DESIGNERS YEARof the 2022 40065475PM $5.99 Western Living September / October 2022 SPECIAL COLLECTOR’S EDITION #1 OF 4 COVERS
Architects of the Year Clinton Cuddington and Piers Cunnington of Measured Architecture
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Designers, Products & Experiences.
Be inspired by the best of the future.
Pacific Coast’s premier showcase of new products, superstar designers, and avant-garde concepts from North America and beyond.
IDSVancouver.com
Tickets available now.
Trade Day & Conference Sept 23 Opening Night Party Sept 22 Public Days Sept Convention24-25 Centre Show Sponsors & Partners Designers, Products Experiences. Mélanie Cherrier and Laurence Pons-Lavigne, Blanc Marine Interiors Keynote Speakers Sat, Sept 24 Gillian Segal, Principal & Founder, Gillian Segal Design Keynote Speaker Sat, Sept 24
Get over your fear of colour with a little help from this esteemed U.K. designer.
IDS returns to Vancouver September 22 to 25—don’t miss these highlights.
Meet the experts in art, architecture, fashion and more who had the (very difficult) task of selecting the best of the best for our 2022 Designers of the Year awards.
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HOMES + DESIGN
ICONS: TRICIA GUILD
DESIGNERS OF THE YEAR
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TRADE SECRETS
You heard it here first: these talented folks are ones to watch when it comes to incredible local design.
Aleem Kassam of Kalu Interiors brings an unexpected seating solution to a busy entryway.
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FEATURES
MAGNIFICENT MILANO
SHOW TIME
SEATTLE SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE
In Vancouverite Bri Beaudoin’s new plant-forward cookbook, there’s nary a boring salad to be found.
THE JUDGES
PLUS 98 MOOD BOARD
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Our 15th annual celebration honouring the best designers in Western Canada.
THE FINALISTS
8 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca QuinoaChipotleCheesyCarloCarloCOVERS:MeasuredArchitectureandPlaidFox:Ricci;VestigeandStudioRoslyn:KyokoFierro.THISPAGE:TriciaGuild:EvaanKheraj;PlaidFoxdiningroom:EmaPeter;DeaganMcDonald:Ricci;Bake:AnguelDimovB.C.CONTENTS&ALBERTA » VOLUME 51 » NUMBER 5
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VEGGING OUT
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Rustic meets modern in this Whistler design dreamed up by Mitchell Freedland.
SHOPPING + OPENINGS
The border is open again: here’s what you missed. This is your ultimate guide to a spontaneous weekend trip down south.
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FOOD + TRAVEL
Sun-inspired plates, a burled wood bar cart and understated lighting to cozy up your home.
All the hottest new trends from Salone del Mobile in Milan.
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sales representation sales manager Anna Lee senior account executives Brianne Harper, Mira Hershcovitch, Charie G. Ilon, Amy LaJambe, Gabriella Sepulveda-Knuth, Sheri Stubel address Suite 130, 4321 Still Creek Drive, Burnaby, B .C. V5C 6S7 tel 604-299-7311
editorial publisher Samantha Legge, MBA editorial director Anicka Quin art director Jenny Reed associate editor Alyssa Hirose assistant editor Dani Wright editor-at-large Stacey McLachlan wine and spirits editor Neal McLennan contributing editors Karen Ashbee, Melissa Edwards, Amanda Ross, Julie Van Rosendaal editorial intern Tu Hong email mail@westernliving.ca
Living on Follow
That design truth is exemplified in all of our Designers of the Year award winners this year. There’s the maker who pairs technology with old-world techniques to create sculptures that replicate the coastal tides (page 72); the architectural duo who sustainably renovate homes, diverting construction waste from our landfills (page 34); and Leavitt himself (page 44), whose designs have incorporated work from many of his fellow winners and honorees—like Ones to Watch A Deumain (page 74) and Ffabb (page 69).
Western Living is now in our 15th year of these awards: it is our annual issue celebrating those designers who beautifully tell the story of where we live. Selecting our Designers of the Year is a process that takes about nine months: first recruiting our all-star panels of judges (read all about them on page 76), then calling in the entries for all nine categories from across the West, then gathering and presenting those design portfolios to our judges… and, finally, tallying the scores as they come rolling in.
A few months ago I met up with Ben Leavitt of PlaidFox Studio—our 2022 Interior Designer of the Year—at Maxine’s, a café in my neighbourhood. The Ste. Marie-designed restaurant is one of my favourite spots in the city, almost entirely because of the Paris-style bistro chairs that line the (enormous for Vancouver) patio. It’s transporting, but it’s also very much of this city right now: a warm and woodsy design, local and inventive takes for the menu, and just straight-up excellent vibes.
Anicka Quin, Editorial anicka.quin@westernliving.caDirector
OurDesigningStory
Follow Western Anicka
on Instagram @aniqua EDITOR’S NOTE
We’ll be celebrating the winners in person once again this year—who knew those words would still be such a delight—and I hope you’ll join us. (Look for details of the September 13 event at westernliving.ca.) In the meantime, the team here at Western Living offers a heartfelt congratulations to this year’s winners. We can’t wait to hear all of the stories you have yet to tell, one beautiful local design at a time.
As we talked about the projects in his winning portfolio, Leavitt said something that really struck me. He told me that he always includes local maker talent in each of his projects, because, he says, “your house needs to tell your story, but it also needs to tell the story of where you live.”
Ogrinc;QuinAnickaportrait:EvaanKheraj;stylingbyLuisaRino,stylistassistantAracelimakeupbyMelanieNeufeld;outfitcourtesyHoltRenfrew,holtrenfrew.com 12 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca
CUSTOM DESIGN + BUILD ALLOYHOMES.COM | 403.264.3667 CALGARY | EDMONTON | CANMORE Celebrating 25 years of innovative architecture and bespoke build experiences. #25yearsofalloy
HOMES+DESIGN
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The Look: Circular Reasoning
Designed by ALEEM KASSAM, Kalu Interiors, Vancouver
“We wanted to ensure it was seamless, clean and integrated in design, but we also wanted to achieve that wow factor,” he says.
Spotlighting the Best of Architecture and Design in Western Canada
CeciliaStudios;ProvideportraitGatchalian
A high-traffic area deserves some high-impact design—or at least that’s the way Kalu Interiors co-principal Aleem Kassam operates. And when you get a peek at an entryway like this one, with its eye-catching built-in circular seat, it’s hard to fault him. “This is literally the central point in the home, so we had to achieve a lot of things with this area,” says Kassam. While it’s an impressive decorative feat, the white-oak-clad millwork here in the foyer is also highly functional. Cabinets conceal hanging rods and shoe shelving; more drawers live below the integrated leatherette bench and open display shelving sits above it.
westernliving.ca / September/October 2022 15
TRADE SECRETS
New in stores across the West.
HAPPY HOUR
crateandbarrel.ca
EDITOR’S PICKHOMES 16 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca
Noteworthy
Someone call Don Draper—this newly released Mota bar cabinet ($3,299) combines burledhoney-tonedwoodwithsleek,roundedcornersforfreshtakeonthemid-centuryclassic.Withnineshelves,there’splentyofroomforallyourfavouritecoupesanddecanters.
Coast North: Interiors Designed for Living available at indigo.ca Octobermoved,17
This solar-inspired Glass Haze plate ($260) from Obakki fittingly comes from the land of the rising sun—master artisan Takeshi Tsujino makes them by hand in Osaka. It makes a great centrepiece—all of your other dinnerware can orbit around it. obakki.com
ALYSSA HIROSE , associate editor
and while the nightmare of lugging furniture up of my new home is over (whew), I’ve only just begun selecting my new decor—and a coffee table book is a must. Vancouver-based design writer Julia Dilworth is a former WL associate editor, and she’s living proof that once you get bitten by the Western Canadian design bug, you never go back. (One of us! One of us!) Her new book, West Coast North: Interiors Designed for Living, highlights 29 local architects and designers, sharing stories, strategies and, of course, beautiful photography. Perfect for my houseguests to flip through while I make us G&Ts.
Tambour detailing and an elegant marble accent make the Massimo dining table ($3,124) feel luxurious while the walnut veneer makes it easy-as-pie to decorate. Thanksgiving dinner hosting never felt so sophisticated. roveconcepts.com
BRIGHT SPOT
As the nights grow long and chilly, cocoon yourself into the lush embrace of the Moro armchair ($12,100) from La Manufacture. Inspired by a famed Venetian doge—aka a duke— and available in faux sheepskin, leather and smooth velour, this snug seating is the ideal autumn respite. livingspace.com
For more editors’ picks visit westernliving.ca
TO DINE FOR
PICNIC a fall picnic, Italian-style, sure your vino stays safe dapper) in this 100-percent leather ($600) from Poltrona Frau. The single-compartment carrier equipped with a shoulder strap that transform into a handle. livingspace.com
1457 Bellevue Avenue, West Vancouver 604.925.8333 | STITTGEN.COM
Gallery:DesignProvideEmaPeter
TIP TOP TUB
It doesn’t get much more relaxing than a long soak on a rainy day. This freestanding circular bath ($8,310) from Duravit is inspired by a tulip in bloom and, thanks to its circular shape,it fits easily into compact spaces—because even us city-dwellers like to unwind sometimes. cantubathrooms.com
EQ3’s new Form sofa (from $3,519) is ready for anything: an engineered bracket system allows the piece to transform from sofa to chaise to daybed to chairs connected with an ottoman. It’s an indecisive decorator’s dream. eq3.com
In collaboration with female artisans in Oaxaca and Chiapas, Madda Studio’s bespoke cushions ($615) combine historic techniques like hand-spinning wool with innovative uses of traditional weaving and felting. Meant to be artifacts of history and culture, these cushions are available in three different shades—black, white and grey. providehome.com
FLEX TIME
PILLOW TALK
Uniquely understated, the Petra M table light (from $1,390) from Parachilna can illuminate a room or act as a sculptural piece thanks to its natural alabaster construction and central diffusion of light. Set the brightness to the perfect hue with the cord dimmer and admire the natural veining—no two are the same, which means yours is one o f a kind. lightformshop.com
BRIGHT IDEA
“It’sLoslocaland HOMES + DESIGN SHOPPING 18 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca
“Being a waschallengingIevenseriously.necessarilybusiness,almostwoman—actually,younggirl—inIwasnottakenIdon’tknowthatrealizedhowitatthetime.” HOMES + DESIGN ICONS 20 September/October 2022 / westernliving.ca
Tricia Guild: I think it’s about finding out: What do you love? What’s your favourite postcard, painting, flower? And then playing with samples, making mood boards. We do that a lot in the store in London. We’re helping people get over that fear and enjoy it and have some fun. You could always re-paper, you could always change the colour of the room, or re-accessorize. There are ways to start that are not a lifetime investment—that kind of lead you into understanding better what you love.
TG: Well, I was very young, I had my daughter, and I wanted to be completely independent. And so it made me very ambitious. And I did really feel that there was a place for independence. The difficulty was the financial side, making that work—which I more
WL: Your new fall collection seems very artist inspired: you can see the brushstrokes on the flowers.
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By Anicka Quin / Portrait by Evaan Kheraj
And then there are these beautiful weaves, because texture is really important to us
Guild joined our panel of judges for this year’s Designers of the Year, and I had the chance to chat with her at the Opus Hotel while she was vacationing in Vancouver this past summer.
WL: You’ve just celebrated 50 years with Designers Guild. Tell us a little bit about what your early days were like. What were the challenges?
IN MOODTHE
U.K. designer Tricia Guild on getting past our fear of colour, the early days of running a business and how to move through a creative block
or less did for the first 15 years. I felt that it could really grow, but I needed a partner. And so, in 1986, I asked my brother—he was working in Hong Kong—and I said, “You need a product. I’ve got a product. I need you. You need me.” And it was a really good thing to do—we structured it differently.It’schallenging, because you have to get it right, and you cannot get everything right. It’s impossible. Anybody who says they do is lying. Sometimes the thing I think is most special might not be the bestselling thing. Quite a while ago, I asked Howard Hodgkin—he’s a British artist—if he would design some fabrics. It was wonderful working with him. The project wasn’t a huge success, but I think it’s one of the most beautiful, and I still use them. So sometimes you just have to do things like that.
Tricia Guild launched her first line of fabrics back in 1970 in London, and it didn’t take long for her new company, Designers Guild, to become a global phenomenon. Her great love for contemporary fabrics, wallpaper, colour and pattern can be seen in the many books she’s produced— her just-released 20th, Moody Blooms, highlights her passion for flowers, and her belief that nature can be as important as furnishings for setting the atmosphere in a room.
FEELING BLUE
TG: Being a young
TG: It’s the same today. We’re much more established, obviously. And I’ve got a fantastic team with a lot of experience. But who is going to tell me if that new collection is going to work? Nobody. All you can do is put your best endeavour into it. The challenges, in fact, just get bigger, because you have more people to worry about. We were only three when we started, and we’re more than 200 now.
The iconic Tricia Guild has built a career out of embracing colour and pattern; of course she’s wearing dreamy, moody blues for her portrait here, shot at the Opus Hotel.
westernliving.ca / September/October 2022 21
woman—actually, almost girl— in business, I was not necessarily taken seriously. I don’t even know that I realized how challenging it was at the time. I think I was just incredibly lucky because I had this idea. And within a few months of opening our little tiny store on King’s Road, two very nice women came in from Paris and said, “We’d like to represent you in France.” At that time, I had limited funds and started with 30 fabrics—really, I had 60, but I couldn’t afford that many. So I had to cut them down, which was a really good lesson. Being selective, being disciplined about that, it’s so helpful— painful and helpful.
