Homes & Living Victoria Dec/Jan 2013 issue

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VICTORIA JEFFREY FISHER’S LUXURY IN THE LAURENTIENS | TAKE A WALK ON THE DESIGN SIDE WITH JANE LOCKHART IN JANE’S WORLD

H&L’S

SARAH MCLACHLAN

SCHOOL OF MUSIC OFFERING FIRST-CLASS MUSIC EDUCATION TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH

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contents homes

H&L victoria DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013

HOMES 20 Jane’s world A home for the holidays

By Jane Lockhart

34 INSPIRED DESIGN Luxury in the Laurentiens

By Jeffrey Fisher

48 The Colour of Things to Come What colours to expect from interior design 2013

By Ben Vorst

20

56 Bedding down Choosing divine bed linens can result in a heavenly sleep

By Roberto Bernardi

62 FEATURE HOME: ‘eagle bay’

BY Terry Johal Developments Ltd. Traditional and West Coast styling shines in Cordova Bay home

By Jessica Krippendorf

74 piANO A beautiful sound

By Michelle Hopkins

76 hosting the holidays Hosting a large holiday dinner takes a lot of work

By Michelle Hopkins

84 Setting the table

feature home

62

Holiday influences inspire a colourful, timeless tabletop

By Jessica Krippendorf

86 Deck the lawn

Nature-inspired holiday ideas to transform your outdoor space

By Michelle Hopkins

90 Making a list and checking it twice The ultimate wish list for homeowners at every stage

By Ben Vorst

98 h&l galleria: Holiday art for the home Lights, glass balls and ornamentation set the stage for memories

By Jill Lang

128 BUILDING OF...

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Quirky homes: the building of makeshift houses a century ago

By John Adams

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151 H&L’s Source Guide Directory In the news, Look what I found, and H&L’s guide to quality retailers, local builders, suppliers and showrooms

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contents living

H&L victoria DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013

living 26 celebrity profile: Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan School of Music offers first-class education to young musicians

By Amy Dove

42 tony’s take

Tony Parsons talks about the holidays

By Tony Parsons

102 H&L’s Epicure: Surprising pairings

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Recipes inspired by the season that are sure to make an impression Recipes by Chef Jefferson Alvarez

108 Words & Watercolours Victoria’s yearly winter wonderland is a brief delight Words and paintings by Robert Amos

114 Escape The Wedgewood Hotel and Spa

By Jessica Krippendorf

122 AGGV: beyond likeness To likeness and beyond: a season of portraiture

By Jill Lang

132 haunting OF...

102

Hauntings at Four Mile House

By John Adams

136 society

Luxury & Supercar Weekend 2012

By Tony Whitney

140 retirement living House vs. condo: making the move this winter

By Jill Lang

142 rejoice!

The fourth pillar of beautiful skin

By Dr. Mark Lupin

144 words on the street: dallas road

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Christmas avenue: the miracle of Christmas

By Danda Humphreys

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148 Legacy Legacy plans through generations

By Robert Pesti

122

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december/january 2013

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Publisher & Founder Robert Read Editor Jessica Raymond Acting Editor Amy Dove Creative Director/Art Director Karla Peckett

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Ad Design Director Anders Paulsen Office Manager Michelle Wright Office Assistant Gabriela Gorea Social Media Marketing Courtney Rosborough Accounts Kathleen Sebastian Accountant Douglas Parkhurst, CA Photographers Tony Puerzer Alec Watson Contributing Writers John Adams Robert Amos Roberto Bernardi Pat Burkette Amy Dove Jeffrey Fisher Michelle Hopkins Danda Humphreys Jessica Krippendorf Jill Lang Jane Lockhart Dr. Mark Lupin Doug Parkhurst Robert Pesti Tony Parsons Ben Vorst Tony Whitney

VICT ORIA JEFFREY FISHER’S LUXURY

IN THE LAURENTIE

THE DESIGN SIDE NS | TAKE A WALK ON

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FISH JEFFREY

WITH JANE LOCKHART

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IN JANE’S WORLD

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JANE’S WOR

ANNUAL HOLIDAY H&L’S AL ISSUE ANNUDA HOLI E Y ISSU

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EMBRACE THE MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON

SCHOOL OF MUS

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SS MUSIC OFFERING FIRST-CLA AND YOUTH TO CHILDREN EDUCATION

THE THE EMBRACE ON IC OF MAG SEAS HOLIDAY

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SCHOOL

MUSIC YOUTH AND T-CLASS G FIRS CHILDREN OFFERINION TO EDUCAT

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TERRY JOHAL VICTORIA, BC

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Homes & Living Vancouver Island 250.383.7323 Toll Free: 1.855.myHLMAG (694.5624) VP of Sales – Vancouver Island Robert Read robert@readmedia.ca

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When design demands craftsmanship

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Editor’s

message Homes & Living is dedicated to bringing its readers the best in home design and décor, and helping enhance their lifestyle with entertaining, educational, informative and thought-provoking features from the industry’s best. I’m proud to be the new editor of this prestigious, high-quality magazine.

The annual Christmas issue of H&L is packed with remarkable features and exclusive holiday content that will inspire you, starting with Jane Lockhart’s A Home for the Holidays (page 20). Your holiday visitors will feel at home thanks to Jane’s simple solutions for making any room inviting, relaxing and fit for guests.

While you’re busy pleasing others this holiday season, don’t forget to treat yourself. Escape to the Wedgewood Hotel for some well-deserved R&R (page 114). The hotel features an award-winning spa and restaurant, flawless customer service with a personal touch and luxury around every corner. You’ll never want to leave.

The holidays are supposed to be full of joy, but feeling overwhelmed and stressed can dampen even the most enthusiastic individual. Reclaim the Christmas spirit by keeping decorating, entertaining and gift-giving simple. When it comes to indoor holiday décor, think minimal and modern (page 84). For the outdoors, aim for elegant and eco-friendly (page 86).

Another way to reclaim the spirit of the season is to not take the holidays (or yourself) so seriously. Award-winning anchorman and H&L columnist Tony Parsons certainly doesn’t. His holiday humour will surely turn any Scrooge’s scowl upside down (page 42).

The editorial team and I are looking forward to bringing you sensational features to enhance your home and your living throughout 2013.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

HLMAGAZINE.COM

Jessica Raymond

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Editor Your letters and comments are always welcome.

Send email to editor@hlmagazine.com

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JANE’s world

a home for the holidays

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Jane Lockhart B.A.A.I.D, Intern, A.R.I.D.O is the principal interior designer with Jane Lockhart Interior Design in Toronto and host of Colour Confidential on W Network.

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Interior design and story by Jane Lockhart Jane Lockhart Interior Design | janelockhart.com | Photography by Brandon BarrĂŠ

Words by Jane Lockhart

a home for the

holidays

With the holidays fast approaching, many of us will be welcoming family and friends into our homes for weekend visits or extended stays. Either way it’s important to provide guests with an inviting space that will make them feel welcomed and at home. Adding a few creature comforts is all it takes to give any spare room a little boost for holiday guests.

Making room If you don’t have a designated guest bedroom consider having family members share a room, freeing up their room for the guests. Choose one of the larger rooms and one that’s separate from the family’s bedrooms to give you and your guests as much privacy as possible.

Neutral, subtle and warm, this butterscotch and chocolate colour scheme is a welcome relief for male guests and those who prefer a less fussy décor

Window coverings, whether blinds or curtains, should sufficiently block out the morning light. This will be especially appreciated the morning after an evening of celebrating!

december/january 2013

Warm and Inviting

Assign a bathroom that’s closest to your guests’ room if it doesn’t have an ensuite. This will help avoid the disruption of your family’s routine and give your guests privacy during their stay.

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50 Shades of White White and cream with hints of natural wood make any bedroom, guest or master, look pristine and feel ever-so relaxing

Settling in Install decorative hooks to the guest room wall or on the back of doors for guests to hang their wet towels, housecoats, handbags and knapsacks.

Add a chest of drawers in the room and leave at least two drawers empty for guests who are staying for more than a few days. If you’re short on space consider tucking a small one into the closet. Provide good quality dress, shirt, pant and suit hangers in the closet as well. It’ll make your guests feel more at home and welcomed if they don’t have to live out of their suitcase. It’s these small conveniences that we often forget about that will be greatly appreciated.

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Nightstands or small bedside tables with reading lamps are a must on either side of the bed. Drawers can be used for your guest’s personal items and can be stocked with local maps, brochures for special events in the area, sundries and toiletries.

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Include a pretty trash and laundry basket for convenience. Line them with plastic bags so they can be easily removed. Consider decorative folding cloth bins that co-ordinate with the room’s décor and can be stored easily when not in use.

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From our family to yours, may your Christmas be warm and bright, and may your new year sparkle.

Happy holidays from illuminations.

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Colour Energy Neutrals accented with sky blue and vibrant orange will energize guests who get treated to this guest room.

Candles, overhead fixture and table lamps offer practical and pretty lighting options.

Luxury comforts Dress the bed in beautiful linens and blankets and offer an assortment of pillows including feather and synthetic styles. To make the room as comfortable as possible ask your guests before their arrival what type of pillow they prefer and most importantly if they have allergies to down or feather pillows and duvets.

Provide a stack of fresh towels, a fragrant bar of soap, body cream, shampoo and bottled water and present it in a beautiful container or basket wrapped up in a festive bow. Include a greeting card welcoming your guests to their cozy holiday retreat.

Sit a small TV or radio on the dresser so your guests can catch their favorite programs in the privacy of their own room. Add a little note with tips on how to set the alarm or turn on the TV and radio to help make their stay hassle-free.

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A comfy chair with nearby lamp is essential for dressing and reading. Fill a basket or shelf with popular magazines and books your visitors may like to read before bedtime.

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Last but not least, no room is complete without a fresh floral arrangement to brighten the space.

Scented seasonal boughs will add a festive flair and remind your guests how welcome they are to share in your family’s holiday celebrations.

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Words by amy dove

community of sound Sarah McLachlan School of Music Offering first-class music education to children and youth

After a full day in school, students trickle into the Sarah McLachlan School of Music for a different kind of education.

They start arriving around 3:30 p.m. and classes often run until 8 p.m. As they wait for their lessons to start, students tackle homework or catch up with friends. The sound of voice and music is everywhere. It is the sound of Vancouver-based, internationally-acclaimed musician Sarah McLachlan’s dream come to life.

“We are all craving that authentic experience with real human beings,” she says. “It’s about expanding one’s understanding of the possibilities to be able to show the world your gifts and your worth.”

december/january 2013

The Sarah McLachlan School of Music (SoM) provides after-school music education, at no cost, to underserved and at risk children who otherwise wouldn’t have access to the benefits of such a program. At its core, it’s about coming together through music and building community, McLachlan says.

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At SoM, Students in Grades 4 through 12 participate in weekly group lessons and one-on-one sessions biweekly.

A community rooted McLachlan’s dream of a music school first took shape as The Sarah McLachlan Foundation in 1999. In 2002, together with Arts Umbrella, she started a free after-school music program called The Sarah McLachlan Music Outreach – An Arts Umbrella Project. Through that program, more than 700 students experienced the opportunity to explore piano, guitar, percussion, choir, voice, songwriting, student bands and sound lab with instruction from professional musicians.

Community is connected to a sense of place, and thanks to a generous gift, the outreach program grew into the Sarah McLachlan School of Music. Since 1999, her program had been operating out of borrowed space, often in churches where everything had to be put away after a session and the spaces could not be tailored to the program’s needs. That ended in 2010 when the Wolverton Foundation donated a building. The doors officially opened in September 2011.

“We have this beautiful retrofit 16,000-square-foot space to specifically fit our needs,” McLachlan says. “The kids have really grown into the space and taken ownership. There is the sense of comfort and recognizing their own value for having a space like this.”

