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pieces to make the most of your small space
WESTERN LIVING
A Black-and-White Palette That Totally Pops
SMALL SPACE, BIG STYLE
Vancouver’s Coolest Laneway House
RENOVATION REVELATION
A 110-Year-Old Condo Gets a Fresh Look
MAKEOVER INSPIRATION Living Rooms We Love
PENTHOUSE PERFECTION
A View to Thrill in Coal Harbour
EXPLORE YOUR CITY Hit These Designer Hot Spots
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All illustrations reflect the artist's interpretation of the project and do not take into account the neighboring buildings, physical structures, streets and landscape. The developer reserves the right to make modifications, substitutions, change brands, sizes, colours, layouts, materials, ceiling heights, features & finishes and other specifications without prior notification. This is not an offering for sale. Any such offer may only be made with the applicable disclosure statement and agreement of purchase and sale. Concord Avenue One Limited Partnership. E & O.E.
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Photo Michel Gibert. Special Thanks: TASCHEN, Camille Stoos. *Conditions apply, ask your store for more details.
Mah Jong. Modular sofa system upholstered in Rockford. Rug, design for Roche Bobois. Mah Jong. Cocktail tables, design Roche Bobois Studio. Doc. Pedestal table, design Fred Rieffel.
, design Hans Hopfer.
Manufactured in Europe.
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48
14 Editor’s Note
The universal drive to make a house into a home that’s totally you.
16 Essentials
Modular storage, statement-making lights and compact dining tables to help you make the most of your space.
22 Get the Look
Three lovely living room looks to inspire your next makeover.
28 24 Hours
Designer Craig Stanghetta shares his ideal Vancouver itinerary.
36
74 Elsewhere
In the heart of New York, a small space offers big possibilities.
fe atured condos In a Coal Harbour penthouse with a view to thrill, one designer helps a family embrace a modern touch. by amanda ross
48 Glory Days
18
Pieces to Make the Most of Your sMall sPace
WESTERN LIVING
28
An unexpected full-home renovation celebrates both the past and a beautiful future. by sally michael white
58 High-Stakes
Design
A Black-and-White Palette That Totally Pops
fall/ winter 2016
top left: janis nicolay; top right: ema peter; stanghetta portrait: luis valdizon
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36 View from the Top
f a l l / w i n t e r $5.99 Displ ay Until feb. 28, 2017
SMALL SPACE, BIG STYLE
Vancouver’s Coolest Laneway House
RENOVATION REVELATION
A 110-Year-Old Condo Gets a Fresh Look
MAKEOVER INSPIRATION Living Rooms We Love
PENTHOUSE PERFECTION
A View to Thrill in Coal Harbour
EXPLORE YOUR CITY Hit These Designer Hot Spots
pm 400068973
On the Cover Black and white has us feeling all right. Story, page 58.
photograph by tracey ayton
Designer Ivan Medina transforms a pro poker player’s condo into a luxurious West Coast-Las Vegas hybrid. by julia dilworth
66 Homeward Bound An open-concept laneway house in the homeowner’s childhood backyard embraces a stunning contrast. by stacey m c lachlan
western living condo Fall/Winter 2016
13
editor Stacey McLachlan art director Jenny Reed editorial interns Carlo Javier, Miranda Macfarlane art intern Marina Bender Email: mail@westernliving.ca westernliving.ca
I was talking to designer Chad Falkenberg about a 110-year-old South Granville townhouse he recently restored (some of us like hiking or reading; Falkenberg’s hobby is preserving history—potato, potahto). He mentioned off hand that, during construction, they found evidence of five previous renovations. Five! I didn’t see any of the previous iterations, obviously—when magazine editors are granted time-travelling powers, I will be sure to let you know—but I can’t imagine they were any more beautiful than what Falkenberg did with his partner, Kelly Reynolds, and Terris Lightfoot Contracting (see the full story on page 48). It really stuck with me, though, how much this single little house has been through over the course of the last century. I’m picturing a homemaker in the ’20s, putting up a fresh layer of wallpaper; a postwar work crew installing new floorboards; a whole new wing being added in the ’50s. One thing that unites us, generation over generation, is that desire to take a space and make it our own. We don’t all necessarily have the luxury of building our dream homes from scratch or the opportunity to dive into a reno, but there’s always some way to stake your claim on a space. In my own condo, it’s an ongoing process of little adjustments, additions and subtractions: I’m constantly swapping out artwork, shifting around the armchairs or finding a new place to hide the hideous Grim Reaper lamp my partner refuses to throw away. They’re small changes, but ones that leave me feeling right at home. In this issue, we’ve got plenty of examples of other Vancouverites who are customizing and curating their living spaces in ways big and small. There’s the all-star poker player who turned a basic suburban condo into his personal Vegas-glam hideaway (page 58), the woman who moved back to her childhood home and created a one-of-a-kind space to call her own in the backyard (page 66), and the family who transformed a Coal Harbour penthouse with a 360-degree view into a modern-but-cozy home away from home (page 36). Whether these homes inspire your next renovation or just get you dreaming, here’s to happy reading in a space that’s just right.