WL: How do you get people to overcome their fears around working with colour?
TG: Yes—it’s thinking about what you always go to at the flower store. But there’s nothing wrong with loving black and white, or white, or ecru. It’s just that it’s not the only way. We’ve always used colour, and when people do, they absolutely love it.
WL: I want to touch back on being a young woman in business, the challenges you faced back then. What do you think kept you moving forward?
TG: We always paint in the studio—everything is hand painted. It’s always been like that, and it’s gotten easier to reproduce that look because of digital printing. For the fall collection, we started looking at a group of British artists—the Camden Town Group: Duncan Grant, Walter Sickert, sort of Bloomsbury-esque. And then it just went from there in the studio. And so it’s slightly in that mood of the 1920s, but I’m hoping they’re also really contemporary. There’s a mixture of quite warm, rich colours, and then quite soft.
WL: How does that translate to today?
WL: Your latest book, Moody Blooms, is about working with nature—and nature is such a good place for people to start in terms of colour combinations.
THE JUTE CARPET COLLECTION
Armoury District Vancouver
as well—especially if you’re just using plain fabrics, which is part of our hallmark. We have this new kind of woolen texture, but it’s a very soft wool, so it doesn’t in any way feel hot and you can use it in a warm climate. And we launched a few in neutral colours last year. And then there’s another collection within this called Loden, which looks like a Loden coat: a very soft felt cloth that is made with recycled plastic bottles. It’s fantastic—it’s well priced and it will never wear out. So it’s a real mix of everything: quite luxurious, woolen fabrics, this Loden, and chenille with texture.
* Interview has been edited and condensed.
TG: I think for every collection, you have to really search. I do have a great team—I’m really lucky. But it’s about searching, even when something’s nearly right, but it’s not absolutely right. You have to work on it and work on it. The scale might not be quite right, or the balance. You can’t launch it if you’re not convinced, because that’s the only thing you’ve got—your conviction.
WL: I heard choreographer Crystal Pite once talk about inspiration—someone asked her how she gets inspired to c reate these beautiful ballets. And she said, “It’s all work. As long as I’m working and working and working, then I see things come out of it.”
“There’s nothing wrong with loving black and white, or white, or ecru. It’s just that it’s not the only way.”
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TG: Exactly. What you’re doing is working toward finding something, when you can actually say, “Okay, let’s print that.” And then you wait and you watch.
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STOCKED IN VARIOUS SIZES & COLOURS
WL: In your 50-plus years of designing collections, do you ever get the equivalent of writer’s block? Do you ever find there are moments where you think, “I can’t find what this new collection needs to be?”
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“If the homeowner hires each contractor separately, they don’t talk to each other, but all of the pieces have to work together,” Curtis says. “With one company managing it all, you have the trades speaking to each other and the homeowner doesn’t have to worry.”
180 Kitchens does the messy work in the shop so their time onsite is essentially ‘plug and play’, and they preserve as much of your cabinetry as possible, keeping excess out of the landfill.“Weare a husband and wife team with three kids under five years old,” Channell says. “We know what it
“Most people think there are only two options: paint it or gut it,” says Channell Murray, who owns 180 Kitchens with her husband, Curtis. “We replace all of the exterior parts of the cabinet, add new doors, drawer fronts, side panels and hinges—all at roughly 30-50% less than a full remodel.”Butthebenefits go beyond cost.
180 Kitchens—a family-owned company serving the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley and Whistler—is taking the kitchen reno market by storm with an innovative cabinet refacing process that adds a third option to transforming your kitchen.
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“We replaced all the doors, refaced existing cabinet boxes, switched out the drawers with undermount soft close units and added functional storage solutions customized to their space” Curtis says. “I did it all in a day, and the customer was blown away.”
Kitchens at the Vancouver Home Show October 20-23, 2022 vancouverfallhomeshow.com
co-friendly? Check. Innovative? Check. 30-50% less expensive than a full cabinet replacement, fit for any kitchen from the 1900s and faster than a weekend getaway? Check, Check, Check.
180 Kitchens also pairs the service with new countertops and backsplash and manages the whole project for a seamless, hassle-free experience.
“We have a one to two day turn around for installation,” Curtis says.
Learn more about 180 Kitchens at 180kitchens.com
“We are always improving to make our time in our clients homes more productive and efficient.”
“The biggest feedback from this homeowner was ‘I wish I knew 180 Kitchens existed, because I would have put my money there first,” Channell says. “But the cost of both services was still less than a new kitchen.”Visit180
would be like to not have access to our kitchen. It is with that mindset that we developed an amazing, quality product so our customers never have to be away from their space longer thanOnnecessary.”arecenthome renovation project, the homeowner called Curtis and Channell nine months after having their cabinets painted by another contractor. The paint was chipping, the drawer fronts were falling off—the contractor had actually left the homeowner with a “touch-up kit” so she could repair her own paint.
Cabinet Refacing from 180 Kitchens
I suspect Peet’s Column series—positioned horizontally over the tables in the bar in various modular configurations (see photo, right)—will quickly become as much of a modern classic as t he Bocci chandelier. Heintzman’s Iris is an incredible statement piece, with the glass dome of the oversized pendant light providing an iris-like effect for the LED within it.
Molteni&C ’s modular Cleo sofa (below), designed by architect and creative director Vincent Van Duysen, is clean lined and ultra-modern, yet its curvilinear shell still creates the feeling of it wrapping around
With that, here are some of our favourite launches, trends and amazing moments from this year’s Salone del Mobile and Fuorisalone.
It’s a feat, this fair, and its impact is felt throughout Milan: with Fuorisalone, pop-ups and offsites and interactive exhibits blanket the city. If you’re not at the fair itself, you’re buzzing around the entire urban area to take it all in. It’s immersive, thrilling and exhausting in the best way possible. At Milan Design Week, you can be fortunate enough to have dinner beside one of the world’s best lighting designers (as I did with the delightful Lee Broom, who shared his bottle of prosecco with me). Plus, daily gelato. It’s everything you want.
ANDlight’s Triple-Threat Launch at Alcova
Trendspotting at the 60th edition of Salone del Mobile, Milan’s famous modern design furniture fair.
The world’s most important furniture fair returned this year with all kinds of numbers attached to it: three years since the last full Salone del Mobile Milano. The 60th edition of the event. Over 260,000 visitors from 173 countries. And a total of 2,175 brands.
Magritte release (left)—a delierscollectionsurrealistofchan-andwallsconcesinspiredbytheworkofthecel-
Murano-basedyou.lightingcompanythatinventedtheprocessforlead-freecrystalinitsearlydays.Itsnew
Local design heroes Bensen —approaching their 60th anniversary—had quite a few stunning launches at the fair this year, and we couldn’t get
Minotti wants us to re-think the dinner table with Sendai ’s curving bench seating, designed by Inoda + Sveje (left).
HOMES + DESIGN SALONE
ebrated painter—is designed t o look like a cloud of light and crystal. The pieces seem to float in mid-air, thanks to an innovative new ceiling attachment.
MILANOMAGNIFICENT
ANDLight—our local design stars with an international following—found the perfect spot in Milan to launch their three new luminaires. Alcova , probably the most buzzed-about offsite during Milan Design Week, featured over 80 international designers that each set up creative installations on the 20-hectare grounds of an abandoned military hospital. In the Offcut Bar, sited in the institution’s former lavanderia, the modern forms of ANDlight designers Lukas Peet and Caine Heintzman offered gorgeous contrast to the wabi sabi state of the surroundings. (Both Heintzman and Peet are past WL Designers of the Year winners.)
By Anicka Quin
westernliving.ca / September/October 2022 25
It seems clear we could all use a collective hug—and designers are obliging.
Curves Ahead
Andrés Reisinger and Júlia Esqué designed the Hortensia armchair for Moooi with a surface that literally blooms with petals.
Flexform was a double-hitter, with a lovely terracotta in their new outdoor line, Camargue (below), and a c ozy denim shade for the new Ambroeus sofa from Antonio Citterio (bottom).
Lee Broom’s Moving Exhibit
Baxter ’s new Paola Navone-designed (and oh so comfortable) Miami Soft sofa (above) comes in a gorgeous shade of denim.
Giorgetti’s Vibe bed features a removable, washable shell (right)—and highlights the texture and curve trends we saw at the fair.
Mostlong.stunning was the hand-sculpted Requiem , an ethereal series of limited-edition pieces created by Broom’s own hand in his London factory. Taking their inspiration from the marble drapery on ancient statues, each piece appears to magically float in the space (nary an electrical connection to be spotted)—and only 15 of each design will be made. And great news: Lig htForm announced they’ll be carrying the collection in Canada.
Porro ’s warm, terracotta-coloured Metallico table was designed by Piero Lissoni and is made of solid aluminum (above).
Texture Texture Texture
Colour Trends for 2023: Terracotta and Denim
I’m not sure there was a more dynamic exhibition at Fuorisalone than the aptly named Divine Inspiration from British lighting, furniture and interior designer Lee Broom Six new lighting collections—his largest launch to date—were inspired by places of worship; to showcase them, Broom transformed the Blindarte gallery in Milan’s Brera district into an experience that was sensory on so many levels.
Scavolini ’s new kitchen design, created in partnership with Diesel (right), is a perfect fit with a denim hue.
I haven’t experienced another design exhibit like it: I audibly gasped in each room as the collections were revealed (and I’m not regularly an audible gasper, or so I’d like to think). Hail , a twostorey, floor-to-ceiling cascade of lights—positioned over a mirror pool, giving it infinite reflection—is designed to reference shards of light from the lancet windows of church a rchways. Vesper (below) brings in Brutalist sculpture and modernist cathedrals, and was hung by the dozens in front of stained-glass windows, with pillar candles burning nearby. Altar, meanwhile, was an ode to mid-century churches (with a hint of Frank Lloyd Wright), made from carved oak and nearly a metre
Fabrics are as cozy as they get, with warm bouclé and even sherpa-like textures on accent pieces
Gervasoni’s Loll chair (top right) was designed with both visible piping and comfy textured fabric.
It was all blues and earthy terracotta on the show floor this year.
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Get Schooled by Gillian Segal
Up-and-coming indie product designers showcase their work in a gallery-like setting: it’s a snapshot of the future of West Coast design. Explore bespoke furniture from Lakaz Studio and an innovative collab between Studio Flore and Native Shoes
By Stacey McLachlan
HOMES + DESIGN IDS VANCOUVER SHOW TIME
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It’s back, baby! Interior Design Show Vancouver returns to its full-capacity glory this September, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. IDS has always been so much more than a trade show—it’s a straight-up celebration of both our local heroes and the international heavy-hitters, and a reminder of how lucky we are to live in a place that punches above its weight. Here are a few must-catch events on this year’s agenda. September 22 to 25, 2022, interiordesignshow.com/vancouver
Shop the District All weekend
Glassworks:DoughertyEthosImagery
September 24
28 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca
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The IDS marketplace is a chance to stock up on goods from local makers and designers right on the show floor: think handmade pottery from GoodBeast , chic silversmithing from Noren Studio and one-of-a-kind art pieces from Dougherty Glassworks
Dougherty Glassworks
Peep the Future at Studio North All weekend
Donohoe Living Landscapes , our 2021 Landscape Designer of the Year, is crafting the central bar: expect lush greenery and modern design d etails as you toast the return of the show.
IDS is an excellent excuse for the local design community to welcome its out-of-town brethren. On the main stage, catch keynote speakers (both past WL Designers of the Year judges, too) Massimo Buster Minale , founder and creative director of London’s Buster and Punch , and Alessandro Munge , founder of Toronto’s Studio Munge
WL regular Gillian Segal (principal of Vancouver’s Gillian Segal Design) takes the Caesarstone main stage to share insights from a decade-plus of turning design dreams into sumptuous spaces.
Hobnob at the Bar All weekend
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DESIGNERS YEAR of the 2022
westernliving.ca / September/October 2022 33
By Alyssa Hirose, Stacey McLachlan, Neal McLennan, Anicka Quin and Dani Wright
Nine winners, nine incredible bodies of work. These are the all-stars who’ve been named our 2022 Western Living Designers of the Year.
ARCHITECTS OF THE YEAR 2022 34 September/October 2022 / westernliving.ca
PEAKED INTEREST
Measured Architecture’s Raven House project involved reimagining and respecting the work of an architectural firm they deeply admired. Opposite page: Measured principals Clinton Cuddington (left) and Piers Cunnington photographed in their Beach House project.
MEASURE UP
By Neal McLennan / Portrait by Carlo Ricci / Additional Photos by Ema Peter
westernliving.ca / September/October 2022 35
The team behind Measured Architecture are ultimate problem solvers, bent on discovering new and innovative solutions.
And looking at the firm’s entry, it’s easy to see why. For starters, it’s wonderfully disparate—principals Piers Cunnington and Clinton Cuddington presented two new builds and two renovations based on budgets that ranged from modest to expansive.