Many of them call it a home away from home, McLachlan says. There is a sense that it is a safe place where they can speak their minds and be themselves. “Every human being deserves that, but teenagers in particular, especially if they have been marginalized due to money, they can come into this place and feel their value and their worth.”

“Music gave me a sense of my own value. I wasn’t good academically. I didn’t fit in. Music gave me a sense of my place in the world and what I could offer. We all want to offer something.”

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McLachlan recognizes the importance of the kind of space her vision has created because of music’s impact on her own life.

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The impact of song At SoM, students in Grades 4 through 12 participate in weekly group lessons and one-on-one sessions biweekly. They are given the opportunity to perform publicly and their exposure to diverse sounds is deepened through guest artists that visit the school. On a given day, the sounds of Cuban-influenced vocals or 20th century piano can be heard.

Some students will go on to further their music education, but the school has impact no matter what the individual decides to do with their life.

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“You are learning music education but you are also learning how to communicate. How to share yourself, speak your truth and you are learning in a place where you are not going to be judged,” McLachlan says. “There is such value in that.”

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The school also offers a place for youth to connect face-to-face and build their own communities. With music that experience can transcend language and cultural barriers, she says. Some of the students speak English as a second language, but when everyone picks up their instruments it doesn’t matter.

“Music is a universal language and it brings people together.”

— Sarah McLachlan

“Music is a universal language and it brings people together,” she says. “That’s what it does for me — that’s where I feel the most connected.”

There are also numerous studies proving the positive effects of music on the brain, McLachlan says. Such studies show that music training improves brain function, including math, language and spatial skills. It enhances the ability to reason, to concentrate and to solve problems, she notes.

“You have to look at the holistic child and see what that child needs to become a well-rounded adult,” she says. “If we do not continue to foster creativity in our children there is no hope for them. We need the arts. We need to have that emotional understanding of ourselves so we can make well-rounded decisions.”

Guiding voices As the children grow within the school, SoM ensures they have opportunities to deepen their connection to the broader community as well. Part of that comes from the teachers.

“I have such respect for good teachers because when a good teacher engages with kids they can turn their lives around,” she says. “The teachers in this school engage their kids, they are passionate and they love what they do.”

McLachlan knows through her own educational experience that such teachers can be rare and that any subject can be made interesting if the teacher is present.

“It’s about engagement. It’s about getting down to the little details and finding a way to make them exciting,” she says. “If you are present and you show them that you care, that can go so far.”

The excitement in the classroom isn’t confined to the school, as SoM is big on teamwork and performance, McLachlan says, and the students are given many opportunities to play together in the community through public concerts and events.

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Going further SoM increased enrolment from 280 to 400 students this year and there is room for more as the Vancouver school has space for 700 students. McLachlan also notes potential to grow in a couple of different ways. That growth will be made cautiously; always with an eye to ensuring the quality of the experience is the same. She wants to include more schools — SoM recently expanded to 13 schools in the Vancouver School District — and maybe take the model to another city.

HLMAGAZINE.COM

“These are big dreams and that is a lot of money,” she says.

“This year marks the start of a video production course in our lab. Every year is a learning experience and we find out what works the best.”

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Donations are the lifeblood of the school. SoM hosted its biggest fundraiser to date in September 2012 and the money raised will help more children enter the school next year. Voices in the Park showcased musical talents from the school’s students, as well as performances by artists such as Jann Arden, Hedley, Bryan Adams and McLachlan herself. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton also graced the stage to speak to the importance of connecting youth to music.

“(the students) are learning to work together with different kids of different ages, ethnicity and gender.

They are all working together to create something magical.”

— Sarah McLachlan

There is a strong focus on fundraising as every dollar donated is another opportunity for children to find their voices and develop the confidence to raise them. The impact is undeniable when McLachlan has parents approaching her to tell her that SoM saved their children’s lives.

“My heart just bursts with pride when that happens,” she says. “I see it in the kids too. Perhaps they don’t talk about it, but you can see it in the way they carry themselves.

“Creating the Sarah McLachlan School of Music has been my way of thanking the universe… I want to give as many children as I can the chance to know how it feels to find their voice through music.”

The

Personal Side Q&A: Where do you go to get inspired?

The studio at my home is my happy place — I have a Boesendorfer piano, which is my baby. It’s a beautiful wood building nestled down in a creek. Or I steal moments at the piano in the house but I have two small children so those moments are rare.

Where is your favourite place to get away to in BC? Tofino is one of my favourite places in the world. Nature there is so vast and raw. It puts everything into perspective very quickly about how completely puny we are in the great scheme of things. I just feel like I am intimately connected to the vastness and beauty of nature when I am there.

What course do you think is missing from schools?

Communication — it comes back to understanding one’s self and one’s value and being able to speak one’s truth. I think that has great value and it is seriously lacking. A lot of people are really bad at it.

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jf INSPIRED DESIGN Luxury in the Laurentiens

Like many of us there are a number of well-known Canadian destinations I intend to visit but never quite get around to. I was raised in Atlantic Canada and it took me 40 years to finally visit St. John’s, Newfoundland, and just two years ago I took the Rocky Mountaineer train from Calgary to Vancouver — a journey that I feel every Canadian should have the privilege of experiencing.

Both were long overdue trips that reminded me how lucky I am to live in such a mind-bogglingly beautiful country.

Last winter I had another Canadian moment — my very first trip to Mont Tremblant, Québec. Living in Toronto I am very accustomed to friends and acquaintances sharing stories of their ski weekends in our neighbouring province, but this short trek had fallen onto my list of places I’d never been (and was becoming increasingly embarrassed to admit to).

All that changed when a friend invited me along for a weekend getaway to Tremblant’s preeminent boutique hotel Quintessence.

The chateaux-style hotel has 30 luxury suites that all face Lake Tremblant and every suite has at least one wood-burning fireplace.

When I entered my room, I discovered that the fire concierge had preceded me and a roaring fire was at the ready to warm my hands.

Pinch me!

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A quick lesson on the naming of the hotel will help you to understand where I derived my design inspiration during my stay.

The historic definition of a fifth element is believed to be the substance of what heaven embodies. When it is added to the other four — earth, air, fire and water — it helps form the universe.

Trust me when I say I didn’t make this stuff up but I certainly tapped into it while I was there.

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My little slice of Laurentian heaven left me with a number of lasting design impressions.

Words by Jeffrey fisher

in the Luxury Laurentiens

Jeffrey Fisher, owner and principal designer of Jeffrey Fisher Home in Toronto is a regular design expert on CityTVs CityLine, and has contributed design segments for Breakfast Television, CTV’s CanadaAM and CHCH Morning Live. Jeffrey’s custom bedding designs have been featured on HBO’s Sex and the City and are sold exclusively on The Shopping Channel.

Jeffrey Fisher Home | jeffreyfisherhome.com

december/january 2013

jeffrey fisher

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be inspired . . .

visit our new responsive-design website 250.384.1550 keithbakerdesign.com

By the Fire First and foremost on my list is the actual fireplace in my room. The firebox and hearth is raised approximately 20 inches from the floor so when tending the fire I didn’t have to stoop and the hearth itself is generous enough in width to actually sit and warm my back. Better still the space below KBDesignOctH&Living2012.indd the hearth is storage for logs. Simple details to be sure but so often overlooked when people are planning new homes and cottages.

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december/january 2013

Because I hadn’t slept that well in, I can’t remember how long, I inquired about the mattress when I met the hotel’s managing partner the next day. He told me that the quintessential mattress was the source of an endless hunt when he was opening the hotel. After testing everything on the market Mr. O’Donnell determined it wasn’t the pillow tops that we’ve all been gravitating to of late but rather a good quality firm mattress with a feather duvet placed under the fitted sheet. This allows the best of both worlds for guests. If a firm mattress is what you’re after, the sheet can be lifted and the duvet removed, or leave it in and you’ll be falling off to your own personal quintessence before the fifth sheep has had a chance to jump the fence. If you and your sleeping partner differ on the ideal firmness of a mattress, then simply place a single duvet under the sheet on the side of the sleeper who requires a softer slumber.

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Soak it in

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The right bathtub complements any room and mood

ICE F F O LIVING DOM AIN

“get out and find inspiration in our very own magnificent country.

You’ll be glad you did.” — Jeffrey Fisher

I’m generally not one for jet tubs in hotel bathrooms because something in my mind views them as unhygienic with water from the previous bather sitting in the jets. Call me crazy but that’s how my brain works. Hotel Quintessence thought that way as well and sourced tubs from BainUltra, a 30-year-old Québec company that invented air jet technology that ensures there is no water left over from the previous bath. Once you’ve had the experience of lying in this tub controlling the 58 air jets with a remote control, you’ll soon realize why I want one in my home.

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Relax and Unwind

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True confession, neither my traveling companion nor myself skied while visiting Mont Tremblant. We were both content to have leisurely lunches, poke about in shops and spend time at the hotel itself. We did however find our way to Scandinave Spa. Whistler also has one and if you’ve never been, it really is a treat. The premise of their outdoor baths is to first soak in hot water, refresh in cold water and then seek tranquility in a relaxation room. Rinse and repeat as many times as you wish. In one of the relaxation rooms I found myself quite attached to a Lafuma zero gravity recliner. It looks like a modern version of an inexpensive outdoor lounge chair and is much more comfortable than an upholstered recliner. The chair is designed to support the human body creating a sense of weightlessness and comfort while reducing pressure on the spine and rib cage. After returning home I ordered one online and am happy I did.

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Seven hours by car or 70 minutes on a direct flight (as I chose to do) takes me from Toronto to Mont Tremblant. Yet somehow it was another of those great Canadian destinations that I took for granted, always intending to visit but never getting to — until I actually did. I encourage you to do the same, whether it’s across town, province or country, get out and find inspiration in our very own magnificent country. You’ll be glad you did.

Contemporary Excellence Situated on Gonzales Hill, this residence is a classic modernist style, epitomizing architectural elegance! Ideally designed for an executive couple, the flowing floor plan is suited to indoor outdoor entertaining, with state of the art components allowing ease of lifestyle. City and water views are afforded from almost every room. You will appreciate the outstanding gourmet kitchen w/state of the art appliances, oversized granite counters & travertine floors. $2,299,000 MLS# 313974

Luxury Waterfront Penthouse This truly elegant Harbourside penthouse has been renovated at great expense, presenting over 2,500 sq ft of luxury and sophistication. The oceanfront location offers spectacular Inner Harbour views! The gourmet kitchen features superb granite counters, custom cabinets with SS appliances. The elegant master suite has generous walk in customized closets, spa bath & work out/sitting area. Enjoy over 1,300 sq ft of private decks.

Simply the best! $2,475,000 MLS# 312063

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Oak Bay Custom Executive This exciting Frank Lloyd Wright inspired residence, is spectacular beyond description; executed to the highest standard. The design brilliantly incorporates cedar, stone, & oversized windows with ceiling heights of 9 ‘to 20’, to bring in an abundance of the west/south facing light. Accommodation includes 5 bedrooms, 5 baths, feature kitchen/pantry, granite counters, custom walnut cabinets & flooring, premiere appliances. A private master suite with spa bath is on the main.

Included are a custom Media room, fitness studio & wine cellar. $3,595,000 MLS# 313641

South Oak Bay Waterfront Estate Situated on Beach Drive, this elegant English Manor sits on 2.3 acres of waterfront, with private beach. Sweeping views of Mt. Baker and the Gulf Islands are afforded from every room.

The flowing floor plan opens to waterside patios overlooking the beautifully landscaped gardens w/ feature waterfall. Many options are offered with 9 bedrooms & 9 baths. The home resonates with a classic beauty enhanced by rich panelling and oak floors, abundant leaded glass, feature gourmet kitchen & grand dining room. Best in Class!

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Call Leslee for assistance with your local and global real estate needs

december/january 2013

$7,900,000 MLS# 313907

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tony’s take

On the holidays…

tony parsons broadcaster

I don’t know about you and yours, but Christmas at our place is always a festive full house.