Stacey McLachlan, Editor stacey.mclachlan@westernliving.ca
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western living condo Fall/Winter 2016
advertising sales vancouver office advertising sales director Edwin Rizarri account managers Corinne Gillespie, Gabriella Sepulveda, Carly Tsering sales coordinator Karina Platon Suite 560, 2608 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3V3 Phone: 604-877-7732 Advertising email: edwin.rizarri@ypnexthome.ca
president Jacky Hill director, national sales & channel management, lifestyle Nadine Starr national sales manager, national sales & channel management, lifestyle Ian Lederer national sales director Moe Lalani director of content Susan Legge
head office 500–401 The West Mall Etobicoke, Ontario M9C 5J5 Phone: 855-626-4200 Fax: 416-789-9705
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western living condo is published twice a year by Yellow Pages Homes Ltd. Copyright 2016. Printed in Canada by TC • Transcontinental, LGM-Coronet, 737 Moray St., Winnipeg, Man. R3J 3S9. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept., Ste. 560, 2608 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3V3. Distributed free in areas of Vancouver. 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). Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement #400068973. privacy policy On occasion, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened organizations whose product or service might interest you. If you prefer that we not share your name and address (postal and/or email), you can easily remove your name from our mailing lists by reaching us at any of the listed contact points. You can review our complete Privacy Policy at westernliving.ca.
photo: andy fang; hair and makeup: melanie neufield. shot at livingspace in vancouver.
MAKE IT YOURS
editorial director, western living Anicka Quin art director, western living Paul Roelofs marketing & events manager Dale McCarthy event coordinator Laura Lilley administrative assistant Kaitlyn Gendemann production manager Lee Tidsbury graphic designer Swin Chai marketing assistant Kaitlyn Lush Phone: 604-877-7732
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ESSENTIALS | Lamps
small-space tip Overhead lighting creates one pool of light, while lamps will draw the eye around the room.
Light It Up
①
These sleek, sculptural floor lamps will shine a spotlight on your style. WRITER CARLO JAVIER
②
➊ High Riser A ceiling-to-floor cable system allows the Parentesi lamp ($705) from Flos to move vertically and maximize its reach, while its metal cord structure utilizes friction and eliminates the need for screws. informinteriors.com
➋ Stand Tall
③
The Nordic floor lamp ($325) by Kure features a sturdy wooden frame that works with industrial and organic environments alike. roveconcepts.com
➌ The Skinny With its slender build and adjustable lamp arm, Ikea’s Tived floor lamp ($50) maximizes impact with a minimal footprint. ikea.ca
④
➍ Loop de Loop Pablo’s slick, loop-like Contour floor lights (starting from $435) don’t just look futuristic—they play the part, too, with a hidden USB port for charging your device. spencerinteriors.ca
➏ Changing Shade Interchangeable lampshades come in a variety of punchy colours to make the Marset floor lamp (starting from $1,308) a source of light and an expression of style. lightform.ca
➎ Star Power Want a hint of Old Hollywood in your home? This metal tripod floor lamp ($549) from West Elm steals the show with a sleek polished-steel look. westelm.com
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western living condo Fall/Winter 2016
⑤
⑥
IT’S BEAUTIFUL I NS I DE
B A K E R . M C G U I R E . L E E . V E R E L L E N . D E L L A R O B B I A . S A N G I A C O M O . S A B A . G A M M A . K E L LY WE A R S T L E R
Indoor & Outdoor Furniture Showrooms: 1855/1880 Fir Street Armoury District Vancouver 604.736.8822 Mon - Sat 10 -5:30 pm broughaminteriors.com
ESSENTIALS | Storage
small-space tip Keep open shelving from looking cluttered by using coordinated baskets, bins or jars to corral pieces.
Modular Thinking
①
Mix and match these modular units for a custom look that fits just right. WRITER AMES BOURDEAU
➊ The Old Triumphant The String shelf collection (starting at $154) may have been around since 1949, but its simple, elegant design endures. orlingandwu.com
➋ Be Shelfish This classic, small-scale brass-and-glass shelf ($275) is perfect for the contemporary West Coast condo. fullhousemodern.com
② ③
➌ One for the Books Pick your ideal combo of open shelves and cabinets with the ultra-flexible Storage unit (price by request) by USM. informinteriors.com
➍ Show Your True Colours
④
Herman Miller’s Eames storage unit ($939) was introduced in the 1950s, but the classic palette looks just as good today. livingspace.com
➏ Totally Stacked Small clips allow these Stacked storage units by Muuto (price by request) to rearrange as you see fit. Customize the colour combo for an even more distinct look. vanspecial.com
➎ Geometry Class The playful Lloyd storage for Poltrona Frau (price by request) hides clutter behind solidoak rods while still allowing light to fi lter through. livingspace.com
18 western living condo Fall/Winter 2016
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ESSENTIALS | Dining Tables
small-space tip Trade dining chairs for a bench that stows neatly underneath the table when not in use.
Think Small
These small-scale tables offer big flexibility. WRITER AMES BOURDEAU
➊ Black Tie Affair
②
①
The smooth round shapes of the black-lacquered Oscar e Gabriele Buratti Oto table (from $5,525) may lack corners, but they still offer a sophisticated edge. livingspace.com
➋ Out of This World With its sleek glass top and varnished frame, the expandable Meteor table ($2,890) bounces light around your small space but is perfect for big parties. omgitssmall.com
➌ Multi-tasker Small kitchen? Don’t fear—this high-gloss, white-lacquered tall dining table ($649) works as an eating space, cocktail bar, storage unit and workspace (and maybe even more). cb2.com
③
④
➍ Full Circle The expandable Bungalow table ($2,265) converts from a circle to an oval but maintains its rich walnut finish and mid-century charm no matter the shape. jordanshome.ca
➏ Slim Chance The walnut Copland dining table ($1,900) by DwellStudio has a super-slim design that packs maximum impact into a slight package. fullhousemodern.com
➎ Concrete Jungle Preserve the integrity of this industrial-chic counter table ($899) by surrounding it with like-minded objects. Wanna take it outside? This cool beauty is designed for patio use, too. cb2.com
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Western Living Condo Fall/Winter 2016
⑤ ⑥
East India Carpets D I S T I N C T I V E D E S I G N S S I N C E 19 4 8
1606 West 2nd at Fir Armoury District Vancouver Mon-Sat 10-5:30 604 736 5681 eastindiacarpets.com C ARPE T C L E ANING A N D RE S TOR ATION SE RVICE S AVA IL ABLE
EXPERT ADV ICE | Get the Look
WRITER HALEY CAMERON
Sitting Pretty
Gillian Segal is the first to admit that she’s her own toughest client. “I constantly see what’s new in the marketplace, which makes it difficult to commit in my own space,” says the designer. Segal took the time to curate gender-neutral favourites for her own living room which blends contemporary and traditional styles.