Take Beach House, a showstopper that encapsulates much of the firm’s ethos within its four (plus) walls. It’s located on Vancouver’s tony Point Grey Road, a stretch of beachfront that’s the gold standard for boldname architects who want to build statement houses. But instead of razing the original ’80s-era house and
The following decade and a half has proven that the success of this early, bold act was the opposite of beginner’s luck. Measured Architecture won Architect of the Year again in 2015, then crossed over and won Interior Designer of the Year in 2020 (a feat that speaks to their holistic approach to each project). At that point, they were already one of the most lauded firms in the history of these awards, and now they have won an unprecedented fourth. Our panel of judges for this year’s WL Architect of the Year award—namely, James Cheng, Brigitte Shim, Omar Gandhi and Farida Abu-Bakare—have been as captivated by Measured’s body of work as their predecessors were.
In retrospect, perhaps the best descriptor might be “inspired,” because the judging panel that year—an allstar lineup of Jeremy Sturgess, Brian Hemingway and the legendary Arthur Erickson—loved the firm’s work and declared them our inaugural Architect of the Year over their much more seasoned competition.
W ARCHITECTS OF THE YEAR 2022
SIMPLE AND COMPLEX
What’s in a name? Measured Architecture was barely a year old when we launched these awards in 2008, and our three-home entry requirement meant the duo had to include their own personal homes (which they had designed) in their submission. Still, they went ahead and threw their collective hat in the ring. It was an act of moxie... but “measured”? Not so much.
The interior of the Raven House still has its unique curving ceiling, but the materials and palette bring a quietness to the space.
36 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca
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literally, from the oligarchs of Point Grey Road. But here, the pair brought the same level of detail to help a young family craft a house that could be forward-looking in design while still blending in with the silhouettes of the neighbouring heritage houses in the dense neighbourhood. This involved deep collaboration with the owners, diving down through repeated meetings to try to get to how the house will function for them— a process that’s key in each of their projects.
ARCHITECTS OF THE YEAR 2022 38 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca
MADE FOR LIVING
The clients had several challenging requirements: they wanted to be able to age comfortably in the house, they had an eye to sustainability, and they were seeking a design that would mesh with their neighbours—all on a budget. The result is both striking and timeless, with a pitched roof that echoes the surrounding buildings and stained grey Western cedar cladding that gives the facade a spare but lived-in vibe. Inside, the bedrooms are
The owners of the Rift House were sure they wanted imported Carrara marble but were convinced into a l ocal alternative from Matrix on Vancouver Island—and the result is both stunning and sustainable.
Veil House, on Vancouver’s vibrant east side, is miles away, both figuratively and
Inside and out, Veil is all about methodical rigour: perfectly aligned herringbone hardwood with all-brass floor joinery; concrete steps flowing absolutely flawlessly into the attached wood panelling of the deck. The execution speaks to yet another of the firm’s strengths: a uniquely close relationship with their cadre of trades and subtrades, built upon huge levels of respect and autonomy (and bolstered by a near-constant presence on site).
starting with a blank canvas for their masterpiece, the Measured team figured out a way to include the existing home in their new, contemporary design. And not just in a surface way, either: they fully considered the original home and incorporated it into the new structure—right down to much of the original plumbing.
The result is visually spectacular—and, in the most zen way, Measured has firmly planted its calling card on Point Grey Road by trying not to plant an obvious calling card on Point Grey Road. This subtle hand also highlights another pillar of the firm’s foundation: to keep housing materials out of our landfills. Original materials, with some imagination and hard work, can be refashioned into modern beauty that’s a masterclass in setting counterpoints to work together.
uniquely situated in the basement (thanks to an ingenious series of ultra-deep window wells that bring in ample daylight), in part for energy efficiency and in part to allow the kids to start near their parents and then migrate to the top floor for more autonomy later as they age. In many ways, Rift House is a companion piece to Veil: modern in a traditional setting, with a bold and dark exterior (here, achieved through black cementitious panels and a charred cedar front door).
2014 - 2020
Who do you admire most as a designer?
WITH PIERS CUNNINGTON AND CLINTON CUDDINGTON
Piers: Alvar Aalto.
40 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca
What’s your go-to material of choice (and why)?
Clinton: Dan Flavin’s untitled Marfa project from 1996. +A
BEACH BOYS
Piers: Wood. It’s beautiful, timeless, and sustainable, and it creates warmth and texture that brings a humanist aspect to a space.
Is there a famous project or object you wish you’d designed?
“Original materials, with some imagination and hard work, can be refashioned into modern beauty that’s a masterclass in setting counterpoints to work together.”
What do you think is the most perfectly designed object?
What books are on your nightstand right now?
Clinton: A signed copy of Icebergs, Zombies, and the Ultra Thin by Matthew Soules.
ARCHITECTS OF THE YEAR 2022
Piers: The bicycle.
Thanks to innovative passive cooling, the Beach House eschews the nowstandard air conditioning seen in most new builds.
Clinton: Concrete, because you have to surrender to it.
Q
Piers: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell and The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds.
Clinton: Donald Judd.
Clinton: The buttonhole. Naomi Shihab Nye said, “I want to be famous in the w ay a pulley is famous, or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular, but because it never forgot what it could do.”
Piers: The Church of Saint-Pierre in Firminy, France, designed by Le Corbusier.
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Together, these projects form that rare group of work that spans the spectrum—geographically, financially—in a way that few other mature firms can boast. It flows from Cunnington and Cuddington’s belief in the concept of situational modernism—whereby a design team looks at the aspirations of the client and the appropriateness of the site and then factors in the constraints (budget, zoning, schedule). The homes that emerge are a physical manifestation of problem solving—and, just as no two problems are the same, neither are Measured’s solutions. “The measure of success for us is when clients tell us that while the space might not look like what they had imagined, their experience of it is what they had desired at the project outset,” says Cunnington.
The original design of this Mayne Island aerie was by Blue Sky Architecture, a firm noted for fantastically unique, curvilinear forms built for clients who aren’t interested in modern concrete boxes. But the new owners actually did want the structure to skew more modern, so Measured was tasked with reimagining both the exteriors and interiors without swinging the wrecking ball. The result is a triumph of ingenuity, a case of creation through removal with an entirely new abode emerging out of radically different origins. It’s a feat so impressive that it caused judge Farida Abu-Bakare to say, “The before and afters are incredible.”
ARCHITECTS OF THE YEAR 2022 42 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca
Although the Veil House is new, the firm sustainably dismantled the existing structure. In the end, less than seven percent entered the landfill—74,000 kilograms of material was repurposed, and 9,000 kilograms was sent for reuse on other builds in the region.
Raven House is another renovation revelation. The challenge here was the architectural equivalent of Mission Impossible : take a house from an established architecture firm whose work you admire (but whose practice is radically different from yours) and transform it into something new, while still honouring its design DNA. Again, on a budget.
THIS OLD-NEW HOUSE
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INTERIOR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 2022
By Anicka Quin / Portrait by Carlo Ricci Additional photos by Ema Peter
TELLERSTORYTHE
Ben Leavitt of PlaidFox Studio brings narrative-rich, bold and fearless design concepts to each and every one of his projects.
44 September/October 2022 / westernliving.ca
westernliving.ca / September/October 2022 45
Rather than gutting the kitchen, the team sprayed the existing cabinets in a dark turquoise, and installed a custom brass hood fan from Vancouver maker Birdman the Welder.
The Gropius dining chairs in the Oceanview House are from a small Ukrainian brand called Noom, and the pendant light— made from aged copper that has developed a turquoise patina— is from Allied Maker.
FEARLESS COLOUR
OF PLAY
INTERIOR DESIGNER OF THE
Meanwhile,minimalism.amodern home in Langley, B.C., is designed to celebrate neutral, blackand-white spaces—save for a bright slash of pink in the kitchen’s eating nook. It’s bold design that represents great trust between
2022SENSE
YEAR
Ben Leavitt remembers the moment he realized his latest clients were a perfect match for his firm, PlaidFox Studio. “In the first meeting they asked, ‘Is there a way that we could incorporate a Slurpee machine in the kitchen?’” he says with a laugh. “And I thought, ‘These are my people.’”
Leavitt launched PlaidFox Studio in 2014 after spending a decade in Asia as a product designer for large international furniture brands. The industrial design work was fulfilling, but even then he knew that interior design could offer more of an immediate impact—he’d be able to directly witness the way a well-designed space could enhance every aspect of a client’s everyday life. And, right from the beginning, PlaidFox started making bold moves, designing spaces that have regularly found their way onto the pages of not only this magazine, but also those of Livingetc, Elle Decor, Architectural Digest and other global media heavyweights.
In the Oceanview House (above), the sculpture on the custom sideboard is from A Deumain—named One to Watch in this year’s Maker category (see page 74 ). In the same home, Leavitt employed a custom bed from Vancouver’s Ffabb (also our One to Watch in Industrial Design this year—see page 69).
If there’s one theme that runs through the studio’s broad portfolio, it’s a fearlessness in selecting seemingly disparate elements and proving that they can ultimately work so well together. That Dunbar renovation, for example, brings together rich colours selected by the homeowners themselves—bright cobalt blue in the kitchen, fuchsia on the original staircase—and the quiet influence of Japanese
Leavitt jests, of course, because that same project is also an elevated update to a historic property in Vancouver’s Dunbar neighbourhood—one that celebrates both the original architecture and the homeowners’ impressive Canadian art collection. But the idea of adding a Slurpee machine into that mix does highlight a central tenet in the practice of our 2022 Interior Designer of the Year: every project pairs thoughtful design with a whole lot of fun.
46 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca B
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CURVES AHEAD
48 September/October 2022 / westernliving.ca
Was there a childhood moment that hinted design was in your future?
You’re organizing a designer dinner party: which three designers, dead or alive, would you want there?
The Bic pen... loved by essentially no one other than myself. Yet all of my sketching is done with a navy blue Bic pen! BEN
“Vancouver has so much raw, interesting local talent, so with every project we do, I try to incorporate somebody local,” says Leavitt (left, photographed in a new boutique hotel they’re currently renovating with Synvest Capital Corporation). “It’s really important—your house needs to tell your story, but it also needs to tell the story of where you live.”
Leavitt’s team created a Dutch door for the same home (above right).
“Because, honestly, nothing is more fun than a Dutch door,” he says.
Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Patricia Urquiola and Jaime Hayon.
Unlacquered brass—it’s not trendy, it’s flexible with varying styles and, no matter the home, it adds a layer of depth and history that I appreciate.
What’s your go-to material of choice?
What books are on your nightstand right now?
Q+A WITH
INTERIORLEAVITTDESIGNER
In the firm’s Dunbar renovation, lighting from Vancouver’s Bocci brings a soft element to the cast concrete counter and warm wood cabinets (top left).
When I was a child, my parents said I could decorate my bedroom. I asked if I could renovate it, including putting in new navy blue and white chequered flooring.
A Man Called Ove , the biography of Elton John and a photography book about a road trip through Afghanistan.
OF THE YEAR 2022
What do you think is the most perfectly designed object?
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PRETTY IN PINK
the homeowners got comfortable with pushing each other. “There would be times when I would show them something, and they would say, ‘It makes me uncomfortable, but I trust you,’” he says. “And then sometimes they would say to me, ‘You’re not pushing hard enough—it needs to be more exciting.’ It was
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He also approached that home with the mentality of an artist considering their canvas. “With art, I’ve always said, if it’s really large, it’s amazing, and if it’s really small it’s amazing,” he says. With smaller pieces, he explains, the viewer will want to approach
“I always encourage people not just to take a risk in the powder room and the kids’ rooms,” says Leavitt. “Take a risk in every room.”
“We were able to create visual architecture later on in the game,” says Leavitt. In this Langley home, the symmetrical eating nook is given a bold slash of pink, creating a sense of play in the space.
INTERIOR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 2022
The Oceanview project, in West Vancouver’s British Properties, is also the ultimate example of that interdependent trust between client and designer. The home had been “built for resale,” says Leavitt, and was completely devoid of personality. To get it to the brilliant design it is today, Leavitt and
From the timber-framed chateau-inspired new build to that carefully renovated Dunbar project, each design sings with unique style, and each is a true reflection of the family that lives there. “Sometimes our portfolio gives me whiplash,” jokes Leavitt. “We have so many different projects on the go, and so many different styles. But that’s what excites me about being a designer.”
It’s work that had judge Juli Hodgson of Hodgson Design Associates exclaiming, “So damn cool. This portfolio of work gets a standing ovation—it definitely stands out and presents a whole new design direction than what we have seen for the past decade.”
Leavitt and his clients—to clad a bedroom entirely in shades of blue and turquoise, for example, or to bring modern furniture pieces into a classic French chateau-inspired space. “I always encourage people not just to take a risk in the powder room and the kids’ rooms,” says Leavitt. “Take a risk in every room.”
“We took an anybody-could-live-there modern home, and tried to infuse an element of history and exuberance,” says Leavitt. This can be seen in the dining room, where the walls and ceilings are wrapped in the same warm wood as the floor. The nearby asymmetrical fireplace is clad in Mutina tiles, the concept for which came from one of Leavitt’s sketchbooks. (“I always think my best ideas come from sketching—sketching comes from your subconscious and emotion,” he notes.) Roll and Hill provided the perfect asymmetrical light to pair with the lines of the fireplace.
and get close to explore it on a more intimate level, and with larger works they’ll want to stand back and admire. So, he applied this same concept to the home: small details are meant to be admired up close, larger movements can be taken in as a whole.
