wide expanse (the aforementioned hallway) to a narrow one (the entrance to the room) to an even wider one (the stunner of a view of Victoria Harbour that Erickson insisted every room have).

Staying here puts you in a mind for modernism, and there’s the rub— Laurel Point is a thoughtful beacon in a city literally named after the most conservative architecture style of the last two centuries (which has its own charms as well—just different ones). So, I started to plot walks that that brought me from Laurel Point to other likeminded buildings. I’d say it took a long time, but the truth is it didn’t—there’s not a plethora to choose from. It’s a 5.4-kilometre loop that’ll take you an hour, but one you can pick and choose from if you’re out and about.—N.M.

36 june

2021 /

westernliving.ca

1

2

3 Gutter Credit

THE CAPITOL’S (HIDDEN) MODERN HEART VICTORIA

4

Inn at Laurel Point: Vince Klassen; Bentall Building, City Hall Annex, BC Electric Company Building: Michal Klajban

2 Bentall Building, 1060 Douglas St.

I’m hesitant to put this Mies van der Rohe knock-off on the list (designed by the construction company’s in-house architect) because, unlike Laurel Point, it makes zero attempt to fit in with its surroundings— unless its surroundings were midtown Manhattan circa 1957. But it is modern to a fault.

Eclectic, modern, global; find home accessories with personality at Details by Mr. K — South Granville’s newest décor store.

3 City Hall Annex, 674-698 Pandora Ave.

It’s sorta International Style, but with lots of mostly ornamental arches and beautiful stylized brass screens on the second-storey windows. Designed by local firm Wade, Stockdill, Armour and Partners.

Weird and wonderful.

4 BC Electric Company Building, 1515 Blanshard St.

Now we’re getting to it. Just a few blocks north from City Hall Annex, the former BC Electric Building was designed by Ned Pratt of Vancouver’s Thompson, Berwick and Pratt (with an alleged assist from partner Ron Thom). Here we get some soul and flow going, with the aquamarine notes juxtaposing the white forms at the entrance. Has been subject to some iffy renos, but the quality still shows.

2717 GRANVILLE STREET (OPPOSITE THE STANLEY) DETAILSBYMRK.COM | @DETAILSBYMRK Sydney & Ginger.indd 1

5/19/21 10:03 AM

GET A ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION FOR ONE LOW PRICE!

5 Mosaic Building, 1061 Fort St.

(eight issues of the print and digital editions)

Architect John Di Castri was Victoria’s Frank Lloyd Wright and this building—complete with dual fourstorey-high mosaics of matching thunderbirds (oddly, done by Mexican artist Andres Salgo)—is a showstopper. It’s now apartments with a super tacky sign, but still–they don’t make ’em like this anymore.

THERE’S NO EASIER WAY TO STAY SMART, INFORMED AND AHEAD OF YOUR COMPETITION.

5

SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR $14.95/YEAR BCBUSINESS.CA/ SPECIAL-SUBSCRIPTION-OFFER

LIKE US ON

WL_1/3sq_FillerAds.indd 1

5/13/21 11:45 PM

TRAVEL BRITISH COLUMBIA

Wayne and Freda PENTICTON

Top left: Anicka Quin. All other photos courtesy of Sunshine Coast Tourism. Kayaker: Andrew Strain; Saltery Bay Provincial Park: Tomas Jirku; farmers' market: Paul Kamon; Patricia: Darren Robinson;

There is so much to love about this family-owned coffee shop in Penticton—the pretty interior, the huge wraparound patio, the menu (which screams millennial, but you can’t say that an avocado toast with housemade kale pumpkin seed pesto doesn’t sound good). In fact, you could have a perfectly nice outing to Wayne and Freda without knowing their story at all. But hearing that Wayne, owner Ryan’s grandfather, and Freda, owner Jessica’s grandmother, lived in the same care home— and became friends after learning their grandchildren were dating—is truly the icing on the cake (or the whip on the coffee). Simple line drawings of the two seniors dancing dot the walls of this cozy, storied space. It’s feel-good vibes all around, and it’s a perfect oasis for a year where travel feels both foreign and essential.—A.H.

THE ROADSIDE STOPOVER The six-plus hours it takes Vancouverites to reach Tofino has got to be in the running for the longest trip that people think is no big deal. Tell people you’re thinking of driving to Portland for the weekend and they’ll look at you like you’re crazy. Tell them you want to have a birthday dinner at the Wick, spending the night and then coming back, and they’ll nod like it’s an inspired idea. And to be fair, the wending, sometimes-hairy Highway 4 that cuts through Vancouver Island has reams more character and interest than the sterile I5. And part of the joy of a trip to Tofino is the pitstop halfway. “Ah, Goats on the Roof!” you say. But no, as much as I love the culinary gift that Coombs, B.C., has brought to the world (and I actually do love it), my halfway salvation lies 40 kilometres west, at Port Alberni’s J&L Drive In. I’ve thought about J&L frequently during the pandemic as Vancouver saw a series of burger pop-ups specializing in smash burgers—essentially, a grill-fried patty with processed cheese, which is pretty much what J&L has been doing for 40 years, except they cost $4.59, not $12, and the line of hipsters is much longer in Vancouver. Oddly, both sets of patrons wear a lot of Carhartt—the Port Alberni ones just happen to use it for work.

