Holiday Style
PM 40068973
WESTERN LIVING // NOV 2017
Designer Aly Velji brings a Palm Springs Christmas to Calgary
The Nutcracker Comes Home for the Holidays
Sophie Burke’s Nature-Inspired Festive Design
PLUS Recipes: Delicious Host Gifts for Your Holiday Parties
FIGHT FOR BEAUTY The fights that build cities and culture OCT 14 - DEC 17 Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver
FightForBeauty.ca #FIGHTFORBEAUTY
When did we say yes to beauty being discarded deleted and demeaned? Where is the agreement that beauty is optional – Not urgent for us to thrive? Since when have we learned the price of everything yet know the value of nothing? How could we have missed that beauty is a strength not a substance that makes its way through the cracks to come after our senses in full force to push us forward? Because we, we have not signed up. Westbank. Fight for Beauty.
Italian design and craftsmanship, West coast life style.
#SupremeContemporary @GranvilleIsland
1275 WEST 6TH AVENUE VANCOUVER BC 604.730.1275 INSPIRATIONFURNITURE.CA
Photography: Janis Nicolay Rug: Twenty-One
���� Fraser Street | BurrittFloors.com
Celebrating ��� years as Vancouver’s Flooring Fashion House!
TIMELESS DESIGN · WORLD CLASS VIEWS · ELEGANT HOMES AT PACIFIC AND HORNBY IN DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER
COMING SOON REGISTER TODAY GROSVENORPACIFIC.COM Rendering is an artist’s interpretation only and may not be accurate. This is not an offering for sale. E&OE.
SANDY’S BIG WINTER SALE IS ON NOW!
THE OXFORD WARDROBE features drawers and a place to hang clothing. Available in 3 colours, black, whisky & charcoal.
THE OXFORD 5 drawer chest is made of solid wood and features a cedar lined drawer.
THE OXFORD KING PANEL BED is available in 3 finishes and features large storage drawers in the footboard.
1335 United Boulevard Coquitlam BC
604.520.0800
www.sandysfurniture.ca
BIG
Winter SALE
SPONSORED REPORT
MIRABEL AT ENGLISH BAY
THE ULTIMATE IN WEST COAST LIVING
I
f there’s one thing Vancouver is known for, it’s the city’s astounding natural beauty. The West End is home to places that dominate postcards and Instagram posts: Stanley Park, thick with old-grown rain forest; the winding seawall, for breezy oceanside walks and bike rides; and English Bay, with its expansive sandy beach and breathtaking views, where Vancouver first became established as a resort town in the late 1880s. Add in world-class dining and shopping to the mix, and it’s no wonder so many people want to call the West End home. Those who live in the West End have the best of Vancouver at their front door, steps to lush, abundant nature and the vibrant downtown core, all in a beloved neighbourhood with heritage buildings and leafy, treelined streets—it’s downtown without feeling like “downtown”. Mirabel at English Bay offers a new opportunity to live in this historic area, the most natural urban community on earth. Consisting of two towers at Davie and Broughton streets, Mirabel is perched at the top of the West End’s natural crest, giving residents panoramic views of the ocean, mountains, city skyline as well as Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge. Contemporary West Coast architecture by Henriquez Partners Architects along with exquisite interiors by Alda Pereira Design make these homes unlike any other in Vancouver. “You have the English Bay lifestyle in an established neighbourhood,” says Liz Anderson, Director of Sales & Marketing at Marcon, the trusted and respected developer and builder behind Mirabel. “Outside, everything is at your fingertips: an evening stroll along the beach; coffee shops and
restaurants; shopping on Robson and Alberni street. Inside your home you have views wrapping all around you with floor-to ceiling windows. This is seamless indoor-outdoor living. This is refined living.” Among Mirabel’s distinguished collection of residences are four extraordinary penthouses, offering the ultimate West Coast lifestyle. At 2,659 square feet, each features a private elevator, spacious balcony, and a 1,300-square-foot rooftop terrace. Here’s where you can cook in your outdoor kitchen, relax by a firepit over an evening glass of wine, sip a morning coffee while taking in the breathtaking views, and grow your own veggies and herbs. Curated by renowned designer Alda Pereira, clean-lined interiors evoke modern elegance. The bright, airy spaces are abundant with natural materials—bathrooms with wall-to-wall marble and natural wood wide-plank floors—and two contemporary colour palettes to choose from. Premium kitchens feature Sub-Zero integrated refrigerator, Italian cabinetry, and solid quartz countertops, while the homes have thoughtful features like full-sized washer and dryer and large, deep closets with built-in organizers. Ensuites are spa-like, with Italian wood-veneer cabinetry, solid marble countertop, and a striking soaker tub made with finely ground volcanic ash for superior insulation. For more details on this unparalleled Vancouver living experience, visit mirabelbymarcon.ca or call 604-681-8110.
Created by the Western Living advertising department in partnership with Mirabel by Marcon
DISCOVER VANCOUVER’S FINEST LIVING. All the conveniences of a walkable urban community and all the lifestyle options of English Bay, treasured since 1890. Mirabel by Marcon brings you Vancouver’s finest living where every detail is thoughtfully considered from roof top terraces to private garages to an expertly crafted home with dramatic views outside and refined finishes inside. MIRABEL PRIVATE COLLECTION: TOW E R
PLAN
TYPE
VIEW
L I V I N G S PAC E
PRICE
WEST - SPH 1802
V
3 BED + FLEX
NSE
2132 SF + 374 SF BALCONY
$5.85 M
WEST - SPH 1803
V
3 BED + FLEX
WNE
2132 SF + 374 SF BALCONY
$5.85 M
EAST - SPH 1701
V
3 BED + FLEX
WNE
2132 SF + 374 SF BALCONY
$5.35 M
EAST - SPH 1704
V
3 BED + FLEX
WSE
2132 SF + 374 SF BALCONY
$5.85 M
WEST - PH 1801
W
3 BED
WSE
2659 SF + 374 SF BALCONY + 1345 ROOF TERRACE
$7.85 M
EAST - PH 1703
X
3 BED
WSE
2659 SF + 374 SF BALCONY + 1345 ROOF TERRACE
$7.6 M
WEST - PH 1804
Y
3 BED
WNE
2659 SF + 374 SF BALCONY + 1345 ROOF TERRACE
$7.85 M
EAST - PH 1702
Z
3 BED
WSE
2659 SF + 374 SF BALCONY + 1345 ROOF TERRACE
$7.1 M
Presentation Centre & Display Home at 1283 Davie Street • Open by Appointment Only • 604.681.8110
MIRABELBYMARCON.CA The developer reserves the right to make changes and modifications to the information contained herein without prior notice. E. & O.E. Marcon Davie (GP) Ltd.
WOLF collection. MADE IN ITALY.
exclusively at For more beautiful finds for your smaller spaces
1420 Fell Avenue at Marine Drive North Vancouver | 604.988.7328 || Trade Inquiries 604.770.0898 gingerjarfurniture.com
1400 Marine Drive North Vancouver | 604.988.2789 omgitssmall.com
Deck the Halls Designer Sophie Burke’s kids (Cecily, Beatrice and Tom, from right to left) and family friend Theo Roelofs (far left) all pitch in to create some holiday cheer. See the full story starting on page 60.
Cover: Phil Crozier. This page: Gillian Stevens
N OV E M B E R 2 017 B .C . & A L B E R TA // V O LU M E 4 6 // N U M B E R 9
HOLIDAY CHEER 52 // Christmas En Pointe
A classic holiday ballet sets the stage for a not-so-traditional Christmas design theme in this west-side Vancouver home, part of the annual Homes for the Holidays fundraiser.
60 // Natural Selection
Vancouver designer Sophie Burke brings a tactile and organic new layer to her own heritage home—and to celebrating the holidays with her family.
68 // Easy Does It
Calgary designer Aly Velji effortlessly brings Palm Springs holiday to his mid-century home with creative DIY accents, nontraditional decor and plenty of personality. westernliving.ca / n o v e m b e r
2 0 1 7 1 3
WL // CONTENTS
85 DESIGN 25 // Holiday Gift Guide
It’s our biggest gift guide ever, featuring locally sourced goodies that are making our wish lists this year.
40 // Holiday Decor We Love
Geometric shapes and modern designs rule the 2017 holiday season.
42 // Great Spaces
The Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Botanist restaurant embraces a greenhouse-chic look.
47 // Dinner by Design
Take your dinner parties to a new level with this tabletop look by Stephanie Brown.
FOOD 81 // Bites
The sensational side that will upgrade Christmas dinner, plus pro tips from chefs.
25
85 // Twice as Nice
These gourmet treats are a one-size-fits-all gift that makes holiday giving a breeze.
A hotel revolution has come to Palm Springs: these are the new rooms we’re buzzing about.
99 // Oaxaca!
This surfer’s paradise is the next great Mexican vacation hot spot.
99 1 4 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
40
PLUS 106 // Trade Secrets
How to make a basement bedroom into a bright and airy oasis.
Sriracha caramel corn: Kyoko Fierro; Oaxaca: Du Tran
TRAVEL 96 // The Check-In
WESTERN LIVING GENERAL MANAGER | PUBLISHER Dee Dhaliwal EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Anicka Quin ART DIRECTOR Paul Roelofs EXECUTIVE EDITOR Stacey McLachlan TRAVEL EDITOR Neal McLennan ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Jenny Reed ASSOCIATE EDITOR Julia Dilworth ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Natalie Gagnon STAFF WRITER Kaitlyn Gendemann CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Amanda Ross, Nicole Sjöstedt, Barb Sligl, Jim Sutherland, Julie Van Rosendaal CITY EDITORS Karen Ashbee (Calgary), Jyllian Park (Edmonton), Rosemary Poole (Victoria) EDITORIAL INTERNS Jessie Blair, Steph Mitchell, Alicia Neptune, Vincent Plana EMAIL mail@westernliving.ca
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1606 West 2nd at Fir Armoury District Vancouver Mon-Sat 10-5:30 604 736 5681 eastindiacarpets.com PHOTOGRAPHY: BARRY CALHOUN PHOTOGRAPHY ACCESSORIES: PROVIDE HOME
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2017-09-29 1:34 PM
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WL // EDITOR’S NOTE
TREATING YOUR FRIENDS RIGHT
Q& A This month we asked our contributors, what treats do you love to give or receive over the holiday season?
R a e, “H i y Gi Gui � 25 I love to receive classic shortbread cookies—they just taste like the holidays. Growing up, I remember watching my mother cut the dough with an inverted crystal sherry glass (it has a perfect clean edge, she says). A piece of green or red maraschino cherry placed in the centre is the essential finishing touch.
J M “EĐ°y DoesItâ€? 74 Dissing fruitcake is so last millennium; we’re past that, right? Thanks to a friend who, over 20 years, has not only perfected a glorious, nutty, maraschino-cherry-free fruitcake but is happy to share her recipe, I now have a healthy(ish) edible tradition that even my little kids and, perhaps more surprising, my in-laws like. I make four round cakes, cut them into wedges and then mail them out, and they quash fruitcake bias wherever they go.
Behind the Scenes All hands were on deck as prop stylist Nicole SjĂśstedt and food stylist Lawren Moneta made our edible gifts feature ("Twice as Nice," page 85) look pretty and perfect for the holidays.
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ANICK A QUIN, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR ANICK A.QUIN@WESTERNLIVING.CA 1 8 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
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Anicka Quin portrait: Evaan Kheraj; styling by Luisa Rino, makeup by Melanie Neufeld; outfit courtesy Holt Renfrew, holtrenfrew.com.