In the living room, no surface has been neglected. The walls are clad in encaustic concrete, and the fireplace features terrazzo tiles from Ann Sacks. A custom sofa from Vancouver’s Ffabb (also our One to Watch in Industrial Design, page 69) pairs with another Vancouver design: a mustard-yellow Lo Turn chair from Bensen. A giant indoor tree from Vancouver’s Kermodi is Leavitt’s favourite element in the room. “There’s something about it when you’re in the space—the height of the tree and the low-slung furniture really makes you feel like you never want to leave.”
design ping pong, and it was amazing.”
C Y CM MY CY CMY K
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CHECKING BOXES
Corrugated metal makes a budgetfriendly and beautiful exterior on the 48th Avenue project (near right) and a treehouse-like office gives off calming vibes in the John Street home (far right).
MAKERSTATEMENT
Arthur Erickson Memorial Award winner Scott Posno designs irresistible modern homes that make you stop and stare.
By Alyssa Hirose / Portrait by Carlo Ricci Additional Photos by Sama Jim Canzian
52 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca ARTHUR ERICKSON MEMORIAL AWARD 2022
Scott Posno began his career the way many young architects do: after graduating architecture school, he was hired by a firm and incorporated into a team of designers tackling large-scale projects. But that kind of work wasn’t for him. “I was not enjoying working on big buildings—I had little interest in schools and hospitals,” he admits. “You don’t feel like you’re having any input.”
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These institutions were nothing like the spaces that Posno dreamed of designing while earning his bachelor of architecture at UBC. “When I was in architecture school, I admired cabins and houses,” he explains. Creating homes that were entirely made to meet the needs of a specific person or family was far more interesting to him than developer or spec projects. “I like solving problems and juggling spatial requirements,” he says, “and I soon realized I wanted to work for myself.”
Of course, starting your own firm doesn’t come with unlimited power: there’s budget, construction bylaws and even climate to consider when building a home. But Scott Posno has earned our 2022 Arthur Erickson Memorial Award for an emerging residential designer in part because he sees every constraint as a challenge.
His 48th Avenue home, for example, had a modest budget compared to some of the other projects in his portfolio: it was a standard-sized home on a standard 33-foot-wide Vancouver lot, and the clients, a young family, were looking to make the most of it. “I’m always thinking efficiency when it comes to floor plans,” says Posno. “I don’t like any excess space wasted.” The architect created an extra flex room in addition to the home’s three bedrooms for the kids to study and play in, plus a covered outdoor deck off the diningThatroom.said,the home isn’t solely about function. “Sometimes when people want to max out the property, there’s no space for design left over,” says Posno. That’s not the case in this home: a floating cantilevered wood staircase and stunning three-sided glass fireplace bring the drama.
westernliving.ca / September/October 2022 53
the street the home sits on is very busy, so Posno kept the road-facing windows to a minimum both for noise control and privacy.
What was your first design project?
The architect’s work stands out—both from neighbouring homes and in the hearts of our judges. Judge Farida Abu-Bakare, director of global practice at WXY Studio, said Posno’s projects display “so much design strength in such simple form and palette.” Regardless of the rules a space lays out, Posno is game to play. “Sometimes, a really challenging site is going to give you a lot more to work with,” he says.
house looks,” he says.
My first modern house design is what we call the Pink House. I did many houses before I ever really sank my teeth into the kind of project I wanted to work on. When my twins were young and I was just starting my practice, I took any work—spec homes, traditional homes and renovations. But I knew that eventually I wanted to work on modern homes. The Pinks were the first clients who gave me that chance.
What’s your dream project?
“I don’t like any excess space wasted.”
Then there’s the exterior. Corrugated metal was both a bold and cost-effective choice for this home: it’s stable, durable, waterproof and won’t fade or warp in the sun. “There’s almost zero maintenance on this material, and that’s what we needed,” says Posno. Unlike stucco or wood, metal requires very little upkeep—and the black creates a strikingPosno’seffect.John Street home in Vancouver also embraces the dramatic, thanks to an allblack board-and-batten exterior and sloped front window. The clients, a professional couple, wanted a beautiful home office incorporated into the floor plan. Posno delivered: the expansive space has exposed timber ceilings that are reminiscent of the cabins he’d always felt inspired by, and the vaulted roof makes the space feel bright and airy. The architect credits the asymmetrical window to the clients: “We had the whole front in glass before, and they suggested we try impactsgraphically,different—and,somethingitreallythewaythe
I have been going to Georgian Bay in Ontario with my family my entire life. Where we go is a community of tiny islands that can only be accessed by boat. The wind is relentless. I would love to design a cabin on Georgian Bay.
WITH SCOTT POSNO
It was the clients’ input that made the tambour oak veneer happen in the dining room as well—they have family in the restaurant industry, and fell in love with the wood siding on the walls of those relatives’ restaurants. It emphasizes the woodsy vibe as well, as does the back garage. “The garage is like a little cabin unto itself,” says Posno.
Q+A
ARTHUR ERICKSON MEMORIAL AWARD 2022
“I’m always thinking efficiency when it comes to floor plans,” says Posno.
Posno’s Marine Drive project (this page) is moody on the outside, but serene on the inside— that statement oak staircase (bottom right) is a minimalist showstopper.
BRICK HOUSE
Black brick masonry and a boxy, geometric silhouette give the home a futuristic, fortress-like vibe. But the inside is bright, thanks to those back windows and a centre skylight that lets sun shine down on the three-storey solid-oak staircase. “It’s a stunning centrepiece,” says Posno.
That garage is an example of Posno’s thoughtful design on a small scale, and his 12,000-square-foot Marine Drive home in Vancouver is proof that his strategies work on more substantial spaces, too. From the street, it looks like an almost windowless two-storey abode. But the home—which faces the Georgia Strait—is three storeys, all covered in windows, and sports several balconies. The “business in the front, party in the back” design was prompted by necessity:
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56 September/October 2022 / westernliving.ca
By Stacey McLachlan / Portrait by Kyoko Fierro
Studio Roslyn is both a winning design firm and a living love letter a decade-plus in the making.
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“We met at a time in our lives where your creativity is flourishing and you’re experimenting with all these different things,” says MacDonald. “It was a very impressionable time for us both.”
ROBERT LEDINGHAM MEMORIAL AWARD 2022
Each was eventually drawn to Vancouver, and they wound up working together at two separate design gigs: first doing retail design for Oak and Fort (“We built a whole pop-up store ourselves. My dad’s a carpenter so I had a blend of confidence and ignorance,” laughs Snyder), and later collaborating at heavyhitting design firm Ste. Marie Studio. That
lecture hall: Snyder was a “skater-punk country mouse”; MacDonald was dressed in pearls and a Sarah Jessica Parker-chic fur coat. But during a shared car ride after a group project, something clicked. “We were so similar in so many ways,” says Snyder. “We’ve kind of been inseparable since then. We grew up together, honestly.”
“It’s a real love story,” says Kate Snyder, co-principal of the Vancouver-based interiors firm. She and business partner Jessica MacDonald met 12 years ago while studying architecture at the University of Manitoba. On the surface, they seemed polar opposites as they clocked each other across the
TO WITHROSLYN,LOVE
Everyone has heard the warnings about not mixing business with friendship. But Studio Roslyn—winners of the 2022 Robert Ledingham Memorial Award for an emerging interior designer—is hard proof that there’s no greater creative muse.
They finished up school as roommates, living in the Roslyn Apartments in Winnipeg’s Osborne Village. It was a formative experience, and not just because the building would later inspire their studio’s name.
“It’s very rare to go into business successfully with your best friend,” says MacDonald. “It’s not something we took lightly.” But now, six years later, it’s clear the risk brought reward. The two collaboratively helm a team of six—a group they credit as the backbone of Studio Roslyn.
westernliving.ca / September/October 2022 57
maximalism, with a happy swerve into midcentury Italian modernism. “If you look at that time, people were pulling inspiration from the past and thinking about the future simultaneously,” Snyder explains. In everything they do—from penthouses to beer cantinas—there’s a keen curiosity and an interest in building a story and a vibe: a goal that’s executed through textures that evoke a memory, palettes plucked from surprising reference points, and materials that delight.
Interiors judge and Designers Guild principal Tricia Guild praised the studio
ZbarskyLauren
The Crane Loft (above) is a reflection of its bold, audacious owner, and a testament to the deep research the Roslyn team undertakes. “It’s a lot of casual drinks and conversation, trying to read someone,” explains Kate Snyder, photographed with Jessica MacDonald in their Play project (opposite page, left to right). The owner says that, when visiting friends and family first toured her new space, they often asked, “How did the designers get inside your brain?” The interiors feature framed stills from the homeowner’s favourite Bollywood film, vintage photos of her grandma, and some eye-popping Versace wallpaper.
experience didn’t just show them the ropes of how to run a startup; it proved that they were ideally matched to work together, too. So, they decided to start their own practice.
“It’s very rare to go into business successfully with your best friend. It’s not something we took lightly.”
MIND READERS
If the studio has a signature style, it’s rooted in an eclecticism that leans toward
Our studio has such an appreciation for ceramics. Some of our favourite local ceramic designers and makers are Marion Selma Gamba at A Deumain Studios, Justin Benjamin Taylor at Newbie Ceramics and Michelle Grimm Ceramics—but we could go on and on.
ROBERT LEDINGHAM MEMORIAL AWARD
“The older we get as designers, the more that I see and understand the value of being human-centric and focused, both outwardly and inwardly with our team,” she adds. “We’ve lived and breathed that with each other, which has only made everything way stronger.”
A 3,000-square-foot vacation home known as the Play project is a retreat for a busy family... and a beautiful and functional one at that. A “philosophy of play” was the foundation for a contemporary, sophisticated space full of whimsical moments, like labyrinth-like custom bunk beds and bronze sliding office doors.
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Who’s a Western Canadian designer everyone should follow?
And while starting a business is a lot of paperwork and formality, when a love runs this deep, the commitment goes beyond that. “Our spoken contract is that our friendship and our love comes first,” says Snyder.
At Superflux Cabana in Victoria, meanwhile, 1960s Vegas offered inspiration for a contemporary space that’s full-on vacation mode. The concept emerged not from any visual reference but from an audio one: MacDonald put together a playlist to gather inspiration. “The question is always: what is the experience you want people to have in here?” says Snyder. “And, for this bar in particular, how do you get someone to have that
The Philippe Starck lemon juicer! There’s no question that it’s a functional object at its core, but its form certainly takes precedence. It’s a sculptural art piece that demands a spot on your counter. You couldn’t tuck it into a cupboard drawer if you wanted to! This embodies our approach to design in a lot of ways. STUDIO ROSLYN
What do you think is the most perfectly designed object?
And the Play Residence, a project headed by Roslyn’s Zafirah Bacchus alongside MacDonald and Snyder, is a prime example. There’s a different wallpaper on every wall, and various wood textures and tiles are layered throughout for a final effect that, inexplicably, is the opposite of chaos—in fact, it’s warming and calm.
tingly, fun, child-like, nostalgic feeling?”
2022FUNFIRST
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for being “full of style—rich and inviting with moody textures and shades that create spaces that feel unique and soulful.”
ConradBrown
A. Riley Design Inc. is a Vancouverbased boutique interior design firm that specializes in custom residential interiors. From renovations to full scale builds, we combine function and fashion to create spaces that are one of a kind, exquisite, and inviting. Our meticulous approach ensures all of our clients are involved in the design journey from start to finish. We establish trust and an open line of communication right from day one to deliver a stress-free and elevated experience for everyone involved.
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Fashion designer Aileen Lee of Vestige shares stories of human culture through her thoughtfully crafted wearables.
After pursuing a master’s in global fashion
management from Hong Kong Polytechnic University—she relished the experience of “working with factories, and the less glamorous side of fashion”—Lee launched Vestige in 2015. And not only does each piece she designs tell a story, it allows the wearer to build their own narrative around it, too.
By Dani Wright / Portrait by Kyoko Fierro
Judge Katie Becker, chief creative officer at Arc’teryx, celebrated Lee’s thoughtful work, noting that “the poetic value of Vestige’s
Lee’s designs embrace the concept of slow fashion, a movement that prioritizes sustainability by taking into account the supply chain and the environmental impact of fabrication and distribution. “Slow fashion’s core values are longevity, durability and making sure each item lives a long life,” Lee
60 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca FASHION DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 2022
Most people might not see an obvious trajectory from English major to slow-fashion designer, but for Vestige’s Aileen Lee the connecting thread is storytelling. “Clothing is very telling of our culture, who we are and where we’re from,” she says. “With my literature background, I naturally have always loved stories and I view clothing as an extension of our identity.”
The fashion’sexampleright)sweatshirtKindred(bottomisaprimeofslowprinciplesinaction.“Versa-tilityiswhatIwasgoingforwiththisdesign,”saysLee.“Youcanwearithoweveryoulike,dependingonyourmood.”
products and the method of make is beautifully interwoven around minimal beauty and the gravity of storytelling.”
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FASHION DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 2022
Judge Karen Konzuk, founder of Konzuk, celebrated the timelessness of Stenroos’s designs. “It’s very wearable and designed to last a lifetime, with beautiful craftsmanship and attention to detail,” she noted.
Was there a childhood moment that hinted design was in your future?
What was your first design project?
WITH AILEEN LEE
A layered ruffle mini skirt I designed and made in home economics class back in high school. Outside of school, I had started an all-girls rock band in which I was the vocalist. I wanted to wear a ruffled mini skirt to our next show, but was unable to find what I had visualized. So while my classmates made aprons, I asked my sewing instructor to teach me how to make a skirt.
