WEST VANCOUVER RESIDENCE

This 1927 craftsman heritage home in West Vancouver presented numerous design challenges. The clients had fallen in love with this eccentric traditional family home and wanted to make it work for their young family and for their contemporary design aesthetic. The clients wanted to keep the character elements of the home yet, at the same time, not feel like they were living in the past. Added to this were the heritage guidelines that specified the features and details that needed to be preserved and protected. The clients first priority was to lighten and brighten the space. Out came the dark slate flooring from a bad 90’s renovation and the dark brick chimney that came up through the middle of the kitchen, restricting both light and flow. Bathrooms were gutted and redone in a style that was updated and yet sympathetic to the age of the home in a palette of white, grey, black and brass.  The kitchen was reworked and now includes a computer station and eating nook which ensure that it is incredibly functional for the needs of a young family. Openings and doorways were widened to let natural light flow through the house. Combined with light oak floors and lots of white paint the end result is lighter, simpler and far more contemporary. Added to this base is contemporary furniture, select vintage classics and simple millwork seamlessly blending the traditional and contemporary. This home had been languishing for decades; it was rewarding to see how Vancouver’s historical homes can be brought to life, can remain protected and still be contemporary.

 Published in:

• Canadian House and Home

• Western Living