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No relative or friend goes uninvited. And the word has been out for a long time; for a good time go to the Parsons, they know what a Christmas celebration is all about. I’ll admit to that, but it’s mainly Tammy who cobbles it all together. I just go along for the festive sleigh ride so to speak.

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I’ll sous-chef it on Christmas Day, happily help with the decorations on our towering, artificial tree, maybe even help with the clean-up after Boxing Day, pass out the presents (and there are tons of them), but Tammy is the Christmas commander-in-chief. And that suits me fine. I prefer to mingle, bottle of wine in hand in case I’m confronted by an empty glass, herd everyone to the table, that kind of thing.

Of course, my role includes the ritual carving of the turkey.

Admittedly it looks more like a roughly hewn log by the time I’m finished but I get the job done. But it’s why I’ve always advocated having on hand, as an alternative, one of those fancy, spiral-cut hams. You might have seen them even though they seem to be scarce in this country. They are one of those ingenious American things. It’s much easier to handle than an overfed fat bird. But I must say we’ve never had an unhappy customer be they turkey fans or ham fanciers.

Born in England in 1939, Tony came to Canada as a 10-year-old boy. Originally wanting to be a lawyer, Tony was persuaded to become a broadcaster, and after decades of broadcasting in radio and television across Canada, Tony now works for CHEK and CBC Vancouver.

Words by tony parsons

tony’s take

december/january 2013

On the holidays‌

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tony’s take

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On the holidays…

“Oh Christmas guest, Oh Christmas guest, We sang the songs, we broke the bread.

I know there are people who would rather give Christmas a pass for whatever reason, religious or cultural or personal preference. And I understand that. But the ones I can’t abide, the ones I would order beheaded had I that kind of power are those who like to visit their Grinch-like outlook on others. You know some of them, I’m sure. They are the unsmiling ones who make a heap of themselves in front of the yule-time fire, all the while grousing about the alleged commercialism of the holiday and the burgeoning expense as each year passes. They will tear the wrapping off their present, smile a weak thank-you, then, a few days later, complain to anyone within earshot that it really wasn’t something they actually wanted or needed, it just came with the event. Next time we’ll see how they do with that lump of coal I’ve been saving for them or others who just can’t bring themselves to actually enjoy this simple, oncea-year celebration.

250.889.4771 sheilaaujla.com Macdonald Realty Ltd. | 755 Humboldt Street, Victoria

december/january 2013

I guess Christmas lends itself to a certain kind of cheer and a happier mindset among family and friends so even if the gravy is a little thick, slightly lumpy or, Scrooge forbid, there’s a heaping bowl of brussel sprouts on the table, folks, at this time of the year, tend to let it pass without comment.

And hey! A free meal is a free meal. And, even better if a gift goes with it. And the of course there’s usually a free night of accommodation.

Le Spa Sereine Inc. 1411 Government Street | Victoria 250.388.4419 | 866.388.4419

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tony’s take

On the holidays…

In their heart of hearts, I wonder, are they just posturing, channeling Scrooge, just for the sake of getting a little attention, a free meal and a bed. So here I will insert a little of what I would call an “Ode to the Aforementioned.” It’s sung, if you are so inclined, to the familiar uber-Christmas song “O Tannenbaum.” It goes like this.

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“Oh Christmas guest, Oh Christmas guest, We gave our all, we tried our best.

We sang the songs, we broke the bread.

You said, ‘I’m tired.’ You went to bed.

Oh Christmas guest, Oh Christmas guest, You were here just to be fed.

Oh Christmas guest, Oh Christmas guest, You surely are a Christmas pest.”

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Nevertheless, bless them all, and you and yours. Have the best holiday ever. And a new year full of happiness and satisfaction.

From our house to yours.

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december/january 2013

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The Colour of Things to Come What Colours to Expect from Interior Design 2013

FLEXIBLE COLOUR SCHEMES A flexible colour scheme of muted richness and soft tones creates the backdrop for bold splashes of colour

With 2013 almost upon us, a whole new year of interior design waits just around the corner. Another year of redefining our spaces and letting our friends and family have a peek at our inner sensibilities via our design choices. The thrill of it all!

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For many of us, the choosing of our colours and themes is a major creative outlet, and with the steady stream of design options from producers, the choices can seem endless and can leave us reeling. Where to start? A peek at the coming year’s projected trends is in order; while all of us like to perceive ourselves as unique and charmingly idiosyncratic, there’s no shame in being inspired by what’s out there. It can also help us find a starting point from which to launch our creative assault on our homes.

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Each person has colours in which they feel more comfortable and at home (so to speak); interior design is the perfect forum for busting out of this pernicious habit. Expand your horizons by broadening your palette! Think of it as an exercise in pluralism — in an age when polar extremes are becoming the norm, refuse to be pigeonholed by tradition, even your own.

A major trend of the recent past will roll on in 2013: Traditionally vibrant colours will continue to be muted and subtle tones will dominate our spaces.

Photo provided by ScanDesigns. Stressless Space.

december/january 2013

Words by Ben Vorst

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Sherman-Williams’ Cordovan #SW6027

Benjamin Moore’s Majestic Violet #2068-10

bold, bright accents, unbound to the fear of overstatement

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Think of the hues gaining popularity in the last couple of years; black-blues, greyed-out reds and smoky pinks, and the return of sage greens have accompanied creams and whites similarly dampened with heavy doses of neutral shades. The corollary to this movement: The continued propensity towards quirky pastels, contrasted in patterns but nonetheless muted; not washed out, just subtle.

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One theory behind this movement is that our daily lives are now so full of electronic displays (themselves rife with bright, saturated colours) that we subconsciously pine for discreet and understated displays; where we once used to seek soul-churning dynamism, we now pursue comfort and solace, or at most an insouciant interplay from our colour combinations.

Regardless, the trend continues and it definitely has its uses. A softened approach to broad colour application affords the designer the opportunity to showcase smaller pockets of vibrant style. Among the more popular devices using this has been the display wall (or anchor wall), adorned with a single, rich hue that is heavily subdued. This wall — the only one of the room in this tone — then becomes an effective backdrop to an installation of carefully chosen furniture and design items that feature bold, bright accents, unbound to the fear of overstatement. Impressive walls in these hues (think Sherman-Williams’ Cordovan #SW6027 or Benjamin Moore’s Majestic Violet #2068-10) have a quiet magnificence about them that complements — but does not dominate — inspirational little touches in bright, beautiful colours (like Farrow & Ball’s Blue Ground 210 or Babouche 223).

Building Green on Vancouver Island for 20 years.

The clean lines of recent interior design marry well with the predominant colour esthetic: Geometry loves colour juxtaposition. It would be a mistake, however, to confuse the popularity of angular themes with a move away from texture. One look at the growing popularity of funky, chromatically complex design touches will tell us that contrast between rich and fun comes in many shapes and sizes.

custom made affordable

250.746.5372 coulsondesign@shaw.ca davidcoulsondesign.com

december/january 2013

The hottest lines of furniture and living accessories shunt tradition aside, in both form and style. Recycled products have crept their way from the exterior of homes to the interior, and there is now no shortage of ingenious floor coverings, modular furniture and various little touches (from art frames to hanging baskets and more) that are fast becoming the hallmark of home design with a modern touch. And almost all of it encompasses a fun, multicoloured presence; all the more reason to base your interior design in the flexible colour scheme of muted richness and bold soft tones.

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In the DETAILS

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Benjamin Moore Tasty Apple #416

Benjamin Moore Fairview Blue #779

Benjamin Moore Jade Romanesque #476

Benjamin Moore Night Shade #2116-10

Benjamin Moore Peppermint Leaf #2033-20

Benjamin Moore Scandinavian Blue #2068-30

Farrow & Ball Hound Lemon #2

Farrow & Ball Middleton Pink #245

Farrow & Ball Black Blue #95

Farrow & Ball Mahogany #36

Farrow & Ball Babouche #223

Farrow & Ball Charlotte’s Locks #268

Sherwin-Williams Delicious Melon #SW6653

Sherwin-Williams Green Vibes #SW6928

Sherwin-Williams Rookwood Dark Red #SW2801

Sherwin-Williams Raisin #SW7630

Sherwin-Williams Kimono Violet #SW6839

Sherwin-Williams Frank Blue #SW6967

Those of us old enough to remember the first wave of neon washing over the style landscape may smirk at the recent comeback, but — while these things come and go — there’s something to be learned from this recent development: colour is fun! Even if we don’t want to splash intense primaries over all our walls, little touches of brightness can light up an entire room; teal is once again acceptable (and fashionable, even), as are fun greens and cheery reds, especially when set against the right backdrop.

little touches of brIGHTness can light up a room

Sadly absent from the hot trends from 2013 is a West Coast favourite — not a brown to be found. Wood grains are also scarce, as are chrome/stainless steel trimmings (although burnished copper continues to be a strong seller); while they may not fit the hottest bill, feel free to experiment with these touches when the urge hits you — nothing says style like bucking the trend and coming out on top. And remember, painted wood has the benefit of both colour choice and incumbent texture.

All in all, next year’s chromatic message is one of complements (not balance) and joie de vivre — a great time to be alive and designing!

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For large expanses that do not benefit from dark richness, don’t look beyond the pale — it’s right where you want to be! A broad canvas tinged with the right hue has all the same benefits of greyed-out depth. It allows you the freedom to go bold on a smaller scale.

Vibrant reds (see Sherwin-Williams’ Heartthrob #SW6866) and glossy blacks, even strong but classy purples (like S-W’s Plummy #6558), look fantastic against a pale yellow or — dare we? — minty green.

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Words by roberto bernardi

Bedding down Choosing divine bed linens can result in a heavenly sleep

If there’s one message that comes through clearly these days it’s that we should strive for excellence when providing for ourselves; popular arts have taught us that Nobody Does It Better at finding Simply the Best to furnish our One Life to Live.

For all that, many of us regularly neglect to practice diligence when it comes to our beds — a spot where we spend a full third of our lives, recharge our batteries and engage in a few other important activities as well. Comfortable beddings can make a world of difference in our health, physical and emotional well-being, as well as fulfilling the embodiment of what we consider our homes to be: A warm, welcoming, personal space that envelops us to the exclusion of the outside world.

Since sumptuous beddings are about what feels right more than what looks right (designs vary across the board), let’s start with what’s closest to the skin — bed sheets.

december/january 2013

Exceptional bed linens (not always made of linen, as we’ll see) do not have to be luxury linens; the market has a variety of adequate products at a range of price points. This is partly due to the fact that linens are very much an arena of personal preference, not a straight line from poor to excellent quality.

A great way to test out a new material or fabric construction is to find a pillow case or cover and — if you like it — go for the whole bed set.

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Sheet material is crucial and highly personal

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Above. High contrast will always draw attention. The crisp white bedding with fushia and blue accents look stunning against the night-blue accent wall (Sico Blue Bolt 10BB 09/250). Photo provided

by Jane Lockhart | janelockhart.com

We’ve all heard that highbrow chatter about the thread count of a new linen set, but what does that actually mean? Does a higher thread count equal a better product?

Not always. Thread count indicates the density of fibres woven into a square inch of fabric and affects such attributes as softness, warmth, durability, smoothness and breathability. The minimum count of a quality product will not dip below 175-200, but beware that counts above 500-550 can begin to trap body heat in an uncomfortable way (depending on your preferred level of cosiness).

Most people are happy in the 300-400 range.

Sheet materials already have their own cultural connotations: Flannel is reminiscent of being swathed against snowy nights; satin is the hallmark of sultry summer encounters; cotton is the light veil that engenders refreshing siestas in hot climes.

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The truth, as always, falls somewhere between the clichés. Sheet material is a crucial — and highly personal — choice that will make the difference between a place to crash and a favourite haven that you look forward to every night.

Other cottons include: Pima (American made, mid-level quality); 100 per cent cotton (usually a misleading mark of poor-quality product); and bamboo/cotton blends (durable, soft and relatively eco-friendly).