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Back in my university days, during a longago Christmas season, some friends and I gathered in one of our kitchens and, thinking that many hands made light work, teamed up to crank out a few holiday treats to give as gifts to friends and family. I think there was some sort of chutney, and—this being the ’90s—sundried tomatoes were no doubt involved. I do recall we burned the first batch of spiced nuts, likely because our attention to detail waned a bit as the conversation became more animated (and more glasses of wine were consumed). This gift-making gathering was partly motivated by budget—my gig at the student paper hardly made me a high roller—but mainly it was a way to enjoy each other’s company with the thrilling end result of some beautifully packaged presents that we had made with our own hands. These days it’s hard to find the time to repeat such an endeavour. Whatever free moments I can find come holiday season go toward knitting my niece and nephew their annual handmade gifts (last year: shark and mermaid tails; this year: cat and bear hats)— and, as usual, I find myself cranking those out in far too short a time frame. But after seeing Julie Van Rosendaal’s recipes in this issue (“Twice as Nice,� page 85), I think it’s time for me to get the gang back together. We may be several thousand miles apart these days, but that doesn’t have to be a problem anymore: Skype and FaceTime—along with a virtually shared glass of wine—will make it feel like old times again as we create batches of Julie’s “hot sauce with cranberries� for our upcoming Christmas parties. And for those of you who will be undertaking the same effort, our associate art director, Natalie Gagnon, has created gift labels for you so you can pretty up each package you lovingly create. Head to Westernliving.ca to download your set—and send us a pic of your final creations while you’re at it. Happy holidays!
$ 899 EMILIE sofa
$ 269
REMY set of 2 nesting tables
Find furniture you love at incredibly low prices. QUÉBEC – ONTARIO – ALBERTA – MANITOBA NOVA SCOTIA – BRITISH COLUMBIA
Shop online at structube.com
WL // @WESTERNLIVING
LETTERS, ETC.
Tweet, message, ’gram or email (mail@westernliving.ca)— we love to hear from our readers!
TRAVEL Go Tell It on the Mountain
In the stunning Rockies, visitors come to explore the mountains, valleys, rivers and glaciers—and the tiny town of Banff is in the middle of it all.
westernliving.ca/travel
DESIGN The Midas Touch
WL AROUND TOWN
From subtle gold hardware (like the drawer pulls in this Stephanie Brown–designed kitchen) to shimmering feature walls, here are 10 designer ways to add a touch of glam to your home.
RECIPE
westernliving.ca/homes
French Onion Soup Gratinée
Chef Tret Jordan’s hearty soup—made with sweet caramelized onions, melted Gruyère cheese and a rich wine stock—is the perfect meal for a brisk winter evening. westernliving.ca/recipes
COZY CABIN Our readers fell in love with this relaxed and refined Whistler home, designed by our 2017 Interior Designer of the Year Denise Ashmore. Whoa! Gorgeous!! @LIAKOSPHOTO
Congratulations on all your great work Denise + @p22d! @ROBERTBAILEYINTERIORS
Holy crap!!! This just became my dream house!!! @JENNBESTPHOTOGRAPHY
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Banff : Brewster Inc.; kitchen: Janis Nicolay
Western Living’s Executive Editor Stacey McLachlan, Editorial Director Anicka Quin and Associate Editor Julia Dilworth spent the night celebrating the best of Western Canadian design at our 10th annual Designers of the Year awards, hosted at the Pipe Shop in North Vancouver— congrats to all the winners! #WLDOTY
BAKER . M
C
GUIRE . LEE . ARKETIPO . DELL AROBBIA . SANGIACOMO . SABA . GAMM A . ALIVAR
Furniture Showrooms: 1855/1880 Fir Street Armoury District Vancouver 604.736.8822 Mon - Sat 10 -5:30 pm broughaminteriors.com
EX C EPTIONA L IND OOR & OUTD OOR FUR NIS H INGS
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2017 IS THE YEAR TO GO GREEN! “Greenery” is the pantone designer colour of 2017. Green is back in every shade from spring to emerald. It’s easy to introduce just by bringing some outdoors in — try jade plants, fig trees, succulents or anything that thrives in your area. Another easy step is bright new pillows, or a statement rug. If you’re feeling adventurous, paint a place that will be a smile-inducing surprise, like the inside of a closet, a door, or your powder room.
DIY vs. DIFM? There’s a definite shift happening in home renovation and design trends, a shift that has many of us choosing experts to do-it-for-me. Do-it-yourself is a great choice for so many fun projects, like a family gallery wall or creating an indoor garden spot. But there are always those mind-boggling tasks that require design experience, measuring skills, installation talent and more. More and more Canadians are realizing the cost of hiring a professional compares very well to the real costs of first-time mistakes, time spent doing and redoing the job, and our own personal level of satisfaction with the final result. Summertime motto: put the pros on the jobs you keep postponing because they are just too much! (Save the fun stuff for yourself.)
Warmer and richer? Yes, please. Whatever your style, from sleek and modern to cozy and traditional, 2017 is a welcome move to a softer, richer look and feel. Think 3D fabrics. Velvet pillows. Choose organic bamboo or wood tables. And wallpaper is back, but we’re over the florals. Try marble or other sleek, contemporary finishes. Put on a little lux.
Peace out. It’s amazing what getting a little help can do to reduce your stress level. Try it - take something off your list and give it to somebody who is a rock star in the category. Yes. Do it. Seriously.
“Okay, so I am a little pleased with myself.” “I finally got smart and got the experts to do it for me. And I also got a no-surprises price.” With Budget Blinds, you don’t lift a finger. You relax, and enjoy a very exclusive combination of design-driven products, expert service, no-surprises pricing, and our no-questions-asked warranty: the best in the business. We’re the largest custom window covering company in North America, and that means more buying power, and more choices. We bring the store to you and take care of it all, measure and install. And our no-surprises pricing delivers an upfront price that is a custom fit for you. We believe everyone at every budget deserves style and service. And that’s a beautiful place to be. 2017windowfashions.com | (866) 789-0520 ©2017 Budget Blinds is a trademark of Budget Blinds, LLC and a Home Franchise Concepts Brand. Each franchise independently owned and operated.
DESIGN
S H O P P I N G // T R E N D S // D E C O R // S PA C E S // D E S I G N E R S // I N T E L
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
SPREAD THE CHEER
We’ve got your holiday wish list covered: cleverly designed rose-gold objets, a purple Tom Dixon teapot, one magic wand, luxe aromatherapy and more gifts outside the box—plus designers share their favourite picks!
Santa’s Little Helpers
Whimsical Bakglad cookie cutters and silicone baking moulds (from $3) up the visual appeal of holiday bake sales. ikea.ca
westernliving.ca / N O V E M B E R
2017 25
WLDESIGN // holiday holiday gift gift guide guide
Jack Be Nimble
What looks like a beautiful chain of rose-gold jacks is actually the Alessi Tripod trivet ($74), part of the clever Objets-Bijoux collection: arrange it to support any sized hot pot in style. theartworks.ca
//
Ahead of the Curve
HOME & DECOR
Just launched at Maison et Objet, Tom Dixon’s Bump series (from $76) of versatile borosilicate glassware vases and tumblers— and one smashingly cool teapot! —is sure to spawn many imitations. informinteriors.com
Special finds to make the space.
Ideal Setting
Eschew the traditional red, green and gold colour palette for the organic lines of the Lark table runner ($135). thecrossdesign.com
Cozy Up
Made of luxurious grey wool, the Tartan Blanket Company throw (from $55) marries a traditional herringbone pattern with modern design. 28blankets.com
Ironworker
Reclaimed steel from B.C. mines and logging operations form the basis of Timothy Dyck’s one-off Relevant Series of sculptural bowls (from $700). “The focus is on bringing forgotten history into our homes in a tangible way,” says Dyck. timothydyck.com
2 6 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
Designer Pick
WEAR THE ORIGINAL. AND LET COPIES BE COPIES. Iconic shoes in a new design!
SOPHIE BURKE Sophie Burke Design, Vancouver
“I would love to receive some coffee mugs from Mud Australia. They make the most beautiful porcelain dishes in gorgeous colours.”
Available in sizes 2 – 13½
The Perfect Cuppa
Mud Australia porcelain mug ($52). providehome.com
2/3 Non ANNUAL Bleed
Available in 900 MEPHISTO shops worldwide, as well as in well-stocked shoe specialist shops. You can find the MEPHISTO distributor in your area, with a click in the MEPHISTO store locator under: wwww.mephisto.com
MephistoNOVTS_gvs.indd 1
Designer Pick NYLA FREE Nyla Free Designs, Calgary
“I am quite smitten by the latest Palm Springs collection of pottery by Jonathan Adler. While one would be a lovely gift, they look so much better in multiples! And so starts another collection…” Bold and Beautiful
Jonathan Adler Bow Tie vase ($645). kitinterior objects.com
2017-09-15 11:30 AM
PASS It’s a BIG Gift
Give a gift of adventure, learning, and fun. A gift that will take them around the world and into space through the magic of the ultimate theatre experience—IMAX 4K Laser projected on the biggest screen in BC. The sound and the picture are amazing—you don’t just see a movie, you are immersed in it. Don’t miss out, get your gifts early, limited quantities available at the incredibly low price of just $51.25*. See every film you want as often as you want—including 3D. Hollywood feature films for just $5* with an annual pass.
Available online at imaxvictoria.com or at the National Geographic Store in the Theatre. IMAX Victoria is located inside the Royal BC Museum 250.480.4887 Ext #3 or #4 *Includes many benefits, does not include GST. Prices subject to change.
WLDESIGN // holiday holiday gift gift guide guide
Designer Pick
Circle Gets the Square
The new Hoop magazine rack ($60) by Umbra Shift gives periodicals or records (up to 24 of them) pride of place. Available in black or pink. vanspecial.com
KELLY DECK Kelly Deck Design, Vancouver
“This year I would like to give friends and family gifts that have a positive impact on the people who made them. I’ve recently started purchasing fair-trade textiles from Mexico through Hecho Shop—I love their hand towels and woven bags.”
Graphic Design
The new Tempe throw and pillow set by Vancouver designer Zoe Garred ($139) is made from coordinating patterns of soft woven cotton—ideal for aprèsski lounging. article.com
Fair Trade Gifts
Betty handwoven ikat cotton hand towel ($29) and Playa handwoven palm bag ($39). hecho-shop.com
Fired Up
Keep your yule log supply fully stocked in the beautiful handcrafted Wronko Woods firewood carrier ($450). wronkowoods.com
Social Media
Douglas Coupland’s aphorisms have appeared en masse in museums and streetscape installations. Now Vitra issues them in poster form ($20). informinteriors.com
2 8 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
JORDANS HARDWOOD
THE FOUNDATION OF ANY GREAT ROOM
VANCOUVER | NORTH SHORE | COQUITLAM | LANGLEY | VICTORIA | JORDANS.CA
WLDESIGN // holiday HOLIDAY gift GIFT guide GUIDE
Share Plate
Marimekko’s Kiiruna patterned stoneware ($26) denotes a subtle holiday vibe without the kitsch. eq3.com
Modern Utility
A replica of an 18th-century Belgian working tool, the Robert Herder Lierenaar pocket knife ($80) features a carbon-steel blade prepared to withstand years of outdoor chores—or basic garnish prep. oldfaithfulshop.com
SERVING IT RIGHT
Bottoms Up
Cheers to That
The Waldorf Astoria Cocktail collection of chocolates ($15 for a pack of six) pays homage to cocktails in the 1935 Waldorf Astoria Bar Book—like the Manhattan, Rob Roy and Bijou. thechocolatelab.ca
The new Hansen Distillery in Edmonton makes delicious smallbatch spirits, like the Trouble gin ($46), that make for a perfect hostess gift. hansen distillery.com
Keep the good times rolling with these foodie faves. //
Magic Wand
Blomus’s Utilo tea stick ($28) scoops up loose tea leaves with a spring-loaded tray and produces a perfect steep with a flick of the wrist. enflux.ca
3 0 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
Precious Metal
As kitchen trends yo-yo from light to dark, the ’50s-style Smeg electric kettle in polished steel ($126) will endure as a timeless addition to countertops. pacificspecialtybrands.com
In Your Home for the Holidays
BOXING WEEK IN NOVEMBER
SALE
2 LOCATIONS // NOV 17–26
SHOWROOM 750 SW MARINE DR., VANCOUVER - 604 324 2126 WAREHOUSE 4 0 E . 6 9 TH A V E , V A N C O U V E R - 6 0 4 6 2 9 0 2 7 7
www.onceatreefurniture.com
WLDESIGN // holiday holiday gift gift guide guide
Sweet Spot
Each Melt Confections Nude alfajor ($12 for 5) sandwiches a generous serving of rich dulce de leche (imported from Argentina) between two cookies. italiancentre.ca
Teal Appeal
Teal continues its climb to it-colour status, appearing in a new collection of Le Creuset Dutch ovens, lidded casserole dishes and grills, available exclusively at Williams-Sonoma (pricing on request; special orders available). williams-sonoma.com
Designer Pick NAM DANG-MITCHELL Nam Dang-Mitchell Design, Calgary
“Our family usually just does donations in each other’s name for the holidays. But I think this pitcher and matching glasses from Black Rooster Decor are pretty sweet and would be happily received.”