Make light a focal point. Light fi xtures are the perfect opportunity to experiment with mixed metals. A brass pharmacy lamp creates flattering eye-level light and the perfect reading nook.
Open it up. A glass coffee table helps natural light bounce around the room, and makes show-stopping pieces— like this gorgeous Burritt Bros. rug—stand out.
22
western living condo Fall/Winter 2016
Play with contrast. When paired with ample natural light, a few darker accents don’t shrink a small space. This charcoal feature wall sets the tone for drama, while an eclectic mix of wood species adds warmth and texture.
tracey ayton
Modern Mood
Three designers update three living rooms to make the most of a small space.
Š2016 California Closet Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Each franchise independently owned and operated.
Experience a California Closets system custom designed specifically for you and the way you live. Visit us online today to arrange for a complimentary in-home design consultation. 604.320.6575 VA N C OU V ER
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2421 Granville Street
B U R N A BY
5049 Still Creek
EXPERT ADV ICE | Get the Look
Opposites Attract Built for a bachelor, this pad demanded a polished but masculine vibe. Designer Peter Wilds paired bold prints with ornate details (including that stunning chandelier!) to bring balance to the small space.
Consider the purpose. Furniture choices should be dictated by the function of a room, especially when space is limited. But that doesn’t mean you have to think small. If a room is intended for entertaining, select the largest possible sofa that suits your style and space.
Let life choose the details. The fi nal touches on shelves and tabletops should reflect those who live there. In order to avoid clutter, choose items from your personal collection that you always like, or need, to have around.
24
western living condo Fall/Winter 2016
Create optical illusions. Reflections play with light and depth perception, making a cramped corner look and feel larger. Consider how you can incorporate mirrors in unexpected ways—like behind a sofa—to give the impression of extra space.
Stop by our showroom for an exclusive sneak preview of the NEW Omnia Dining Table in marble ceramic top and NEW Annie Chairs from the 2017 Calligaris Collection!
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EXPERT ADV ICE | Get the Look
Hide and Seek
Always consider comfort. The Chinese-Filipino family needed a big enough table for their traditional hot pot dinners. Upholstered swivel-base chairs were then chosen with comfort and accessibility in mind.
26
western living condo Fall/Winter 2016
Let the view do the work. If the selling point is the view, don’t upstage it. A black frame and fi xtures that cast diffused light help this fi replace blend into the background at night. It’s a tactic that Guevara calls ironic. “It’s a feature that’s designed to disappear,” she says.
The bigger the rug, the better. A floating area rug actually makes a space feel smaller. Instead, fi nd a large rug that tucks under your furniture to cause the opposite effect.
eric scott
The yellow accents in this Coal Harbour condo— designed by Gaile Guevara Interior Design and Creative—were inspired by the owners’ beloved Le Creuset kettle. Hailing from the warm Philippines, they wanted to bring a splash of sunshine into Vancouver’s greyer months.
→ visit westernliving.ca for sources
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EXPERT ADV ICE | 24 Hours in Vancouver
WRITER JENNI BAYNHAM // PHOTOGRAPHY LUIS VALDIZON
Craig Stanghetta’s Perfect Day Wining, dining and splashing around with the interior-designerturned-restaurateur.
Coffee Date Stanghetta and daughter Hazel share some quality time and quality croissants.
moja coffee, 6:30 a.m.
ste. marie studio, 9:00 a.m. strolling near commercial dr., 7:00 a.m.
You might not know Craig Stanghetta’s name, but you have almost definitely stood inside one of his rooms. From Bao Bei to Kissa Tanto to Savio Volpe, the formeractor-turned-interior-designer-turned-restaurant-coowner is redefining the dining scene with his sumptuous spaces. Building the right team to tackle such a plethora of projects has taken years, but Stanghetta finally feels the group he’s formed at Ste. Marie—his design studio founded in 2013—has hit the sweet spot. “We are at the point now where all our designers, most of whom come from an architectural background, speak the same language,” says Stanghetta. “We recently did a salon in Yaletown called the Glamoury, and I was able to play a lesser role because the designers are so aligned; they knocked it out of the park.” The studio currently focuses mostly on commercial rooms, with residential homes accounting for only about 10 percent of their projects—though that figure isn’t set in stone, says the designer. “It’s mostly about finding that Continued on page 32
Western Living Condo Fall/Winter 2016 29
EXPERT ADV ICE | 24 Hours in Vancouver
24 Hours in Vancouver with Craig Stanghetta 6:30 a.m. I get up pretty early, usually between 6 and 6:30 a.m. If it’s a Saturday, I’ll go to Moja with my daughter Hazel while we let [my partner] Tristin sleep in a little; Hazel loves the chocolate croissants there.