Linen sheets, like linen clothing, have a fantastic feel during the summer months; long-lasting and comfortably strong, linen provides a great balance of insulation and breathability. The only downside is the extra care required (should be ironed after laundering), which itself is off-set by its long life.

Bed sheets are best used seasonally, and the cooler months call for a shift in priorities. With its density and smooth feel, silk is both effective and luxurious, well worth the delicate handling needed for cleaning.

When snow is on the ground, nothing warms the body and heart like flannel.

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december/january 2013

Pretensions aside, there are established hierarchies within (if not between) the sheets. In the world of cotton, Egyptian is king; its unparalleled softness and durability are thanks to its long staple (length of individual fibre).

When shopping for linens, ensure to have an encounter with Egyptian cotton, if only to feel what you may be missing. Sea Island cotton is another top-level product known for its silky and inviting feel.

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The better the fill, the higher the fill power

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Duvets and comforters are a world unto themselves, with as much variety as other beddings, and they are as subject to idiosyncratic choices. The debate around the best type of duvet (a comforter with a protective cover, like a giant pillowcase) centres mostly on the type of fill and the style of construction.

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The better the fill, the higher the fill power (insulating capability); as well, the fill weight (amount of fill in the duvet) will play a role in its efficacy. For best results, do not choose a comforter with a fill power rating less than 600.

Fill power is sharply affected by the percentage of feathers used to supplement the bulk of the fill; feathers are not insulating, and are prone to poke through the ticking (cover fabric) of the comforter, so look for a product that has little to no feather filler. A higher thread count in the ticking will help prevent this as well.

Although some believe that allergies are caused not by down itself but by dust particles left on inadequately processed products,

sufferers can be forgiven for not taking the chance. Luckily, hypoallergenic alternatives — such as down/Syriaca floss crosses — are now widely available.

The construction of duvets is an important and often overlooked element of choosing a high quality product. Tight seams, baffled sections (to allow free flow of down), and high thread count will make a big difference. Consider whether you will be using a single comforter for the entire year when choosing one with either box style construction (down locked into sections) or freer designs that allow you to shift the down according to the needed insulation of the season.

Whether you need a light, airy embrace or a snug bear hug from your beddings, take the time to find the right cover for your altar of relaxation; after all, who else holds you so lovingly for eight hours a day?

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december/january 2013

The most favoured type of fill these days is down, the soft, insulating under-layer of feathers of geese and other fowl. Top of the line is Siberian goose down (800+ fill power), followed by Hungarian down (650+) and white goose down (550+); Canadian down products are also available. Duck down is also used widely in the bedding industry, but some claim that it has a particular odour which is absent in goose down.

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H&L’s feature home

feature home

Words by Jessica Krippendorf Photographs by alec watson

eagle bay

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Terry Johal Developments Ltd.

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Traditional and West Coast styling shines in Cordova Bay home

Builder Terry Johal Developments took the clients’ vision to new heights with expertise in creating beautiful homes in traditional and contemporary styles. The full-service company was involved in each step of the project from design to landscaping and prides itself on working with some of Victoria’s most skilled tradespeople.

december/january 2013

Eagle Bay is a meeting of worlds and wishes. Perched high on a ridge above Cordova Bay in Victoria, the 6,500-square-foot custom home exudes classic West Coast beauty on the exterior, and the luxurious tones and finishes of a more traditional esthetic throughout the interior rooms. The connection between the styles is flawless, creating the comfort and effect the Nair family hoped to achieve when they embarked on building their dream home.

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H&L’s feature home

Owner Terry Johal says Eagle Bay was built to the highest standards of construction, precision and energy efficiency — a true measure of his passion for the projects the company takes on.

“We really enjoyed this project,” Johal says. “The flow is great and the finishing is phenomenal. It is as precise and perfect as a home can be.”

The serenity of the property conceals its location on a busy street, a long stone driveway setting it back from the bustle. The lapping waves and gentle sway of tall trees complete the peaceful ambiance.

The home’s L-shape footprint begins just beyond a detached two-car garage grounded by stone pillar-like sections against cedar shingles and rolling fir doors. Its façade is constructed of cedar shingles, which weather well against an oceanfront climate, and a solid foundation

by K2 Stone that wraps around the base of the home, deepening its connection to nature.

Although perfectly landscaped, a section of the yard was left wild in bouldering rocks — the perfect imaginative play area for children. Locking stones create clean movement leading up to the home and lead the eye to catch a glimpse of the natural beauty that unfolds in the distance.

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The L-section stretching away from the front entrance and toward the street features a stone-pillared overhang that reaches out over an attached two-car garage. This area creates protection for the solid fir entrance through which a stunning ocean view is immediately visible.

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Immaculate, sophisticated finishes are striking from the first steps inside, beginning with a stylish mandala

pattern in travertine, marble and wood inset to the sweeping cream toned flooring. The open, 16-foot-wide entrance exudes luxury, but envelopes visitors with warmth and welcome with exquisite trim details and graceful curving lines.

A powder room features a marble raised vessel sink that was high on the homeowner’s must-have list. “We knew we wanted it, and we decided it had to go in here because we wanted to treat our guests,” says the homeowner.

Crystal wall sconces and drawer pulls add sparkle and class on either side of a dark walnut mirror. Wainscoting leading to Van Luit Essentials Raheem wallpaper in a sophisticated, feathering pattern adds visual depth to the room.

A formal dining area exudes beauty and charm with classic wood furnishings and a crystal chandelier over the oval dining table. Again, striking wallpaper — a Studio 365 design called Lace — commands attention with a cream Spanish damask pattern over a deeper shade of taupe. Wood flooring is a lovely contrast against white recessed panel wainscoting.

French doors to the right of the entry open up to a library, which boasts beautiful dark walnut coffered ceilings and custom shelving that displays books and treasures.

Imperador marble around the fireplace complements the chocolate and tan patterned carpeting and generous glazing allows soft natural light.

A stand up bar welcomes visitors to the wide open kitchen and great room. Its custom angle and glamorous but subtle finishes minimize its prominence, leaving the focus on the living space.

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Photograph by Russ Heinl | RussHeinl.ca

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H&L’s feature home

“It makes total sense,” says the homeowner. “It becomes part of the entertainment area when we need it, but at the same time is tucked away.”

The great room is where the connection between traditional and West Coast styling truly shines. Vaulted ceilings peak at 19 feet in the living space, retaining a chalet-inspired feel.

Generous glazing welcomes a breath-taking view of the ocean and a sprinkling of islands beyond, and beautiful exposed site-built beam work seems an expansion of the wilderness.

A casted limestone fireplace welcomes company in a relaxed, classy environment. Two curving chairs flank the fireplace while matching sofas offer plenty of space to relax and enjoy the ambiance set by classic scroll wood end tables and creamy beige and ivory tones in the furnishings. An orange-toned chaise lounge with a hint of gold offers a cozy place by the window to take in the view.

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The glazing is a perfect example of how Terry Johal Developments married form and function in the space. The window frames are aluminum on the exterior, but wood framed on the interior, stained to match the flooring and carry on the West Coast esthetic.

Two crystal chandeliers above the generous granite topped island immediately draw the eye with an elegant sparkle.

Black walnut on the island allows the cream perimeter cabinets to open the space — they meet picture windows that surround a custom banquette in the far corner. A dark wood table with a glass top keeps the banquette spacious, and brown and gold fabric on built-in seating offer a nice contrast against the brightness in the kitchen. Crystal reappears on the kitchen knobs — a careful detail that pulls the room together.

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The homeowner wanted a spacious, open, accessible kitchen that looks beautiful but was also practical to use. “We wanted something that looks nice, that was simple, and elegant,” she says. “This is where all of the action happens.”

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Photograph by Russ Heinl

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The homeowners’ wish of a view from every room allowed the building team to reinvent “open concept.”

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An extension of the main space, a generous patio opens up through sliding doors off of the great room. Large-scale stamped concrete blends with the grey of the ocean and texture of the surrounding beach stone. Frameless glass allows an uninterrupted view from lush wicker furniture with cozy two-tone cushions.

“We wanted the inside and outside to flow,” says the homeowner. “We didn’t want it to just be beautiful from the inside looking out; we also wanted it to be beautiful from the outside looking in. I think the team really captured that perfectly.”

Looking back from the living area to the entrance and mezzanine above, the curvature of the ceiling highlights exquisite sightlines through the hand scrolled railing to the upper floor. A wrought iron railing curves up around a staircase, built immaculately in maple and stained to match the hardwood throughout the main living area.

H&L’s feature home

Thomas&Birch 

Upstairs, the master bedroom and adjacent ensuite feature a creative, polished space with a breath-taking solution to the homeowners’ wish that there be a view from every room, including the bathroom. The narrow footprint of the room and northern exposure on the back wall made the request tricky, so the team decided to reinvent “open concept.”

Three-sided picture windows welcome abundant natural light into the far end of the bedroom, casting a soft glow on a gold chaise lounge at the window. A bevel cut fireplace offers a beautiful place for relaxing evenings.

The bedding and furnishings fit immaculately as a stunning example of how layering shades of cream and white with hints of silver and gold can create a luxurious, enveloping space with warmth and sophistication.

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In the ensuite, the centrepiece is a raised, free-standing bathtub with curving edges and silver faucet and legs. Twin vanities with marble countertops and white framed mirrors are situated opposite each other beyond the bath, and two doors — one to a frameless glass shower and another to a walk-in closet — lead out from the back wall.

“We had an image and vision for the room and it slowly started to unfold and transform,” says the homeowner. “At the end it really spoke to us.”

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The team met the challenge of ensuring a view by eliminating all separation between the bedroom and ensuite, except for a change in flooring from Carrera marble to beautiful hardwood. The effect is unexpected and incredible.

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The West Coast exterior and traditional, luxurious interior flow seamlessly to create the perfect family home.

custom closets...custom blinds... beautifully designed.

H&L’s feature home

A child’s room integrates the rich finishes from the rest of the home with an environment inspired by imagination. A beautiful high-post bed is reminiscent of a fairy tale, while the child’s artwork adds colour and personality lined up around a ledge on the wainscoting.

A guest room and a media room equipped with leather recliners and a 110-inch screen complete this floor. On the lower level, a completely private suite creates a cozy, inviting space for a live-in family member. In the main living area, a pillared fireplace with a generous mantle is a lovely centrepiece. The space had to be practical and use all available area — a seating bar off of the galley kitchen and walk in closet near the bathroom are smart and beautiful features of the suite, which offers ocean views from the living room and bedroom.

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The long and narrow lot required some excavation to meet grade challenges and orientation was key to meeting the homeowner’s desire to maximize access to the incredible view. “The precisely oriented rooms achieve this with layered sightlines — the kitchen looks through the dining nook, and the entry looks through the great room,” he says.

PHOTO BIARD DESIGN

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Architect Michael Nixon, principal with Broadmead Design, says the design challenge at Eagle Bay was meeting the neighbourhood height requirements while granting the shape and functionality the homeowners desired. “The roof over the master bedroom met the requirements with nothing to spare,” says Nixon, adding it was one of several areas completed with metal roofing, both for esthetic and functional purposes.

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H&L’s feature home

“Because the view faces northeast, getting sun and light became a factor,” he adds. “We achieved natural light through clear storey windows, skylights and vaulted ceilings, and with capturing the view in unexpected areas.”

At the back of the property, flat stones create a walkway along a curving rock wall — a natural, flowing entity that mimics the unpredictable bend of the shoreline. A curving block patio offers seating areas from every angle, and lounge chairs take advantage of the mesmerizing ocean sounds in front of a cozy stone shrouded fire pit. Steps lead away from the patio to a private enclave and then further down to the beach below.

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“We wanted to build a dream home,” says the homeowner. “That is why everything is precise and looks as though it was meant to be here.”