Served Family-Style
Plus Factor
Available in black, white, maple or multicoloured stacks, Muuto’s iconic Plus grinder ($99) suits virtually any kitchen. grshop.com
3 2 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
The latest edition of Barter Design’s Sharing bowl series (multiple colours, from $22 each) is made from high-fired, highly tactile stoneware. barterdesign.ca
Treat Yourself
Pitcher ($40) and glasses ($17.40). blackroosterdecor.com
ELEGANT AND TIMELESS DESIGN
MADE IN ITALY
TECHNOLOGY MEETS GREEN
Designed by the internationally recognized designers, Antonio Gardoni and Federico Castelli , MARMO fulfills the dream of creating an archetype faucet collection, through the perfect combination of metal, stone and water in a pure and essential geometrical shape.
Each piece of the MARMO collection is carefully handcrafted in Italy by skilled artisans. The brass components are polished by hand and the marble is sourced from millennium-old Italian quarries.
The high-performing aerator creates a crystal clear water flow that is both soft to the touch and virtually noise free. The aerators are also available in low flow, CalGreen-compliant, versions.
CUSTOM FINISHES MARMO is offered in two marble finishes: White Carrara or Black Marquina. The standard finish of the brass components is polished chrome. Alternatively, MARMO’s brass components can be ordered in one of Aquabrass’ 15 custom finishes.
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You Dream It, We’ll Find It
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WLDESIGN // holiday holiday gift gift guide guide
Modern Marvel
Cinnamon Projects’ solid brass Circa incense burner ($199; box of 25 sticks, $45) brings spare, modern form to an ancient ritual. litchfieldtheshop.com
Best of the West
Beta 5 chocolate, Sunday Dry Goods linens, Reassembly bath salts: the Contessa Box from Old Joy Gift Boxes (from $90) is a beautifully curated selection of some of our favourite West Coast products. oldjoygiftboxes.com
//
FEAST FOR THE SENSES
Signature Scent
Candles, incense and perfumes to soothe and delight.
Every city needs a place where a man can get an axe, a straight razor and a signature scent, such as the hard-to-find unisex Jermyn Street from Floris ($289 for 100 ml) with notes of bergamot and cedarwood. kentofinglewood.ca
Handy Healing
Plantiful’s Remedy Roll-Ons Farmacy collection ($135) features five essential-oil blends that will kick-start any post-holiday resolutions. bambooballroom.ca
En Pointe
Citie Ballet season tickets ($125) fit a year of stunning performances into a stockingsized envelope. citieballet.ca
Forest Fire
Tobias Douglas’s thoughtfully made Hollow Tree candles ($42 each) are inspired by the history and familiar scents of the Pacific West Coast. hollowtree.ca
C A LG A RY ’ S FAVO U R I T E H O L I DAY TRADITION
Designer Pick AMANDA HAMILTON Amanda Hamilton Design, Calgary
“We don’t typically exchange gifts but rather focus on the gift of time, which is generally a vacation or adventure somewhere in another country. That’s all I could really ask for...besides that Chloé saddlebag I have my eye on.”
A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens Adapted by Dennis Garnhum November 23 to December 24
2/3 Non Bleed
Giddy-Up
Chloé Mini Marcie leather cross-body bag ($1,133). nordstrom.com
Tickets start at $35 – book early!
Designer Pick ALY VELJI Alykhan Velji Designs, Calgary
“I think journals are a great gift. They can be used both at work or for personal use. One of my favourites is getting custom reusable leather cases that are engraved.”
theatrecalgary.com 403-294-7447 This production is made possible by the generous support of the Cal Wenzel Family Foundation Arts Commons Max Bell Theatre
Allison Lynch in A Christmas Carol. Director Dennis Garnhum, Set & Costume Designer Patrick Clark, Lighting Designer Kevin Lamotte. Composite image with photos by David Cooper and Trudie Lee.
WesternLiving.ca
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Write Idea
Refillable leather journal ($25), Portland Leather Goods. etsy.ca
2017-10-04 2:21 PM
Daily stories that connect you to the best of Western Canadian designs. Fresh, local topics that keep you in the know. Plus the Western Living Recipe Finder, with hundreds of our best recipes that you’ve come to expect from Western Canada’s lifestyle source—as gorgeous on your phone as it is on desktop. But that’s just the beginning. See more at WesternLiving.ca. The West lives here. Daily.
WLDESIGN // holiday HOLIDAY gift GIFT guide GUIDE
//
A WEEKEND AWAY FOR TWO No wrapping required for this design lover’s getaway.
Peace and Quiet
The Beach Cottage (from $150 a night) is 600 square feet of warm minimalism overlooking Bonniebrook Beach in Gibsons, B.C. airbnb.ca/rooms/14218569
 //
BOOK CLUB
Our favourite reads to give (and receive) this holiday season.
Clean House Remodelista: The Organized Home ($38) tackles quotidian household subjects with the same thoroughness and charm that defines the influential design website.
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Make Mine a Shortbread
With 200 recipes for seasoned and holiday bakers alike, the justreleased Redpath Canadian Bake Book ($35) is destined to become a holiday classic.
Northern Reflections
True Nordic ($30) catalogues the people and objects featured in the exhibition now on view at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Mix Masters
In Think Vintage Remix ($60), influential designers Piet Swimberghe and Jan Verlinde deftly showcase the art of mixing old and new.
space. space.multiplied. multiplied.
Photography by Marisa Vitale Pool house design by Becky Spector Interiors
Photography by Marisa Vitale Pool house design by Becky Spector Interiors
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WLDESIGN // holiday HOLIDAY gift GIFT guide GUIDE
D r Pi
Happy Feet
Keep tiny toes warm and toasty all winter long in the durable (and adorable) Huddy Buddies Lumberjack booties ($60). huddybuddies.com
BRUCE WILKIN Bruce Wilkin Inc., Victoria
“A good gift should not try too hard. Simplicity is best. The tastes of the giver should not be imposed on the receiver. Best advice: give ’em what they want! And maybe more important: take time to wrap it and present it well.�
JUST FOR KIDS
Picks little ones will love. //
All Wrapped Up
Holiday gift wrap ($11), Rifle Paper Co. riflepaperco.com
World of Kidcraft
In detailed, illuminating illustrations, This Is How We Do It ($25) contrasts the daily lives and habits of seven children from around the world. chapters.indigo.ca
Camp In
Charming play teepees (from $199) from Vancouverbased Domestic Objects come in neutral or bold cotton fabrics with a coordinating mat base and two pillows. shopdomestic objects.com
Building Bridges
For the little architecture lover in your life, Jason Blower’s High Level Bridge paper model kits ($25) from Snow Alligator might just be the perfect winter-day activity. youraga.ca
3 8 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
Egghead
Does Santa deliver desks?! If it’s the new (and perfectly proportioned) Rewrite desk by Ligne Roset ($3,917), he just might. livingspace.com
View our website or showroom and be inspired with the product options we provide. 2777 Hopewell Place N.E. Calgary Phone (403) 250-1020 2439 Ellwood Dr SW, Edmonton Phone (780) 448-1700 Toll Free 1-800-382-8502 prestigerailings.com
WLDESIGN // HOLIDAY DECOR WE LOVE
BY BARB SLIGL
FESTIVE FACETS
Geometric shapes bring an unexpected twist to the usual holiday characters and glitter, whether it’s a whimsical creature or a conical Christmas tree.
Statement Maker
Jonathan Adler’s Canaan menorah (from $245) is mod and monolithic, made from solid black and white marble. Sculptural and monumental enough to stand alone, its simplicity is oh-so-sophisticated. jonathanadler.com
Wood Block
All the craft with none of the kitsch, these super-simple Aztec wooden cone trees ($8) have a graphic, geometric and non-figurative quality that’s subtle yet statement-making. homesense.ca
Pretty Piece
These glass ornaments (from $15) from the Cross Decor and Design look vintage but have a quirkiness and free-form spirit that’s made for modern sensibilities—whether it’s the surprising squiggle of an octopus or the bulbous beauty of a whale. thecrossdesign.com
HYGGE HOLIDAY DESIGNER’S PICK
Winter White
Top your holiday table with some wintry wonder, like these faceted, ice-crystal-like Vinter block candles ($9 for set of 3) that are part of Ikea’s winter collection. ikea.ca
Vi i W r ns
“The holidays make me think of bringing nature inside. We bring evergreens inside to decorate, we light candles and we enjoy warmly lit evenings indoors—it’s that Danish concept of hygge! I love to put my favourite Klippan blanket ($329) front and centre.” klippan.ca VIKKI WIERCINSKI, DESIGNER OF GORGEOUS GRAPHIC TEXTILES AND WESTERN LIVING’S 2017 MAKER OF THE YEAR. MEZZALUNASTUDIO.CA
4 0 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
For all your major appliance needs, visit Scott & Susan!
Hang Bright
From purveyor of Scandinavian charm Ferm Living, these golden ornaments ($24 for set of 3) adorn a Christmas tree or simple set of branches with a minimalist form and a very modern hit of gold. vancouverspecial.ca
16 Locations Across Canada In Vancouver: 8488 Main St.
Scott Myler 604-301-3427 General Manager, Vancouver smyler@coastappliances.com
CoastAppliancesNOV1/3_gvs.indd 1
Susan Ford 778-386-7122 Designer & Multi-Family Sales sford@coastappliances.com
2017-09-27 5:36 PM
WesternLiving.ca Daily stories that connect you to the best of Western Canadian designs. Fresh, local topics that keep you in the know. Plus the Western Living Recipe Finder, with hundreds of our best recipes that you’ve come to expect from Western Canada’s lifestyle source—as gorgeous on your phone as it is on desktop. But that’s just the beginning. See more at WesternLiving.ca. The West lives here. Daily.
Creature Comfort
Modernist artist and conservationist Charley Harper interpreted wildlife and nature as a fun mix of shapes, colours and geometric patterns. These vivid, stylized creations (from a rotund raccoon to a bright-red cardinal) are now found on Fishs Eddy dinnerware for West Elm (from $12). westelm.com
WLDESIGN // great spaces
NATURE CALLS
A greenhouse effect steers this restaurant makeover.
Petal Power
Tacchini Kelly C chairs ($830) are upholstered in floral fabric to enhance the botanical vibe. informinteriors.com
Sleek Stone
Custom quartzite Cielo tables from Antolini add another layer of organic texture. antolini.com
Up On High
Debi Strike stools ($1,060) stand tall on straight, slim legs. casatrasformabile.it
Ema Peter
The Botanist may be one of the few restaurants in Vancouver that has covered up a breathtaking waterfront view—and on purpose. “We’re actually not trying to play into the views here, because that’s kind of typical; we wanted to make it a little more insular,” says Ste. Marie’s Craig Stanghetta, who redesigned the Fairmont Pacific Rim restaurant this past spring. Here, the menu is influenced by the principles of botany—a fancy way of saying that local fare makes its way into each dish and cocktail—and Stanghetta’s design follows suit. The main dining space and outdoor terrace garden are filled with plants draping from the ceiling, light hues, leather fabrics and floral patterns that flow together, inspired by the undulating patterns in the limestone used for the dining tables; the cocktail bar flows from this light space into something darker, with a black marble bar and a glass-enclosed area where a bartender creates the signature cocktails—a conservatory of sorts. The Champagne lounge (still being redesigned) will take a mix of both spaces and incorporate heavier metals into its design, in the hopes of also incorporating the downstairs part of the hotel. All in all, a dreamy space inspired by touches of nature where you’ll want to while away an afternoon. “We are fundamentally interested in [creating] places where you want to spend time,” Stanghetta says. —Lexy Dien
MORE INSPIRING SPACES Find more great rooms to at westernliving.ca 4 2 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
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Julie Johnstone Design Consultant, Merit Kitchens
It’s our dedicated craftspeople, technical specialists and customer service professionals, many of who have been with Merit for decades. Their expertise has been designing, building, and delivering beautiful cabinetry for over 45 years.
