Western Living BC, Late Fall 2020

WESTERN LIVING

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LATE FALL 2020

B.C. & ALBERTA L VOLUME 49 L NUMBER 7

Bring on the Holidays Our Favourite Designs for the Festive Season

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PLUS A Little of La Dolce Vita with Perfect Apertivo Recipes

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HOMES + DESIGN

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FEATURES

Cozy new homewares perfect for weathering a storm.

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Great Spaces

Vancouver’s Andlight makes a downtown L.A. restaurant sunnier still.

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One to Watch

Minimalist threads you can count on by Ana Isabel Textiles.

FOOD

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A Little Bit of La Dolce Vita

Recipes from Caffè la Tana capture Italian magic on this side of the Atlantic.

PLUS

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Trade Secrets

D’Arcy Jones Architects joins the drama club with this angular exterior.

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CONTENTS

Modern Holiday

Alykhan Velji revisits one of his designs to bring a modern holiday spirit to this Calgary home.

39

Home for Hanukkah

Gillian Segal gives her Vancouver home a gorgeous holiday spin.

51

Winter Whimsy

The team at Kalu Interiors ditches red and green for a festive pastel oasis.

51

Cover: Janis Nicolay; this page: Apertivo: Hakan Burcuoglu; Ana Isabel: Alexa Mazzarello; dining room: Kokemor Studio; table: Janis Nicolay

Shopping

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STO C K E D I N VA R I O U S S IZ ES & CO LO U RS editorial

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EDITOR’S NOTE

q& A

WHEN THE HOLIDAYS GO VIRTUAL

Janis Nicolay, "Home for Hanukkah" page 39 Follow Anicka on Instagram @aniqua

Given the elastic nature of time these days (it’s been simultaneously 10 years and a few months since the pandemic was first declared, yes?), it’s hard to believe that the holidays are just around the corner. I write this a few weeks out from the holiday season, and I’m finding it difficult to imagine how this year’s celebrations will look. Typically, right about now I’d be setting the date for the annual open house I hold for about 40 or so friends and neighbours. I know I won’t be doing that this year, and I expect most of us will be marking out a considerably lighter social calendar all around.

But our homes have become more important spaces than they’ve ever been before, and I do think we’ll still be drawn to decorating up for the season. Frankly, as the cold weather arrives and we move indoors, I’ll be welcoming the warm lights that come from my Christmas tree— with or without a crowd around it. And I may take up designer Gillian Segal’s tip (“Home for Hanukkah,” page 39) of bringing olive branches inside for a touch of festive green—the garlands in the home she’s decorated to celebrate Hanukkah are particularly gorgeous.

I’m also on board with Phyllis Lui’s “more is more” philosophy when it comes to the holiday season (“Winter Whimsy,” page 51). For last year’s Homes for the Holidays tour in support of Kids Help Phone, the Kalu Interiors designer decorated a client’s home in lovely pastels—a perfectly pretty fit for my newly painted home office, which just got a coat of Benjamin Moore’s First Light.

And while I won’t be whipping up the usual six dozen or so chocolate cookies (my scale thanks me), I’ll be getting a solid dose of holiday cheer when I join up with top designers (and WL favourites) like Gaile Guevara and Ami McKay to tour this year’s virtual Homes for the Holidays lineup. I encourage all of you join me online (homesfortheholidays.ca)—with a celebratory glass in hand, of course—to see these amazing homes and help out a worthy cause at the same time.

I can’t think of a better way to transition into the new-new normal that is Holidays 2020.

One habit (bordering on obsessive) I’ve picked up is the extra scrubbing of bathrooms and the stove top.

Toilet lids removed, for instance, to really get in there.

Also, I’ve been purging objects that were, literally, collecting dust. Purging is my meditation now!

Alexa Mazzarello, "One to Watch" page 22 There are truly so many things these last six months have brought that I plan to continue. I started learning how to make my own cocktails at home and it’s such a nice treat after a long day. I’m also making coffee every morning at home instead of buying out, and I’m saving, like, $1 million. When COVID hit I reviewed every dollar I was spending, and I was shocked how much I spent on cappuccinos. And prepping my produce! I call myself the food manager of our household, because I started washing, prepping and cutting all our produce before putting things in the fridge in ready-to-go containers. This extra step, while time-consuming, has become the most enjoyable ritual.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Designer Gillian Segal sets up a menorah in her Vancouver home, which she decorated for Hanukkah for last year’s Homes for the Holidays.

To see more of her space, turn to page 39.

VISIT

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

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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, “Is there a new habit you’ve picked up over the past few months that you’d like to keep?”