And perhaps that timelessness can be credited to the way Stenroos embraces simplicity in her work.
“As much as decadence is wonderful, I really love less is more,” she says.—D.W.
When Finland-born jewellery designer Ellinor Stenroos spotted an opening for a goldsmith job in Calgary in 2005, she figured it was kismet: she’d always dreamed of moving to Canada. There was one small catch, however: “I wasn’t entirely sure where Calgary was,” she says with a laugh.
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The Dim Sum tote, for example, is adaptable to different styles of wear. Depending on how you tie the strap, the bag can either hang open or cinch at the top. Lee moved to Canada from Hong Kong at a young age, and the shape of the cinched form pays homage both to her birthplace and to har gow, a traditional dim sum shrimp dumpling. “What I want to do with this design is celebrate the people of Hong Kong,” says Lee. “I once saw them as too fast- paced, but now I see them as a very efficient city of hardworking people with a deeply rooted, beautiful culture.”
FRESHLY BREWED Tea replaces dye and is the reason for the Iamb scarf’s (below) antique look.
I once found a set of dress-up paper dolls that I had made when I was four. The dolls and their outfits were very elaborate—dresses, trousers, blouses from original designs that I made with thick cardstock, crayons and glitter glue. Who knew that my me-made toys would forecast my future career?
ONE TO WATCH: FASHION DESIGN
Similarly, the Kindred sweatshirt can be worn in four different ways, thanks to a tie at the base. Based on the yin yang symbol, it’s designed with black and white colourblocking in the body and sleeve cuffs. “Yin and yang is the merging of two different forces and how two forces can live in harmony,” says Lee. “And I think that concept can be applied anywhere in the world—not just in Asia.”
“I would say that Finland is barren in many ways—there aren’t a lot of bells and whistles,” she says. “I grew up somewhere that is very practical—when you purchase something, it is designed to last forever.”
Stenroos may have moved across the world, but her Scandinavian roots are very present in her work.
Her Reclaim ring, for example, was created for a woman who wanted a new way to house her old engagement diamonds after her marriage ended. In the design, colourful stones that pay homage to the client’s daughter are paired with dual metals and diamonds of different sizes—it’s a playful piece with an entirely new identity. “This is my optimal ‘women of the world, raise your right hand’ empowerment piece because of the symbolism,” says Stenroos.
Q
One of Vestige’s most eye-catching pieces is also one of its most subtle: the Iamb scarf (named after the unit of poetic rhythm). Soft in colour but rich in texture, the scarf is created with a tea-dying method “that anyone could do at home,” says Lee.
EVStenroos
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But, in a very slow fashion move, Lee uses once-brewed leaves from Vancouver’s Paragon Tea and creates her subdued scarf’s hue by saturating it in a concentrated brew until it becomes a colour that feels both new and historical. “When I first dyed the scarf I thought, this looks like pages of old books,” says Lee. “I was delighted. It’s so Vestige.”
explains. “If you have one item that can be worn multiple ways then it will be something you can wear over and over and extend the life of your wardrobe.”
LAYOUT DETAILS: By eliminating the wall between the dining room and kitchen, and reducing the length of the hallway, we were able to create a large, open concept space. The previous u-shape kitchen turned into a large galley kitchen, which allowed us to incorporate an island with seating for four.
The island is painted in Benjamin Moore “Black Pepper”, paired with bronze hardware by Marathon Hardware. The countertop; Silestone’s “Et. Calacatta Gold”, Quartz is a go-to material if maintenance is not your thing!
DESIGNS BY KS
We relocated the appliances to the outside wall, leaving the opposite wall for a large pantry space to store all the necessities from food to cleaning supplies. We designed a niche, as a focal point, to break up the span of tall cabinets which is used for a coffee & bar serving area.
There are so many possibilities in the layout of a Vancouver Special. We’ve had the pleasure to have designed a few of them. more information be sure to visit us
On the far end of the kitchen, we snuck in a narrow cabinet that has been designed to act as a mudroom; a place for shoes and jackets near the back door.
MATERIAL DETAILS: The living room and foyer received an upgrade with new flooring, light fixtures and paint. In the kitchen, woodgrain cabinets made from durable laminate are paired with painted materials. A 1” shaker door painted in our favourite Benjamin Moore “Silver Satin” is seen on the upper cabinets only. This special detail is complimented with bronze knobs by Marathon Hardware. For the pantry wall, we decided to use a white painted slab door instead of the shaker. The lack of detail on the cabinet door helped off set the weight of the millwork.
@designsby_ks
designsbyks.comFor
partnered up with Furtado Contracting to transform the main floor of this Greater Vancouver classic home. Also referred to as the “Vancouver Special” this style of home was popular in the 60’s-80’s and has been re-decorated and renovated ever since.
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Designer of the Year María del Sol Galdón takes on landscape design in a tough climate—with beautiful results.
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Our 2022 Landscape Designer of the Year began her professional design career in interiors, but soon found herself drawn to the wildness of the outdoors. “If you renovate your kitchen, your kitchen will look like that until you do it again—but outside, every day will be different,” says María del Sol Galdón. Her passion for plants runs in the family—Galdón grew up on a ranch in Mendoza, Argentina; her father was an agronomist and her parents owned a small landscaping company. The shift to design al fresco was a no-brainer: “I already knew a lot of the plant material, and I had a design education to back me up,” she says. “I was even more comfortable designing landscapes than I was designing interiors.”
That’s true regardless of how much space she has to work with. The Hildebrand home is an inner-city infill with a tiny backyard, and Galdón created an outdoor oasis that feels both spacious and serene. Hydrangeas are planted tightly with leafy foliage for contrast, and
By Alyssa Hirose / Portrait by Britta Kokemor Additional Photos by Weiting Huang
Each and every one of Galdón’s projects is at the mercy of the elements (and in her home base of Calgary, Mother Nature isn’t messing around). She designs her landscapes with hardy, perseverant flora—but that doesn’t mean they’re any less beautiful. Her Georgette project, for example, uses lots of grasses that don’t require as much irrigation as other plants; the grass peeking through the geometric concrete also adds an element of lushness to the space. That concrete, just like the sleek steel planters, mimics the vibe of the modern home—“I always try to be respectful of the architecture,” Galdón says.
The Hildebrand project (seen here) makes the most of a small space, while Galdón’s Rideau Road home (below) artfully separates the public and private.
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ROOM TO GROW
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entertaining (there’s also a large deck with a pergola, integrated hot tub and custom rusted-steel fire table).
A custom fire table lights up Galdón’s Lowe-Emond project (above); grasses add lowmaintenance lushness to the Georgette home (this photo).
WITH MARÍA DEL SOL GALDÓN
Eden Projects
light and bright furniture draws the eye up from the ground, which is actually covered in synthetic grass. It’s a low-maintenance material that softens the space.
As designers, sometimes looking at a space for a few minutes and sketching it out in 10 [minutes] is all we need to have the concept established. Often, people assume that our fees are high, when “it only took 10 minutes to design.” My reply: “It took me seven years of university, 15 years of p ractice, and 10 minutes.”
What do people often get wrong about design?
There’s a holistic, restorative quality to the work of our 2022 One to Watch in Landscape Design. Into each design, Danée Marie Lambourne of Victoria-based Eden Projects delivers bespoke elements that are intended to engage the senses—helping to guide a visitor through the space or creating opportunities for pause. Her work has a focus on regenerative land use, along with pollinator and habitat gardens. Paired with that focus is a love of what’s known as new perennialism—a philosophy that celebrates natural gardening, balancing the wild with a more controlled design. The latter shows itself in both the hardscaping and the plant selections, such as the flagstone walking paths adorned with mosaic veins of local precious stone that are softened with intermittent ground cover. In another project, the Eden team executed a plant-driven design that celebrates the famed Chelsea Garden Show—a sensory garden that attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. It’s an immediate classic—and lovely space that’s made for spending quality time in.—Anicka Quin
The outdoors are unpredictable, but Galdón’s functional strategies combined with her eye for style create solid, stunning spaces. “With a garden you have to be patient—it’s not instant,” says the designer. “There’s a lot of uncertainty, and I find that challenging and exciting.”
Scale. Particularly in outdoor and landscape spaces where areas can be so vast. In residential design, bringing the space down to human scale is important to create intimacy. It is also important to think of scale over time, as vegetation grows and matures and so on.
What are your design pet peeves?
“Every site and every project is completely different,” says Galdón, who tries to incorporate as much existing vegetation as she can into every landscape. The Ulmer residence is perhaps the greatest example of that. It’s a modern home that backs onto an environmental reserve, and the designer was tasked with creating a seamless transition from the house to the wild. She preserved the yard’s trembling aspens and spruce trees, and added raised planters in two materials: concrete and natural rock. The planters gradually transition from man-made to organic the farther one steps away from the home. “It has a progression from very modern to very natural,” Galdón explains.
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LANDSCAPE DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 2022
Galdón’s strategies go beyond the visual, as well—her Rideau Road design is adjacent to a very busy pedestrian walkway, so she incorporated water features to combat the noise pollution. The organic granite bubblers provide movement as well as that much-needed sound barrier, and they look right at home amid the natural boulders, evergreen trees and ornamental grasses. The designer chose more contemporary water features for the Lowe-Emond home, which is made for
ONE TO WATCH: LANDSCAPE DESIGN
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
A CARBON
Designed by Nina Magon NEUTRAL PRODUCT BY COSENTINO
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The beauty of natural stones reimagined through Dekton technology to create dreamlike enveloping spaces.
By Alyssa Hirose / Portrait by Kyoko Fierro
The white oak workbench has a hardy, four-inch-thick surface, with vises streamlined into the design. According to Paredes, it took a month of full-time work to build it— so much time that it caught the attention of his neighbouring makers at Parker Street Studios. “There were other woodworkers that asked why I was spending so much time on it,” he says, “and I was like, ‘I want to use this for the rest of my life—what’s a month?’”
I INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 2022
Paredes works on each project with an intensity that borders on obsession—and the results are stunning. “I cannot cut corners. I wish I could, I would make more money,” he jokes. “But I just can’t.” That all-in attitude has resulted in a growing list of clients,
Industrial designer Mario Paredes tackles every project with rational tenacity: if it can be made, he’ll make it out of wood.
Paredes started Workbench Studio in Vancouver in 2018, but he began his career in craftsmanship as a teen. “I have known what I wanted to do since I was 15,” he says. “I’ve always been very into building things.” Restoring four 100-year-old workbenches was one of the last projects he and his father completed together, and while Paredes’s 2019 take on the workbench is more modern, it maintains the strength and emotional importance of that father-son restoration.
SPIN CYCLE
It’s fitting that a workbench is one of the projects that earned Mario Paredes our 2022 Industrial Designer of the Year award. After all, it’s the same functional piece of furniture that inspired the very name of his design studio, Workbench, and it’s also one of many pieces that connect him to his late father—an engineer who was always working on one thing or another in their family’s garage in Barcelona. “My father was my role model and mentor,” Paredes shares.
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Wood, for its natural beauty and honesty as a material.
If the clinic bed is an example of Paredes’s dynamic design, his wooden bicycle pushes that envelope even further. The designer has a background in architecture, so he’s always excited to take on projects that move (“Architects are always designing things that are static,” he points out), and the bicycle was a magnum opus of sorts: he first dreamed up the idea 12 years ago. But it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic began that he had time to make it a reality. That’s when the obsession kicked in.
WITH MARIO PAREDES
What’s your go-to material of choice?
including a family doctor’s office with an unusual request: custom clinic beds. Paredes created a bed with all of the required functionality (think fold-out stirrups, a medicalpaper dispenser and three seating positions) but in a modern, playful design. “Clinic beds are so boring and serious—they make you think something bad is going to happen,” Paredes says. “This one is happy, colourful and modular, like Lego.”
Designing and building a prefab tiny home that is highly modular, compact and versatile. A perfect machine that can be transported to site flatpacked and assembled with ease.
The bicycle frame (opposite), clinic bed (shown here) and workbench (right) were each built using time-honoured methods—no shortcuts here. “I know that it’s going to be slower to get to where I am going, but I will get farther,” says Paredes.
What’s changed for you, personally or business-wise, after the last couple of years?
Q+A
The word “industrial” often brings to mind a moody, utilitarian aesthetic—blackened steel, grainy wood, exposed hardware. But our One to Watch in Industrial Design has a much softer, dreamier vibe. “When you’re designing objects that are used in the home, it’s very important to think about what the body needs to be supported,” says Celina Dalrymple of Ffabb Home. She and business partner Najeeb Dawary founded the company in 2018 after working alongside each other in the upholstery industry for over a decade.
Ffabb’s sumptuous sofas, daybeds and wall panels are manufactured in North Vancouver using CNC and laser technology (that’s where the industrial element comes in), which puts them at a more accessible price point than other luxury furnishings. “It was Najeeb’s idea to start building things in a simpler way, and streamline the process,” says Dalrymple. That efficiency doesn’t sacrifice style—judge Wiebke Braasch, designer at Ikea of Sweden, said Ffabb’s Hansem wall panels “create a great atmosphere and personal touch to a room,” adding that they have “a customized look even though they come in standard sizes.”—A.H.
What’s your dream project?
Everything. I have been able to turn a dream career into a physical practice where I can thrive.