ask for luigi, 12:00 p.m. neighbour, 2:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. During the week I’ll head to Ste. Marie’s Railtown studio, where we all meet to kick things off. Usually, half that time is spent laughing about whatever happened over the weekend. The group is pretty close, so often at times a post-work drink turns to considering getting on a plane to Vegas at 3 a.m. 10:00 a.m. After that, the team usually breaks off and we’ll either work in the office, have site visits or meet with clients. We are currently completing a house in Kerrisdale, so I’ve been spending a lot of time up there finishing custom work or finetuning some accessories. 12:00 p.m. We usually stick pretty close to Railtown for lunch options. If I want something quick, healthy and coffee-driven, I’ll go to Birds and the Beets; they make good food and are just nice, smart people. When there’s a lunch meeting, we usually cram ourselves into Ask for Luigi [one of Ste. Marie’s projects] for some fresh pasta and maybe a tumbler of wine. 2:00 p.m. My afternoons are taken up by work, going to the gym and various meetings. If I’m in Gastown, I’ll visit one of my partners from the res-
taurant, Paul Grunberg— he owns L’Abattoir, so is there most days. We’ll sit and have an espresso out front, then maybe head to Neighbour or Roden Gray to check out some clothes. 6:00 p.m. On the best days, I’ll meet my family at Savio Volpe for an early dinner. Sometimes the girls are at Collage Collage, where my daughter takes art classes, so I’ll pick them up there and head to Savio. If it didn’t threaten obesity, I would eat pasta every day. This place is our second home; our daughter will wander off and come back 10 minutes later with gelato from one of the sous-chefs. 8:00 p.m. Our family loves to swim, so a few times a year we make a nightswim pilgrimage, usually out to Spanish Banks. The best is that feeling when you get back in the van afterward and blast the heat. It’s not out of the question to stop for ice cream on the way home. I love Mister, which has just opened in Yaletown—they make their ice cream with nitrogen! 9:00 p.m. Later at night, and if I’m not the one doing story time with our daughter, I will hang out in the backyard. I’m not a Scotch guy—I’ll usually drink a negroni—but recently my oldest and dearest friends bought me an obscenely expensive bottle of (of all things!) Italian Scotch to celebrate the opening of Savio. So I’ll knock back a couple of fingers while I enjoy one of the too-few amazing Vancouver fall nights.
home. reinvented.
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EXPERT ADV ICE | 24 Hours in Vancouver
savio volpe, 6:00 p.m.
Dream Team In front of his home away from home, Savio Volpe, with co-owner Paul Grunberg.
“If it didn’t threaten obesity, I would eat pasta every day. ”
Continued from page 29
special client who is able to accept our not-particularlyconventional style.” The firm’s desire to make natural Pacific Northwest resources appear “alien” has become the studio’s signature look. “We like to look at ways to play with stone: we take local marble or jade, then combine it with custom lighting or custom furniture,” says Stanghetta. “Not everybody is into that kind of thing: our work is theatrical.” Stanghetta’s plate may seem full with his stream of ongoing projects—he can’t talk about his current residential clients because of star status, but he will let slip that the fireplace has been coated with gold leaf—but the designer has inexplicably found time to venture into the hospitality industry, too, as co-owner of Savio Volpe. “I’m pretty autodidactic, so I try to find my way into doing some of these things myself, which is why I did the restaurant,” explains Stanghetta of his part in creating the casual new Italian eatery on Kingsway. “I felt there was a void there, and if no one is hiring us to do what I want to do, I take the opportunity myself.” So what kind of dream home does this design maestro reside in? “It’s definitely an ongoing project,” laughs Stanghetta. “A lot of the artwork is my kid’s; I think most parents are in the same boat.”
32 Western Living Condo Fall/Winter 2016
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WRITER AMANDA ROSS PHOTOGRAPHY EMA PETER
View from the Top In a Coal Harbour penthouse with a view to thrill, one Vancouver designer helps a family embrace a modern touch. Any design job is a balancing act of sorts—at least it is for designer Andrea McLean. For her, it’s about listening to her clients and then marrying what she hears with a modern, timeless ethos—an ethos that doesn’t follow trends, but sets the bar instead. “I don’t want them to call up another designer in five years and say ‘This is out of date,’” she says. But for one design job in particular—tackling a window-laden suite in Coal Harbour—there were other components to consider, too. For starters, the clients, who had purchased a unit in this modern downtown tower, didn’t live in town. They and their daughter were originally from Vancouver but had since moved to the U.S. The second challenge? The couple lived in a far more traditional space south of the border, while McLean’s expertise was firmly rooted in the contemporary. “My thinking is very rational,” says the designer. “I don’t like
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Best Seat in the House
The charcoal-coloured Bend sofa can reconfigure to suit any room and offers the perfect perch from which to take in the view. “The conundrum of how to orient furniture—internally to the TV and fi replace or externally to the view—is solved with this kind of modular sofa,” says designer Andrea McLean.
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LI V ING | View from the Top
Material Matters
The kitchen cabinetry (left and top right) is made with the same white oak as the flooring, but in a different shade. The long concrete hallway ends, appropriately enough, with a Steven Pollock Cliff Series painting that incorporates concrete, too (bottom right).
using a lot of extraneous details just for decoration— everything needs a purpose.” Finding a way to work together could have been a Herculean task from the outset. However, the couple knew they wanted to try their hand at a modern expression in their Canadian property. “It was a huge departure for them,” says McLean. “They weren’t familiar with it and were taking a big risk.” But the space was just asking for that modern touch: the 26-storey building of concrete
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and steel with a glass curtain wall afforded the owners expansive 180-degree views from Stanley Park to the downtown core to Burnaby Mountain. As a result, everything in their 3,000-square-foot sub-penthouse became a backdrop to the view. “They didn’t have a lot of interior walls, so art was not going to be a major component—the view is really the art,” says McLean. Every decision the owner and client contemplated was always prefaced with “What’s it doing for the view?”