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HOMES+DESIGN N E W & N O TA B L E • L I G H T I N G U P L . A . • L E AV E I T T O W E AV E R • H O M E S F O R T H E H O L I D AY S

Play with Pastels

Janis Nicolay

Already over the classic red and green for this holiday season? Follow Phyllis Lui of Kalu Interiors’ lead and opt for a pretty pastel palette of soft pinks and turquoises.

“The goal was whimsical glamour,” explains Lui, “a kind of surreal, fairy-tale feeling.” For more on this home, turn to page 51.

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HOMES + DESIGN • SHOPPING

Editor’s Pick

Melting Mug from Studio Arhoj

$38, shop.vanspecial.com We’re going to need a lot of coffee to get us through these bleak winter months. I’m not really picky when it comes to my beans—I’m more of a quantity-overquality, pot-a-day kinda gal—but when it comes to the mug I’m sipping from, I insist that it delivers me both caffeine and joy. This hand-cast Melting Mug from Studio Arhoj, shaped like a traditional Japanese yunomi teacup and looking both playful and pretty with its contrasting drip glaze, will do quite nicely.

— STACEY McLACHLAN, Editor-at-Large

Divide and Conquer

NOTEWORTHY New in stores across the West.

For more editors’ picks visit westernliving.ca

These suspended and standing room dividers from BuzziFalls (from $1,248) are designed both to create privacy and to control sound (good for busy COVID-era spaces). The recycled felt hangings diffuse, attenuate and absorb sounds like ringtones, typing and chatty colleagues—or, in our case, family members. objectivespace.com

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

Wick Away

These cherry candlesticks ($90 for set of two), hand-carved

by Vancouver designer Elise McLauchlan, are perfect for keeping cozy rooms aglow. providehome.com

Dune That

The 100-percent-wool Ridge rug (from $1,119) captures the beauty of the desert— no sand required. Unique yet subdued, its conspicuous texture is inspired by lines of sand blown in the wind. boconcept.com

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To Infinity

Foscarini just launched the telescope-inspired Palomar lamp (from $1,398) virtually, and it will likely be the star of any room (sorry, we had to). This sleek light projects an intense brilliance upwards and a gentle glow downwards. informinteriors.com

HOMES + DESIGN • SHOPPING

Story Arc

The arched shape of Leanne Ford’s Anne storage cabinet ($2,699) highlights the grain of its white oak bentwood poles; inside are three shelves, one fixed and two adjustable. For a darker aesthetic, it’s also available in charcoal. crateandbarrel.ca

On the Edge

Just like trees themselves, no two of the Metro tables (price upon request) by Live Edge Design— made in Duncan, B.C.—are the same. You can customize the size and finish: besides always having a wood top and metal base, the sky (or the forest?) is the limit. broughaminteriors.com

Wiggle Room

Find a home for bright florals in the Air vase (from $50). Its glazed interior, wax-painted finish and pop of pattern make it the ideal vessel for keeping a bit of the outdoors in. eq3.com

Block Party

Kids don’t normally see the fun in sleek storage solutions, but Ikea’s Bygglek collaboration with Lego (from $16) is just as practical as it is playful. Each box is outfitted with Lego studs, making cleanup basically part of the game. ikea.ca

Rough Go

These unglazed black ribbed bud vases ($44 each) will add a little tactile to your table—for a long time. They’re handmade in ceramicist Tanvi Arora’s Vancouver studio and fired at 2200 degrees Fahrenheit. nineteenten.ca

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Boxed Blend

The Timber table from Gus* Modern ($275) mimics a wood’s natural grain, but its near-transparent acrylic camouflages into surrounding spaces. Plus, it’s open on one side, so it can double as storage space. omgitssmall.com

HOMES + DESIGN • GREAT SPACES

ELECTRIC AVENUE

Vancouver lighting design team Andlight brightens up this downtown L.A. chain.

When Cara McConnell set out to design downtown L.A.’s California Chicken Cafe—an American rotisserie chain—she looked north for lighting. “We wanted a clean, playful, but laboratory-like feel to the interior,” she says. McConnell recalled seeing Vancouver’s Andlight at an exhibition a few years earlier, and thought their LED lighting was the perfect mix of function and whimsy.

The restaurant’s cafeteria-like seating area is open-concept, with muted blue microcement benches and a mix of crisp, white Corian and solid-maple butcher block tabletops. It’s a practical design—but potentially very loud, says Caine Heintzman, co-founder of Andlight. Marigold Slab pendants designed

Light Bulb Moment

Andlight founder Caine Heintzman explains that the California Chicken Cafe’s lighting was carefully selected for the needs of each space (think eye-catching entry and minimalist kitchen).