Ffabb Home
ONE TO WATCH: INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
“You know when you just focus so completely that you forget that you’re hungry, or you forget to go to the bathroom? I was in that state. Like I was in a trance,” he explains. The charming ash-wood bicycle is fully functional: Paredes rides it around the city. “It’s way better than a business card,” he quips.Justafew months ago in our summer issue, we named Paredes One to Watch— and what can we say, we nailed it. Judge Katrine Jopperud, design manager at Helly Hansen, noted that Paredes’s body of work “showcases the true understanding of product design, and the value and possibilities of the materials” as well as “a clear understanding a nd value of history.” It’s evident that the designer’s soft spot for the traditional is what makes every project so strong. “I try to make things that are very honest and humble, that will last a long time,” he says.
WOODEN WONDERS
westernliving.ca / September/October 2022 69
Light Is the Theme , which is about Louis I. Kahn’s work at the Kimbell Art Museum. Another book I’m reading is Omer Arbel , published by Phaidon.
What books are on your nightstand right now?
Many of the pieces from his current body of work were developed for galleries, exhibitions or events like Crafted Vancouver. “I always try to do one or two shows a year, the hook being that I get to do whatever I want,” he says with a laugh. “The problem is that I can’t really afford to do what I want, but the hook is such a big hook that I do it.”
And when we walked in, a chair maker was visiting, and the local potter—who happened to be the grandson of Bernard Leach, the great British potter,” says Purcell. “I thought, this is crazy, and said yes on the spot.”
For Nicholas Purcell, that moment was when, 20 years into a career in graphic design and living in New Jersey, he flipped through a woodworking magazine and spotted a set of ads promoting some British furniture
A year later, in 2000, they moved back to British Columbia—first with a short stint on Bowen Island and then finally settling in Purcell’s original home town of Vancouver. The skills Purcell had gained during his U.K. apprenticeship set him up perfectly to launch his own furniture design business, Nicholas Purcell Furniture. At the time, it felt like yet another leap of faith. Purcell was concerned that buyers in the U.S. and Canada might not be as familiar with the age-old furnituremaking methods he had learned in the U.K. “I was aware that the whole appreciation for the craft, for the history of it, would be cut in half by the time you get to the east coast of North America, and in half again by the time you get to the West Coast, where things are much more contemporary,” he says. “I knew it was going to be a bit of an uphill battle coming here, but it’s home, and Vancouver is a beautiful place.”
W FURNITURE DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 2022
MATERIAL WORLD
makers. “I thought, this is what I need to do. And we need to pop over there and see if it’s going to work,” says our 2022 Furniture Designer of the Year.
Nicholas Purcell’s work pairs contemporary design with the craft of old-world furniture making.
We’ve all had those moments in our lives on which we can look back and think, that, that right there, was when it happened. When some trajectory—triggered by a decision, an impulse, a shot from the blue—was set in motion that brought us to where we are today.
By Anicka Quin / Portrait by Carlo Ricci
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And just like that, Purcell and his wife moved their family of five overseas to live in that small village for nearly a year. “It was a bit of a ballsy move, but it was just such a spectacular year,” he says. “We had sheep in our front yard, a garden—all in walking distance from the workshop.”
Purcell (who had taken a handful of woodworking classes in the past) and his wife, artist Brangwynn Purcell, hopped on a plane to the U.K., where he met master furniture maker David Charlesworth, in the hopes of training under him. “It was this little workshop in an old stone barn in North Devon.
Purcell started to build relationships with local designers, creating custom pieces for their clients and pouring his love for the fine detail of the craft into them—something he still does with every piece today. If he’s asked to design a desk, for example, he’ll laboriously create hand-cut dovetails for the drawer. And all for one simple reason, Purcell says: “Because I love that, and I think that’s how it should be done.”
FINE FURNISHINGS
Take the Finn collection, a limited-edition series of benches and stools Purcell designed in 2018 for Crafted. This project was one of his first collaborations with an industrial foundry, which cast the bronze pieces that make up the side supports. “I said to the guy, I’d like as many flaws in there as possible,” he says with a chuckle. “And he said, well, we don’t actually do that.” So instead, to get the ripples and bubbles he’d hoped for—features he refers to as “the honesty of industry”—Purcell and the foundry worked with an ancient process of hand-casting silicone bronze in Purcellsand.saysthat playing with new materials—bronze for the Finn series, leather in his Kick chair—feeds his creativity, and expands his professional footprint both in who he works with (blacksmith Stefanie Dueck is a regular partner in his designs) and in the paths he is able to take. For example, that Kick chair was not just a foray into leatherwork, it was the fulfillment of a long-held desire to design
Carlo Scarpa, Vincenzo De Cotiis, Frank Gehry.
What do people often get wrong about design?
westernliving.ca / September/October 2022 71
Inspired by Finnish kick sleds (used for winter transport in northern Scandinavian countries) Kick looks to be both perfectly balanced, and ready for movement—as if it could be a genuine transport device. The fine details of the English Bridle leather back, the perfectly counter-weighted headrest— there’s incredible precision and attention to each detail. Judge Jo Annah Kornak, SVP and executive creative director of Holly Hunt, celebrated Purcell’s beautiful craftsmanship and unique techniques. “This is art as well as function,” she said.
more creative,” says Purcell. “Having something a little bit out of my control—the incentive to do something very asymmetrical.”
a chair. “I think everybody wants to design a chair—many of the greatest chairs are done by architects,” he says. “And they’re complicated, because they require a lot of research and development if you want to do it right.”
My wife, Brangwynne—a writer, bookbinder, assemblage artist, painter and more.
Q+A WITH
The design required extensive modelling— using real-world, physical models, notes Purcell, who adds that he’s not a computer guy—to ensure that the final design was both physically stable and aesthetically pleasing at any angle it might be viewed from. As a result, the three elements that form each base create the illusion that the pieces, barely touching, are lying effortlessly in place.
Shipway Living Design
It’s work so skilled and precise that one might think Purcell was born to the craft, whether or not that original journey to the U.K. had taken place. But whether it was fate or a roll of the dice, judge Brent Comber of Brent Comber Originals is happy that Purcell found his path. “Nick is wildly talented and I’m thankful he has chosen furniture as his profession,” he said. “His daring approach to materiality and playful details makes his work really sing.”
Purcell designed Lollipop Forest in response to the pandemic shift to working from home (left). Many of his designs came from art shows, including (counterclockwise from below) the Finn stool, Incendio table and Kick chair—the latter inspired by Finnish kick sleds.
You’re organizing a designer dinner party: which three designers, dead or alive, would you want there?
ONE TO WATCH: FURNITURE DESIGN
Incendio, a series inspired by the humble campfire, has the appearance of simplicity, but its base of stacked “logs” is anything but. “I believe there’s a huge value in trying to step away from being a perfectionist, and being
Two millimetres can make all the difference, and it’s never as simple as it looks. NICHOLAS PURCELL
Who do you admire most as a designer?
It’s not the average furniture maker who starts their business at the age of eight, but Romney Shipway of Vancouver-based Shipway Living Design isn’t average. As a kid growing up on Cortes Island in B.C.’s remote Desolation Sound, our 2022 One to Watch in Furniture Design was commissioned to turn a pile of food jar lids on his lathe for the local grocery store. His latest work is, of course, leagues more sophisticated—but those roots on Cortes run deep, and an intrinsic respect for sustainability, natural materials and a light environmental footprint continues to steer his practice. Each piece is designed without excess ornamentation or unnecessary materials, from a custom entry bench (both airy in appearance and sturdy enough to seat two) to an ash dining table designed without the need for central support. His wood is sustainably sourced, the finishes are non-toxic—and, most importantly, the work is elegantly designed, exploring a mash-up of periods from art deco to mid-century modern.—A.Q.
McDonald and Nilsen met while studying for their masters of architecture at the University of Toronto, and it was that field of study that provided them with the technical knowhow to fabricate sculptures with the same machinery that’s often used for topography
Rules are made to be broken, sure. But as the creative force behind Origins demonstrates, rules can also be bent in a way that births something entirely new. This isn’t the first time Deagan McDonald has won a WL Designers of the Year award—in fact, in 2021 he and Origins co-founder Kelsey Nilsen (who now works as an architect full-time) triumphed for their experimental yet functional furniture. This year, our 2022 Maker of the Year is using the same innovative techniques in a completely different way—creating customizable, thoughtful wall sculptures made entirely from solid wood.
MAKER OF THE YEAR 2022
SERENITYSCULPTING
Deagan McDonald of Origins bridges sculpture and function with designs that pair technology with old-world techniques.
By Dani Wright / Portrait by Carlo Ricci
and site models. “It’s still very architectural in my mind—the way we use the software and technology,” says McDonald, “and the way that we’re detailing our sculptural pieces.”
Their work bridges art and architecture—using geometry, light and shadows to create meaningful pieces that are easily customizable thanks to computer programming. “We’re interested in creating pieces that are dynamic and respond to the environment that they’re placed in,” says McDonald. “Depending on the space you’re putting it into, we might customize the geometry or angle so that it will react to whatever the light source is going to be.”
Judge Dexter Peart, co-founder of Goodee, celebrated both the technical and artistic
72 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca
SEISMIC SEA Origin’s Low Tide series—including a wall sculpture, bowl and trays (below and right)—replicate the ridges left behind as the ocean rises and falls.
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aspects of Origins’ work. “The duo successfully pushes the boundary of how machines can reimagine natural objects,” he noted. “The detail of work is evident—and the results achieve perfectly consistent inconsistencies.”
STATIC MOTION To produce Wisp (left), a V-shaped tool dives into the wood and modulates what were once parallel lines into a converging space, casting stark shadows that mimic windblown grass. “We’re fascinated with that organic variability of the light and the shadow and how it interacts with the texture,” explains McDonald (right, photographed in his Vancouver studio).
“Every angle is different. If you put anything inside, it will give this impression of floating above a cloud.”
MAKER OF THE YEAR 2022
Gamba’s beautiful sculptures use organic abstraction to reflect forms found in nature, art and curvilinear architecture. “One thing that is very important to me is the connection between art and design,” Gamba says.
Inspired by Pacific Northwest coastlines, Low Tide has similar origins to Swell. “The underlying geometry is the same,” says McDonald. “We’re just interrupting the process halfway through and cutting it more delicately.” The result is an organic yet rigid sculpture that resembles a bird’s eye view of the tides. Drift, meanwhile, is inspired by the scars left by glacial ice on ancient stone. It features deep, shadowy striations created from a tool that produces millions of tiny shavings to match the digital blueprint.
Is there a famous project or object you wish you’d designed?
Probably architectural rendering. That was always my favourite part of a project: bringing the design out of the rigid realm of drafting software and “seeing” it for the first time filled with people and light.
The Bruder Klaus Field Chapel by Peter Zumthor. For me, it’s conceptually p ure in both its intention and execution.
Judge Bronwyn Gourley, senior event manager for IDS Vancouver and Toronto, praises Gamba’s originality and innovative blend of usability and form. “The mix of sculpture and functional design is wonderful,” she says.
What was your first design project?
The first piece that set the trajectory for Origins was the Tempo bookshelf, which was submitted as an entry to IIDEX Canada’s 2016 Woodshop competition. This was my first piece of furniture design, and it bridged that gap between sculpture and function—an area I’m now returning to.
If you weren’t a designer, what job would you be doing?
Q+A
Former fashion designer Marion Selma Gamba doesn’t consider herself a ceramicist. “I call myself a designer using clay as a medium,” she notes.
For example, although rooted in the natural world, the Venus bowl is inspired by Picasso’s L’Aubade and mimics the shape of the human body. “The form of the bowl is made of curved lines, like a body shape,” explains Gamba.
And Gamba, it would seem, is just getting started. “I want to learn more and more of all these disciplines: art, design and experimentation,” she says. “I want to explore and push that.”—Dani Wright
Swell, for example, is a wall-mounted sculpture that McDonald describes as “a st atic representation of natural forces or movement.” With ripples across its surface, the piece appears like undulating water (a swell, if you will) and captures the feeling of motion without moving at all. As McDonald adjusts the piece’s digital program, the blueprint becomes more or less calm—allowing for serene waters or a stormy surface.
Another skill McDonald attributes to his architectural roots is his ability to predict how a piece will work in different spaces and lighting. “Architecture will always be part of the studio,” says McDonald. “The dream project for Origins is designing and building a cabin in the woods and then fully furnishing it.”
ONE TO WATCH: MAKER
A Deumain
74 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca Gamba:SelmaMarionKyokoFierro
WITH DEAGAN McDONALD
“The concepts, colourways and designs are truly unique and refreshing to the West Coast design community.”
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James K.M. Cheng is a Canadian architect recognized for his pioneering contributions to West Coast architecture and city building. He is a lecturer at the University of British Columbia, and a design critic and juror. Cheng has received over 45 design awards, including the Order of Canada, our country’s highest honour for lifetime achievement.
Omar Gandhi is principal of Omar Gandhi Architect, an architectural practice founded in 2010 with small teams in both Halifax and Toronto. The work of its two studios has garnered much
national and international attention in the young practice’s short history. The studio was awarded the Canada Council for the Arts Professional Prix de Rome, and Gandhi himself was named as one of Monocle’s “Most Influential Canadians.”