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Terry Johal is exceptionally proud of the home’s Built Green status and exquisite finishes. “They are world class and suit the setting,” he says. “We achieved a West Coast exterior and traditional, luxurious interior, but the flow is evident from the inside out.”

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Your handmade Steinway can be the perfect expression of you and your home. Photo provided by Tom Lee Music.

Embrace colour

Known for their classic black and white colouring, the modern piano may surprise you with the finishes available to complement any room

piANO A beautiful sound Words by Michelle Hopkins

The modern piano is thought to have been crafted by Italian Bartolomeo Christofori in 1709, but it wasn’t until a few decades later that the new instrument really took off. Today, the upright or grand piano is much more than a beloved instrument. With its timeless elegance and clean lines, a piano is also a work of art.

Top manufacturers such as Bosendorfer, Steinway and Schimmel sell custom-designed, handcrafted pieces that can range upward of $100,000.

“The front runner in custom design pianos is Steinway,” says Chuck Gorling, general manager of acoustic pianos for Tom Lee Music. “Although custom-designed pianos can be very pricey, not all of them cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

To understand how coveted these precious works of art can be, the world’s most expensive piano is said to have been a Heintzman crystal grand, the same piano played at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. A private businessman in Beijing purchased it for a cool $3.22 million.

Although most pianos are either a polished (ebony) black or a classic, satin (brushed) black, they come in a wide selection of

woods and in a rainbow of colours. The most popular woods today are mahogany, walnut and cherry, as well as exotic woods such as African Kewazinga Bubinga or East Indian rosewood.

“People can also purchase period pianos to suit their home décor,” Gorling adds. “There’s a Louie the XV, art deco, French provincial, Hepplewhite and a Chippendale.”

As such, a baby grand piano is often the piece de resistance or centrepiece of a room.

As with any investment, there are a few things to remember to ensure your piano is well maintained. First off, even though you might be tempted to place a beautiful vase of flowers on it, don’t do it, Gorling cautions, as pianos can be negatively impacted by moisture.

Alternatively, pianos don’t like heat or direct sunlight — not only will the sunlight fade the finish, but the piano will go “out of tune.”

Also, an upright should be between two and six inches from the wall; that allows the sound to escape.

For those that love the look and sound of a piano, but can’t play a tune there is an instrument for that as well. It’s called a digital Yamaha Disklavier. This new age acoustic piano, which comes in both grand and upright, plays back pre-recorded music of all genres.

december/january 2013

Picture this Norman Rockwell moment: A family gathers around a roaring fire, singing Christmas carols while someone tickles the piano ivories. It’s an image that conjures up fond memories of the holidays.

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Lasting memories Thoughtful planning and tasteful details will go a long way to ensuring this holiday is one to remember Words by Michelle Hopkins

hosting the holidays There’s excitement in the air as family and friends gather together for the holidays. The aromas of the traditional turkey dinner fills the air, creating anticipation for the grand finale of the day — the means by which we gather together in the warmth of our homes, to share the joy of the holiday season.

However, putting together the perfect soiree can often seem a bit daunting. It’s akin to a finely tuned orchestra — where food, décor and atmosphere must come together in perfect harmony.

Homes & Living has compiled a list of timeless and necessary kitchen tools, as well as decorating ideas, to make this festive meal your best ever.

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If the kitchen is the heart and soul of a home, during the holidays it is never truer. Raise your glass as we take you through some grand ideas that will help you host an evening your family and friends will remember long after the decorations are put away.

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The right table setting creates the stage for holiday meals to shine

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Beginnings With a dash of inspiration and some imagination, you can create lasting memories, however, it takes planning and the right tools of the trade

In the DETAILS

post it notes

To save time, set the table two to three days in advance. Use Post It notes to label what dish will go into each platter or bowl. A gorgeous and elegant table can set the stage for a memorable meal.

meAt thermometer

A meat thermometer eliminates the guesswork and judges when the turkey is done quickly and easily. Both the digital and the dial gauge ones provide an instant read.

artisan mixer

A quality, durable artisan mixer will make your Christmas baking a breeze this year.

Some of the high-end ones come with special attachments such as a grinder and ice cream maker. It is one of the most versatile small appliances you can purchase and they come in an array of colours to match your kitchen décor.

diamond sharp peeler

Another must have is a peeler. Peeling and grating is always tedious, so pick a great peeler that glides across your vegetables. New technology has replaced those tin graters with diamond sharp edges.

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Preparing

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Having the right equipment can make the difference between success and possible fiasco. Any serious or aspiring culinary master will tell you that crafting an unforgettable feast takes good quality and efficient tools and appliances.

high-heat baster

A baster works wonders on roasting meats.

It’s designed to allow you to safely and quickly draw large quantities of liquid from the bottom of the pan and pour atop the meat, making crispier skin and juicier meat.

There are new high-heat plastic models with silicone bulb and a dripless tube to prevent oven spills.

potato ricer

A heavy-duty potato ricer is the best tool for the fluffiest mashed potatoes you’ll ever taste. It looks like a giant garlic press and chefs say you’ll never overwork the potatoes or make them sticky.

Serving A great carving set is essential to ensure your turkey is evenly sliced. Have a handy pull through sharpener to keep edges sharp.

Presenting food well is all part of the show that is cooking. Since we use all of our senses while dining, the serving dish should begin to tantalize our taste buds without detracting from the food. Often chefs rely on plain colours, especially white, to set off the food.

There’s nothing like white to show off your culinary prowess.

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stockpot

A stockpot, made of either copper or stainless steel, is a must for making stocks and sauces, boiling vegetables, braising meats, and even browning and sautĂŠing.

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Set the mood

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The table can be the centrepiece for your home’s Christmas décor or you can just dress it up for special dinner parties. Don’t be afraid to mix and match silverware, plates and glasses. A bowl filled with fresh pomegranates and a set of silver candlesticks can create a perfect backdrop for your dining room table.

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You can also go to Mother Nature for inspiration. Branches and twigs, acorns or bright red berries and other outdoor items, such as foliage and greenery, can create a magical table that is also ecofriendly. Here’s another environmentally friendly idea: Instead of store bought place card holders, tie twigs of holly together and place the card between the berries. Match those with fresh boughs of pine or cedar, and a ribbon or two and voila, unique, distinctive name tag holders.

look to mother n at u r e for natural splashes of colour

For a buffet style dinner, you can also use pinecones to name tag the dishes and elaborate on the ingredients to avoid allergy issues.

Another idea is to place a Paperwhite daffodil or other flowering bulb wrapped in cellophane at each setting to serve as both a place card and thank you gift for guests. Bundle in burlap and tie with natural raffia. The bulbs can be potted indoors over the winter and come spring, transplanted outdoors. Another nice touch is dressing up your table with Christmas crackers, individualized party favours or small gifts.

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The clean up

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Hosting a large holiday dinner takes a lot of work and with that comes a lot of clean up. Make light work of the dishes with E-Cloths, made of micro fibers, which penetrate and remove light grease and dirt without chemical residue. Don’t forget to take your guests up on their holiday spirit when they offer to help.

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with a lot of work comes a lot of cLean up...

Finally, when you wonder how to fit all of the leftovers in the fridge, why not share with your guests? Purchase reusable, colourful tins and fill them with leftovers — your guests will love it and that way there are no worries about getting your bowls back.

Meanwhile, Homes & Living wishes you and yours the very best holiday season ever.

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setting tHE table Jessica Krippendorf

Homes radiate with a special ambiance at Christmas — candles, pine, garlands and lights bring families together under the enveloping glow of colour and sparkle, rich scents and warm fires, unparalleled by any other time of year.

Perhaps the most impactful decorative creation of a home dressed for the holidays is the dining table centrepiece, which can set a lively or subdued tone while keeping well within a modern, minimalist esthetic. A fabulous centrepiece can also be recreated in miniature form to create beautiful place settings for each guest.

The most important elements of a successful sophisticated table decoration are simplicity, minimalism and creating depth through colour and texture, rather than volume.

A traditional palette, even in a single colour, sets the mood regardless of the materials. Deep red, fresh green, crisp white, or sparkling gold and silver — when selecting a single colour, create depth in the arrangement by varying the size, texture and shade of the pieces. A simple glass or silver decorative bowl filled with at least three sizes and shades of single colour baubles, glass shapes, or painted pinecones makes a stunning but simple centrepiece that can be made larger or longer by arranging holly sprigs or twisted bare wood sticks at the base.

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For a more dramatic but sophisticated look, a bare wood branch, spray painted gold or silver, can be positioned upright in a clear vase or painted container and held in place with glass stones or pebbles. Baubles or decorations in wicker or fabric of varying size and texture can hang from the branches with attention to staying with lighter and darker tones of the same colour family.

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Consider a table runner rather than a full cloth on a wood or glass dining table to allow the surface to become part of the arrangement. Connect guests with the warmth of deep shades of red, complemented with dark walnut wood, cinnamon sticks and pinecones or a few sprigs of pine. A wooden or gold bowl makes a lovely platform for an arrangement of baubles or bells, sprinkled with a dusting of artificial snow or snowflake confetti.

White and silver centrepieces create a gorgeous, understated look in which silverware, dishes and crystal become part of the display. Pinecones painted white or silver, candles, and crisp white snow drops or lilies in delicate silver or clear glass holders can be alternated along a runner the complete length of the table without appearing over done.

If using a full cloth, layer the colours and textures of linens, dishes and accessory materials. A white silk table cloth with flecks of silver looks amazing beneath chocolate brown placemats, sparkling silverware, and white or powder blue plates with crystal glasses. Finish this look with a centrepiece made of cream candles positioned on a white rectangular plate and surrounded by silver, blue and pearl baubles or painted pinecones.

Think about movement in the arrangements — cascade fine wire pieces with crystal beads attached from small clear or coloured glass candle holders and position along a runner alternating with candles or as place holders.

For a more masculine or muted look, a rectangular solid wood piece in deep brown or black can balance a series of white or cream coloured candles, and an olive branch or twisted sprigs of holly around the base add a subtle touch of colour.

When working with colour, think beyond traditional centrepiece materials such as pinecones and branches to other beautiful things in a similar palette — pearly beads, a string of mini lights, sea glass, pebbles and non-traditional flowers arranged around white, green or red candles, or on a wine or emerald coloured runner will create a beautiful, unexpected look on your holiday table.

Similarly, non-traditional colours such as peach, aqua, mauve and pink used on decorations or painted items can be equally as stunning using the right sparkle, arrangement, and a little imagination.

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Holiday influences inspire a colourful, timeless tabletop

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Nature-inspired holiday ideas to transform your outdoor space

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deck the lawn Words by Michelle Hopkins

Instead of dreaming of a white Christmas, many people are looking toward a green-inspired holiday this year. Although artificial Christmas wreaths, shimmering garlands and Hallmark ornaments can be lovely, there is something about naturally beautiful, eco-friendly West Coast Christmas adornments that show grace and style.

So, instead of choosing plastic or glass decorations, why not pay homage to an old-fashioned Christmas by heading outdoors for your décor inspiration? You can create a magical, elegant exterior with natural items, such as pinecones, evergreen branches, holly and dried berries.

Decking your hall, or in this case, your lawn, doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. When it comes to creating that welldressed, inviting entrance, all it takes is a little spark of imagination and a little time to fashion a more meaningful Christmas.

Make a dramatic entrance For a look of simple elegance, place a live tree in your favourite container — for the West Coast, you can use deciduous trees such as Liquidambar, Japanese maple, crab apple, flowering plum and ornamental cherry. Another fabulous look is to line potted mini trees up the stairs, placing one tree on each stair leading to your front door for a striking visual line up to your entry.

Embrace the elements There is an endless selection of outdoor Christmas decorations made from organic, recycled and scrap materials. Try dough, cinnamon sticks, bows, gingerbread, holly, seasonal berries, organic fruits and vegetables, ivy and evergreen branches, painted eggshells and dried Indian corn. You are only limited by your imagination.

When you festoon the trees and bushes in your yard, however, it’s important to remember to choose homemade decorations that can withstand a few weeks of our West Coast weather.