“The chandelier piece is a little bit more distracting, but above the cashier the linear lighting is really slick so it allows you to see through the space,” he says.

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Interior design: Newport Concepts; photography: Wonho Frank Lee

by Lukas Peet do double duty in the space: they provide light and regulate the racket.

(The pendants have a large surface area and are enveloped in organic merino wool felt, which is absorptive to sound.) “It’s a very big, open space, so the Slab light is a great one because it’s able to help contain the bouncing noise,” says Heintzman.

Another of Andlight’s creations, the Pipeline series, also became a staple in the café.

The slick, modular lights line the ordering area, keeping sightlines into the kitchen clear. “Part of the restaurant’s brand is to be very honest about what they are making,” explains Heintzman, “and that openness is something we consider—we don’t want to obstruct that.” Outside on the patio, the slim lights culminate in one single statement light: the CM9 chandelier. This major eyecatcher is constructed from several Pipeline lights connected together. “This orientation invites a lot more engagement,” says Heintzman, who designed the series himself.

The fresh space echoes the utilitarian vibes of a kitchen, with colourful quirks that keep it from looking clinical. The collaboration was an easy fit, says Heintzman. “They have this technical functionality and a bit of playfulness, which are values that we share in our brand as well.”—Alyssa Hirose

MORE INSPIRING SPACES Find more great rooms to inspire at westernliving.ca

HOMES + DESIGN • ONE TO WATCH

Knot Over

“I feel lucky to be able to take a bunch of string and make it into something that you use as art or wear,” says Sousa.

The program through which she learned to weave doesn’t exist anymore, so she also teaches. “It’s important to keep the tradition going in that way,” she says.

Fine Fine Work In the midst of a self-diagnosed quarter-life crisis, Ana Isabel Sousa quit her desk job at a high-tech company in Ontario. She’d taken a few art courses back east, and decided to try her hand at textiles at Capilano University in North Vancouver. The tactile craft was the opposite of her past pursuit, and exactly what she needed. “Every thread that is used in a project I have touched, and there is something so special about that,” she says.

Now, she crafts for private clients, interior designers and occasionally the film industry.

Compared to other weavers, Sousa uses very fine threads, giving her work a translucent look. “I always try to weave projects

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Alexa Mazzarello

ANA ISABEL SOUSA Weaver, Ana Isabel Textiles

Material Girl

Sousa’s Meditation series of wallhangings (left) represents a dreamy landscape, and is woven from linen, silk, wool, organic cotton, copper thread and paper yarn. All of her work plays with texture and minimal colour.

Your life, organized!

Solutions for your home, office, and garage. arbutus.com • 604-734-1949 that really bring peace to a space,” she says, “because that’s something I’m looking for and appreciate in my own life.” Using her traditional loom and natural materials like silk, wool and linen, Sousa creates intricate tapestries and wall hangings (usually between 500 and 800 threads), sometimes dyed with plants or woven with copper.

Most of her work isn’t dyed at all; she instead embraces the yarn’s natural colour—which can vary depending, for example, on the kind of silkworm or its diet.

It’s a meditative process. It’s not quick, and that’s the beauty of it. “It’s very comforting,” she says.—Alyssa Hirose

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MODERN HOLIDAY

Alykhan Velji revisits one of his designs to bring a modern holiday spirit to a chic Calgary home.

by anicka quin // photographs by Kokemor Studio

Cozy Christmas

For the living area, the team brought in a few seasonal throw pillows—including a pink faux fur cover to cozy up the space.

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HOMES + DESIGN • MODERN HOLIDAY Simple Geometry

On the dining table, the fabric runner isn’t a traditional holiday design, but instead a modern, geometric pattern.

“It was a perfect find as it incorporates all the colours that we have going on in the space,” says Velji. “It’s not Christmassy in the traditional sense, but works really well with the whole scheme and adds a little pattern and texture. Something I love!”

Holiday Magic

Designer Aly Velji (above) arranges a few of the unusual black berries they spotted at a wholesale florist for the design. Katie Nelson (below), a senior designer on the AVD team, sets the holiday table.

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ou’re a very lucky client when your interior designer not only designs your home, but also comes back to help you put together your own holiday look—as designer Alykhan Velji and his team did for these homeowners in Calgary. Velji and senior designer Katie Nelson worked with Alloy Homes to craft the interior design and build of this mid-century-influenced home in the city’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood for a family of three back in 2019, and then returned in time for Christmas to give it a little warm holiday flair.

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BA Robin

SPONSORED REPORT

HOME AS A HAVEN

Des

CURRENT TRENDS IN LIGHTING AND PLUMBING FIXTURES HELP YOU TURN YOUR HOME INTO THE SANCTUARY YOU DESERVE.