Jo Annah Kornak is Holly Hunt’s executive creative director, a creative thought leader and a strategist responsible for executing a consistent brand image and activating the overall creative vision. Kornak started her career in PR and visual merchandising, working with world-leading luxury
Treana Peake’s passion for travel, eye for design and lifelong dedication to making a difference inspired her to launch the lifestyle brand Obakki in 2005. The Obakki Foundation, its philanthropic counterpart, followed shortly thereafter. For decades she has travelled the globe, always on the lookout for opportunities to wander off the beaten path to connect with people and their stories.
Martyn Lawrence Bullard is a multi-awardwinning Los Angeles-based interior designer renowned for his broad range of styles and eclectic yet sophisticated interiors. He has been consistently named as one of the world’s top 100 interior designers by Architectural Digest, is featured permanently in Elle Decor ’s A-List, and was named one of the top 25 designers by the Hollywood Reporter
76 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca
Wiebke Braasch has been a designer with Ikea of Sweden since 2004, and is well known for her human-centred designs—including the popular and versatile Risatorp baskets. She designs furniture and accessories based on people’s needs in their everyday life at home, with sustainability and Ikea’s industrial capabilities in mind.
Bronwyn Gourley is the senior event manager for IDS Vancouver and IDS Toronto. Prior to joining the IDS team, she worked as a residential interior design consultant, architectural technologist and installation floral designer, and has been entrenched in the design and events industry for over 16 years.
Brigitte Shim is a founding principal at ShimSutcliffe Architects, one of Canada’s most innovative architectural practices with an international reputation for masterful designs that bridge architecture, landscape, interiors, furniture, lighting and hardware. Shim is also a professor at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto.
JUDGES
Tim Antoniuk is an associate professor of industrial design at the University of Alberta and the owner of Architure, a micro-space design, research and building development company. He’s currently a partner in one of Western Canada’s largest historic adaptive re-use projects, transforming Edmonton’s Hangar 11 into a 200,000-square-foot multi-unit development.
Janaki Larsen grew up in the prairies of Alberta and the coast of B.C. The daughter of artists, she attended Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where she studied ceramics. Each of her pieces is expressive, unique, hand-thrown and hand-glazed. Larsen is also the mastermind and co-owner of two beloved Vancouver landmarks, Le Marché St. George and 7e7 Atelier St. George.
fashion brands such as Gucci, Armani, Escada, Loro Piana and Prada.
Andrea Molnar was born and raised in Vancouver, and did her post-secondary studies in Paris, with the goal of becoming a costume designer. In the mid-1980s, she returned to Vancouver and opened Bacci’s with a group of designers who were changing the direction of fashion: Romeo Gigli, Franco Moschino, Jean Paul Gaultier, Dolce and Gabbana, Matsuda, Rifat Ozbek, Claude Montana and more.
Brent Comber is an artist and designer creating sculpted objects, functional pieces and designed environments. Comber initially began working with wood as a garden designer in the early 1990s, creating pieces to complement his Pacific Riminspired gardens. Comber’s interpretation of the natural world is what drives him to create pieces that reflect the stories that surround him.
David Keeler opened Provide in 2007 with late partner Robert Quinnell, and the shop has become an essential source of thoughtfully curated home accessories designed by master artisans from around the world. This spring, Keeler launched a second location, Provide Design Gallery, which presents a carefully selected collection of furniture, lighting and art in a gallery-like space.
Farida Abu-Bakare is a registered architect in Ontario and holds a master of architecture from Ryerson University and a bachelor of architectural studies from Carleton University. She is the director of global practice at the award-winning architecture, urban design and planning firm WXY.
Katrine Jopperud is the design manager for the ski category at Helly Hansen in Norway. She has a master’s degree in industrial design, and her interest in both the outdoors and technical design brought her into the sports apparel industry.
Karen Konzuk aspires to create jewellery that is regarded as wearable architecture, and objects designed beautifully to last. Select exhibitions include Loot at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design in 2016, and Red + White at Canada House in London in 2004. Konzuk has received various accolades, including the Carter Wosk Award in Applied Art and Design in 2020.
Alfredo Paredes is a multidisciplinary designer and founder of an eponymous New York-based design studio. Launched in 2019, Alfredo Paredes Studio is a multi-faceted design practice that brings a cinematic sensibility and a commitment to the exceptional to projects and pursuits of all forms, from residential and hospitality to special events and product development.
Katie Becker is chief creative officer at Arc’teryx Equipment. Prior to joining Arc’teryx, she served as senior design director for Adidas, where she helped build and grow the brand’s global design strategy for footwear, apparel, and technical and lifestyle products. Becker has also held design roles at Merrell, Helly Hansen and O’Neill.
Tricia Guild is the creative force of Designers Guild and has been at the forefront of interior design since starting the company in the early 1970s. Internationally renowned for her distinct approach to colour, pattern and texture as well as for her signature lifestyle brand and books, Guild has been setting the pace with her dynamic and innovative collections.
Dexter Peart is the co-founder (with his identical t win brother) of leading sustainable design marketplace Goodee, a B-Corp certified e-commerce platform that brings together the values of good design, good people and good purpose. Founded in 2019, Goodee aims to empower creators, makers and consumers to make a social impact through a global online marketplace that fosters transparent sourcing, upcycling, waste reduction and ethical treatment of its people.
Juli Hodgson , principal of Hodgson Design Associates (HDA), is a three-time winner of Western Living ’s Designers of the Year awards and fourtime Best of Houzz winner in two categories: design and service. HDA is a collaborative design studio specializing in luxury modern interior and exterior residential and commercial spaces, and Hodgson has been leading the team there since 1992, developing a portfolio that reaches across North America.
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According to a consumer survey from First Alert, of the 56 percent of Canadians who report having an emergency escape plan, only one in five practise it twice a year. Make sure to involve everyone in your household in creating a plan and practise it at least twice a year. Equip second-floor bedrooms with escape ladders and discuss how to use them. Identify two ways out of each room, including windows and doors, and a meeting place outside away from the house. Emphasize that once at the designated meeting spot, everyone must wait until fire officials clear your home for safe re-entry.
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Comfort food classics get a veg-heavy twist in Bri Beaudoin’s new cookbook. Recipes by
Crispy withSaladRiceSmashedCucumbers , see page 90 for recipe.
westernliving.ca / September/October 2022 83
Vegging Out Bri by Anguel Dimov
Beaudoin / Photos
Since then, she’s developed hundreds of recipes, hosted dozens of dinner parties and put a squad of meat-loving recipe-testers to work—and learned that the secret to eating a plant-centric diet lies in seeking flavour, not virtue. And plain old salads or bowls piled with raw, unseasoned vegetables get boring, fast. “The key to cooking vegetarian is to lean into what you’re actually, truly excited to eat,” she says. “I want people to get super excited, to not feel restricted, to want to eat these dishes whether you’re vegetarian or just interested in Meatless Monday.”
It’s not just about the salads.
Her upcoming cookbook, Evergreen Kitchen , zeroes in on craveable comfort food indulgent enough to entice even the most dedicated of carnivores. These are dishes heavy on the umami (think mushrooms, parmesan and miso) and that hit that sweet spot in the salt-fat-acid-heat matrix. So, yes, skip the salad, and tuck into recipes that make a compelling argument that vegetarians have more fun.
QuinoaChipotleCheesyBake , see page 86 for recipe. ChiliBroccoliniFirecrackerTofuwithandGarlicOil see page 86 for recipe.
It’s an unexpected statement to hear from a nutritionist and food influencer, but Bri Beaudoin knows better than most. Beaudoin is the Vancouver-based author of the popular Evergreen Kitchen food blog, and she and her husband embraced vegetarianism in 2015 after becoming inspired by a documentary about the subject.
FOOD + TRAVEL EVERGREEN KITCHEN
Pea Fritters and Fries with Tartar Sauce , see page 88 for recipe.
westernliving.ca / September/October 2022 85
Scatter the tofu on one of the prepared baking sheets. Drizzle the tamari over the tofu and, using your fingers, toss until most of the tamari is absorbed. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the grapeseed oil over the tofu and toss to coat. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the tofu and toss to coat. Spread the tofu in an even layer, then bake on the lower rack for 15 minutes, until the tofu is light golden but not yet crispy.
In a small oven-safe glass container, combine 5 tablespoons of the grapeseed oil with the garlic, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes and ¼ teaspoon of the salt.
6 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 398-ml can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 398-ml can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
½ tsp fine sea salt, divided
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the chili garlic oil over the tofu (careful, the bowl is hot!). Using a flexible spatula, toss the tofu until evenly coated in the oil. Combine the coated tofu and broccolini on a serving platter. Garnish with scallions and flaky salt. Serve with rice, lime wedges and the remaining chili garlic oil for drizzling.
1½ cups frozen corn kernels
½ cup quick pickled red onions* (*You can use the radish-pickling process from the Crispy Rice Salad recipe, page 90—just replace the radishes with thinly sliced red onion and omit the chilies.)
454 g extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into ½-inch cubes
medium heat. Stir in the quinoa.
Serves 4 (see photo on page 84)
1 cup dried quinoa, rinsed and drained
Some of my favourite food memories are of being at my grandma Popo’s house. She’d babysit all nine grandkids at once, and I’m pretty sure the only time she’d get a moment of semi-quiet was mealtime. She’d pour sizzling hot oil over bowls of rice—the crackling sounds and intoxicating smell of oil, flavoured with whatever she was into that day, always worked its magic. This recipe uses the heat of the oven to steep the oil with plenty of garlic and red pepper flakes, while the tofu and broccolini bake alongside.
1 tbsp ground cumin
In a large Dutch oven or braiser, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown around the edges (8 to 10 minutes). Add the garlic, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, and cumin and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant (1 to 2 minutes). Pour in the passata. Use the water to rinse the jar and pour the contents into the pot. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and tamari, stir, and bring to a simmer over
7 tbsp grapeseed oil, divided 4 tsp cornstarch
1 to 2 tbsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp tamari
Place an oven rack in the centre position and preheat to 425°F.
Wine Pairing: CedarCreek Platinum Home Block Riesling $35
86 September/October 2022 / westernliving.ca FOOD + TRAVEL EVERGREEN KITCHEN
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
This cheesy one-pot bake could become your new favourite way to eat quinoa. It channels comfort-food vibes without being overly indulgent. The chipotle-and-tomato-flavoured quinoa is studded with beans and corn, then it’s topped with cheddar cheese that melts and bubbles in the oven. Before serving, scatter fresh cilantro and pickled red onions on top—not just for looks but also for a pop of acidity and freshness. Leftovers reheat well, especially when sprinkled with a bit of extra cheese.
Remove the chipotle-quinoa from the oven and reposition the rack, if needed, so that the top of the pot is 4 to 5 inches under the broiler. Set the oven to broil.
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Place the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Meanwhile, bake the broccolini: Scatter the broccolini on the second baking sheet. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil over the broccolini and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Bake on the upper rack until the broccolini is bright green and tender (8 to 10 minutes).
2 cups shredded aged cheddar cheese, divided
Serves 6 to 8. (see photo on page 84)
2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, minced, plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce
Cheesy Chipotle Quinoa Bake
Firecracker Tofu with Broccolini and Chili Garlic Oil
Once the tofu has baked for 15 minutes, flip the cubes. Place the container of chili garlic oil onto the same baking sheet and bake on the lower rack until the tofu is golden brown and crispy around the edges and the oil is lightly bubbling (about 15 minutes).
To the pot, stir in the pinto beans, corn, 1 cup of the cheddar and the cilantro. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheddar. Broil until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling (4 to 8 minutes). Watch carefully, as broil times vary. Remove from the oven and top with pickled red onions, scallions and more cilantro.
Cover the pot with a lid and bake for 20 minutes, or until the quinoa is fully cooked.
Lime wedges
1 yellow onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 680-ml jar passata (pureed tomatoes)
2 tbsp tamari
2 bunches broccolini, trimmed 2 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish Flaky sea salt, for garnish Cooked jasmine rice, for serving
If there’s one word you need to know when it comes to pairing spicy food, it’s riesling. The grape’s natural sugars help counteract the heat. But don’t worry: when it has ample acid like this citrus and lightly floral beauty from CedarCreek, it won’t taste sweet.
¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
½ cup water
Lemongrass
Noodle Salad Taste what all the buzz is about. We’re shortlisted for the Best Chain of 2022 award
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, pickle, dill, capers, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
Fritters? Bubbles. Tartar sauce? Bubbles. Fries? Definitely bubbles. B.C. is spoiled with dozens of wines that could step in to fill the role (Blue Mountain, Lightning Rock), but we’re going with a 100-percent chardonnay from the superlative sparkling program at Township 7. This one delivers beautiful acidity and classy toast notes, all from Fraser Valley grapes.
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¾Fritterscupfrozen peas
Crispy Rice Salad with Smashed Cucumbers
Pack the mixture into a ¼-cup measuring cup. Turn the measuring cup over on the other prepared baking sheet and shake it to release the mixture. Repeat with the remaining mixture, spacing the fritters evenly on the baking sheet. (You should have 15 to 18 fritters.) Using damp fingertips, smooth out the shape of the fritters and tuck in any loose spinach. Bake on the upper rack until golden brown and firm to the touch (about 30 minutes).
88 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca FOOD + TRAVEL EVERGREEN KITCHEN
Cut the potatoes lengthwise into quarters, then slice each quarter in half to make 8 equal-sized wedges. Transfer the potatoes to one of the prepared baking sheets. Drizzle the potatoes with the olive oil and toss to coat, then spread out in an even layer and sprinkle with the salt. Bake on the lower rack until the fries are golden brown and crispy (40 to 45 minutes), flipping halfway through. Season with more salt, if needed.