Rain OveR LençÓis MaRanhenses i, BRaziL, 2013. ArchivAl pigment print, copyright of DAviD BurDeny. courtesy of Jennifer KostuiK gAllery, vAncouver, B.c.
Every decision the owner and client contemplated was always prefaced with: “What’s it doing for the view?”
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LI V ING | View from the Top
Dinner by Design
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gutter credit
Mini Papilio chairs from B&B Italia flank a Bronze Shaker table by Jeff Martin Joinery. A Roll and Hill Agnes chandelier illuminates this jewel box of a room, while a pair of David Burdeny photographs (River I and II, Iceland) and the view compete for attention.
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→ see sources page 94
Western Living Condo Fall/Winter 2016 41
Skjalfandi RiveR i & ii, iceland, 2013. ArchivAl pigment print, copyright of DAviD BurDeny. courtesy of Jennifer KostuiK gAllery, vAncouver, B.c.
gutter credit
Bathing Beauties
McLean gave each bathroom in this sub-penthouse suite its distinct look by using different sizes and textures of tile. The shower in one features a bold geometric Fontile option (top left); in another, oversized white tiles form a grid behind an egg-shaped Americh tub (top right). The powder room (bottom right) features a highly textured Mutina Phenomenon tile with black grout—here, a Gessi Goccia ceilingmounted faucet adds to the drama.
While the vistas would take centre stage, the rest of the long suite still needed to feel warm. “We wanted to make every room feel connected in some way,” McLean explains. “We needed to pick a few intelligent details to carry through.” First up, the flooring: it’s a key element of any home and shouldn’t overwhelm or overpower the other elements. Here, the clients gravitated toward a white oak, but they wanted it finished on-site for a more seamless look. The challenge was to emulate the stain on the engineered sample. The installer brought a dozen swatches to ensure the colour was perfectly matched, and a matte sheen was chosen. (“With so much light in here, a shiny floor would’ve been too reflective,” says McLean.) The millwork, another key element woven throughout, is the same material in a lighter shade.
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SPONSORED REPORT
CITY MEETS SEA
Downtown convenience meets oceanfront escape in this maison d’etre redesign
W
hen a Lower Mainland couple decided to retire downtown, but didn’t want to sacrifice everything they loved about their suburban family home, they approached maison d’etre design-build inc. for help. “They wanted it to feel spacious, they wanted to maintain their privacy, and they wanted beach access,” explains maison d’etre President Robert Capar who led the False Creek condo redesign. “The building was already about twenty-four years old and the design reflected a different time,” says Capar. “All of the rooms were broken up and you couldn’t even see out the windows until you were in the dining room.” Capar started by tearing down every wall possible—with the exception of a few structural requirements— removing a long, dark, segregated hallway and bringing the kitchen and dining rooms together. Entertaining became the new focus of the home, and the basis of every design decision. The first carefully chosen piece of furniture was the dining room table, selected to fit alongside the condo’s curvilinear walls. The beach theme was then woven throughout, with
matte driftwood-inspired flooring that wouldn’t be damaged by sun exposure, and televisions tucked out of sight to keep all eyes on English Bay. Capar’s favourite change is the entry to the master bedroom, which was pushed to the very back of the condo, creating a greater sense of privacy. “It allows them to share a downsized space more comfortably, without feeling as though they’re living on top of each other,” he says. A few thoughtful finishing touches—like a cozy reading nook, quiet desk space and stunning walk-in shower—polish off the project and fulfill the clients’ ultimate goal: a gorgeous home that is completely worry-free.
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Cool and Cozy
The dark Heath Ceramics tile in the master bedroom (above and bottom left) helps to conceal the fireplace. In the office (bottom right), Miami Beach by William Betts hangs above an oatmealcoloured Bensen Morgan sofa, where a Hay Dot cushion adds a hit of blue that plays off the palette of the view.
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MiaMi Beach, January 2013, 2013. Acrylic on cAnvAs, copyright of WilliAm Betts. courtesy of Jennifer KostuiK gAllery, vAncouver, B.c.
LI V ING | View Tk from the Top
LI V ING | View from the Top
Dream On
In the teenage daughter’s bedroom, McLean installed a built-in soft bench that acts as a bedside table, too. “This gives more hangout space and uses this corner window,” says the designer. The builtin headboard lights are Ledtube wall lights by Marset—when pulled from their cradle, they turn on and angle any which way. A Ligne Roset Togo corner unit provides an ideal lounge spot.
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Furniture came next. “Because the shell was so clean, they could have a bit of fun here,” says McLean. For the sofa, the family wanted to be able to snuggle up and watch movies, so the modular Bend sofa by Patricia Urquiola in charcoal grey was chosen for its tailored-yetcozy design. The B&B Italia dining room chairs swivel to make for easy conversation, and the lighting, an angular 14-bulb Agnes chandelier designed by Lindsey Adelman, stretches and spans as needed. Despite such whimsy, the space—like the relationship between client and designer—remains timeless. “I like to measure my success by whether the relationship goes beyond the project,” says McLean. “I still see them when they come into town, and I’m watching their daughter grow up.”
Western Living Condo Fall/Winter 2016
→ visit westernliving.ca for sources
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WRITER SALLY MICHAEL WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY JANIS NICOLAY
Glory Days An unexpected full-home renovation celebrates both the past and a beautiful future.
