There’s no shortage of talk about Vancouver, Canada’s crazy housing market. The urban spread is definitely up . Today we hook up with Janeen Puri of Refinery Design Build who gave this downtown condo a contemporary refresh. Have a look at the before.
I mean yes its a grey west coast day when that photo was shot (and probably damp to the bones outside) but the whole thing is just blah.
Your typical condo kitchen – closed off but of course. Between the beige, the long and narrow living room and the ceiling drops left right and center the space felt cramped and disjointed.
…with an awesome coordinating tile border on both the backsplash and the tub. Brilliant!
The saving grace of what could be was the location and view, but there was no question it didn’t match the interior of the space!
The client traded in their large rural home for this Yaletown condo and a home in Arizona. They wanted somewhere they could entertain friends while in town while enjoying the city. From space planning and kitchen design all the way down to colors that compliment the ocean, everything was designed around that view, especially at night! Remember that kitchen? Check this out
Just a smidge lighter and brighter…stunning right?! Killing off those drop ceilings that were to house pot lights and sprinkler lines in the original kitchen was a serious hurdle, but in the end took the words open concept to a whole new level! Moreover, the exposed conduits (sprayed white) with the industrial $10 Home Depot exterior lights (yes really!) and the Restoration Hardware clear glass pendants gave the space some serious loft-like character. Another industrial nod: exposing and parging the concrete pillars. The client initially wanted the walls by the fireplace and dining room to disappear but when the drywall came off, structural pillar emerged. While everyone, these clients included, thinks pillars are a nuisance, the end result here was more of a unique feature.
Below the Iceberg Quartzite counter thanks to ATT Stonework sit both a bar and wine fridge (did we mention they like to entertain?!)
The entire living space on this condo has windows for walls. The view, day or night, is nothing short of spectacular, but that’s no easy design challenge.
One of the first decisions we made was to paint out all the aluminum windows black. Most people entertain by night and if you’re hosting a party at night here it’s ALL about the view outside so the old white frames had to go. By painting them out black, now you see through them and to the view; I mean just picture this all lit up by night. Would be INCREDIBLE.
Given this is more hotel than permanent residence priorities were on the entertaining spaces, which includes the bathrooms.
In the power room another favorite is the bathroom vanity; it pays homage to the clients old house with its former life as nightside table. Janeen took the top off, added a concrete vessel sink and quartz countertop!
In the master bath, a black and white theme with industrial touches in items like lights and mirrors tie in with the entertaining areas thanks to the help from Woseley Kitchen and Bath, Baril Design, Blanco and Pottery Barn.
Check out the shower floor .. love the instant foot massage!
Given the part-time residence factor the 2 bedroom unit is now a master and a smaller guest room (to create the dining room they stole floorspace from this room)
While simply adorned it functions for an guests who are having too good a time to leave!
In the master built-in dressers and walk-in closets provide maximum function while not eating up any floorspace for these jet-setters.
Better than a hotel any day!
One thing we loved when we first saw the before & after was the addition of the faux bulkheads in the entry and when we asked Janeen about her fav’s it was top of the list. “My client’s wanted the feel of high ceiling, which wasn’t a reality and they hated the long hallway from entry past the bedrooms/bathrooms into the main living area. By adding the horizontal slat detail it not only accentuated the width of the hall (audios long tunnel) but made the average’s guest journey from door to living area feel grand.”
Leave A Comment