Why do clients love your cabinets so much? We know cabinets can transform a house into a home. We start with only the best raw materials and European hardware. And by using the delicate touch of handfinishing, we reveal the wood’s beauty and natural grain.
Why has Merit Kitchens been so successful? I’d say it’s because our cabinets combine beauty with intelligent design. We stay on top of current trends so customers can choose from the latest storage innovations, door styles, finishes, and decorative elements. We honour history and tradition while embracing technology and modern trends to deliver the best cabinetry for the kitchen, bathroom and throughout the home.
If you have your own questions about cabinetry, Merit Kitchens has the answers. Visit us online at merit-kitchens.com to learn more, and Julie’s responses to some frequently asked questions.
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WL HOMES
C’est la Vie!
For her tablescape in last year’s Dinner by Design in Vancouver, designer Stephanie Brown created a space inspired by a Paris apartment, with a modern twist. Bleached natural chevron hardwood floors pair with moulded bright white walls, along with a stunning installation of preserved moss from Vancouver’s By Nature. Klismos dining chairs from Once a Tree Furniture give the room a modern update.
DESIGN FOR DINNER
Dinner by Design makes dining an art form, as Stephanie Brown demonstrates with her Paris-inspired tablescape. by SUSAN BRYANT photographs by JANIS NICOLAY
westernliving.ca / N O V E M B E R
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WL HOMES // dinner by design
I
t’s the kind of interactive design experience that you have to see to believe: for Dinner by Design, 15 designers create “tablescapes” that range from the aspirational to the magical (we won’t forget the cross-stitched ceiling installation that designer Kelly Deck created one year—a mere 140 hours or so in the making). It’s an immersive couple of days: guests tour the tables at a buzzy cocktail party the first night, or over dinner right in each space the next. This year the Vancouver event moves to November 16 and 17, with designers like Stark and Chambers, and Jamie Banfield confirmed to dream up a space, with proceeds going to the Visual College of Art and Design. For more info, visit dinnerxdesign.com.
Green and Gold
Instead of designing a single arrangement for the centre of the table, Brown worked with Celsia Florist to create green-and-white arrangements of varying heights in geometric vases. She selected the Mitchell Gold pendant lights from Once a Tree Furniture because “the scale was super-dramatic,” she explains, “and this event is all about drama.”
Dinner for 10
For the tabletop, Brown selected Martha Sturdy resin trays, which take the place of a classic charger. A swath of Kelly Wearstler fabric becomes a custom napkin for each guest, and it’s topped with a marble tray—a hint to the Parisian life—and gold flatware from West Elm.
4 8 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
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CHRISTMAS AT
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HOMES I N T E R I O R S // A R C H I T E C T U R E // D E S I G N // L I V I N G
’Tis the Season
Janis Nicolay
Sometimes narrowing in on a theme is all you need to liven up your holiday decor. When the team at Rudy Winston Design was decorating this Vancouver home for last year’s Homes for the Holidays charitable tour, it was The Nutcracker—the great parties, the animated toys and, in this child’s room, all of the characters from the ballet, in mouse form, on the tabletop trees. See more of this festive home—and two more—starting on page 52.
westernliving.ca / N O V E M B E R
2017 51
WL HOMES // holiday homes
Dance and Dinner Designers Francesca Albertazzi and Emma Kelly took inspiration from The Nutcracker ballet for the holiday design theme in the home. Here in the dining room, the table is set for the grand party of the night, complete with sparkling cut glass and evergreen accents.
by susan bryant photographs by janis nicolay
CHRISTMAS EN
POINTE
A classic holiday ballet sets the stage for a not-so-traditional Christmas design theme in this west-side Vancouver home.
W
hen Emma Kelly and Francesca Albertazzi of Rudy Winston Design came on board to decorate this house as part of the annual Kids Help Phone Homes for the Holidays tour last year, the theme became obvious almost immediately. “We latched on to the concept of The Nutcracker based on a couple of things,” says Albertazzi. “The homeowner had a few vintage nutcrackers in her personal collection, and one of her daughters was pursuing a professional career in ballet. We really loved that—both Emma and I were in ballet for a long time, and we thought, let’s use that as a concept for the decoration of the house.” The pair was already very familiar with the heritage home on Vancouver’s west side, having renovated a large part of it over the past two years—a fact that came quickly into play as they set the holiday scene in the living room. “In designing the original space, the homeowner wanted to make sure that whatever sofa we chose
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would move or separate, so she could place a Christmas tree in the traditional spot by the bay window,” says Albertazzi. That forethought worked its magic when it came time to holiday up the living room: the sofa splits into three pieces, which slide to the sides of the room to make the evergreen the showstopper. It’s a space that, for this holiday tour, would evoke the “party scene” in The Nutcracker ballet. “Only Francesca and I would likely know that,” laughs Kelly, “but it’s the scene when the tree really comes alive and grows, and it’s all piled with presents. We wanted to echo the feeling of celebration and enthusiasm and expectations—everyone is excited.” Faux cocktails on the table contribute to that grand Christmas party feeling, along with the gorgeous floral arrangements from Full Bloom Studio on the mantel. “We didn’t want it to feel too traditionally Christmas in terms of colour scheme,” says Kelly. “There’s almost no red, but there are lots of navy and gold accents.”
Happy Holidays When the homeowners renovated the living room, they’d directed the design team that they wanted to make sure they could still put a Christmas tree in the bay window (opposite, left). Cue the sofas that separate, allowing for the tree to take a place of honour. Little decorative details, like treats from Butter Baked Goods (opposite, bottom) and a nutcracker ornament (opposite, top right) set a very festive scene.
Party Time The kitchen had plenty of sparkle— the marble mosaic backplash reflects light beautifully—so the team added just a few traditional accents, like a minitree on the countertop (top left). The living and dining rooms were set to evoke the “party scene” in The Nutcracker: champagne and coupes (above right), place settings with a simple navy ribbon and a sprig of evergreen (above left), and plenty of gorgeous florals.
westernliving.ca / n o v e m b e r
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Near the front of the home, the main-floor office is transformed into the suite of Uncle Drosselmeyer, creating a more masculine space. “If he were a room, this is what he’d look like,” laughs Emma Kelly.
5 6 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
Cozy Retreat In the office near the front of the house, the designers created a more traditional, masculine vibe with rum balls and whisky on the table, along with a nod to the ballet: a nutcracker, and owls on the tabletop trees (left and top centre).
In the Mood The colour palette in the office is also more traditionally Christmas, with reds and greens and accents of tartan (top right). On the front door, an unusual arrangement from Full Bloom Studio features peacock feathers (bottom right).
In the adjoining dining room and kitchen, the table is set for the party to arrive, with plenty of cut glass to add sparkle, and the scene in turn reflects the design of the kitchen, itself full of shine with its marble mosaic backsplash and oversized windows. Each table setting holds a simple sprig of evergreen wrapped in a navy ribbon, and a floral arrangement in the nearby window has tremendous presence thanks to its unusual vase: a pewter trophy. Near the front of the home, the main-floor office is transformed into the suite of Uncle Drosselmeyer, creating a more masculine space. “If he were a room, this is what he’d look like,” laughs Kelly. Along with whisky glasses and rum balls on the side table, there are cheeky nods to his character’s transformation into an owl in the ballet, tiny owl ornaments adorn the tabletop trees. The most literal nod to the ballet is in the children’s rooms upstairs: in one, the
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“In the second half of The Nutcracker, Clara plans to get whisked away to the Land of Sweets, and that was the feeling we had here—that sense of magic, like the sugar plum fairy’s dance.”
Shall We Dance? In the girls’ bedrooms upstairs, the theme of The Nutcracker ballet is quite literal: a tutu and pointe shoes are laid out on one daughter’s bed (left), with a vintage nutcracker beside it (top centre).
Sweet Decor The design team chose a more muted holiday colour palette, as seen in this soft pastel floral arrangement from Full Bloom Studio (top right). Characters from the ballet—as felt mice—adorn a tree (bottom right).
trees are adorned with felt characters from the ballet; in another, a ballerina tutu and pointe shoes are laid out on the bed. “We made her bedroom very feminine, with twinkly lights and a flocked tree,” says Kelly. “In the second half of The Nutcracker, Clara plans to get whisked away to the Land of Sweets, and that was the feeling we had here—that sense of magic, like the sugar plum fairy’s dance.” The storytelling throughout the space is reflective of the way the design team works when it’s not holiday time as well, and visitors can see this in the renovation of the original home—it’s a historic home, but it’s been updated for modern times and a modern family. “We both really feel that a strong concept is the key to any project,” says Kelly. “That’s really what leads to all the decisions you make.” This year’s Kids Help Phone Homes for the Holidays Tour takes place November 25 and 26. For more info, visit kidshelpphone.ca/homes-for-the-holidays.
5 8 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
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WL HOMES // holiday homes
NATURAL SELECTION Vancouver designer Sophie Burke brings a tactile and organic new layer to her heritage home—and to the holidays. by barb sligl // photographs by gillian stevens
It’s in the Mix Burke curated an eclectic mix of furniture for her living room, including a leather safari chair and a Dutch Utrecht chair (far left).
T
he imprint of many hands is felt in Sophie Burke’s home during the holidays. There’s her mark, as the interior designer who orchestrated a simpleyet-sophisticated renovation; her children’s playful touch, in handcrafted decorations and Christmas-cookie making; and the many-layered patina of the grande-dame house itself, graced by almost a century of character. The 1927 property, long overlooked in West Vancouver’s hot real-estate market, was once part of a shingle mill set on a half acre alongside the creek that carried logs to be processed. Many people viewed it as a teardown, but Burke, who’s revamped quite a few homes through her eponymous design studio, saw otherwise: “We can breathe life into this house and make it come alive again.” She and husband Cameron bought the 3,500-square-foot house and, rather than gut the insides, chose to leave as much intact as possible, from the mullioned windows to the coffered ceiling in the kitchen. “We like that the house had that history and we didn’t want to erase it, we just wanted to update it,” says Burke. So they embraced all the nooks, crannies and oddities— like the various widths and angles of panelling—and coated them in white paint to transform the “fishing lodge” vibe into a blank slate to which Burke could apply her signature style. “I like a more Scandinavian aesthetic,” says Burke, and its underlying simplicity now anchors clean-lined pieces of midcentury-modern design, like Wegner’s Sawbuck and Wishbone chairs. “I think because it’s a character house it already has a lot of personality you’re working with,” says Burke. “And then you add the more contemporary feel, create that juxtaposition, that tension, and it becomes more interesting.” This push-and-pull includes natural, handmade elements—a bowl brimming with found objects, like shells and cotton tufts, and her children’s seasonal and holiday creations, such as 11-year-old Tom’s star made out of twigs. Burke also layers in antiques, like an old French butcher Natural Connection Designer Sophie Burke (pictured above right) brought organic touches throughout the home design. In the dining room, a grey, felted-wool art piece made by artist Fei Disbrow hangs atop a sea-grass wall, while a grey sheepskin is draped over a light-wood Wishbone dining chair around a marble-top Concorde table by Poliform (opposite and right).
“I just feel like there are so many pretty things in nature,” says designer Sophie Burke. “Like berries to put on a present or dried hops or a piece of fir, little bits of greenery with simple twine or ribbon.”