Luxe Living
Neutrals rule here—a camel-hued B&B Italia Lazy chair pairs with a beige sofa on a silvery Salari rug—but it’s anything but bland: a Yue Minjun print on the wall keeps the vibe playful, and a geometric Tom Dixon lamp adds a little edge.
The first rule of starting a simple reno? Don’t expect it to be so simple. When design duo Kelly Reynolds and Chad Falkenberg of Falken Reynolds Interiors took on a routine kitchen makeover in a 110-year-old South Granville home, they weren’t expecting it to be a 10-month-long operation. But the demolition had revealed some serious structural flaws in the building—an electrical system in need of a full overhaul, brick walls being held together with dust— and their homeowner clients could see that they’d need to tackle more than just the kitchen. Luckily, they were in good hands as the project evolved into a full-fledged home renovation. The designers—along with contractor Warren Lightfoot of Terris Lightfoot Contracting—leaned into the challenge of bringing an old house into the modern world.
Western Living Condo Fall/Winter 2016 49
LI V ING | Glory Days
Now and Then
The original wooden banister (left) keeps the home’s heritage front of mind, despite the futuristic Bocci pendant hanging above. But the tiny powder room (below) is modern through and through, with its Philippe Starck– designed toilet and faucet and a floating Agape sink.
The first step was to move the kitchen out of a cramped wing it had been relegated to in the ’50s and back to the centre of the home. “It felt like you were cooking in a shed before,” says Falkenberg. “It was very removed from everything else.” This was a big problem, given that both homeowners are avid home chefs and entertainers. So, to accommodate dinner parties, the larger of the kitchen’s two custom-made islands was built on wheels, making it easy to roll out of the way of the expandable dining room table. The second island acts as permanent prep space, as well as a clever design solution
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LI V ING | Glory Days
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LI V ING | Glory Days
“With herringbone you get that envelope of old among all the new,” says Falkenberg. “It blends beautifully together.”
that houses the entire room’s electrical panels and switches. And because of a quite drastic height difference between the two homeowners, the designers played with a mix of levels, shapes and finishes to block out the space in a way that remains calm and consistent, but functional for both partners. They elevated the intersecting natural oak cabinets and ventilation above the charcoalstained ash cabinets and Gaggenau gas cooktop while slightly lowering the height of the cooktop itself a few inches from the level of the Caesarstone counters, allowing the shorter of the two cooks to stir a large stockpot without an uncomfortable reach. “It was quite a puzzle to put together, trying to make it balance visually as well as functionally,” says Falkenberg. In order to bring a renewed feeling of open cohesion to the space, the designers raised the floor of the kitchen—previously a step down from the rest of the living space—and united it through a gorgeous oil-finish herringbone hardwood that runs the length of the main floor, the classic pattern a nod to the building’s turn-ofthe-century roots. “With herringbone, you get that envelope of old among all the new,” says Falkenberg. “It blends beautifully together.”
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Mix Master
Forget matchy-matchy. In this remodelled kitchen, the rolling island features a custom butcher block countertop, while the stationary island is finished with bright white Pental quartz and the sink-side workspace is kitted out in latte-coloured Caesarstone. Meanwhile, the cabinetry pairs stained ash (natural brown and charcoal) with clean white Formica doors.
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LI V ING | Glory Days
Once the bones of the renovation were in place, the homeowners’ eclectic collections became statement pieces throughout. An ornately painted antique chest found while living in China sits comfortably next to the home’s original staircase, while the transparent Bocci light cluster above hints at the modern design waiting beyond the entryway. A framed Yue Minjun screenprint pairs with a sleek cowhide-finish Patricia Urquiola chair in the living room; above the dining room table hangs an original Fred Herzog photograph, along with a Skygarden pendant light fixture from Marcel Wanders. “We really lucked out,” laughs Reynolds. “This is the only time we’ve done this much work in a house and then
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really didn’t have to buy any furniture when the project was done. They just have great taste.” For both Falkenberg and Reynolds, though, the pièce de résistance of the project lies with the double-sided Bidore 95 glass-front fireplace by Element4, visible from nearly every point in the home. “It was really the clincher for the whole design to turn it linear to the space,” says Falkenberg. Reynolds agrees, remembering the last dinner party they attended: “It’s become a meeting point. Unlike in most houses, where people tend to gather in the kitchen at parties, we were all standing around the fireplace, having a drink. It was calling out to us. It really grounds the space.”
In Plain Sight
The dials for the Gaggenau gas cooktop are cleverly embedded into a panel of charcoal-stained ash to blend with the cabinetry, while above, the vent hood is integrated into the uppers. The designers skipped the backsplash here to keep the look streamlined.
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The Entertainer
A Moooi NonRandom light hangs above the dining table, which is lined with Eiffel chairs and a custom banquette upholstered in Designers Guild houndstooth fabric: it’s the ideal set-up for dinner parties and poker alike. In the living area, a cushy, deep-set Bensen sofa offers a cozy spot to lounge post-game.
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WRITER JULIA DILWORTH PHOTOGRAPHY TRACEY AYTON
High-Stakes Design Interior designer Ivan Medina transforms a pro poker player’s stock condo into a hybrid West Coastmeets-Las Vegas luxury. When a jet-setting pro poker player in his late 20s moved into a cookie-cutter condo in Coquitlam Town Centre, designer Ivan Medina of Medina Design House had his work cut out for him. “There was no charm, no charisma,” he says—and, most crucially for his client, “no feel of ‘metropolitan’ whatsoever.” The homeowner wanted to trade the plain stock interiors for a look more like the high-end hotels he’d grown accustomed to while travelling around the world playing in casinos; sumptuous penthouse suites where a grand piano or crystal chandelier wouldn’t look too out of place. Medina and his team had carte blanche for the condo makeover, with one stipulation: the designer had to make room for a 10-foot L-shaped Bensen sectional to accommodate the homeowner (who stands at six feet four inches) and his trusty 100-pound pup (Hodor, the Bernese mountain dog).