Cheesy Chipotle Quinoa Bake
Pairing: Orofino Gamay $23
Pea Fritters and Fries with Tartar Sauce
2 tbsp drained capers, minced
Rinse the frozen peas in a colander under warm running water until defrosted (about 30 seconds), then let sit in the sink to drain. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, mozzarella, spinach, scallions, pepper and salt. Using your fingertips, lightly squish the peas as you add them to the bowl. Pour in the eggs and stir until well mixed. Sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and stir to mix.
½ tsp fine sea salt
4 large eggs, whisked ⅔ cup dry breadcrumbs
Place the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Pairing: Culmina Unicus
One can’t live by riesling alone—so this oddity, made from Austrian grüner, gives you some juicy grapefruit and pineapple notes that manage (extinguish?) the sneaky heat that the smoky chipotle in adobo brings to this dish.
1 cup plain Greek yogurt ¼ cup minced dill pickle
680Friesg russet potatoes
2 scallions, thinly sliced
VINO WITH YOUR VEGGIES
Serves 4 (see photo on page 85)
2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa
Grüner Veltliner $29
When I was growing up in Vancouver, my family ate a lot of fish. In the summer, I loved our family trips to Granville Island, where we’d get to order fish and chips from the “blue shack” on the pier. The chips were my favourite part: I loved dipping my fries in the tartar sauce. This recipe makes a yummy tartar sauce from Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise. The fritters are packed with peas, spinach, scallions and cheese. They’re a great way to use up extra quinoa, but since quinoa cooks up so quickly, you can also just make it fresh. This recipe requires 2 large baking sheets (12 by 18 inches), so if yours are smaller, make a half batch.
¼ cup minced fresh dill
1 cup loosely packed minced baby spinach
¼ tsp fine sea salt
Divide the hot fries and pea fritters among plates and serve with a generous scoop or two of tartar sauce.
Pairing: Township 7 Seven Stars Polaris $36
Pea Fritters and Fries with Tartar Sauce
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1¾ cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella
Tartar Sauce
Red wine can also deal with spice, but choose something that’s fresh and juicy and that stays away from oak barrels. This version from Orofino is all jumpy energy with very little interventionwinemakergettingin the way of the vibrant fruit. A salad like this would be happy to take a slight chill.
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp fine sea salt
In a large bowl, toss the rice, 1 tablespoon of the grapeseed oil and salt to mix. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the grapeseed oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, drop a couple of grains of rice into it. If it sizzles, it’s good to go; if it doesn’t, heat the oil longer. Scatter the rice into the pan (set aside the bowl) and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the bottom (6 to 8
Spicy Pickled Radishes
4 cups chopped baby bok choy
⅓ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves 225 g smoked tofu, cubed (optional)
Transfer the crispy rice to a large serving platter. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the dressing over the cucumbers and bok choy, toss to coat, and scatter over the rice. Scoop the radishes out of the pickling brine and scatter them over the dish. Top with the Thai basil, cilantro, smoked tofu (if using) and peanuts. Serve with lime wedges and a small bowl of the pickling brine and chilies for drizzling (if you like things spicy).
Serves 4 (see photo on page 83)
Amp Up the Fat
Crispy rice is magical. Some people might get disappointed if the rice sticks to the bottom of the pot—but that’s the good stuff. This recipe takes a slightly different route to maximize crispiness by using a nonstick pan to cook both sides of the rice until golden brown. It’s then tossed with smashed cucumbers, fresh herbs and a tangy lime dressing. Pickling the radishes with chili peppers makes them slightly spicy. If you want more heat, sprinkle some of the chilies onto your plate—or drizzle on some of the spicy pickling brine.
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Pour ⅓ cup of the pickling brine into a small bowl, using a fork to hold back the radishes and chilies. Stir in the tamari, lime juice and the remaining 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil.
In a small heatproof bowl, whisk together the boiling water, sugar and salt until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Stir in the rice vinegar, radishes and chilies. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.
Crispy Rice Salad with Smashed Cucumbers
3 mini cucumbers
⅓ cup lightly packed Thai basil leaves
Excerpted from Evergreen Kitchen: Weeknight Vegetarian Dinners for Everyone by Bri Beaudoin. Copyright © 2022 Bri Beaudoin. Photography by Anguel Dimov. Published by Penguin Canada, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
“Soy sauce, dried mushrooms and parmesan (or nutritional yeast) are vital to have on hand for adding umami; for acid, keep stocked with pickled red onions, tzatziki sauce and lemon.”
4 tbsp grapeseed oil, divided ½ tsp fine sea salt
AcidEmbrace
4 WAYS TO LEVEL UP YOUR VEG COOKING GAME
Stock Your Pantry Right
Taste as You Go
2 fresh red bird’s eye chilies, thinly sliced
“What people love about a spoonfulity.isnotdish,restaurantbutmayrealize,theacid-Addingaofacid to a sauce or a tangy garnish can make a huge difference. Think lemon juice or pickled veggies.”
¼ tsp fine sea salt
Rice Salad
2 tbsp tamari
½ cup dry-roasted peanuts
“A lot of cooks will under-season. Taste as you go, and add salt in small increments.”
⅓ cup rice vinegar
4 radishes, thinly sliced
4 cups cooked jasmine rice
“When you’re cooking with meat, it already has fat in it. To get that same depth of flavour with plants, you need to be prepared to add fat, umami and often a bit of salt.”
minutes). Using a flexible spatula, flip the rice in sections and cook, undisturbed, until the other side is golden brown (about 6 minutes). Remove from the heat.
Trim the ends off the cucumbers. Place the flat side of your knife over each cucumber and press down with the palm of your hand until the cucumber breaks open. Tear the cucumbers into bite-sized pieces and transfer to the large bowl (no need to wipe it clean). Add the bok choy.
1 tbsp granulated sugar
90 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca FOOD + TRAVEL EVERGREEN KITCHEN
Lime wedges
⅓ cup boiling water
Salty, lemony, and garlicky with a hint of seaweed.
back.
TheCASCADIAPOWEREDkoveseaspice.comBYSEAWEEDseawantsitsspice
It’s
It’s just like a fairytale. But if the animals start talking to you, be concerned. a different world up here. Learn why at travelyukon.com/summer
The greatest hits you’ve been missing and the new hot spots you haven’t seen... because of, well, you know. By Alyssa Hirose
HIGHER LOVE Should a person with a lifelong fear of heights visit the Space Needle? It depends—if wispy liquid nitrogen-cooled cocktails in the new Loupe Lounge are enough to distract you, then yes. Otherwise, stick to sights closer to the ground.
ZhouTristan westernliving.ca / September/October 2022 93
SINCESEATTLEYOU’VEBEENGONE
S FOOD + TRAVEL SEATTLE SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE
play area, a dogs’ play area, karaoke rooms, a basketball half-court and a rock-climbing wall. If you’re travelling long-term with kids, remember to give them the have-two-swimming-pools”friends-are-only-your-friends-because-you-“sometimes-your-talk. stayinglevel.com
Now, let’s talk amenities. Level’s located in the heart of the city (a 10-minute walk to the Space Needle; less than 20 to Pike Place) but it’s tempting to never leave the hotel. On site you’ll find (deep breath): two swimming pools, a 10,000-square-foot gym, an exercise studio (including a Peloton room, of course), a children’s
So for me, a recent post-border-closure visit to Seattle felt like just what the doctor ordered. (Can you tell I’ve indulged in a few stress-fuelled rewatches of Grey’s Anatomy? On a related note, do Seattlelites really get impaled that often?) I had kept my distance from our rainy neighbours since early 2020. But, just like the Space Needle’s revolving restaurant, the world keeps turning, and since my last visit the city has launched a brand-new roster of fresh eats, shops and things to do. Here’s what’s happening just across the border.
94 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca
Another Level
eattle, it’s been a minute. Travel has been tricky for the last few years, but during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic I wasn’t yearning for the big trips (read: airport panic and loopy jetlag). It was those last-minute weekend adventures I really missed—the let’s-just-go thrill of exploring a different place, just a few hours away.
Notable headlines from the Seattle Times (“Blast! Fall! Crash! Plot Hinted in Zeppelin Catastrophe” is my favourite) are splashed across the Onni Group’s newest Level Hotel and Suites outpost—it’s a tribute to the location, which is right next door to the newspaper’s former headquarters. The space opened this spring, and guests can settle in for a couple of nights, a couple of months or even a couple of years: they specialize in “extended stays” for folks dealing with a renovation, visiting on a work contract or simply wanting to spend a stint living in luxury. Every unit (from the 523-squarefoot studio to the 1,847-square-foot penthouse) has in-suite laundry and a complete kitchen— because, let’s face it: even on vacation you don’t feel like eating out all the time.
Musang
Shama
Sparklebarn’s new Ballard location is right next door to the National Nordic Museum. It’s an apt neighbour for the Scandinavianmuseum’sdesignshop:ownerShaneBastiansellsvintagemid-centurymod-erngoods,someofwhichherestoreshimselfinthestore’sbackstudio.
Musang
Sparklebarn
Nothing wastes time quite like deciding where to eat. Make the most of the weekend and get a reservation at one of Seattle’s newest highlights.
It wouldn’t be a proper WL trip without a rundown of the best new shops for interior design and homewares.
Hamid Majdi opened this modern Moroccan eatery and wine bar in March of this year. Dine in the glass-walled patio for an al fresco feel, no matter the weather. The menu leans upscale, with options like d’jaj bi Zetoun (chicken with home-aged lemon and olives) and machoui (a roasted local lamb shoulder in a Moroccan saffron rub). shamaseattle.com
This clean-lined design store is a tactile treat— the millwork from Mwworks Architecture and Design is a stunning backdrop for the art prints, eco-friendly cleaning products, coffee table books, lovely textiles and more. woodlandmod.com
musangseattle.com
Woodland Mod
TO THE MAX SZN fusion restaurant serves cool cocktails and daring design.
Chef and owner Melissa Miranda opened this Filipino restaurant in Beacon Hill in January 2020 (dun dun dun) and it has weathered the pandemic like a champion, even opening a community kitchen serving various charitable organizations in the city. Miranda’s fresh takes on recipes from her childhood include pancit Canton (a vegetarian noodle dish that’s simple but special) and salpicao (ultra-tasty hanger steak with Worcestershire).shishitos
96 September/October 2 022 / westernliving.ca FOOD + TRAVEL SEATTLE SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE
SZN
Art on the Table
sp arklebarn.com
My Japanese heritage and almost-obsessive love of ceramics makes this shop a slam dunk— there’s handcrafted pottery, glassware and carved wood from Japanese artists aplenty. Do I need another matcha bowl? Nobuhito Nakaoka’s gorgeous glazing says yes. art-onthetable.com
Bringing It Home
ProjectKislitsina/NounMariaIllustration:
This Mexican-Korean fusion restaurant is a case study in “why not both?” Why not bulgogi fries and queso fresco? Why not burritos and kimchi fried rice? And why not emerald-green tile and pineapple-printed wall detailing? The spot opened in the Queen Anne neighbourhood in summer 2021, and continues to prove to guests that, sometimes, more is more. sznseattle.com
UpOrder
salva�onarmy.ca A�er taking care of your loved ones, please consider leaving a gi� to The Salva�on Army in your will. Contact us today for more informa�on Greater Vancouver: Roger.Kayo@salva�onarmy.ca | (604) 296-3815 Vancouver Island: Carol.Barton@salva�onarmy.ca | (250) 858-0808 B.C. Interior: Bill.Glasgow@salva�onarmy.ca | (250) 961-4029 Two reasons to plan your Legacy Gift today. Here are two more: • Posi�vely impact your community • Take advantage of various tax saving op�ons
Mountain Chic
We worked with Bronzo travertine from Marble Art for the tableon the nightstands: small element that formed the colour palette for the suite.
both warmth and geometric structure the environment.
98 September/October 2022 / westernliving.ca
The fluid, organic of Martha Sturdy ’s work—astwo-toneseen Whistler round from Provide—is ideal fabric—natureThespace.complementwhimsicalofthiswoven
Porta Romana’s Prism table lamp from Bloom Furniture has such great depth and sparkle.
MOOD BOARD
Designer Mitchell Freedland brings rustic warmth to a modern Whistler design.
really like the sculptural, branch-like that the PropellorchandelierMycofrom brings to the ceiling line of the space.
East India Carpet’s handmade Volcano carpet features an ombré pattern and colour, and it’s the perfect rock-likeelementgroundingfortheroom.Theelegantformationof
Natural materials always in settings where the exterior the interior environment, the case in our West Coast and, luckily, there is much here in B.C. For this current Whistler, the client loved modern vocabulary, but to give it a slightly more Colour and texture can without sacrificing the while the design and curation timeless approach in bringing elegantly contrasting elements. lines of the room are very and purposefully strong allowing for the play of decorative form to bring warmth and emotion to
Great Plains Bones by Holly Hunt (through West)—becomesJennifer a striking backdrop with full-height application to the headboardupholsteredwall.The consoleHawkinstablefromandMortice
MADE IN ITALY IMPACT bu et 221 10 Ave luxuriesofeurope.ca403.262.6813Calgary,SWAB
Bubble 2. SunRocket.Astréa.Tropic.