All in the Family Around the Muuto kitchen table (top centre), family friend Theo Roelofs makes cookies with Burke’s kids Beatrice, Cecily and Tom—whose handmade stockings await by the vintage fireplace (bottom centre). Burke loved the original leaded-glass cabinetry in the kitchen (bottom right), and so worked the design around them, leaving them in their natural wood state. An old French butcher block on the island and a classic apron-front sink are the perfect match for the era, as is the gorgeous La Cornue CornuFÊ range (below).
block that now serves as an island in the kitchen, the family’s gathering place for craft- and cookie-making. The butcher block’s timeworn, much-used surface reiterates the wood of the original leaded-glass cabinet doors. “We try to create warmth, balance the crispness and cleanness of architecture with that personal touch that comes from natural materials,” says Burke. It’s all a bit wabi-sabi, a celebration of patina. And to balance this hand-touched quality and the home’s inherent quirkiness, Burke stuck to a minimalist colour scheme. “I had this vision of the house being very neutral in palette: black and white and grey,” she says. Interior doors were painted Off Black (Farrow and Ball) as a graphic contrast to the Cloud White (Benjamin Moore) walls, while tactile textiles are many shades of grey in between—from soft-grey linen drapery and felted-wool art to lambskin throws and charcoal-wool armchairs. Those statement-making Utrecht armchairs (a 1935 design by Dutch architect Rietveld, co-founder of the De Stijl movement with Mondrian) are a grounding, inspired touch in the living room. “One of my favourite designers of all time, Ilse Crawford, she always uses these chairs and I always admire them in her work,” says Burke. “I just think they’re really kind of unusual looking.” Such pieces are Burke’s way of adding her own quirk. A pair of vintage safari chairs, tracked down on the 1stdibs website from a seller in Amsterdam, and a Tolomeo floor lamp, which the couple has had for years, also make distinctive marks. These higher-end elements are then juxtaposed with a daybed from Ikea (designed by Ilse 6 6 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
Crawford for the big-box retailer). It all works together as a very now and diverse mix within this stately house. It’s also a home in which you won’t find anything fake during the holiday season. “I just like super-natural. I hate glitzy Christmas decorations with a passion,” says Burke. As with everything else, ornaments are largely homespun. Mobile-like hangings formed out of branches are strung from light fixtures. The fireplace mantel is adorned with magnolia leaves from her sister’s backyard, and pine cones and boughs she foraged and cut herself. This natural greenery is paired with winter fruit and more felted wool: ornaments from Ikea and garlands from West Elm. “Basically, felted wool is the theme for my tree,” laughs the designer. Paper angels, crafted by her kids with an artist friend as part of a Christmas tradition, are another au naturel decoration. “No bright colours” is Burke’s mantra. “I just feel like there are so many pretty things in nature, like berries to put on a present or dried hops or a piece of fir, little bits of greenery with simple twine or ribbon.” It’s fitting that the words she uses to describe the aesthetic achieved in this home are similarly fuss-free: “A bit Scandinavian, eclectic, warm and natural.” An haute hand-wrought home for the holidays.
Right at Home Because the house already felt cottagey, Burke didn’t want to play that up with anything cutesy; she stripped down instead. “It’s got these quirky little things that we just went with. They add lots of character, but that’s why you have to simplify and go with a clean palette.”
S e e S o u r c e S at w e S t e r n l i v i n g .c a
2017 FASHION CALGARYÂ PORTRAIT CAMPAIGN GALA
Hosted by:
Jesse Modz from CJAY 92
WL HOMES // holiday homes
Scandi Style Designer Aly Velji sets the table for a holiday feast in his dining room (opposite), with a vibrant ZoĂŤ Pawlak painting behind him.
EASY DOES IT Calgary designer Aly Velji brings a Palm Springs Christmas vibe to his mid-century home. by jacquie moore // photographs by phil crozier
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7 0 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
Sparkle and Shine “I make sure there’s a little DIY action every year,” says Velji (standing with his partner, Jason Krell, top left). Velji eschews traditional Christmas colours. “I lean toward deep pinks, peaches and metallics to add tjuz.” Personal touches like a handmade Advent calendar (opposite, bottom left) and hand-painted Christmas balls (opposite, top left) keep the space warm—along with golden accents, like the “cheers” sign on the fireplace and the Crate and Barrel flatware on the table (opposite, centre).
Gutter Credit
here’s been a lot to celebrate this year in a circa-1959 southwest Calgary home. For starters, an engagement. In the spring, designer Aly Velji said yes to a marriage proposal over a Santorini sunset from his longtime partner, Jason Krell. Second, there was the completion of an inevitably tedious, but ultimately stunning, piecemeal renovation of the couple’s four-level split, purchased nearly a decade ago in tiny Chinook Park. Lastly, there are the usual holidays, which are, not surprisingly, anything but usual in Velji’s hands. A well-known designer and media personality in Calgary and beyond, Velji runs his namesake firm out of the top floor of an old building on the less than trendy (for now) side of Bridgeland. It’s an eccentric, fairly gritty contrast to his pretty, leafy residence on a quiet suburban street—a juxtaposition that fits the designer’s fervent belief that character and beauty are born out of a pastiche of eras, textures, meanings and price points. The beguiling eclectic Christmas decor at the Velji-Krell home is seasonal proof that he’s right. An Ismaili Muslim born in Tanzania, Velji says Christmas was never “a big deal” in his house. He learned to love it anyway. “I made my parents buy me my own little tree, and I made my own decorations.” He was, he says with a grin, “a DIY-er from the beginning.” These days, a white feathered tree anchors Velji’s holiday decor year after year, and homemade decorations still rule. “We do something completely different every year, but that tree stays.” This year, the loose theme is “Christmas in Palm Springs.” Boughs of faux evergreen are given a desert twist via Velji’s incorporation of real palm and eucalyptus. A vase of twisted manzanita branches is festively dressed up with hot-pink and peacock-blue glass balls made by Velji and his design team. (“I bought clear balls at Michaels and we filled them with iridescent paint and rolled them around until they dried.”) Homemade paper lanterns in lemon yellow and avocado green hang in all the mainfloor windows. “I make sure there’s a little DIY action
See SourceS
“Sometimes Christmas can be overwhelming,” he says. “We tend to keep our house as it is and just add in a few details.”
Hot Holiday Velji’s colourful design aesthetic was the perfect base for his “Christmas in Palm Springs” theme. The master bedroom is decked out with vibrant Cole and Son wallpaper (left, centre and bottom); in the living room, tropical fabric on a side chair fits right in with palm leaves and eucalyptus in the decorative boughs (above, centre); and colourful throw cushions bring a hothouse vibe to the whole space.
every year,” says Velji, who eschews traditional Christmas colours. “I lean toward deep pinks, peaches and metallics to add tjuz.” Despite Velji’s energetic approach to seasonal decorating, he works from the philosophy that adding Christmas to your home needn’t be an arduous task with entirely transformative results. “Sometimes Christmas can be overwhelming,” he says. “We tend to keep our house as it is and just add in a few details.” Rather than change out his sofa cushions, for instance, Velji just adds a sparkly one in the mix. The bar cart (a yard-sale score) offerings are simply extended to a nearby credenza, where neatly labelled glass bottles of fizzy cranberry juice are decoration enough. “Your house doesn’t have to scream ‘Christmas,’” he says. “Just look through boxes and see what you have—you can really add something to a room by putting out a couple of gold elements, travel souvenirs or meaningful gifts from friends.” Indeed, the only truly seasonal touch to the couple’s dining room is a little row of burlap sacks strung across the window—an Advent calendar made by a friend. Otherwise, the table is made festive in ways that speak to the couple’s mid-century modern style (admittedly, Palm Springs lives large here year-round). Simple white dishes are amped up with sparkly clip-on swans and colourful side plates; bits of eucalyptus add greenery to a non-traditional floral arrangement; and brass cutlery—used yearround—lends an air of formality that could work for any special occasion. Add Champagne, matching suits from Palm Springs’ Mr. Turk Menswear, a de rigueur kitchendance party and—voilà!—it’s a classic Velji Christmas. S e e S o u r c e S at w e S t e r n l i v i n g .c a
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DESIGNS
that Shine
Chopard Imperiale pendant in 18K rose gold
GOOD DESIGN SPRINGS ETERNAL
A
ttentive design and fine craftsmanship are always in style and turn trends into timeless classics. A carefully designed and constructed architectural Art Deco ring crafted nearly a century ago, for example, has beauty that endures, as does a quality timepiece whose hands have ticked for over a hundred years. The top Vancouver jewellers and watchmakers featured here have a knack for keeping their designs current—without ever sacrificing the timeless appeal of quality.
Rihanna Loves Chopard Earrings in 18K ethically certified “fairmined” rose gold, with diamonds or green ceramic
CHOPARD COMES TO VANCOUVER’S LUXURY ROW Canada’s first freestanding Chopard Boutique recently opened its doors on Vancouver’s Luxury Row. Since Louis-Ulysse Chopard first founded the brand in 1860, Chopard has become synonymous with creativity and quality. To this day, Chopard remains and independent jewellery brand whose most valuable heritage is the artisans who craft their striking pieces by hand, using the same as timehonoured techniques they always have. RIHANNA LOVES CHOPARD Official partners with the Cannes Film Festival since 1997, the world-renowned jewellery house created 70 one-of-a-kind pieces in celebration of the festival’s 70th anniversary this May. This year’s festival also provided the backdrop for Chopard’s unveiling of its collaboration with Rihanna, Rihanna Loves Chopard. The pop star and style icon worked closely with Chopard’s designers to create several Haute Joaillerie pieces for Chopard’s Red Carpet collection, as well as her own unique reboot of Chopard’s 1990s Ice Cube collection, Ice Cube Pure.
Rihanna Loves Chopard Ring in 18K ethically certified “fairmined” rose gold and diamonds
VANCOUVER EXCLUSIVE: ICE CUBE PURE Rihanna’s limited-edition Ice Cube Pure collection is crafted from ethically sourced gold and jungle green ceramic. This line of elegant, minimalist creations provides the ultimate in customizable wearability: pieces can be worn alone or layered according to the wearer’s personality or mood. The Rihanna Loves Chopard Ice Cube Pure line will be carried in Canada exclusively at Vancouver’s Chopard boutique. TREASURES FOR EVERYBODY The new Chopard boutique features a dedicated men’s section and two women’s sections, one of which is dedicated to Chopard’s Haute Joaillerie collection. The store carries an extensive selection of jewellery and watches, as well as the full Chopard accessories line, which includes handbags, wallets, and scarves for women, as well as wallets, cufflinks, and ties for men. Chopard’s exquisite collection of fine writing pens and pencils make gifts to be treasured, even by those hard-tobuy for people who seem to have everything already. Created by the Western Living advertising department in partnership with our jewellery partners
Rihanna Loves Chopard Bangle in 18K ethicallycertified “fairmined” rose gold and green ceramic
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PANERAI OFFICINE COMES TO CANADA’S PACIFIC COAST Vancouver’s Luxury Row has another addition worth celebrating in the new Panerai Boutique. Telling watch aficionados about the merits of a Panerai watch is preaching to the choir. Panerai’s timepieces are so well known in collector circles, that some find it hard to believe the brand’s watches have only been available commercially since 1997, when the company was acquired by the Richemont Group. Panerai’s history, of course, goes back much further, to 1860, when Giovanni Panerai opened Officine Panerai in Florence, Italy, and it was under the leadership of the founder’s grandson, Guido Panerai, that Officine Panerai became the official supplier of watches and precision instruments to the Regia Marina (the Royal Italian Navy) by 1900. PANERAI CLASSIC YACHTS CHALLENGE Although Panerai no longer supplies the military with watches, its ties to the nautical sphere remain strong, and the brand has long promoted traditional sailing culture by sponsoring such events as the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, the foremost international circuit for vintage yachts. In 2007, the company acquired and restored its own classic yacht, a 1936 Bermudan ketch dubbed “Eilean,” which now represents the brand at vintage and classic boat rallies and regattas. DESIGN Panerai’s maritime connections are emphasised in the design of its timepieces. Panerai timepieces are a balanced amalgam of Italian design, expert Swiss technology, and the brand’s maritime connections. Today, the Panerai line of watches is divided into five collections: Radiomir, Radiomir 1940, Luminor 1950, Luminor, and, its latest addition, the Luminor Due series. Inspired by the Luminor 1950’s classic lines, the new Luminor Due’s collection represents the next phase in Panerai’s history, offering Panerai enthusiasts a contemporary revision of the classic— the thinner Dues fit comfortably under a sleek suit jacket—without compromising the iconic aesthetic of the original. The Luminor Due collection is comprised of the Luminor Due 3 Days and the Luminor Due 3 Days Automatic, both of which are available with stainless steel, titatinium, or red gold cases and with alligator straps in a choice of colours. All Panerai watches are numbered limited editions and each of these editions is faithful to the tradition of the brand as the flawless marriage of distinctive design and precision watchmaking.
