A new Wallmark Homes community, West on the Village Walk, is holding a grand opening this weekend to allow homebuyers a chance to own a brand-new condominium in 2009 ›› p.5
September 10, 2009
Market momentum carries into August
Kenorah designer Sarah Gallop at the front door of a brand-new home in Vancouver. Gallop designed the open floorplan to reflect how the homeowners live. Tricia Leslie photo
New homes reflect how we live Floorplans are changing to suit evolving lifestyles, living spaces TRICIA LESLIE How we live is changing how homes are designed. Or rather, the floorplans in new homes are reflecting how people’s lifestyles are constantly evolving. Of course, trends in architecture and style
come and go, but those who work on new homes throughout Metro Vancouver have noticed several similarities in how living spaces are currently being designed. These days, livability is a huge focus. “There has been a larger movement toward recognizing how and why people use space,” says ParkLane Homes senior designer Grant Miller. “The use of space continues to be under greater scrutiny because of the high cost of space itself. There are certain ways that space
can be used more efficiently.” Others in the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association agree. Keven Stephens, principal and owner of Keven Stephens Interior Design, says a more effective use of space can go a long way. She works throughout Metro Vancouver on new homes and renovations and also works with GVHBA builders, such as RJR Construction Management Ltd. CONTINUED ON P.2
Home sales numbers were high in August throughout Metro Vancouver, moving closer to the active summer months between 2003 and 2007. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver reports residential property sales increased by 119.5 per cent last month, with 3,441 sales compared to the 1,568 sales recorded in August 2008, and increased 1.7 per cent compared to August 2007. New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties increased 4.9 per cent to 4,544 in August 2009 compared to August 2008, when 4,331 new units were listed. Total active listings in Greater Vancouver currently sit at 11,937, down 33 per cent from August 2008. “The return of confidence to our market has brought a high volume of home sales over the past few months and has also made determining home prices a little more challenging,” says REBGV president Scott Russell. “The number of residential home sales this summer has been comparable to activity seen in the five years preceding 2008. While that’s great news, from the variations in activity we’re seeing across areas I’d say the market is still trying to find its own balance.” Since the beginning of the year, the MLSLink Housing Price Index benchmark price for all residential properties in Greater Vancouver has increased 11.4 per cent to $539,600 from $484,211. However, home prices compared to August 2008 levels are down 1.1 per cent. Sales of detached properties in August 2009 increased 155.5 per cent to 1,367 from the 535 units sold during the same period in 2008. The benchmark price for detached properties declined 0.7 per cent from August 2008 to $732,656.
2 • New Local Home | September 10, 2009
Homes at ParkLane’s The Block in Vancouver have outdoor living space.
Living space to A West Side bathroom designed by Keven Stephens for aging in place.
The Dom Group’s Keenan Dom’s West Vancouver home is open and spacious, thanks to Frits De Vries designer Patrick Warren.
suit your lifestyle Off the front:
“The open concept allows space to be used more.”
– ParkLane designer Grant Miller CONTINUED FROM P.1
“If you don’t have a lot of square footage, you have to be more creative in how you use the space,” she says. Morningstar’s Belmont at the Foothills First and foremost, before any architect or features open plans with great rooms. designer starts on a home, all will emphathe customer comes first. Finding size“Itthat comes down to the client and the their lifestyle and what they expect,” says Patrick Warren, a Frits De Vries right fit Architect Ltd. designer who works on new home projects throughout Greater Vancouver. Sarah Gallop, Kenorah Construction & Design Ltd.’s designer, concurs. The first step is finding out how the clients live, what they want, what works with the space they have and from there, creating their dream home, she says. A kitchen area in Emaar’s Wills Creek “That’s the magic – making everything on opens onto the patio with glass doors. their wish list fit. In Vancouver, space is at a premium, so you have to be smart about how to use spaces in the right way.” Open plans and great room concepts have become increasingly poplar, likely because eliminating wasted space such as hallways contributes to larger rooms and living areas overall, notes Miller. Lifestyles have changed, he adds, and there is less emphasis on ritualized, formal events. Great rooms are a better use of livable space, and allow the space to transition from being used in a casual way to a more formal setting.
Mosaic’s Tatton, Georgian rowhomes in Coquitlam, feature open floorplans.