N

ow more than ever, home is a safe haven that instills a sense of reassurance and comfort. “Current trends in lighting and plumbing embrace this notion,” says Barb Renaud, interior design consultant & outside sales for ROBINSON’s Calgary showroom. “You can achieve this with mixing and matching, and placing emphasis on approachable and soothing styles.”

Warm Gold “Gold finishes are a tried and true classic, but we’re starting to see a softer side in both lighting and plumbing fixtures,” Renaud says.

“Gold with warm honey tones and a brushed finish add a unique sense of softness.” Mixing and matching metal fixtures can also give the home a unique and eclectic feel. Warm metals add a sense of richness when placed with cooler metals, such as silver and chrome. “However, remember to keep it subtle,” she adds.

“When warm and cool tones are present in a room, they should never compete for attention.”

Soft Pastels A muted colour palette provides a calming effect and transforms a room into a peaceful sanctuary. “The most popular pastel colours in lighting include millennial pink, robin egg blue and creamy mint,” says Brooklyn Unsworth, project coordinator at ROBINSON’s Calgary showroom. “They work best as a pendant light over a kitchen island, a pair of scones or pendants over bedside tables, or a flush light over a stairway to add a pop of colour.”

Matte Black Matte black is one of the biggest trends in lighting and plumbing.

Modern enthusiasts appreciate the sleek and minimalist look, while pairing it with warm and cozy accents. Matte black fixtures showcase the best with bright and airy spaces like white marble countertops in the kitchen or bathroom. It also unifies cabinet hardware, adding weight to an otherwise neutral aesthetic. A matte black sink can pair with a mix of fixtures, including stainless steel and gold. For a timeless look, mix and match matte black, brushed golds and copper, with cooler metals, such as stainless steel and chrome.

Modern Farmhouse The modern farmhouse trend continues to hold a strong grip in lighting and plumbing, mixing a blend of vintage and modern while taking inspiration from a much simpler time. Oversizing of pendants by 10-15%, creates a unique style statement, featured best when pairing two large pendants or three medium sized ones together over a kitchen island. An industrial style wall scone offers a balanced blend of rustic and refined. An apron sink provides a stylish and practical option, perfect for tackling food prep and dishwashing in the home.

To learn more, visit a nearby ROBINSON showroom or shop online at robinsonco.ca.

@robinsonltgbath

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Created by the Western Living advertising department in partnership with ROBINSON Lighting & Bath

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HOMES + DESIGN • MODERN HOLIDAY

“With this home, we wanted to create something super casual, but still sophisticated.”

Pretty Perfect

In the dining room, the glass chandelier from Kuzco was selected to be both striking and unobtrusive. “Because the dining room is floating between the kitchen and the living area, we wanted something a little ethereal,” says Velji. “It’s almost a cloud-like fixture that’s floating in the space and not in the way.”

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HOMES + DESIGN • MODERN HOLIDAY

Eclectic Decorations

Most of the ornaments on the tree are from Urban Barn.

“The thing I love about these ornaments is they’re all a little different,” says Velji. “There are birds that add a glam touch, especially the ones with elongated tails that make a great statement on the tree, glass ornaments that have a handmade quality, and more organic forms creating a great mix of styles.”

For the home itself, the couple wanted a modern space with personality—with the clear directive that they didn’t want anything too bright or too bold. And so Velji created a timeless design in a palette of black and white, with marble accents and a few hits of soft colour. On the main floor, the fireplace serves as a focal point and visual anchor to the space: clad in Carrara marble, it features an asymmetrical black millwork mantel. An area rug from West Elm, meanwhile, is a launching point for the soft pastels threaded through the space, including the soft blue on the midcentury-style reupholstered chairs and the pale pinks and creams throughout.

These soft colours were the perfect inspiration for a more unusual holiday colour palette. “With this home, we wanted to create something super casual, but still sophisticated,” says Velji. So while the peach, blues and mint greens in the decorations aren’t totally out there—you’ll see another pastel holiday palette in this issue, on page 51—the addition of black is a little more unusual, Velji notes: “You don’t see a lot of black when it comes to holiday decor, but we thought it would be an interesting add-on, and create a bold statement. Something totally different.”

Also throughout the home are classic evergreens—particularly on shelving in the kitchen, and along the bannister—and Velji’s team went to a floral wholesaler to find a few more surprising accents, like orange and black berries. (Not, of course, to be confused with the edible blackberries we enjoy on the West Coast in fall.) Pampas grasses and eucalyptus greens in a DIY wreath arrangement over the hearth are

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held together with black ribbon (you’ll find more black ribbon decoration on the Christmas tree as well). Wooden bead garlands both on the tree and in the staircase greenery keep the decor on a natural, organic bent—and beautifully bring in the wood tone of the floors.