Luminor Due 3 Days Automatic Stainless Steel with Black Dial
Gears and face of the Luminor Due Collection 3 Days Titanium with Blue Dial
3 D AYS A U TO M AT I C ORO ROSSO - Ø 42MM / 4 5MM ( R E F. 6 7 7 - R E F. 6 7 5 )
PA N E R A I B O U T I Q U E
VA N C O U V E R B O U T I Q U E - 1 0 0 8 A L B E R N I S T R E E T
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MJ Jewellers, 18K White Gold Jadeite and Diamond Pendant
MJ JEWELLERS John Leung has been crafting quality, hand-forged custom jewellery since MJ Jewellers first opened its doors in 1986. Leung favours minimalist design with clean lines to let the beauty of MJ Jewellers’s extensive selection of coloured stones shine through. According to Terry Leung, who helps run the family-owned boutique, “Simple stacking rings and diamonds in every colour have been particularly popular lately,” he says. He sees this as a trend with staying power, “especially when crafted as a unique gift using the birthstones of various family members.” Such custom-designed collaborations become meaningful heirlooms that are sure to be passed down for generations.
MJ Jeweller’s Multicoloured Diamond Stacking Rings
Hand-Forged Platinum Sapphire and Diamond Ring by MJ Jewellers
2832 Granville Street, Vancouver 604.736.6016 | mjjewellers.ca
Hand-forged 18K Yellow Gold Repoussé Horse Bangle
PALLADIO Whatever the trend du jour, custom-designed, handforged pieces always retain a sentimental value for their owner, and whether it’s timeless jewellery or a fine timepiece, Palladio’s Jason Bosa insists, “Quality never goes out of style.” “Many of Palladio’s clients have been going back to basics, like diamonds and 19-carat gold,” explains Bosa, “and the quintessential round, brilliant-cut diamond in a four-claw setting is as popular as ever.” Bosa expects, though, that “this coming year will bring a resurgence of coloured stones as the global economy settles and people begin to buy pieces for reasons other than their investment value.” While Palladio continues to carry the watches its clients know and love—and Rolex remains the most popular of these—the store now also offers “extremely collectible, limited, and rare lines,” says Bosa. One such manufacturer, F.P. Journe, limits its production to a mere 750 watches a year. Timepieces such as these are imbued with both the personal value they hold for their collector and the investment value of a collectable.
Designed and handmade by Palladio, The Circolo Pendolo is a diamond-set eternity pendant representing love with no beginning or end. The pendulum—delicately balanced with one end within the circle and the other without—symbolizes the importance of loving for oneself as well as others.
Exclusive to Palladio, the Octa-Quantieme Perpetuel by F.P. Journe, “the vision behind contemporary watchmaking,” offers Optimal Balance between force, winding speed, and energy efficiency.
BRILLIANT SUPPORT— For U is a unique 19K white gold ring, designed and handmade by Palladio. The centre stone is set in a U-shaped, raised open tension-style setting with additional diamonds on the side. It’s the perfect gift to symbolize support and affection.
CL ASSIC ROCK
Untitled-2 Palladio 1
Ad for Western Living Magazine
Insertion: November 2017 2017-09-21
2:54 PM
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COSTEN CATBALUE GOLDSMITHS + DESIGN
Cabochon garnet, green tsavorite garnet, and diamonds set into a custom handmade pendant in 14K red and white gold, by Costen Catbalue.
Costen Catbalue Goldsmiths + Design’s Andrew Costen and Mary Ann Buis work closely with their clients to create hand-forged, one-of-a-kind custom pieces whose quality craftsmanship and deep personal value stand the test of time. Variations on Costen Catbalue’s “Symphony of Colour” Flexifit bracelet (which won an award for best use of platinum and colour at the American Gem Trade Association’s Spectrum Awards in 2016) and multi-gemstone rings and pendants continue to be favourites with their clients. “We’re also starting to see a lot of interest in yellow diamonds and sapphires,” Costen notes.
Costen Catbalue’s Signature Flexifit Bracelet, bezel-set with fancy cut garnet and diamond in 14K red and white gold.
Especially known for its vast array of differentcoloured gemstones—Canadian diamonds, garnets of all colours, sapphires in virtually every hue, to harder-to-find spinels, unheated aquamarines, and more—Costen Catbalue’s selection of stones run the gamut from traditional to exotic.
1832 West 1st Avenue Vancouver, BC
“Ice Storm” Ring 1.01ct Canadian diamond framed by a swirl of white and natural yellow diamonds. 19K white and 18K yellow gold.
Tel 604.734.3259 info@costencatbalue.com costencatbalue.com Handmade In-house.
STITTGEN FINE JEWELRY Having designed and crafted fine jewellery in Vancouver for over half a century, Stittgen Fine Jewelry has built a reputation for quality and attention to detail. Whether custom made or ready to wear, each of Stittgen’s pieces is crafted using time-honoured techniques—never cutting corners— because true quality takes time and is built to last.
Filigree earrings, handcrafted white and yellow gold, enhanced with diamonds, by Stittgen
Stittgen’s Selina Ladak firmly believes that quality design and craftsmanship never go out of fashion. “Well-crafted, attentively designed pieces,” she explains, “will never look out-dated.”
Stittgen’s River of Life Rings, “Together we travel along the river of life. Through the ups and downs of life, we go with the flow and carve our own path; like a river, constantly moving and ever changing. Illustrated by pave-set diamonds, the undulating line represents the beauty of your own unique story.”
Stittgen’s West Vancouver flagship store showcases the brand’s extensive collection and accommodates clients seeking custom designs with in-house goldsmiths, while the jeweller’s boutique in the Four Seasons Hotel downtown offers extended hours and is conveniently situated for world travellers to view select designs. In both locations, Stittgen’s team of experts guides clients toward pieces that they will wear with love for years to come.
Designed and Handcrafted in Vancouver
1457 Bellevue Avenue, West Vancouver | 604 925 8333 Four Seasons Hotel, 791 West Georgia Street, Vancouver | 604 682 1158 STITTGEN.COM
SATURDAY / SUNDAY
November 25 - 26
Image: Janis Nicolay Photography
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
5 Beautifully Decorated Homes A SEASONAL, SELF-GUIDED TOUR ON VANCOUVER’S WESTSIDE Kids Help Phone Homes for the Holidays is a local fundraising event aimed to improve the mental well-being of children and youth.
TICKETS:
homesfortheholidays.ca
FOOD
R E S T A U R A N T S // E X P E R T A D V I C E // E N T E R T A I N I N G // W I N E // R E C I P E S
Sexy Sides
Janis Nicolay
With the season’s holiday dinners just around the corner, now couldn’t be a better time to pore over Starters, Salads, and Sexy Sides from Vancouver chef Caren McSherry. The founder and owner of the Gourmet Warehouse has created an inspired 80-recipe collection of what she’s calling “hot damn!” sidekick dishes, like prosciutto cups with cheese bread stuffing, paprika and parmesan not-so-green fried tomatoes, and these decadent (but deceptively easy to prepare) Hasselback potatoes with lemon, thyme and asiago cheese. Find her recipe—and more turkey-time tips from local chefs—on the next page.
Sweet Simplicity From bacon and blue cheese to rosemary and asiago, the stuffing combinations for fanned potatoes are mouth-watering and virtually endless.
westernliving.ca / N O V E M B E R
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Catch chef Nicole Gomes at the Eat! Vancouver festival, running Nov. 6 to 11. eat-vancouver.com
WLFOOD // BITES
Q&A
RECIPE
WITH CHEF NICOLE GOMES, TOP CHEF CANADA: ALL STARS WINNER
Hasselback Potatoes This fanned potato hails from Sweden. The concept is not only easy, but unique, prompting the question, “why didn’t I think of that?� Simply put, you cut slices into peeled potatoes without cutting completely through. This is accomplished by purchasing an inexpensive hasselback tray, or by laying the potato in a large wooden spoon or between two chopsticks, which prevents the knife from slicing through. The options for stuffing the potatoes from there are endless; I use lemon, thyme and asiago in this version. 6 medium Yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing 2 lemons, thinly sliced 12 sprigs fresh thyme Fleur de sel Freshly ground pepper 1 cup grated asiago cheese
What gift should you get the chef in your life? Cook a chef dinner! Everyone is so intimidated by cooking for a chef, but we love to be on the other side, out of the kitchen and among friends.
BITES
What we’re eating and drinking
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
What’s the secret to perfect stuffing? Fresh rosemary, sage and thyme with lots of butter and a generous quantity of one-to-two day-old bread. The key is that the bread has to be chewy. What are you doing this year at Eat! Vancouver? This is my first year with Eat! Vancouver. There are 37 star chefs who are all coming together in Vancouver to celebrate the Canadian culinary scene and to support this year’s charitable partner, Project Chef–it can’t get any better. I’m making a Thai prawn cake with ginger-scallion pistou and nuoc cham papaya salad.
2. Carefully slice off about 3â „4 inch from the
3. Brush the potatoes with oil, making sure
you get in between each slice. Place a slice of lemon in every other slit, alternating with sprigs of thyme, then top with a good sprinkle of fleur de sel and a grind of pepper.
4. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove,
distribute the asiago over each potato, turn the oven down to 350°F, and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Serve hot. Makes 6 potatoes. EXCERPTED FROM STARTERS, SALADS, AND SEXY SIDES BY CAREN McSHERRY Š2017 (APPETITE BY RANDOM HOUSEŽ, $24.95). PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIS NICOLAY.
W L A S K ED: WHAT IS THE BEST WINE GADGET? “A glass. Stemless Riedels, to be precise.� —Foodie of the Year Matt Dumayne Big O pinot noir wine tumbler $29.50 for set of 2 riedelcanada.ca
8 2 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
N l’s W e Pi
Okanagan Wine School Lesson #2: Longevity Gift-giving season seems like a good time to delve into age-worthy bottles. In many ways, we live in a post-aging world, where advances in winemaking technology mean even prestige wines can be enjoyed relatively young. But if you’re hell-bent on aging, you need to look for the presence of tannins in red wine and acid in white. Tannins are compounds that come from seeds and skins and, when present in high quantities, make you pucker when tasting wine—they’re the hallmark of cabernet sauvignon and nebbiolo—and while the goal of most modern winemakers is to soften their presence (to allow for early drinking), when they exist in conjunction with powerful fruit and spice notes it means that a wine should have the structure to age well. A great example of this is the just-released 2014 The Creek ($55) from Tinhorn Creek, a wine with a tannic structure that channels a mid-’80s style of Bordeaux and that, with any luck, will taste like mid-’80s Bordeaux in five-plus years. With white, the acid is the preserving agent so you want a wine that is very austere early on but will mellow later. And while the 2012 Sperling Old Vines Riesling ($32) is delicious right now (it has some mandarin orange notes, which are festive), it has a backbone of acidity that makes me think it will be amazing in 2020. Both bottles say not only “I care for you,� but also “I trust you to care for this wine.�
N l McL n
Gravy: Robyn Mackenzie; Cornucopia: Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane
bottom of the potato to enable it to lie flat. Lay the potato on the hasselback tray and make a cut every 1â „4 inch along the entire length of the potato. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
C H EF ’S T I P S
E V EN T S
5 Fast Gravy Fixes
CORNUCOPIA! Whistler, November 9 to 19 The mountain town’s beloved bubbly, vino and food festival returns with 11 days of expert seminars, intimate wine and fondue dinners (look for Quail’s Gate, Vinos Santa Ema and Blasted Church), parties, a grand tasting hall, and even Sensory Cinema, featuring Harajuku Izakaya’s inspired tasting menu paired with Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation. whistlercornucopia.com
WITH CHEF DAN McGEE, AU COMPTOIR, VANCOUVER TOO RUNNY? If your gravy is too runny but still full of flavour, use a slurry or roux (equal parts flour and butter) to thicken it quickly. If your gravy is too runny and weak with flavour, reduce over medium heat. TOO THICK? If you’ve ended up with gravy that’s too thick, add more stock while whisking until it reaches the desired consistency. You’ll likely end up with more gravy, but that’s never a bad thing during the holidays!
