A Handsome Heritage Revival

Project Goals

A stunning 3-story character home, built in the early 1900s, this charmer was rented out for over a decade before the homeowner decided to reclaim the space for his own. A world traveler with a green thumb and a love of cooking, he agreed that the goal of this project was to bring some of the richness of his life into the heart of the house.

"Anchoring a design in a chosen accent feature is an excellent starting point that can help bring clarity and direction to the design process."

Project Boundaries

The house had been updated through the decades and, like so many Kootenay character homes, had become stylistically disjointed from renovations in different eras. The kitchen and breakfast nook was surrounded by a beautiful organic garden, but the layout, design and lighting pulled focus away from the green space.

The homeowner’s favorite spot to sit was at the East-facing character window, which hung low to the counters. We needed to find a way to keep the original window while also making this spot functional and comfortable.

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Merit

Uppers:

Lonsdale Flat Maple

in Parchment Matte

Lowers:

Lonsdale Raised Alder

in Onyx Stain

CABINETS

Hanstone

Quartz in Aura

COUNTERTOPS

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Berenson

Haliburton

in Matte Black

HARDWARE

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Supplied by Samurai

TILE

Samurai

Solid Oak Hardwood

FLOORING

Project Outcomes

One of the first things to go was the terracotta kitchen floor tile. We levelled the floor and brought the beautiful original oak hardwood all the way through the kitchen—which connected the two rooms to the rest of the house for a better visual flow.

By removing the tiles and their earthy red tone, we were free to bring in an entirely new colour palette to suit the homeowner’s tastes. The Hanstone countertops became our jumping-off point for colours throughout the whole main floor, after our client fell in love with this pattern. Anchoring a design in a chosen accent feature is an excellent starting point that can help bring clarity and direction to the design process.

Thoughtfully-placed lighting fixtures are a cost effective - and often underestimated - way to transform the look and feel of a space. To create continuity with the natural window light, we lowered the ceiling slightly to accommodate pot lights. Together with task and ambient lighting, this considerably brightened the space.

We replaced all existing cabinets which created a warm and cozy aesthetic. We chose a dark grey stained Alder for the lower cabinets while keeping the upper cabinets light and airy with glass and a timeless greige paint. Black, sleek hardware blends subtly with the dark cabinets and brings the grounding nature of metal back into the room.

More economical use of storage space allowed us to lower the counter under the cherished low hanging window, to create a comfortable seating height with a customized recycling and storage center below.

This heritage revival is now in genuine harmony with the surrounding gardens. Our client was so thrilled with his kitchen renovation that he called us back to do a similar upgrade in his principle bedroom and ensuite bath.