An environmentally friendly Christmas need not be the traditional red and green. You can easily achieve the subtle and sophisticated natural outdoor Christmas décor that pays deference to our natural West Coast beauty, while leaving the tiniest of footprints behind.

december/january 2013

When we trim the exterior of our homes, we bring the joy of the season to our neighbours, family and friends as well.

Somehow Christmas lights and garland seem to instantly spread holiday cheer. You can extend even more good tidings by adorning the outdoors using what Mother Nature provides in abundance.

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In the DETAILS

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Here are a few great ways to create unique ornamentation:

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Garland

Pinecones

Wreaths

For the natural woodsy Christmas tree dĂŠcor, you can craft garland by twisting together small grape vines. An interior designer suggests raiding your pantries for some popcorn and cranberries, which strung together, craft a chic, oldfashioned inspired garland. You can also string together real pinecones or wood beads as well.

Dip your pinecones in melted soy-based wax, beeswax or natural-based candles.

Cones can also be painted by using a gold burnish or splatter them with white eco-friendly paint to create a frosted appearance. When the cones are dry, tie a lovely ribbon around the top (ones that still have a bit of stem attached work best) and you have a very unique decoration.

Head to your favourite garden shop, where you can find a large selection of natural wreaths of various sizes. Make your own by picking up some cedar, magnolia, juniper or eucalyptus and attaching the sprigs with floral wire in overlapping layers to a wire wreath form. Voila, a uniquely yours attractive front door swag.

TM

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Picking perfect presents A balance of fun and functional is your target

making A list and checking it twice

Words by ben vorst

Ah, Christmas… a time of unbounded mirth and completely lacking in stress, right? All happy carols, delicious treats and frictionless family get-togethers. No anxiety at all about choosing the proper gifts for loved ones. Just happy thoughts.

If only it were that easy. We’ve all experienced the anguish at searching for appropriate and desired presents ever more fervently as the big day approaches, and working our brains harder than we have all year to avoid giving a future dust-collector. Luckily, we at Homes & Living have been exercising our little gray cells on your behalf and have put together a comprehensive list of suggestions for the homeowner on your list — be they newlyweds without a thing, empty-nesters with one of everything, diehard DIY-ers or home renovators. Have no fear, H&L is here!

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The ultimate wish list for homeowners at every stage

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empty-handed newlyweds Let’s start with a blank canvas: The empty-handed newlyweds. While weddings can often provide a modicum of stuff for comfy settled living, the recently betrothed often end up with several versions of beautiful accoutrements and none of the basics of home life.

When shopping for newlyweds, remember nobody gives a screwdriver at a wedding, but everyone needs one at home.

In the DETAILS

warmth and comfort

A handmade quilt is a great gift that will come in handy for those in the throes of domestic bliss — it invokes tradition, quality craftsmanship and closeness. Look for an oversized, down-filled quilt, and if you’re worried about the colour scheme matching their décor, relax as it’s only an occasional item.

utilitarian must haves

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On the utilitarian tip, consider that highquality kitchen items — such as cast-iron skillets, copper pots and Dutch ovens — are long-lasting, durable gifts that are often out of the newlywed price range but mightily desirable.

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stay cozy

Another fun item is a breakfast-in-bed tray, a not-so-subtle hint that treats are what make a marriage work. If you want to splurge, look for an antique silver tray or an ornately carved (but not gaudy) wooden one. If expense is an issue, look for two simpler matching trays to emphasize the fun factor.

young diy-ers

Tools are another must-have for young homeowners that rarely make it onto the presentation table. Quality tools — be they for crafts, carving or otherwise — are always appreciated by the DIY set and home handymen/women.

A balance of fun and functional is your target; give the freshly united something that they will inevitably need or something they can use together, or both.

tip The key to this is quality; no craftspeople enjoy getting run-of-the-mill, generic tools from the local retail warehouse.

Specialty hand tools are generally sold individually rather than in a set and are often found more in catalogues than on big box store shelves.

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this holiday season,

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G I F T S O F A D V E N T U R E & G O O D H E A LT H

High-quality crafting gifts for woodworkers include top-notch chisels, dozuki saws and carving knives. If you’re unsure about your gift target’s current outfit, this is a field where a gift certificate is appropriate and not impersonal.

New year resolutions don’t have to be boring.

The Gorge Rowing & Paddling Centre wishes everyone the best of the season.

Why not encourage your friends, colleagues and family to experience something different this Christmas? Learn to row. Take your friends kayaking for an afternoon.

Try dragon boating. Work out at our waterfront gym, with one of Victoria’s

Rowing/Paddling tel: 250.658.6333 www.gorowandpaddle.org

Fitness tel: 250.658.6333

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When shopping for a crafty friend or family member whose hobby is completely foreign to you, consider bringing in a well-versed accomplice who can assess what your target person really needs, rather than asking the sales associate for advice. If you are left only with the advice of staff, ask them for the top quality brand names (not the top selling ones) in a given field, as tools and craft supplies are an area where price and establishment play a major role in quality.

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The best gifts Knives are also great gifts for crafters and foodies — a good knife is irreplaceable in a lot of endeavours.

For the artist in your life, consider a few supreme brushes, instead of an entire set of cheap ones. A collection of quality paints is another nice touch that can release the creative spirit from the bonds of a budget.

The best gifts for empty-nesters often aren’t things at all, but rather services. When the world is your oyster (again), you might have to try a few things before finding your new calling. Giving gift certificates for an introductory lesson or two in a language, dancing, sport or technology is a fun gift that doesn’t lay on the pressure like, say, an entire set of golf clubs. Travel vouchers and spa certificates are almost sure-fire winners in this vein, as well, that allow the recipient to choose the timing and nature of their adventure or decadence.

Sometimes the best gifts aren’t things — look to experiences for those who have it all

Quality Solid Wood Furniture.

Whatever the age and stage of domesticity your gifted one is at, there’s a perfect present for them; this holiday season, think outside the box and you rewards will be many.

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If you are uncomfortable giving certificates, one popular gift for the empty-nester is a no-brainer that will always leave you in their good graces: The digital photo frame.

This dynamic memory box is a great way for them to have memories at their fingertips and on display. If your recipient is not tech-savvy, consider bundling it with a digital service voucher so their photos can be converted.

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Lights, glass balls and ornamentation set the stage for memories

generation to generation Christmas treasures become heirlooms that are passed down in families through generations

holiday art for the home

Oh hail the Christmas tree, which gives its life and lets us decorate it in return. Heirlooms, memories and collectibles glitter from already magnificent evergreen trees, while presents nestled underneath double as gifts and decorations. The Christmas tree is like a gift that keeps on giving, the home its ornamental wonderland.

of pickles under my pillow before bed, which my dad smelled upon hugging me goodnight. My dad (Leo) says I told him that I had planned to eat the pickles, but I think I wanted to entertain him, too. I’m officially committed to hanging a blown glass pickle on my tree this holiday season. Or perhaps it would be fun to kiss under the pickle-toe.

Wonderlands are magical, and the home is the most magical place to be during the holiday season. If we decorate the home at Halloween and Easter, why neglect Christmas, the most magical time of year? We know there are all sorts of ways to decorate the home during the holidays for all sorts of reasons — the common thread being we all like shiny things. Hello, home décor! Paint the kettle red and put some shiny things on it.

It appears as though the Germans garner much of the credit for original Christmas décor, of which tinsel popped up on the decorative radar around 1610 and was originally made of extruded strands of silver. The bauble is one of the most popular Christmas ornament designs and has been in production since 1847. Glass baubles were first made in Lauscha, Germany,

by Hans Greiner who also produced garlands of glass beads to festoon the home. Modern baubles can be simple, highly artistic or custom made.

It is said that a pack of Libran elves in Nuremburg, Germany, invented holiday ornamentation circa the late 1800s. Just kidding, but it very well could have been a Leo from Germany who invented the Christmas pickle. Not everyone in Germany has heard of this ritual because not everyone is entertained by pickles. I don’t agree with the rules of the game played on Christmas morning (the first child who finds the pickle hanging on the tree gets an extra present), but I do appreciate the congeniality of decorative pickles. I once hid an entire jar

Other popular ornaments found inhabiting the home during the holidays include Santa Claus and his elves, nativity scenes, candy canes, bells, snowflakes, nutcrackers and snowmen, as well as angels or twinkling stars for the tops of trees.

Unfortunately we can’t deny the gaudy tradition of holiday ornamentation, but in the spirit of the “artful home,” let’s pretend our options are elegance and class.

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Words by Jill Lang

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Perhaps the beauty we associate with the ornament is not so much the object as it is the history and precious memories attached to it

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By the early 1970s, keepsake Christmas ornaments appeared in stores and spread through homes like wildfire. I wish I could say I still had the ball my grandmother gave me in celebration of my first Christmas, but now it might fall in the category of gaudy chic; although, I think it was me who pulled out some of the thread. That same grandmother owned at least five different holiday decoration sets: the white and pearl collection, the blue and silver collection, the teddy bear collection, the angel collection, and, if I’m not mistaken, the sparkling bow collection.

Thomas Glenn has been dubbed the “haute couture” designer of Christmas by Bloomingdales and his collection has been a favourite among collectors for years. The collection offers unusual modern designs in brilliant colours, intricate Asian pieces and

elegant jewelled balls. Crystal enthusiasts can seek solace with an annual Swarovski crystal snowflake ornament, or collectors can count their lucky charms with festive pieces from the prestigious Belleek Irish giftware collection.

With roots dating back to Germany, Japan, Czechoslovakia and by the Second World War, the United States, all I understand is people like to decorate the home during the holiday season.

Ornamentation is an art, and while it’s easy to get lost in the art, we tend to keep holiday ornaments for the history and memories they share. Each of us has a personal style with which we decorate, and some of us can decorate our homes with Christmas pickles if we want to.

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H&L’s Epicure Surprising pairings

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Holidays undoubtedly centre around food.

Whether it is a perfectly set formal affair or tantalizing choices on the fly, what we eat helps define holiday memories. With that in mind, take some inspiration from Vancouver-based chef Jefferson Alvarez thanks to H&L’s Epicure.

Inspired by the season and created with locally sourced ingredients where possible, these recipes are sure to make an impression.

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recipes by chef Jefferson Alvarez

Marinated Tuna Ceviche with local ingredients

albacore tuna lime juice fresh pineapple juice mint or pineapple sage salt to taste Asian pear or green apple ginger, peeled and sliced with a mandolin

1. Cut the fish into thin slices, salt and arrange on a plate. Put into refrigerator.

2. Finely chop the ginger and mint or pineapple sage and place in a bowl.

3. Mix the pineapple juice with the lime juice and olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

4. Slice and chop the Asian pear.

5. Remove the fish from the refrigerator and pour the mixture over it.

6. Garnish with watercress, ginger and sliced Asian pear.

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400 grams Âź cup Âź cup 1 tbsp Pinch 1 whole 200 grams

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CofFee-Crusted Muskox, wild mushrooms & pumpkin beignet

Coffee-Crusted Muskox* (*protein may be substituted, but not recommended)

1. Put coffee grinds, thyme, rosemary and pepper together into a coffee blender and grind until fine.

2. Coat the muskox with the mixture, pan sear in hot oil until the outside is crispy then finish in the oven at 400 degrees for two to three minutes.

3. Serve with sautĂŠed seasonal mushrooms from your local purveyor.

Chef

1 cup 1 tbsp 1 tsp 2 1 tsp

squash puree maple syrup chopped thyme eggs baking soda AP flour (approx. 1.5 cups)

1. Mix squash puree with maple syrup, thyme, salt and pepper. Over season a bit as you will be adding flour.

2. Hand-blend mixture with eggs, add baking soda.

Mix with wooden spoon adding flour a bit at a time until consistency is between batter and dough.

It should be sticky. Let it sit overnight before use.