ROCKY MOUNTAIN WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL Edmonton, November 10 to 11 The indoor convention-style festival hosts sips from distilleries, vineyards and craft breweries—look out for Blackwater Distillery’s strawberry gin and MarquÊs de Alcåntara’s Argentinian blue wine. But the best part might be the special festival menu: top local chefs craft a range of farm-totable bites, with a menu map that leads you directly to their booths for what’s on offer. rockymountainwine.com
TOO OILY? Heat the gravy in a pot on very low heat. This will allow the fat to rise to the surface so that it can be skimmed off. TOO FLOURY/CHALKY? If your gravy is chalky, your roux needs to be cooked longer. Simply pour your gravy into a heavy-bottomed pot and simmer on medium heat until the flour flavour disappears (usually about 20 minutes). TOO CLUMPY? Clumps form when the stock is added too quickly or if the gravy hasn’t been stirred consistently. To remove clumps, whisk your gravy vigorously (work those arms!). If that doesn’t do the trick, pass the gravy through a fine sieve.
O P EN I N G S
Coquille Fine Seafood 181 CARRALL ST., VANCOUVER
y T s Sage, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves all make great additions to gravy. I love adding finely chopped fresh herbs—like tarragon, parsley, chervil or chives—to the gravy before serving.
Find Chef McGee’s one-pan roast gravy recipe online at westernliving.ca/recipes
People Chefs Jack Chen, Nin Rai and Lee Cooper (L’Abattoir) Why we’re excited This new 4,100-squarefoot Gastown haunt is a modern spin on the classic fish house with a full bar and (yes!) street-side patio.
The Butternut Tree LEDGEVIEW CENTRE, 9707 110 ST., EDMONTON
People Chef Scott Downey (formerly of Michelin-starred Daniel in NYC, Noma in Denmark, Wildebeest in Vancouver) Why we’re excited The returning Edmonton-born chef opens his first restaurant, which pays homage to the places he’s lived with seasonal ingredients at the forefront. westernliving.ca / N O V E M B E R
2017 83
SENDERO GATE TOWNHOMES
Live beautifully, inside and out. SENDEROGATE.CA
This is not an offering for sale. Any such offering can only be made by way of disclosure statement. E.&O.E Rendering is conceptual. Any specifications in this depiction may change at the developer’s sole discretion without notice.
Quality homes for a quality life. SENDEROCA N YON.CA
This is not an offering for sale. Any such offering can only be made by way of disclosure statement. E.&O.E. Photos are general and any specifications depicted may change at the developer’s sole discretion without notice.
Twice as Nice
This year we’re treating friends and family to gifts made with love (and chocolate, and caramel, and Sriracha!). Trust us, they’ll love it.
recipes by JULIE VAN ROSENDAAL photographs by KYOKO FIERRO // food styling by LAWREN MONETA // prop styling by NICOLE SJÖSTEDT westernliving.ca / n o v e m b e r
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Clarity bowls ($11 each), cb2.com
8 6 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
Crinkle bowls ($10 each), cb2.com
Sriracha Caramel Corn Sriracha adds a new dimension to sweet, buttery caramel corn, giving it a spicy kick—it’s perfect for gifting, makes a great party nibble, and can be packed along for a skate or ski trip. 8 cups air-popped popcorn 1 cup packed brown sugar ½ cup corn syrup or golden syrup ¼ cup butter 1 tsp baking soda 1 to 2 tsp Sriracha Salt
1. Preheat oven to 250˚F and put popcorn in a big bowl that has been buttered or sprayed with nonstick spray. 2. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup and
butter and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and boil without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally, for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and Sriracha—it will foam up at first, but stir well to get rid of any lumps of baking soda.
3. Quickly pour mixture over the popcorn and stir (use a heatproof spatula or tongs) to coat well. Spread out onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Cool and break apart. Makes about 10 cups.
Gem gift box ($10), partypartnerdesign.com
H S It These popcorn clusters look beyond luxe displayed in decorative metallic bowls (see our picks below!) and are a snap to gift wrap—you can package them in cellophane bags, glitzy novelty boxes or foldable take-out containers.
Brass triangle tray ($45), nineteenten.ca
Hammered Mattie bowl ($375), anthropologie.com
Stainless steel gold snack bowls (from $23), cb2.com
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WLFOOD // EDIBLE GIFTS
Mimira dinner plate ($30), anthropologie.com
Glitz Blitz
Add a touch of glam to sablĂŠs with a dusting of edible gold foil flakes after baking. Pro Tip: To help gold stick to foods with firm surfaces (like cookies), brush them down with a little vodka or water.
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Cardamom Sablés Sweet, buttery sablés are similar to shortbread, made slightly sturdier by the addition of egg yolk. Think of them as a blank canvas—cardamom adds a subtle floral flavour, but you could add citrus zest, dried or chopped candied ginger, roughly chopped nuts or chocolate instead—or swap ½ cup of the flour for cocoa to make chocolate sablés. The dough can be baked right away or chilled and sliced; these are a perfect candidate for stashing away in the fridge for those holiday cookie emergencies. 1 cup butter, at room temperature ¾ cup sugar ¼ tsp salt 2 large egg yolks 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ tsp ground cardamom
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F, or hold off if you’re not ready to bake yet. 2. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and salt until
pale and fluff y; add egg yolks and beat again until combined. Add flour and cardamom and beat or stir by hand just until dough comes together.
3. If you like, shape dough into a log, wrap in parchment and refrigerate for an hour or up to a week (or freeze for up to 4 months). If you want to bake them right away, roll dough into 1-inch balls, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and press with a cookie stamp, bottom of a glass or tines of a fork to flatten. (You may have to dip them in flour first to prevent sticking.) Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until pale golden and set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. (To bake refrigerated dough, slice and bake as directed, pressing each slice with a cookie stamp if you want a pattern.) Makes about 1½ dozen cookies.
T הrk-A d If you have whole cardamom pods but no grinder, roughly chop and shake them up with the sugar, let sit for an hour or so, then shake through a sieve into your mixing bowl.
westernliving.ca / n o v e m b e r
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WLFOOD // EDIBLE GIFTS
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Blocks Chocolate blocks are a step easier than truffles—a little like homemade two-bite chocolate bars. You could add chopped toasted nuts, coconut and/or dried fruit in place of the pretzels, but their crunch and salt make the chocolate-peanut butter combo irresistible. These are far less finicky than peanut butter cups, but hit all the same notes. 3 cups chocolate chips or chopped chocolate 1 cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy 1 to 2 cups small or stick pretzels
1. In a medium bowl, melt chocolate and peanut butter in the microwave or over a pot of simmering water, stirring until melted and smooth. 2. Put pretzels into a sealable bag, seal and roughly crush with a rolling pin or can, leaving some bigger pieces—you want a range from big to small. Stir pieces into chocolate mixture and pour into a parchment-lined 8- or 9-inch square pan. Chill in fridge until set. Let sit at room temperature for a bit to make them easier to cut into small bars or squares. Makes about 5 dozen small blocks.
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Rosemary Sugar Flavoured sugars are ridiculously fast and easy, and make a tasty, thoughtful gift when packaged in a vintage jar or glass sugar shaker.
1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse a few cups of granulated white sugar with a couple sprigs of rosemary, or try adding strips of orange zest or snipped vanilla beans. You don’t need to blend them completely, just enough to help the rosemary (or citrus, or vanilla) release its aroma. Let the sugar sit for at least an hour, or up to a day, then shake through a sieve to get rid of any solids. Package up the scented sugar and instruct the recipient to use it in cookies, sprinkled on cakes, stirred into tea... Once it’s on your shelf, you’ll dream up all kinds of uses.
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WLFOOD // EDIBLE GIFTS
Spi c r If you want to tame the heat a little, include some sweet red peppers in the quantity of fresh chili peppers.
Hot Sauce with Cranberries This brilliant red hot sauce is simple to make using any variety of fresh chili peppers, keeping in mind that they vary in terms of heat level—the peppers you choose will determine how hot the resulting sauce will be. Fresh cranberries take the edge off, lending a subtle tang and boosting colour. 1½ lb fresh chili peppers, such as jalapeùo, pimento, habanero, scotch bonnet, serrano, cherry bomb or cayenne 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup water 2 garlic cloves, peeled ½ tsp salt 2 tbsp sugar
1. Wearing rubber gloves, stem, halve and deseed chili peppers, discarding seeds and membranes. Place peppers into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add cranberries, vinegar, water, garlic and salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until peppers are soft and cranberries have popped. Stir in sugar and remove from heat.
Free Printables!
Head to westernliving.ca to download these free (and customizable!) holiday labels.
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2. Cool to lukewarm and carefully transfer to a blender; purĂŠe until smooth. If you like, pour sauce through a sieve to get rid of any rogue bits of skin. Transfer to jars or bottles and store in the fridge for up to a month or freeze for longer storage. Makes about 3 cups.
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T H E W E S T // W O R L D W I D E // W E E K E N D G E T AWA Y S // N E I G H B O U R H O O D S // R O A D T R I P S
Breaking News
Board Room The waves in Puerto Escondido are the most famous—and biggest—on Mexico’s west coast.
Chris Ford
Why is it that surfers seem to know where all the coolest spots are? Maybe it’s their singleminded focus—waves and someplace to grab a beer and a bite. They “discovered” the fishing village of Puerto Escondido in the late 1960s, but it remained relatively unknown to tourists until the last decade or so. As writer Jessica Barrett finds, there may be a mini-development boom going on, but this isn’t Cancun. Hotels and condos are of the low-rise variety and, for now, the place’s laid-back vibe is intact. The story begins on page 99.
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The Check-in
DESERT OASIS
It’s tough to believe it’s been eight years since the über-hip Ace Hotel set up shop in the then-sleepy borough of Palm Springs and helped usher in the town’s second act as a SoCal hot spot. But Palm Springs is entering phase two of its modern rejuvenation with a slew of slick new hotels that up the valley’s design game.
In the ACtIon A big step up in room size is openingas-we-speak 1 the Rowan from the Kimpton group, whose 153 rooms count as downright Las Vegas-ian in this land of small inns. Its heft comes with things like a rooftop pool, a proper fitness centre and in-room spa services, and its location right on a prime slice of Palm Canyon means this is one of the few places where a car is not needed. rowanpalmsprings.com
2 Modern Cool One of the first to arrive was—wait for it— 2 the Arrive, which opened last year at the north end of Palm Canyon in an area that’s now dubbed “the Uptown Design District,” and it marked a new direction: out was the mid-century kitsch, in was a Richard Serra–esque rusted-steel facade designed by Seattle architect Chris Pardo with clean, spare lines and elevated offerings like Apple TV and highly pocketable Malin and Goetz products (and outdoor movies by the pool). Its attached architecturally themed restaurant—the Draughtsman—is packed Thursday through Saturday with craft-beer lovers. arrivehotels.com
The Arrive: Chris Miller
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by Neal McleNNaN
old-School luxe While the valley is undoubtedly a mid-century design epicentre, there were other places here long before Richard Neutra envisioned his minimalist desert homes. One of the oldest houses in the city, the circa-1925 William Mead house, was transformed into the luxe 3 Willows Inn, which has just undergone a full renovation. The eight-room inn is tucked between Palm Springs’ two swankiest ’hoods—Old Las Palmas and the Tennis Club—so it feels a bit like bunking with a fantastically generous old-world patron. Its classic antique decor—think Barbara Barry meets Ernest Hemingway (the latter of whom was actually a visitor to the home in its early years)—is a welcome antidote to the pop art posters so prevalent everywhere else in town. thewillowspalmsprings.com
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beachY Keen
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Holiday House: Jaime Kowal
Three WaTering holeS The new 4 Truss and Twine is from the team that brought you Workshop next door, so expect the same sort of direct-from-L.A. design and highfalutin menu; down Palm Canyon and waaaay down the price scale is 5 Dead or Alive, an impossible-to-find beer and wine bar with a lo-fi vibe and a lock on being where the cool locals water themselves; back up the price scale, 6 Seymour’s is ensconced in the back of the tiny Mr. Lyons steakhouse and has a 1950s vibe as reimagined by well-heeled GenXers, with two-handed Manhattans and lots of velvet.