And while I love the food (the $3.39 grilled cheese and bacon is the secret order here, though I’ve never been brave enough to order one of the five items under the “Seafoods” section), it’s the “drive-in” part I love. Roll up in your car, flash your lights, place your order and, in weirdly short time, out comes a tray to rest on your open window. If you’re of a certain generation, you’ll think of Happy Days, and some might recall the A&Ws of old. Those born this millennia will have zero frame of reference.—N.M.

38 june

2021 /

westernliving.ca

Food: Destination BC/@vancouverfoodie

PORT ALBERNI

A little slice of heaven on Palm Beach (left).

Not far from Powell River is Desolation Sound (right), where the waters often run warm.

The beaches and coves around Powell River have such magic (and, on a good day, some semi-warm water flowing down the tidal stream from Desolation Sound) that you’ll never want to leave those quiet waves and excellent sunsets. But when you do manage to drag yourself away from your lounger and stack of novels, you’ll find that the town itself does hold its surprises.

Top left: Anicka Quin. All other photos courtesy of Sunshine Coast Tourism. Kayaker: Andrew Strain; Saltery Bay Provincial Park: Tomas Jirku; farmers' market: Paul Kamon; Patricia: Darren Robinson; Tinhat: Jeremy Williams; Costa del Sol: Shayd Johnson

2 STOPS TO PARADISE POWELL RIVER

The first time our pack of friends booked a trip to Powell River, the only thing we knew was that the cabin was on the water— near a regional park called Palm Beach—and it was at a price we could afford. (At $750 a week, it was a steal even a decade ago.)

That little ’50s shack was as tight as a sieve (the ivy on the outside had actually made its way through the walls and into the living room), and it’s since been knocked down—but from that summer forward we’ve maintained an ongoing love affair with the northern Sunshine Coast.

Yes, you’ll need to carry on well past all the temptingly pretty coastal towns that line the southern end of the Sunshine Coast Highway—but as an old Tourism Powell River bumper sticker notes, “Two Ferries Can’t Be Wrong.” And, in pre-COVID times, the mid-trip reward on that curvy journey was a first vacation beer on the patio of the Earls Cove ferry terminal’s only restaurant. (It was once charmingly named Tom and Sherry’s, then emerged from a mini-reno as the new, still-kind-of-charming The Cove.)

The Patricia movie theatre Tinhat Mountain

Costa del Sol Restaurant

The ferry to Powell River lands at Saltery Bay Provincial Park (this photo).

The weekend farmers’ market runs in a clearing in the woods (left).

There’s the weekend farmers’ market held in a clearing in the woods, with a community stage that hosts performers ranging from banjo players and fiddlers to local dance troupes and karaoke singers. (You’ll want to pick up a side of bacon and a jar of fragrant honey from Myrtle Point Heritage Farm, which raises free-roaming Berkshire pigs, heritage chickens and honey­bees on their wooded acreage.) On lazy strolls down Marine Drive (aka “downtown”), you’ll wrestle with overwhelming vacation decisions like whether to get a latte at the bright and airy 32 Lakes or in the more crunchy-granola vibe at Base Camp Coffee. But authentic margaritas and pollo tacos in the early-1900s police station that is Costa del Sol are an easy decision. As is catching a movie (oh let this be our future) in the one-room, yellow-stucco treasure that is the Patricia, Canada’s oldest running movie theatre (currently fundraising to live another day)—followed by a pint of Zunga at Townsite Brewing next door. Later ventures into town revealed cozy Magpie’s Diner in the Cranberry neighbourhood, and kitschy Edie Rae’s Café at the Old Courthouse Inn. There was another bumper sticker from the tourism office: “Powell River: I had a good time, actually!” And after this past year and a half, we can’t imagine a better time to be had. PR, we had a time. And we’ll be back.—Melissa Edwards and Anicka Quin

westernliving.ca / j u n e

2021

39

TRAVEL BRITISH COLUMBIA

Fraser River

LILLOOET

We felt for a moment like we were in northern Italy, looking out from the sunny terrace where we were drinking a very pleasant bottle of local wine in front of the postcard-worthy jagged peaks stretched out at the end of the valley.

It looked, I said, like the Dolomites. But it was not. Nor did the town across the river in in any way resemble a historic Italian village. It was Lillooet, best-known to B.C. high-school history students as a town that had something to do with the gold rush.

And maybe jade. Currently, something to do with forestry and hydroelectricity, because it’s on the Fraser River. A place that, if forced to guess, I would have imagined as filled with pickup trucks, logging trucks and diners.