On the dining table, tiny wire Christmas trees of varying heights from HomeSense contribute to the mid-century vibe. Eucalyptus, spray-painted black, serves as a natural runner along the table, and a few gold candleholders bring in a little sparkle. Velji is a fan of using both silver and gold in a decor mix, and you’ll see that throughout, too.

Really, his philosophy on combining these two metallics might well serve as his overarching concept for this holiday design. “So many people are stuck on using gold or silver,” he says. “But the mix makes it all so much better.”

Don’t forget CO.

Cover your bases.

Be safe, replace

Get kid-friendly.

Go for a 10.

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HOME FOR HANUKKAH

by Anicka Quin // photographs by janis nicolay

Designer Gillian Segal brings home the Festival of Lights in glorious silvers, whites and blues.

Warm Welcome

A striking modern pendant light from Lindsey Adelman is swagged over a vintage, ’70s-era console in the entryway. Segal brought olive branches throughout the home as part of her Hanukkah decor, as in these garlands.

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HOMES + DESIGN • HOME FOR HANUKKAH

W

hen Gillian Segal designed this bright and airy home in Vancouver for her family back in 2016, it was just the two of them— Gillian and her husband, Adam. But the space has always been intended for hosting a big crew: Adam comes from a large family, so dinner parties are usually a the-morethe-merrier affair. And since they moved in, the couple’s own little brood has grown too. They’re now a family of four, with three-year-old toddler Gigi, and baby Coco, who happily came along in April of this year.

The room-to-move design is probably best seen at this time of year, when Hanukkah celebrations bring the family together—if more distanced this year than in times past. “I grew up celebrating Christmas with my family, and I converted to Judaism after I met my now-husband,” she says. “When we started celebrating Hanukkah, I felt unsure how to make it feel festive—so I wanted to do my own interpretation of what it could look like.”

Spin Doctor

The dramatic floral arrangement over the fireplace was designed

by Hana by Celsia Floral, and spraypainted in silvers and blues for Hanukkah.

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ACCESSORIES / FURNITURE / FLOOR COVERINGS / ART

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HOMES + DESIGN • HOME FOR HANUKKAH

Cozy Corner

In the living room, a custom sectional from Fabulous Furnishings pairs with a Cassina coffee table, on a richly textured area rug from East India Carpets.

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HOMES + DESIGN • HOME FOR HANUKKAH

Holiday Magic

While the space has both formal and more casual moments, all of the upholstered pieces on the main floor were covered in either indoor-outdoor or highperformance fabric— perfect for a young family that tends to be tough on fabrics. The chandelier is designed

by Vancouverite Randy Zieber, and the table by Christian Woo.

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“When we started celebrating Hanukkah, I felt unsure how to make it feel festive—so I wanted to do my own interpretation of what it could look like.”

She went intentionally “all-out scale,” she laughs, for last year’s Homes for the Holidays, a fundraiser for Kids Help Phone that will be running virtually this year. The traditional colours of Hanukkah are white, silver and blue, so Segal worked with the florist Hana by Celsia to spray-paint large arrangements in those shades, and placed a particularly dramatic asymmetrical piece over the green marble hearth.

“A big part of the story of Hanukkah was celebrating and using foods fried in oil, so there is a big focus on olive oil,” says Segal. “There was just enough oil for one night, yet it lasted eight.” To bring that tradition home, she placed olive branches throughout the house, including in the garland that runs up the stairs.

As it turns out, that olive-tree focus just happens to fit perfectly with the design of the home itself, that mossy green nodding to the olive-green powder room, the sage-green marble on the fireplace and the area rug in the main room.

HOMES + DESIGN • HOME FOR HANUKKAH

Elegant Angles

The millwork is a cerused oak, a process in which the grain in the wood is filled in with wax.

Once it’s stained, the graining shows up whiter and a little more pronounced than it would with a classic stain.

As designers are often wont to do when creating their own space, Segal kept her design focus broad and brought in what she loved—without worrying too much about one design style or another. “I couldn’t commit to modern or traditional,” she says. “I wanted it to be a blend of both: a contemporary home with the warmth I feel from more traditional spaces, those traditional details.”