6
Closer to downtown is the months-old 7 Holiday House and its 21-and-over crowd, and if there’s a prettier spot in the valley than this chill blue-and-whitehued oasis, we haven’t seen it. The building originally opened in 1951 as the Chase Hotel, but its “exclusive select clientele” lustre faded considerably in the following decades. It’s been revamped by Los Angeles designer Mark Sikes in his signature cool palette, which blends the generous footprint of the old rooms with reimagined kitchenettes and bedrooms kitted out in original art (Baldessari, Basquiat, Alex Katz), wicker and modern textiles—all with a sophistication that belies its rather reasonable rack rate. holidayhouseps.com
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From left to right: Rebekah Burgess, Jesse Kraft, Stancikasn, Magdalena Paluchowska, Fotointeractiva, Marcos Dominguez, Ult Hobner, Jesse Kraft
Far from the mayhem of the Mayan Riviera, there’s a Mexican locale where beaches are still chill, surfers mingle with expats, and the lucky traveller can revisit the Mexico of yesteryear.
OAXACA!
Colour Palette From the colonial architecture of the city to the crashing surf of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca’s Emerald Coast offers spectacular diversity.
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WLTRAVEL // OAXACA Puerto Escondido Only a few years ago this sleepy town was undiscovered by tourists. Not anymore.
Robert Kleinfeld
I
’ve barely woken from my afternoon nap when I’m summoned into reality by what sounds like a conch shell blowing. In any other situation I might pass it off as a lingering figment of a dream, but I’ve been told in advance what this sound signifies: it’s time to release the turtles. I head down to the beach, still a bit foggy, to find a man unloading a wriggling sack from the back of an ATV amid a small group of excited tourists. Before I know it, I’m handed a minuscule baby sea turtle tucked in a half coconut shell (we’re given explicit instructions not to touch them), and I race to give it a soft landing on the sand before it instinctively catapults its tiny body out of its container and toward the sea. Following our own instincts, we humans coalesce into an ad-hoc cheer squad as our momentary charges battle their way across what suddenly seems like an impossibly wide swath of sand and into the pounding red-flag surf. We watch until the last of the little guys finally catches a wave, and, as the group finally dissipates, I turn my
back on the water to realize the sound of the ocean almost seems to complement the construction noises from the condo buildings going up in front of me. The balance between unspoiled nature and burgeoning development defi nes Oaxaca’s Emerald Coast these days. This relatively unknown corner of southwestern Mexico called Puerto Escondido has long been a beloved destination for surfers lured by the truly epic swells and, more recently, by foodies attracted to the region’s distinctive culinary fare: so-fresh-it’s-practically-moving seafood, deep and complex moles, meaty Oaxacan cheese and boundary-pushing local delicacies of the insect variety. But it’s only now that the resort-style infrastructure more common to Mexico’s more popular destinations has started to creep in, and with it has come a push to appeal to more mainstream vacationers. Canadian-owned Vivo Resorts, my home for the week, is the first multi-building waterfront resort to spring up along Palmarito westernliving.ca / N O V E M B E R
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WLTRAVEL // OAXACA
“The balance between unspoiled nature and burgeoning development defines Oaxaca’s Emerald Coast these days.”
Statistics say: 60-80% of adults will suffer back pain. We say 100% of them should know about us. Stress, tension and pain can ruin any part of your day from the time you get up to the time you go to bed. The chair at your desk, the recliner in your den, even the bed you sleep in can all aggravate that discomfort, but they don’t have to.
Chill Pill The surfer’s shacks have been replaced by the odd low-rise, but discreet, resort.
774 Spruce Avenue in Victoria T: 604-432-1442 or 250-592-1974 | relaxtheback.com
Beach, 20 kilometres of otherwise undeveloped seaside terrain about 20 minutes from Puerto Escondido. But my fears that development means this paradise may soon be paved in the manner of the Mayan Riviera are vehemently quashed by the resort staff, who tell me the area lacks the same government incentives that led to the row-upon-soulless-row of all-inclusive resorts emblematic of Cancún or Cozumel. This region, I’m told, has adopted a slow-growth philosophy aimed at balancing a growing resort industry and its muchneeded economic boost with the nature reserves and biodiversity that give the Emerald Coast its off-thebeaten-track feel (hence Vivo’s partnership with the non-profit turtle sanctuary just up the road, and my thrilling end to the day). Of equal allure is the lack of separation between the tourist areas and the agrarian communities and public
beaches along the coast that provide a window into a slice of Mexican life that is truly deserving of the term “authentic.” Case in point: our way into Puerto Escondido the next morning is punctuated with running commentary by our driver and guide, Jesus, who excitedly points out the peanut, sesame and corn fields that have long supported the local economy, and regales us with tales of his own childhood in the nearby town of Chila. “My grandfather used to show me how to make salt from the dirt,” he tells us, gesturing to the abundant red earth. That literal salt-of-the-earth ethos extends to Puerto Escondido, a city of 45,000, first founded in the 1920s as an outpost for the coffee, cocoa and cinnamon grown in the nearby Sierra Madre mountains. A relative zygote by Mexican standards, the city lacks the grandiose architecture or ancient ruins of other destinations (for those, you’ll have to make the more than six-hour over-mountain trek to Oaxaca City) and, mercifully, is also without the shopping-mallesque tourist strips found in more established spots. Local crafts,
souvenirs and beachwear are instead acquired on the Adoquin, the beachside stroll where you’re just as likely to find locals heading out for a night on the town as you are sunburned gringos. Permeating Puerto is a laid-back boho vibe, a reflection of the surf culture that has been cultivated here since the 1950s. The city’s famous attraction, Zicatela Beach, is orbited by backpacker hostels, rustic cabanas, hole-in-the-wall cafés and even a topless beach, and in the winter the area is beset by surfers from all over the world who come to contend with up-to-10-metre ocean swells. My visit in the off-season ostensibly coincides with what are in theory more manageable conditions, but the waves on our visit are big enough to keep me happily beach-bound as we poke into sea caves and watch a handful of presumably amateur surfers attempt to avoid crashing into the rocks. Aiming for a less adrenalin-fuelled location, we grab lunch at Villas Carrizalillo, a clifftop collection of upscale private villas where the view alone is worth the trip. After a meal of fresh-caught grouper westernliving.ca / n o v e m b e r
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WLTRAVEL // oaxaca
Getting There
If you need to fly directly to Puerto Escondido, your only choice is to route through Mexico City. However, if you don’t mind a short drive, the easier option is to take one of the numerous direct charters (Air Transat, WestJet) to the package-tour destination of Huatulco, then rent a car and take the picturesque drive north. It’s only two hours and it will give you the mobility to explore the neighbouring area.
and margaritas (the obvious choice) we descend the 160 stairs to Carrizalillo Beach, one of several smaller coves where the sheltered waters are, allegedly, more amenable to swimmers. I head in for a dip but after nearly losing my swimsuit to the shore break, I opt for a shaded beach lounger and a beer just as an afternoon storm rolls in— an almost-daily occurrence that provides a welcome break from the heat of the day and doesn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits. Dry and content under my umbrella, I pull out a book, but I can’t seem to tear my eyes from the increasingly stormy seas. The next morning brings the return of clear skies and we venture out to Laguna de Manialtepec, a protected coastal lagoon and crucial wildlife habitat. After yesterday’s wild waves, the glass-still waters are particularly enticing, as are the shaded hammocks on offer at the quaint lakeside café. But siestas are better when they’re earned, so I load into a Zodiac to tour the mangroves (and nearly come face to face with all manner of storks, egrets and even an incognito iguana) before arriving at Puerto Suelo, a tiny oceanfront settlement on a sandbar sandwiched between the lagoon and the sea. Jesus tells us these micro-villages, often without running water or electricity, are not uncommon along the coast, which is traditional territory to no fewer than 16 different Indigenous groups. This particular one is home to just two families, who seem to be out for the day, so our boat captain takes over hosting duties by 1 0 4 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
cutting us fresh coconuts from a nearby tree. I sip the sweet coconut water down near the ocean, marvelling at the sight of mile upon mile of completely virgin beach sprawling out before me. I’m in utter disbelief that something so pure still exists in this world. On our final day, we trade in oceanic Zen for the chaotic energy of Puerto Escondido’s Benito Juárez market, where, on a busy Saturday morning, I do an excellent job of getting in the way of the locals as they go about their weekly shopping. This is a food lover’s dream, packed with more varieties of produce than the typical Canadian ever gets to see—who knew there were so many different types of avocados? I sample some mamey, a sweet-potato-meets-papaya situation and, emboldened by my daring, dip into the overflowing buckets of crickets, which pack a surprisingly fishy taste that I’m not in any hurry to make part of my rotation. There are also endless stalls selling fish, cheese, meats and bags of freshly milled masa, all of which Vivo’s head chef, Roberto Cruz, employs for our farewell dinner later that night. By the time I find myself back at Puerto’s tiny airport the next morning—watching old Mexican musicals on the TV at the ridiculously charming in-gate tiki bar, I can’t help but hope the Emerald Coast’s accessible, authentic character really will withstand its inevitable discovery by more people like me, which, I suppose, is the highest praise a visitor can bestow.
Clockwise from top left: Konstantin Kalishko, Denis Vázquez, Will Power, Sergi Hill
Chow Down While the area is famous for its surf, Oaxaca is increasingly being known as a foodie destination as well with both the famed (feared?) spirit mezcal and the chocolate-based mole sauce having their spiritual homes in the state.
Du Tran
Gentle-fication The harbour in Puerto Escondido is developing, but the heart of a fishing village still beats there.
The Look
SWEET SUITE
Chic sliding doors allow for both daylight and privacy. 1 0 6 n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 7 / westernliving.ca
designed By
Angela Robinson, Vancouver
Taking on a basement suite redesign for a multi-generational family home is no easy task: how do you create a bright-and-airy vibe when you’re fighting low ceilings and limited light? If you’re designer Angela Robinson, you install custom lightweight sliding glass doors—a modern take on traditional Japanese screens. “They separate the bedroom from the living room while still allowing daylight to filter through,” says Robinson. And when the homeowners are craving a little more privacy than glass panels allow? They can just draw the linen curtains.
Room: Janis Nicolay; portrait: Jamie Mann
WL // trade secrets
WELL- EQUIPPED FROM
$23,695*
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A CROSSTREK CLEAN WHEN IT’S SO MUCH FUN GETTING DIRTY.” THE ALL-NEW 2018 CROSSTREK loves getting dirty, with X-Mode† to handle challenging inclines and declines, and standard Subaru Symmetrical Full-Time
All-Wheel Drive to handle pretty much anything else. Add in high ground clearance with a low centre of gravity and your Crosstrek is up for fun, wherever it leads. Learn more at subaru.ca/crosstrek
*MSRP of $23,695 on 2018 Crosstrek Convenience 6MT (JX1 CP). MSRP excludes Freight & PDI of $1,725. Taxes, license, registration and insurance are extra. $0 security deposit. Model shown is 2018 Crosstrek Limited Package CVT w/ Eyesight (JX2 LPE) with an MSRP of $33,195. Dealers may sell for less or may have to order or trade. Prices may vary in Quebec. Vehicle shown solely for purposes of illustration, and may not be equipped exactly as shown. See Owner’s Manual for complete details on system operation and limitations. †X-MODE™: Equipped in CVT models only. EyeSight is a driver-assist system which may not operate optimally under all driving conditions. The driver is always responsible for safe and attentive driving. System effectiveness depends on many factors such as vehicle maintenance, and weather and road conditions. See Owner’s Manual for complete details on system operation and limitations. See your local Subaru dealer for details. Crosstrek and Subaru are registered trademarks.