But here we were, on the very designer-y patio of the relatively new Kitchen at Fort Berens restaurant, eating curated appetizer plates and elaborate pasta dishes, looking out at a million-dollar view.

We ended up there accidentally the first time, on our way back from a camping trip that was the first of our only-in-B.C. pandemic summer adventures. But I went back two more times.

It turned out that the trip there and back, the area nearby, and then the town itself became as beautiful and interesting for me as any foray to the Gorges du Verdon in France or the Priorat region in Spain. (Okay, not quite the same, but still.)

Just the trip up the Fraser Canyon and back down to Vancouver on the Lillooet-Whistler road is spectacular, the kind of thing that Europeans who visit this province likely pay thousands to travel and then remember with awe the rest of their lives.

The brown river churning steadily far below the cliffside highway, the ranches and farmhouses perched on narrow green benches at the foot of desert-dry escarpments, the sense of both a vast, scarcely populated piece of B.C. and the chain of Indigenous settlements that have been in the canyon for thousands of years

40 june

2021 /

westernliving.ca

Fort Berens Estate Winery

on one part of the loop.

On the other half: a quick swim in Seton Lake, floating between mountain ranges, on the way out of town, then a climb and dip through the forests and along the river of the Duffey Lake/ Cayoosh Creek Valley down to Pemberton, Whistler, home.

And then there’s Lillooet itself, a quintessential B.C. workingclass town that is slowly evolving. Yes, diners. Also, Abundance Artisan Bakery, the current cool coffee shop and bakery. Yes, many trucks. But also walking trails that take you to the old wooden closed-to-cars bridge over the Fraser or down through desert scrub to the rocky bank where the electric-blue water of the Seton River smashes into the Fraser brown.

Yes, an archetypal B.C. settler town. But also a museum, with markers and a preserved residence that records the layers of history, including Japanese internment camps and the Chinese mine workers who discovered jade—something the locals didn’t think had any value.

It’s going to be discovered by everyone else someday, I keep saying. Glad I got there ahead of the crowd.—F.B.

Taylor Pass in the South Chilcotin, north of Lillooet

Fraser River/Fort Berens Estate Winery: Destination BC/Michael Bednar; Taylor Pass: Destination BC/Mason Mashon

NORTH BY NORTHWEST

SHOWROOM: 8585 123 St. Surrey, BC V3W 6E2 HOURS: M-F 8am – 4:30pm 604.590.5999 | sales@pacificartstone.com | pacificartstone.com @pacificartstone

EDITOR’S BOX

DELIVERING JOY AND DELIGHT SAFELY TO YOUR DOOR EVERY 90 DAYS. WINNER

“Best Overall Box” at the 2020 Canadian Subscription Box Awards

JUST $115 ($225 + VALUE)

A curated collection of self-care items.

SUBSCRIBE NOW SimplyBeautifulBox.com

WL-1/2PG-AD_SB.indd 2

5/17/21 2:13 PM

way back

Celebrating 50 Years

42 june

2021 /

westernliving.ca

L V L

September, 1988

The home from Vancouver architect Werner Forster features a glass-roofed gazebo that cantilevers over the edge of the cliff— a design not for the faint of heart (though it takes in wide-angled views out to the Gulf Islands).

F Roger Brooks

In 1988, writer Carolann Rule—who would go on become editor of this magazine—reflected on the designers who were shaping West Coast modern architecture, and how spotting each of their distinct styles was a joy: Jim Cheng’s cubist forms, Dan White’s modern lines, Arthur Erickson’s classical references.

This one was more of a puzzle—she’d heard it was a Werner Forster, the architect known for designing all eight of Umberto Menghi’s restaurants, including Vancouver’s Il Giardino, and for his love of warm, earthy materials like terracotta and stucco. (It was a love big enough that it earned him the nickname “Mr. Mediterranean.”) But this one surprised Rule for its cool and formal structure—and while Forster acknowledged an affinity for that handmade, comforting look, “I don’t let my preferences interfere with my job as an architect,” he said. The client wanted modern, so Forster delivered this beauty.

On the ground level, 80 percent of the walls are glass, angled to the view. And while Forster insisted that he’s open to what the clients want, the one thing he pushed for was a little more novel at the time: an open kitchen. “When you entertain, you are going to spend time in there. An open kitchen is more conducive to socializing.” And more Mediterranean, noted Rule.

The one part that might not stand up to today’s standards? “The architect built as close to the edge of an unstable, 30-metre cliff as he dared to go.”

Fingers crossed it was enough.—Anicka Quin

V

E

YO U A R E A L R E A DY B E AU T I F U L

Lightweight.

Volumizing.

Long-lasting.

FLUT TER MA SC AR A

V E G A N , PA R A B E N - F R E E , C R U E LT Y- F R E E , P E G - F R E E A N D T E A- F R E E E VA L I N A B E A U T Y. C O M

VANCOUVER,

WELCOME ON BOARD Fly to new places safely with Turkish Airlines.

Flight starting from 2nd of May.

TEL AVIV