Kenorah designer Sarah Gallop created an open, yet private floorplan for the owners of this brand-new Vancouver home. Completion is expected in six to eight weeks. Tricia Leslie photo
“The open concept allows space to be used more,” Miller says. Having a formal dining room and separate, distinct use of living areas is not as popular as it used to be, but GVHBA designers note families may still want some degree of privacy. That could come in the form of a den, closed off from the open living area with French doors, as is the case with a new home on West 19th in Vancouver that Gallop has designed. With completion expected in six to eight weeks, Gallops notes the den can also be altered for other uses, such as a main-floor
bedroom, as the family gets older. Aging is something designers should take into consideration, if they don’t already, says Stephens. “Aging in place (design) is my passion. It allows for stability in (the homeowner’s) life – they don’t have to worry about constantly moving, and they can stay in the home they know, near the kids or grandkids,” she says. Warren, who stresses that home design should be interconnected throughout the home without being too repetitive, notes “the CONTINUED ON P.4
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New Local Home | September 10, 2009 • 3
4 • New Local Home | September 10, 2009
Flex space is always handy CONTINUED FROM P.2
life of the building has to be flexible.” “That’s another big trend right now – flexibility in living space,” he says. Glass doors, sliding doors and accordionstyle doors that open up between rooms, or between the indoors and out, are increasingly being incorporated into new homes. In smaller homes, storage space is usually a focus, and green building/sustainability is gaining momentum as well, the designers note. New homes will usually have more bathrooms than older homes as well. Lately, the divide between inside and outside is not as wide as it used to be Finding in older homes, they add. “You want the space outside the to be considered the same as the right fit interiors, and carry the variation throughout the entire home, so everything is still connected, but not exactly the same,” Warren says. Gallops agrees and notes that some of the materials used inside the home, such as slate, tiles or stone, can be repeated outdoors too. Most designers agree the open concept will likely remain popular with new homebuyers, especially as the population grows and there is less space to build homes. While new trends in design will definitely appear, Warren looks forward to those – and credits homeowners themselves with helping the design process along. Zoning can be restrictive, he notes, so clients and designers get creative together. “The innovation that comes from the way Keenan Dom’s West Vancouver home, designed by GVHBA architectural design company Frits De Vries, features a popular theme in new homeowners like to live is amazing,” he says. homes throughout Metro Vancouver – glass-windowed doors that can slide or ‘accordion’ to open up the entire living space.
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The West is the best
New Local Home | September 10, 2009 • 5
Homebuyers head West Wallmark Homes project offers new residences in Cloverdale It’s an area rich with agricultural history, where farmers and cowboys once reigned. Now part of a bustling, growing city, Cloverdale holds onto its past with a small-town ambience that is both appealing and unique. The home of the hit TV series Smallville and the locale for several famous TV commercials shoots, Cloverdale’s picturesque streets may seem familiar to many who have seen its environs on the small screen. Tucked away on a quiet Cloverdale side street, Wallmark Homes’ West on the Village Walk offers brand-new, high-quality homes at reasonable prices in a lowrise condo. “Everything is within walking distance here,” says Royal LePage realtor Kim Beck. “The location is outstanding.” Boutique shops and restaurants line Cloverdale’s downtown core. Fraser Downs Race Track and Casino is just down the road by the Cloverdale Exhibition Grounds, where the famous Cloverdale Rodeo happens every May long weekend. Parks, golf courses and recreational facilities are all nearby, as well as the Cloverdale Library and the Surrey Museum. Only 40 minutes from downtown Vancouver, the neighbourhood is also close to several major transportation routes, including Highway 10, Highway 99, Fraser Highway and Highway 91. It is also close to the U.S. border. CONTINUED ON P.6
Wallmark Homes’ West on the Village Walk is situated on a quiet street in downtown Cloverdale.
Tricia Leslie photo
6 • New Local Home | September 10, 2009
Homes set in central location
A West kitchen, above, features stainless steel appliances. Bottom: the second bathroom in a West residence. Tricia Leslie photos
‘Everything is within walking distance here’ CONTINUED FROM P.5
“Cloverdale is big right now. There’s been huge revitalization of the community,” says Wallmark marketing manager Brad Cowden. Sales have been brisk at West, and when the grand opening for sales happens Sept. 12-13, Cowden is anticipating a busy weekend. “These homes are priced to move,” he says. Homes range in price from $189,000 to $259,000 at West, but it’s not only the price that is attracting homebuyers, Cowden notes. “You can see the difference quality makes... we’ve been around for 20 years now, and (Wallmark’s) reputation as a home builder “These homes is trusted throughout ” are priced to Vancouver. With West Coast/ move... prices Craftsman architecture, can’t stay that West on the Village features rich low for long.” Walk colour schemes, exquisite finishings, plenty of patios and balconies and bright, open living spaces. From one-bedroom to two-bedroomplus-den homes, West dwellings range in size from 673 square feet to 1,051 sq. ft. Living areas feature cozy, energy-efficient fireplaces and nine-foot ceilings, while kitchens have full appliance packages, maple shaker cabinetry and stunning European tile backsplashes. All homeowners have access to an amenities room, where they can entertain friends or simply relax. Residents have started moving in at West, and Cowden urges prospective homebuyers to come and see the value for themselves this weekend. “These prices can’t stay that low for long,” he says. Visit www.liveatwest.ca for details.
Above and bottom right, the open living spaces in West on the Village Walk homes allow plenty of natural light inside. The master bedroom, right, features an ensuite with a soaker tub (below), while kitchens have space for stools or chairs on the other side of the counter. Wallmark is holding a grand opening sales event this weekend geared toward getting homebuyers into the new Cloverdale residences in 2009. Tricia Leslie photos
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New Local Home | September 10, 2009 • 7
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