During Hanukkah dinner and beyond, Segal’s pairing of design styles is elegantly displayed in the striking modern pendant light from Lindsey Adelman that’s swagged over a vintage, ’70s-era console in the entryway; in the curvy design of her custom sofa from Fabulous Furnishings, which pairs with an elegantly modern coffee table from Cassina in the living area; and in the selection of artwork that gathers behind the banquette in the eating nook. Beside a ’50s-era mirror her mother salvaged from a construction site is a random assortment of art and photos that Segal loves. “It’s a mixture of mostly prints that I really like, that spoke to me,” says Segal.

“Nothing is super expensive, some of the pieces are local artists, and the only personal piece is one photo of my grandpa. It’s a picture of him on his volleyball team—we’re Latvian, and he was living in a refugee camp.”

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HOMES + DESIGN • HOME FOR HANUKKAH

For the Little Ones

Cole and Son wallpaper lines one wall of the kids’ play room (above), and Ikea PS cabinets provide storage for toys. In Gigi’s room (left), she brought in a playful and tree-filled mural from Lulu and Georgia for the walls, and a dresser from Made Goods.

Local makers are featured throughout: the dining area chandelier is from artist Randy Zieber, its alabaster discs creating a soft glow over the table in the evenings, and the 12-seater dining table is a piece from Vancouverite Christian Woo. Together, they create the perfect space for hosting the whole family: Gillian, Adam, Gigi, Coco—and the rest of the gang, once it’s safe for everyone to gather again. While the Hanukkah festivities come just once a year, it’s a space made to be celebrated the year round.

Homes for the Holidays runs virtually this year! Watch our editorial director Anicka Quin tour through each of the homes in the show with the designer: for info and tickets, head to homesfortheholidays.ca.

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Let us create something as unique as you

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Every Wednesday at noon on our Instagram and Facebook, editorial director ANICKA QUIN

chats with top designers from across the West.

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Winter Wonderland

The tree features plenty of traditional baubles alongside soft pink and glittery ornaments. Many of the hanging decorations feature feathers, a texture that’s echoed in the white-feather garland the design team at Kalu Interiors draped elsewhere in the home.

WINTER WHIMSY For this playful pink-and-turquoise decor scheme, Kalu Interiors embraces at least one classic holiday ethos: more is always more.

by Stacey M c Lachlan // photographs by janis nicolay

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HOMES + DESIGN • WINTER WHIMSY

The More, The Merrier

On the dining table (top right and bottom left) flower arrangements from Vancouver’s Gilligan Girls on Main lean in to the pastel concept, while simple dishes from Pedersen’s Event Rentals top golden placemats from Kerrisdale Lumber.

Place settings here are topped with a macaron or a snow globe ornament. “It’s fun to use ornaments in a non-traditional context,” says Lui. String lights wrap the trees (bottom right), of course, but Lui and Kassam also added some to side tables around the room. “I love layering lights,” says Lui. “Turn off all the lights and have the sideboard and tree lit, and it warms everything up.”

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“The goal was whimsical glamour,” explains Lui, “a kind of surreal, fairy-tale feeling.”

Happy Holidays

A

Designers Phyllis Lui (left) and Aleem Kassam of Kalu Interiors, who decorated the home for Kids Help Phone’s Homes for the Holidays in 2019.

ll designer Phyllis Lui wants for Christmas... is more Christmas.

“I’m a bit of a Christmas nut,” laughs the co-principal of Kalu Interiors. “At home it’s over the top, and every year I’m changing and tweaking it.”

Last year, her holiday dreams came true: as part of the Homes for the Holidays fundraiser for Kids Help Phone, she got the chance to decorate a whole second house—a gorgeous contemporary home in Kerrisdale from builder VictorEric—in full-on winter whimsy. And so, Lui and design partner Aleem Kassam leaned into her holiday obsession full-force, using the opportunity to embrace the season’s allowance for over-the-top touches. “You just can’t be afraid to go bold and take risks,”

HOMES + DESIGN • WINTER WHIMSY

All Creatures Great and Small

In the den off the entryway (top left), Kassam and Lui embraced some winter wildlife: a pair of little polar bears live under a glass cloche, and a bowl of stuffed mice (“You can put just about anything interesting in a bowl and it’s an instant centrepiece,” says Lui) is wrapped up with feathery garland. The designers kept it simple in the breakfast nook (bottom right), with bows on the backs of the chairs and a small flower arrangement that matches the more festive florals in the living room.

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HOMES + DESIGN • WINTER WHIMSY

Glam Entry

The dangling pendant lamps in the stairwell just happen to look like Christmas ornaments: Kalu just added the garland (adorned with more ornaments, of course) and a pair of mini trees to enhance the holiday vibe.

“I feel like with Christmas, you’re kind of allowed to go a little tackier,” Lui laughs. “Embrace stuff that’s unexpected.”