3. Fry in oil at 350 degrees for approximately five minutes or until golden brown. They should be creamy in the centre.

Self-taught chef Jefferson Alvarez left Venezuela for Ottawa at age 16 where he briefly attended Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Institute. It didn’t take long for the young chef to get itchy feet and within a year, Alvarez had packed up his knife and English dictionary and moved to Toronto to work at Centro under famed chefs David Lee and Mark Thuet.

This ignited an intensity to absorb as much knowledge as he possibly could from Toronto’s culinary talents at restaurants around the city. Brief experiences at Pangea, Adega and Scaramouche were followed by a twoyear stint at Canoe working under the inspiring Anthony Walsh.

Alvarez’s thirst for knowledge and experience has led him to spend his vacation times working, seven days a week, at a number of top restaurants in New York and Philadelphia including Aquavit and Morimoto. He spent a year working at Senses under chef Claudio Aprile before taking on his first executive chef role at a small restaurant called tomi-kro.

Throughout his career, Alvarez has taken many return trips to explore Spain in-depth while working stages at exciting restaurants such as the three star Michelin rated Arzak and Akelare. Ready for a new experience, Alvarez decided to move to British Columbia in 2009 to head up the kitchen at Divino. His experience and techniques paired with his culinary passions are sure to spell delicious and exciting times for the guests at Fraîche.

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Pumpkin Beignet

bio

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Douglas Fir Soda 60 grams

1/2 cup 1/2 cup 6 1 tsp 3L

douglas fir needles (30 dry, 30 fresh) honey cordial syrup star anise salt water

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1. Add the fresh needles to a pot, add the 3 L of water, 1 tsp salt and 6 star anise. Bring to a boil, add the dry fir and remove from the heat.

2. Cool it down in the fridge for 24 hrs.

3. Bring to a boil again, this time adding the 1/2 cup honey and 1/2 cup cordial syrup.

Strain and cool down again.

4. Add this “tea� to a soda canister or a whip cream canister and follow instructions for filling gas. I personally rest the canister on ice before service.

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Use this as a set menu or experiment with your standard offerings by adding one of these appetizers or mains. Imbibe the Douglas fir soda in casual dinners with family or surprise formal dinner guests with this unique take on the modern soda. The flavours are rich, the pairings surprising and the results amazing.

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ROBERT AMOS

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Words & Watercolours: Victoria’s yearly winter wonderland is a brief delight

Words and paintings by robert Amos

snow day Victoria’s yearly winter wonderland is a brief delight It’s not true to say it never snows in Victoria.

Generally, once a year, when raindrops have turned to snow, we rush to the window to see the first flakes which melt in your hand and stick to your eyelashes. The rarity of snowfall here makes it all the more precious.

The temperature seems to hover near freezing when it snows in Victoria and the snow crystals grow feathery as they drift to earth through the still air. They whirl and dance in kaleidoscopic effect, gently piling up on every horizontal surface. The bare branches of trees and the top rails of fences are soon capped, and bird houses wear snowy hats.

Left. The Big Snow of 1996 - I photographed this charming house on Cook Street, buried deep under the gentle curves of snow. This house is the location of my dentist’s office and the painting has hung there ever since, a memory of this remarkable occurrence.

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Our annual snowfall always catches Victorians unaware. Cars without snow tires slip and slide and run into the curbs. Suddenly, hardware stores run out of snow shovels, while brooms and spades and all manner of improvised tools are called to the task. Like something from old Japan, people go about with umbrellas up, sheltering from the flurry of flakes.

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ROBERT AMOS

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Words & Watercolours: Victoria’s yearly winter wonderland is a brief delight

Above. We woke up one February morning to our neighbourhood transformed by an overnight snowfall. But soon, by mid morning, a clear day and rising temperatures brought the sound of water dripping from the eaves. This time the former Sunbrite Laundromat on Cook Street lived up to its name.

In this city of immigrants, Victorians are soon regaling their children with tales of the good old days in Calgary or Toronto, when the real snowfalls came to stay and people knew how to navigate between the snow banks. In their eagerness, the kids don tuques and scarves and head out to roll up snowmen, stripping front lawns down to the still-green grass. At the slightest hint of the white stuff the City’s Public Works department sends out every available vehicle to scatter grit and the modern version of road salt in generous quantities.

Old-timers regale anyone who will listen with tales of the “big one” which made for an unforgettable week in 1996. That year, just before New Years, a freak weather situation dumped more than a metre on this seaside town in just a few hours and the city shut down for three days.

The streets were instantly impassable and, except for single foot path down the centre, Cook Street was closed to traffic for three full days. A splendid silence prevailed over the city, and at my house six blocks from seaside we lay awake listening to the barking of the sea lions frolicking off the coast. The temperature rose above freezing immediately after the huge snowfall and sunny skies emerged, reducing all our snow to a slowly melting slush blanketed by ground fog.

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MASTERS OF CONTEMPORARY BEAUTY

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Words & Watercolours: Victoria’s yearly winter wonderland is a brief delight

Left. On a snowy morning last February I walked across town to keep an appointment and on the way I cut through the gardens of Government House. The LieutenantGovernor’s residence was covered deep in fresh snow and the Canadian flag provided the only note of colour.

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Right. The Oxford Arms Pub (now known as The Beagle) seems like a quiet haven on a snowy morning. Ornamental shrubs are heavy-laden and the clock (which always shows the wrong time) peeps out between the cascading snowflakes.

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It is every Victoria child’s wish that enough snow will fall to cover the south slope of Beacon Hill. From neighbourhoods far and wide children haul out mothballed sleds and toboggans, and show up with inner tubes, skis and sheets of cardboard. Under dark skies, looming mountains and the steely waters of the straits are a backdrop for the little daredevils who squeal with delight. They hope for enough snow to cover the grass and muddy paths and let them ride all the way to Dallas Road.

All too often in Victoria snow is a brief delight and — soon — a disappointment. For a few brief moments we share with the rest of the country those deeply Canadian memories of winter wonderland. Then the sun comes out, the picturesque snow drips from branches and slides off awnings and we’re back to the crocus and camas.

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Escape

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the Wedgewood Hotel and Spa

Words by Jessica Krippendorf

escape: the Wedgewood Hotel and Spa Encapsulating the very essence of what makes Vancouver unique and beautiful

With the finest in contemporary services and amenities, and a traditional esthetic steeped in classic European influence, the Wedgewood is a place where the past and the present meet and combine their best features for a truly remarkable experience. This is, of course, what the city is also famous for — a cosmopolitan, fast-moving business center that envelops visitors in West Coast charm with the natural ambiance of art, music and historical architecture.

Joanna Tsaparas-Piché, director of sales and marketing, says word about the Wedgewood spreads among business and recreational travellers from around the world through repeat customers and the hotel’s Relais & Châteaux membership.

Most importantly, it’s the Wedgewood’s exemplary personal service that is its biggest draw and accounts for its having the highest occupancy rate in Vancouver.

“This is the advantage of a small, privately-owned facility,” she says. “Service is really the heart of hospitality.”

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I embarked on my escape to the Wedgewood with a single inspiration — relax and enjoy. This mission was easily achieved in the 83-room boutique establishment, tucked away under a blue and gold awning on Hornby Street. It is the sort of place you may happen upon on the way past Robson Square or the Vancouver Art Gallery, but it’s unlikely you’ll hear about it in wide-spread advertisements.

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Beginnings Proprietor Eleni Skalbania purchased the Wedgewood Hotel in 1983 with a vision to create her own masterpiece of art, beauty and expression, delivered to visitors with impeccable attention to detail and comfort. She personally supervised the construction and interior design — in fact, many of the antiques and pieces of artwork are from her personal collection.

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When Skalbania was planning the building’s renovation, the restaurant and rooms were separated and opaque glazing shrouded the façade. “One of the first thing’s she said was, ‘Take down as many walls as you can,’” Tsaparas-Piché says. “She wanted to let the light in and make something that was both beautiful and comfortable.”

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Without question, she achieved her vision. When I entered the Wedgewood Hotel I was immediately struck by two things — the rich, luxurious wood and upholstery finishes and the gracious staff who seemed to anticipate my every need. I realized that the sophisticated and inviting ambiance was setting the bar for high-end with an approachable twist when I was greeted at the desk by name and later at my suite by wine, chocolates and a personal welcome card.

Each room and suite presents the ultimate in relaxation.

Roman marble bathrooms, luxurious drapery and beautifully arranged furnishings create a world away from the everyday that still feels like home. Considering the dry bar and spacious seating area found in some suites, and soaker tub for two found in others, it would appear one never has to leave the room for a remarkable and complete experience.

But eventually, the allure to explore the rest of the hotel’s offerings is irresistible.

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Isn’t it time?

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The Spa The warm scent of essential oil greets the senses just steps inside The Spa where a calm and sensual ambiance is enveloping and the outside world seems to melt away. Glass and carved limestone set the stage for an experience that is as rich in quality as it is in relaxation and a team of incredibly skilled estheticians awaits.

The Spa was established in 2001 and has since earned an international reputation with numerous awards including Condé Nast Johansen’s Most Excellent Spa Hotel Canada & USA, 2011. It offers full esthetic and massage services including signature treatments such as the Crystaline Gemstone Facial and Signature Thai Fusion Massage. The facility has provincially exclusive use of the Epicuren skincare line — an organic, all-natural blend of B vitamins and a proprietary enzyme complex designed to create immediately noticeable vibrancy in the skin.

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Although not a large facility, The Spa makes a striking impression where it matters most — all of the estheticians have been there since it opened and they know exactly how to make the experience exceptional.

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I spent 60 minutes receiving a Signature Facial — a six-step introduction to the Epicuren experience, customized for my needs and wishes. I wanted to try everything, so I said “yes” to the arm, leg and head massages, aloe moisturizing and gentle extraction. I can assure you, it is quite impossible to leave The Spa feeling anything short of refreshed, rejuvenated and beautiful.

Bacchus Restaurant and Lounge If the soft beckon of piano tones courtesy of an impressive list of local artists doesn’t draw you to the award-winning Bacchus Restaurant and Lounge, the promise of exceptional gourmet cuisine will win your heart (and palate). The lounge is a favourite for business and pleasure clientele with discerning tastes and the restaurant — named for Bacchus, the Greek god of wine and revelry — draws visitors from across the city.

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An amuse-bouche — roasted beet and goat cheese — began my dining experience. Selecting from a menu featuring wild British Columbia salmon served with toasted quinoa and herb salad, preserved lemon, and salsa verde and 10oz Angus beef New York striploin with forestiere potatoes, swiss chard and roasted peppercorn sauce is almost enough to make any vegetarian hesitate — lucky for me, my dietary preference was more than satisfied with a crisp and refreshing arugula and tender spinach salad over spiced poached pear, candied pecans and crumbled stilton, followed by roasted butternut squash and risotto with pandano cheese and a sprinkling of herbs and shaved truffle. The rich flavours were complemented by my server’s recommendation of Township 7 Syrah 2009 — unforgettable. (Thank you, Kevin.) The lemon lime tart with raspberry sorbet for dessert was perfect, and pistachio biscotti with chocolate almond topping was excellent with a liqueur coffee for a sublime finish.

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Executive Chef Lee Parsons is revered in Vancouver as one of the best and brings his international experience to the Bacchus’ exquisite French-inspired cuisine and extensive wine list. True to his reputation, flawlessly layered textures and flavours — many of them infused with West Coast ingredients — create a dining experience the most travelled connoisseur will appreciate.

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You’ve Got To Try This: 1. The Spa and Health Club Rejuvenate at The Spa at the Wedgewood with decadent treatments in an oasis of calm. The Spa offers the luxurious Epicuren Discovery Line and a wide variety of treatments. The Health Club at the Wedgewood features a 1,000-square-foot fitness room with garden views and the latest in exercise equipment and personal training sessions, yoga and Pilates.

