The fireplace hearth reaches to the vaulted ceiling while built in niches create a space for treasured family objects. Floors of tough doussie, a wood found in Africa and Asia, will withstand years of wear while harmonizing with the Douglas fir architectural elements and cabinetry.
explains why their newly constructed Oak Bay home features 20 skylights and double the interior illuminations as would be typical of similar-sized homes. The couple have owned the property, close to Oak Bay Avenue’s compact village, since the 1990s and originally thought of renovating the existing 1950s character home once retirement was on the near horizon. They abandoned that idea when cost estimates outstripped demolition and starting from scratch. Nor would renovation achieve the level of energy
efficiency, earthquake resiliency, and aging-in-place design as a new home. With that knowledge they set a goal of creating a home that fit into the neighborhood. The structure sits low on the lot, and unlike many infill homes in established neighbourhoods, isn’t elbowing adjacent homes aside with its mass. Its golden-wheat-stuccoed exterior is low maintenance and in keeping with the surrounding colour palettes. The deeply-pitched charcoal roof, while eyecatching because of its various angles, esthetically harmonizes