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All That Glimmers
The custom oversized area rug in the living room (above, bottom left) is made from banana silk and wool, giving it a shimmer that subtly references Vegas bling. Floor lamps and side tables were all verboten, a strategy that made the whole condo appear more spacious and airy (even with 8.5foot ceilings).
The requisite deep-set sectional was massive, but the designer kept things airy by strategically paring back the living room furniture to just three key pieces—the sectional, a side chair and a coffee table—to allow for generous breathing room in between. Medina banned spacestealing side tables and floor lamps to cut the clutter and preserve the open feel (and also to make husky Hodor less likely to bump into the furniture). Medina also used a custom charcoal area rug—which has a slight shimmer for an extra dose of glamour—to make the place feel more spacious. Using area rugs to define the perimeter of a space is a classic interior design trick, but here, instead of opting for the usual six-byeight, Medina went with an oversized option that visually pushes the boundaries of the room. A coffee table made of gold wire (one of the few outward touches of Vegas-style bling) sits at the area rug’s centre, but a glass top allows the eye to move through it easily. Similarly, the living room’s only light fixture is a
thin black-wire Serge Mouille lamp with three robot-like arms that reach out in all directions. It’s this wingspan that Medina says makes it feel big in scale without obstructing sightlines: “It has enough visual weight to go with everything else that’s in the room.” On the wall, Medina’s team mounted a customdesigned media unit with shallow shelves to display an edited list of accents (the golden hand statue throwing up a peace sign is a playful counterpoint to a macabre skull illustration) and to hide everything else. “We didn’t want the TV to be the focal point,” says Medina, who camouflaged a massive flat screen in plain sight by painting the wall behind it black. Taupe-coloured cabinets frame the black rectilinear shape top and bottom and act like a gradient to soften its presence in the room. The designer took particular aim at the dining area to bring in the luxe factor. “He didn’t want it to be a conventional dining room,” says Medina, but liked the idea of a communal-table dining nook for entertaining
Western Living Condo Fall/Winter 2016 61
LI V ING | High-Stakes Design
and playing exhibition games with friends and family. Instead of the traditional four chairs, Medina and his team designed a custom banquette for one side, with extra layers of seat padding for those long nights of Texas hold ’em—all wrapped in a sumptuous black-and-grey Designers Guild houndstooth. Walls were kept mostly clear to allow for breathing room and the condo owner’s growing global art collection, but above the dining nook sits one of the poker star’s favourite pieces: six black-and-white photographs of the world’s metropolitan cities, among them L.A. and New York. Closely mounted on a grid, they act as one unit, another trick for making the space appear larger than it is. A dramatic floor-to-ceiling mirror gives the illusion of doubling the dining nook’s square footage, while Eiffel chairs complement the industrial black wire that repeats in the Moooi Non-Random light above. In the bedroom, the most striking feature is the halfinch-thick Cultured Brick veneer installed on the back
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Brick by Brick
Billowy drapes run the length of the bedroom (above), a clever optical illusion. “The windows are standard windows, but when the drapes are closed, it looks like they’re the whole wall,” says Medina—“like you could be in Vegas.” Another Sin City touch: the custom neon sign above the bed: “Who dares, wins.”
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LI V ING | High-Stakes Design
High Life
Plush white towels and original artwork decorate the guest bathroom (right) for that high-end-hotel feel. Cloud wallpaper stays on the colour palette but adds visual interest. In the bedroom (above), a vibrant painting by Rob Nicholls adds a punch of warmth to the grey-and-white space.
wall. Medina says most people walk in and can’t believe it’s real: “They go into his bedroom and just start touching the wall,” laughs the designer. The predominantly neutral palette of warm greys and whites changes ever so slightly in the bedroom, with a pair of throw pillows featuring bright orange splashes. “We used the orange to bring in a bit of youth and sophistication and fun to the bedroom,” explains Medina, who plays with tonality throughout the home to divert and draw the eye. Even orange is downplayed in the living room’s burnt-orange U Turn Bensen chair, so subdued it acts as a neutral despite being one of the loudest colours on the spectrum. The result is a space that transports visitors as soon as they walk in the door, “like you’re in a city somewhere instead of suburbia. Walking in, you can’t help but think, ‘Wow, that’s a big sectional,’ or ‘Wow, that’s a big wall of drapery,’ but it makes so much sense in a smaller space,” says the designer. “It’s not big, but it feels big.”
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WRITER STACEY McLACHLAN PHOTOGRAPHY EMA PETER
Homeward Bound An open-concept laneway house in the homeowner’s childhood backyard embraces a beautiful contrast. They say you can’t go home again. But when one Vancouver medical technologist was ready to downsize—her kids fully grown and in places of their own—she did just that, setting her sights back on the Point Grey house she’d grown up in, and where her parents still lived. She had visions beyond a basement-suite takeover, though: their lot was zoned for a laneway house. It offered the perfect way to keep her close to family while still allowing for plenty of privacy—and a chance to get creative. She tapped design studio Campos Studio (then Campos Leckie) to create her compact dream home, and principal Javier Campos gave the design some serious thought. While many laneway houses are built as miniversions of full-sized homes, Campos looked to spaceconscious houseboats for inspiration instead, where every square inch of the layout does double duty.