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HOMES + DESIGN • WINTER WHIMSY

says Lui of her more-is-more holiday decor philosophy. “It’s hard to do it wrong.”

With that in mind, Kassam and Lui veered away from classic red and green in favour of a pretty pastel palette of soft pinks and turquoises. “The goal was whimsical glamour,” explains Lui, “a kind of surreal, fairy-tale feeling.”

Out of context, the colour story might not compute, but alongside flocked greenery, Christmas-y metallics (warm golds, sparkling silvers) and twinkle lights galore, it’s downright dreamy.

The design duo also brought in elements like feathers, faux fur and glitter wherever possible, to add layers of texture. Traditional ornaments—many from Lui’s own stash—are nestled into a giant flocked fir tree from Hunters Garden Centre alongside glittery, blush-pink poinsettias.

Baubles aren’t constrained to the tree, however. Lui and Kassam have scattered them throughout the house: piled playfully in a mercury-glass bowl, positioned on bedside tables, dangling from the chandelier over the dining table and even scattered through the garland that wraps the stairway banister. “They’re even in the flower arrangements,” laughs Lui. It’s almost like the decorations themselves can’t help but spill through the house to spread joy—just like Lui’s own holiday cheer.

Homes for the Holidays runs virtually this year! For info and tickets, head to homesfortheholidays.ca.

Pretty in Pink

Upstairs, the holiday theme is continued subtly via soft pink, white and grey linens from QE Home in the bedrooms. In the girls’ rooms, the team at Kalu added tiny seasonal details, like little gift boxes on the nightstands, Christmas angel dolls and a macaron tree; in the parents’ suite, a simple wreath hangs over the headboard to signal the season.

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A LITTLE BIT OF LA DOLCE VITA Caffé la Tana�s Chef Phil Scarfone will transport you to Italy with the magic of the apertivo. recipes by Phil Scarfone photographs by Hakan Burcuoglu

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The Perfect Antipasti Board As described by Chef Phil Scarfone

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nyone who’s ever been to Italy talks about it. That one little space they came across in that one little hill town.

Where, on the day they stopped in, the house wine tasted as fine as Lafite; where the small plate of salumi and pecorino seemed like it was prepared by a Michelin-starred chef.

As hokey as it sounds, it is La Dolce Vita: the perfect way in which our Italian friends so casually and effortlessly seem to flow into comfortable eating and entertaining as if it were as innate as walking.

But with times as they are... if we want to capture any of that magic, we’re going to have to create it ourselves, on this side of the Atlantic. Luckily, Vancouver restaurateurs Paul Grunberg and Craig Stanghetta have the same Italian dreams that you do, and their imagination has fuelled the creation of the de facto Italian embassy of casual eating that is Commercial Drive’s Caffè la Tana.

They lured acclaimed chef Phil Scarfone from Nightingale to come with them on this journey of beautiful ingredients, prepared simply and served without pretense. And Scarfone has agreed to help spread the love across the West by pulling back the curtain on apertivo—a catchphrase that encompasses all that’s perfecto about casual Italian eating.

We hope it tides you over until your next trip.—Neal McLennan

When I think of antipasti, I think of a generous spread of all of my favourite cured meats, cheeses, condiments, pickles, preserves and breads. It’s best shared between friends and family, but don’t be shy about making a platter for yourself to chow down on while watching The Office or lounging on the (heated) patio with a spritz!

I love to build perfect bite after perfect bite, combining sweet, salty, acidic and rich items into delicious flavour bombs. It’s a great way to share new and exciting products that you find at the farmers’ market and at our little boutique Italian grocer, Caffè la Tana on Commercial Drive in Vancouver.

For me, I start with the meat. Usually 18- to 24-month aged prosciutto di Parma, coppa, mortadella, finocchiona and smoked speck. These provide a range of flavours and textures that you can mix and match with the cheeses and really set the tone for the whole platter.

Cheeses! My favourite part of the antipasti. This is where you can get pretty adventurous and try new products that you might not otherwise buy. I love to experiment with funky Italian cheeses like taleggio and gorgonzola, but I always grab some pecorino al tartufo and some smoked provolone to round it all out. Burrata and buffalo mozzarella are classics as well, but make sure to give them their own little bowl so they don’t leach all of their delicious juices out all over the table.

Pickled and cured vegetables are a must as well. I usually stick to a traditional “giardiniera” that I make with veggies from my garden at home a few times a year, plus some little button chanterelles if the timing is right. The pickles are here to make sure your palate doesn’t get overwhelmed with richness, and to open up your tastebuds to different sensations. Think pickled ginger with sushi—same deal!