66 Western Living Condo Fall/Winter 2016
“Our goal was to create a sense of spaciousness,” explains Campos. “We wanted to blend everything in.” The result is an open-concept, streamlined space that makes the most of its mere 592 square feet. The living room is lined with custom sofas that double as storage units, and fir cladding cleverly packs an electrical panel, a front closet and pantry storage into one cozy cubic structure. There’s only one door in the whole home (between the bedroom and bathroom), so spaces are defined by millwork and texture—the main floor an oilstained concrete, the bedroom floor done with wood. Campos teamed up with interior designer Barbara McGeough of Blue Design Studio for the interior finishes. Though she sadly passed away this summer, her contributions to this space’s function and flow were vital: “Essentially, you’re taking a full-sized house and
Back in Black
Though this laneway house may look like it’s covered in charred wood, the exterior is actually made of shakes that Campos handstained in shades of black. Black is a common colour in Japanese architecture, which heavily inspired this project.
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Western Living Condo Fall/Winter 2016 67
LI V ING | Homeward Bound
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→ visit westernliving.ca for sources
condensing it to a quarter of the size,” she had explained. “Creating a design with serious livability was key.” The good natural lighting helps: windows of all sizes and shapes (a square here, a rhombus there, a portholeround number, and one that fully wraps around a corner) line the walls and roof, allowing plenty of natural light to stream in, even on a grey day. And these portals serve a second purpose, thanks to Campos’s thoughtful design: open three skylights up top and a window on the bottom level, and the whole house naturally ventilates. For the exterior, Campos took inspiration from the heritage of his fourth-generation Japanese-Canadian client. “In Japanese architecture there’s a concept called ‘wabi sabi,’ which honours the beauty of asymmetry and imperfection,” says the designer. So he eschewed a cookie-cutter rectangular two-storey and created an angular, sculptural structure that was designed from the inside out: “Everything is defined by volumes: the space
and shape of the rooms. We started there and built the exterior around that.” He layered the exterior walls with hand-stained wood shakes (“The homeowner thought it was crazy to stain them all individually, but she didn’t try to stop me,” Campos laughs) in varying shades of black, which contrast against grey West Coast skies and the bright white interiors that peek through the scattering of windows. The shakes provide a textural contrast, too: while the outside is rough, inside, everything is smooth. “It’s a yin-andyang thing,” says Campos. “Two opposites make a whole.” There’s contrast within the interior, too, as weightier materials and hue are balanced with lighter elements. The colour of the concrete used inside was too close to the colour of Vancouver clouds, so it was stained a deeper grey with tinted oil for a richer look and covered with an oatmeal-coloured rattan rug to add some warmth. In the kitchen, white Caesarstone countertops keep things
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Place some custom-cut cushions atop a long, low millwork cabinet and you’ve got a cozy sofa that doubles as a secret storage locker (opposite bottom and above). And when you remove the backrest, these sweet seats become roomy guest beds for when the kids visit.
Western Living Condo Fall/Winter 2016 69
LI V ING | Homeward Bound
Cozy Kitchen
A skylight and windows on every wall keep this galley kitchen feeling open and bright—the white-on-white palette here helps reflect sunlight around, while the dark concrete floor keeps things grounded. Plentiful cabinetry allows the countertop to stay tidy.
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LI V ING | Homeward Bound
“There’s a real sense of welcome coming in,” McGeough once said. “It just wraps right around and envelops you.”
Space Case
In the bedroom (top), built-in shelving and drawers help keep clutter in order, and the reading lamp is built right into the wall—no clunky bedside table required. The floating staircase (bottom), lined with white-painted metal rails, complements the house’s sense of sculpture.
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bright, along with white cabinetry, white walls and whitewashed fir (lightened with a process called “blonding” that was popular in the ’50s). And then, of course, there are the stairs—the centrepiece of the space, though they’re tucked off to the side. “The concrete floor had a lot of substance, so we brought in the floating staircase and lighter wood walls,” McGeough had explained. White-painted metal rails line the wooden steps, adding a layer of pattern and texture to the room while maintaining the clean look. “It has this sense of floating up through the space.” The furniture and decor are kept simple to let the architectural nooks tell the design story; a glowing Flos orb on the built-in side table and a matching fixture hanging above a plain white Saarinen table are as decorative as things get. But though it’s a space with sophisticated sparseness, there’s still a coziness to be found in this home not so far from home. “There’s a real sense of welcome coming in,” McGeough once said. “It just wraps right around and envelops you.”
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Living Large
courtesy narchitects
The Big Apple is fi nally starting to think small. Carmel Place, a collaboration between Brooklyn fi rms Monadnock Developments and Narchitects, is the fi rst micro-apartment building to challenge New York’s affordable housing crisis. The four-tower structure, clad in a gradient of grey brick, is home to 55 modular units, all measuring less than 400 square feet and starting at $949 a month. But don’t let its short stature and small price tag fool you. What Carmel Place lacks in square footage it makes up for in clever design and a handful of cool amenities. High ceilings, eight-foot windows and neutral colour palettes keep things light, while Juliet balconies and spacesaving storage solutions provide tenants with ample breathing room. Residents also have access to a shared lounge, fitness centre, rooftop terrace and garden. Nestled in the live-work-play neighbourhood of Kips Bay and fi lled with both market-rate and affordable units (nearly half of which come fully furnished), Carmel Place is a thoughtful, community-minded solution that proves small spaces can reap some seriously big rewards. —Kaitlyn Gendemann
74 western living condo Fall/Winter 2016
A whole new
HOME FURNISHING
experience
RICHMOND | COQUITLAM | LANGFORD | JORDANSHOME.CA