I love adding some delicious Tropea onion jam or blood orange jam to the platter as well. This really ties the platter together by offering some sweetness late in the game.

Think of it as the quasi dessert portion of the board that you can turn to when you tap out on pork and cheese.

Fresh figs are often in abundance around Vancouver in the early fall. Make sure you find a public tree, or get the homeowners permission to harvest them. They are the quintessential antipasti ingredient, and there’s something so luxurious about biting into a perfectly ripe fig that’s still warm from the sun.

Finally, I like to have a selection of sliced sourdough, crackers and grissini to act as vehicles for the board. Slicing the bread right before serving is key—you want everything to be at their optimal flavours and textures. I like to let the board sit at room temperature loosely covered in plastic wrap for 30 minutes before serving. This allows the cheeses to temper, and the fats in the meats to become soft and supple on the palate.

So, get in there! Build a board and have a time, ’tis the season for an antipasti.

Buon appetite!

Ingredients for the Perfect Board CHEESE Buffalo mozzarella Smoked provolone Gorgonzola dolce Pecorino Toscano

MEAT Prosciutto cotto Prosciutto di Parma, 24 month Coppa capicola Finocchiona salami Smoked pancetta Iberico chorizo Soppressata Mortadella

OTHER ITEMS Filone crostini with Domenica Fiore Novello olive oil BioSol organic cherry tomato jam BioSol organic Sicilian red onion jam Savio Volpe marinated olives Savio Volpe giardiniera Fresh figs Fig jam

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FOOD + TRAVEL • A LITTLE BIT OF LA DOLCE VITA

Tomato Bruschetta alla Pepino’s

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Building Blocks Simplicity—and good ingredients—are how to nail the homemade pizza game.

La Tana Pizza Dough 612 g Mulino Marino organic 00 flour 16 g kosher salt 4 g active dry yeast 400 g water, heated to between 110 and 115°F 8 g olive oil, plus more for coating

Sauce 1 28-oz tin crushed Bianco di Napoli San Marzano tomatoes 6 g kosher salt 25 g olive oil

Tomato Bruschetta alla Pepino’s 1 loaf filone or ciabatta, split down the middle 400 g farm-fresh cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters 50 g extra-virgin olive oil (such as Domenica Fiore Novello), plus more for seasoning 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 10 leaves basil, finely shredded 1 pinch chili flakes Salt, to taste Preheat oven to high broil. Apply olive oil to cut side of the bread, then toast in the oven until lightly browned, but not dehydrated. In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir gently to combine.

Once bread has cooled slightly, cut into 3-inchwide pieces and arrange together. Spoon tomato mixture generously on top of bread.

Season with more extra-virgin olive oil, and chili flakes if you wish.

To make the dough, place yeast and warm water in the bowl of a mixer with a dough hook attached. Let yeast sit and activate for 10 minutes, or until it starts to bubble and froth.

Add the oil to the bowl, then the flours and salt.

Mix with the dough hook on low speed until all flour is pulled from the sides of the bowl (about 5 minutes), scraping the dough hook periodically.

Let dough rest 3 minutes, then knead on medium speed for 5 minutes. Ball into 300gram balls by weighing out the dough then folding it up from the bottom, forcing the edges into the middle of the underside of the dough.

Rub olive oil over the entire surface of the dough balls. Let dough ferment in the fridge in a covered container for 24 to 48 hours to develop its flavour and to let it relax.

When ready to make the pizza, combine all sauce ingredients in a food processor and pulse 10 to 15 times.

To cook, heat oven to 500°F (and if you have convection turn it on). Dress the pizza as you normally would and bake for 6-9 minutes–or until the crust starts to rise and char.

ELEGANT WEST COAST N AT U R E J E W E L RY

TRADE SECRETS

D E S I G N E D BY

D’Arcy Jones, D’Arcy Jones Architects

The Look

ANGULAR EXTERIOR Hot tip: don’t install a dramatic angled slab of corrugated metal onto your home’s facade unless you’re ready for some attention from the neighbours. Which architect D’Arcy Jones very much is. “Conservatism and minimalism are overtaking architecture, and the results are way too bland and inhuman,” he says. So when he had the chance to get experimental with a recent Vancouver project, he and builder Aryze Developments installed a striking corrugated metal slab onto one side of the home.

The angles on the side of the house repeat the slopes of the two roofs, while the angled windows in the kitchen and office are shaped to frame views of treetops and sky, without staring back into the neighouring house. The “wings,” meanwhile, protect the porch from wind and rain... and get passersby talking. “It has been referred to as the ‘Chicken House,’” says Jones.

“It’s a great compliment.”

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Sama Jim Canzian

An unconventional facade creates a memorable moment.

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