2. Granville Island Public Market Just 15 minutes walk from the Wedgewood Hotel is a wharf where the tiny AquaBus awaits to take you to Granville Island — a beautiful collage of fresh food, cafés, restaurants and boutique shops showcasing Vancouver in its international glory.

3. Traditional Afternoon tea Ideal for those seeking a quintessential English experience! Served on Saturday, Sundays and special occasions at the Wedgewood, it offers a delicious array of pastries, gourmet finger sandwiches and a selection of the finest loose-leaf tea blends. With the option to add Kir Royal or sparkling wine, you will feel incredibly pampered.

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4. Penthouse Suites – live like the stars

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Be a celebrity for a night! Many celebrities choose the Wedgewood as their home away from home, including Pierce Brosnan, Goldie Hawn and Robert Redford, among others. The lovely Wedgewood penthouse suites have spacious garden patios that offer dual access to the living room and bedroom. Featuring elegant outdoor furnishings, they offer breathtaking views of the beautiful Robson Square gardens and prestigious Vancouver Art Gallery.

Adieu… for now There is an expression that says, “Luxury is a state of mind.” At the Wedgewood Hotel and Spa it is a state of being. If there is one human luxury many of us largely ignore, it is the peace and tranquility of treating ourselves. The Wedgewood Hotel and Spa is the perfect place to rejuvenate this lost art of personal luxury and will not disappoint. Rest assured, the most difficult part of a stay at the Wedgewood Hotel and Spa is leaving.

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beyond likeness: To likeness and beyond

Words by JILL LANG David Cronenburg, Richard Ansett, 1999 Library and Archives Canada, e007913081 © Richard Ansett

Beyond Likeness To likeness and beyond A season of portraiture

In our image-conscious society, a one-dimensional perspective in portraiture seems inefficient to capture the unfixed and unlimited layers of an individual. Carolyn Cook, one of two original curators of Library and Archives Canada’s Beyond Likeness exhibition, wanted to highlight some of the contemporary works in the national portrait collection. And so began the journey, to likeness and beyond.

“Many of the works in the exhibition go beyond trying to create a visual likeness of their subject to create a much richer and more complex representation,” Cook says.

The exhibition opened at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, New Brunswick last year, and will be hosted by the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV) for its second and final appearance from September 21, 2012 to January 6, 2013. Works were selected to demonstrate various techniques and approaches to contemporary portraiture, and visitors of the exhibit are called to consider the complex and unfixed constructions of their own identities.

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A portrait is not just about how you see yourself, but how others see you

How would I choose to project my identity through portraiture? Well, first I’d like to look happy. And second, I would like to look genuine, genuinely. And I suppose it would be nice if I looked interesting — unconventional, even. But personally, I’d still like to look good.

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beyond likeness: To likeness and beyond

Beyond likeness – capturing peoples’ identities in unconventional ways

Deepa Mehta, by Susan King, 1996 Library and Archives Canada, e006610231 © Susan King

“My favourite aspect of the exhibition is the conversation that emerges between the works,” Cook says. “Many parallels can be drawn between works whether it is a focus on memory and recollection, on the fluidity and multiplicity of identity, or on the exploration of the self through self-portraits.”

Nicole Stanbridge from the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria is managing the project from the Victoria end and took on the exhibition because it showcases popular content and creates conversations with other shows during the fall season. An exhibition called Capturing the Inner Essence, featuring portraits from AGGV’s Asian collection, will be showing alongside Beyond Likeness. And then later on in the fall, the gallery will host an installation on John Page with works of art and different objects in film forming a portrait of the Canadian artist’s career.

Beyond Likeness showcases works by 23 contemporary artists including pieces by Irene F. Whittome, Jane Ash Poitras, Pascal Grandmaison, Lucie Chan and Arnaud Maggs (who currently has a solo exhibition of his career at the National Gallery). Visitors of the exhibition will have an opportunity to explore portraits of known figures, such as writer Margaret Atwood, former governor general Michaëlle Jean, artist Bill Reid, musician Melissa Auf der Maur (photograph by Bryan Adams) and filmmaker Deepa Mehta, as well as lesser known figures such as residents of Richmond, BC. “The show offers a good way to create an entry point for people to access new ways of looking at portraiture in contemporary art practices,” Stanbridge says. “In some ways, some of the portraits are a typical portrait, but it also looks at more unconventional ways of capturing someone’s likeness.”

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AGGV

beyond likeness: To likeness and beyond

Queer affair, Lori Newdick, 1999 Library and Archives Canada, a212997 © Lori Newdick

And not all of the portraits are of people. “Everything in My Father’s Wallet/Everything in My Wallet” by Toronto-based artist Sara Angelucci, for example, offers an unconventional look into the life of her father, who was an Italian immigrant. In 2005, Angelucci documented the contents of her father’s wallet after he passed away, juxtaposing the contents of his wallet against the contents of her own. In the context of the exhibition, these tangible objects have become a portrait of her and her father at different moments in time, while a narrative is constructed that explores themes of immigration and identity, as well as generational and gender differences.

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Events to take in during the exhibition include the curator, Cook, speaking on October 18, and one of three yearly urbanite events on November 30. Urbanite events provide a relaxed social environment for visitors and gallery staff to articulate ideas and themes in the exhibition, while AGGV plays house to a bar and a live DJ, and runs different activities and tours throughout the evening.

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Melissa Auf der Maur, Bryan Adams, 1999 Library and Archives Canada, a215141 © Bryan Adams

Beyond Likeness embraces the bounds of convention and explores the various and unconventional techniques in contemporary portraiture, from painting, drawing and photography to sculpture, mixed media and video pieces. As Beyond Likeness asks us to embrace and make friends with the unconventional yet friendly nature of our spirits, we begin to understand that convention and its expanding opposition can coexist in harmony — in art galleries, in our homes, on the streets — in likeness and beyond.

old S e n se O a h P

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DISCOVER VICTORIA’S BEST VIEWS

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Quirky homes gone by

quirky homes

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The Building of makeshift houses a Century Ago

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Words by John Adams

Left. A view of the cabins at Turret Rock was painted by J. C. Hutchison in 1906.

Royal BC Museum, BC Archives PDP-00194.

Many grand heritage houses designed by famous architects such as Samuel Maclure and Francis Rattenbury survive more than a century after they were built. Solid, sturdy and attractive, they were intended to impress and to last. But what about the houses at the other end of the spectrum? What about the shacks, shanties, cabins and tenements of a bygone era? Who built them? How were they built? And, where did they go?

Shanty towns grew up in places such as Major Bay (where Fishermen’s Wharf Park is today), Kanaka Row (now Humboldt Street from Government Street to Blanshard Street) and innumerable places around the shoreline such as Turret Rock (now behind Value Village on Store Street). Some of the dwellings were makeshift shelters occupied by squatters; others were built by the landowners to rent out as cheap, often seasonal, accommodation. The people who lived in them were a varied group: the sick and injured; loggers, sealers and cannery workers who drifted in and out of Victoria as the demand for their services fluctuated; old people who had no one to support them; and, often the single labourers who earned a modest living in the mills, tanneries, foundries and factories that once were here.

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Where were the people who fell through the cracks of society in the past? Though some did live on the streets and under bridges, vagrancy laws were usually strictly enforced, so they had to find other places.

When Victoria was sparsely settled and vacant land existed around the harbour and in most neighbourhoods, it was relatively easy to find a place to build your own modest dwelling. When we had 13 sawmills producing lumber around the clock it was also easy to find scraps that were good enough to use. Many men knew at least the rudiments of carpentry and could build or repair their own homes with scavenged materials. Most importantly, zoning, building permits, building codes and inspectors were not around to stand in their way.

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Top. The shanty town at Turret Rock (behind Value Village) overlooking Victoria Harbour, was a favourite place for artists. This oil painting was done by Thomas Bamford in 1892. Royal BC Museum, BC Archives PDP-00152. Bottom Left. This mid-1880s view of the backs of wooden buildings on what is now Pandora Avenue shows the flimsy and precarious condition of some of Chinatown’s oldest structures. Royal BC Museum, BC Archives B-06853. Bottom Right. Shanties and float homes at Major Bay, 1947, before Fishermen’s Wharf was built. Royal BC Museum, BC Archives I-20702.

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The O’Flaherty family — two brothers and a sister — built and lived in their own bizarre abode on Toronto Street. Their occupations, if any, are not known. Though they owned the lot, they found the building materials on the James Bay beaches. Their place was built entirely of driftwood, which was used in whatever length they found it. Artist Emily Carr lived around the corner and thought the house looked “like a bonfire heaped ready for lighting.” The door was made of derelict planks from the beach and the roof was of “anything at all,” mostly old tin cans.

Kanaka Row was a straggling series of shanties and factories perched on the northern side of the James Bay mudflats, an extension of today’s Inner Harbour that was filled in around 1903. The term was derived from Kanakas, or native Hawaiians, who had worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company and had originally settled there. Nineteenth-century photographs illustrate the higgledy-piggeldy settlement that straggled along the shoreline. Most were probably built to be rented out to lowincome workers.

Turret Rock was home to a picturesque group of cabins that sat atop the low promontory and partly down the slope toward the harbour. Steps and ladders descended the rock face to docks and floats. Nearby sawmills provided most of the lumber and a number of the dwellings were even painted. The majority were built by hand by the men who lived in them. The first residents were mostly Greek fishermen; later Japanese fishermen moved in. The tiny settlement had a charming appearance from a distance, rather like Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia, and it was a favourite place for artists to set up their easels.

Living conditions inside, however, were far from pleasant: No running water, no indoor plumbing, no electricity and no insulation. Considering most of the inhabitants were used to life aboard their fishing boats, perhaps life ashore was much the same, without the constant movement.

The dwellings shock our sensibilities today, but provided housing for many when social services were not available

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Through paintings and photographs we can reconstruct a part of Victoria’s cityscape that was gradually replaced.

The dwellings shock our sensibilities today, but provided housing for many when social services were not available.

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One of the most famous photographs of old Chinatown was taken in the 1880s

by Canada’s surveyor general. It depicts a ramshackle group of wooden buildings on stilts over the Johnson Street ravine (where Market Square is today) and was later used to discredit the lifestyle of Chinese as a whole. Truthfully, however, at the time many other such scenes existed beyond Chinatown. Most were purpose built for white landowners to rent to Chinese, but additions and repairs were probably the work of the residents themselves, giving the buildings a “house-that-Jack-built” appearance.

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Hauntings at Four Mile House

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Left. Elizabeth Calvert lived at Four Mile House with two of her husbands in the 1800s. Her ghost is believed to have had a hand in nurturing the gardens around the pub and restaurant. Royal BC Museum, BC Archives G-06999.

Words by John Adams

four mile house Ghosts abound at Four Mile House in View Royal, a fact that probably was overlooked by Graham and Wendy Haymes when they purchased the old roadhouse in 1979.

During the Second World War, it served as a house of ill-repute frequented by sailors from the naval base at nearby Esquimalt; after the war it was renamed the Lantern Inn. Gradually it grew more dilapidated and seedy. Eventually it was abandoned, and that’s when Graham and Wendy found it.

Wendy came from a long lineage of Irish psychics and was no stranger to encounters with the paranormal. Her grandfather could foretell disasters, a useful ability in his business as an undertaker.

Wendy had grown up in houses with ghosts and she and her sisters had played with ouija boards like other girls might have played with dolls. The fact that Four Mile House proved to be haunted did not trouble her; she probably sensed it from the moment she first walked through its weather-beaten doors. Undeterred, the Haymes started the relentless job of fixing up the old building with the goal of opening it as a Canadiana pine furniture store.

One of their first visitors was Wilf Gouge, a grandson of Peter and Elizabeth Calvert, early owners of the place. Wilf had lived much of his life in Four Mile House and fascinated the new owners with stories of his family, his childhood, the neighbourhood and the ghosts. From him they learned about the tragic circumstances of his old aunt who was ill when she had lived with the Gouges

while her husband was at sea. She used to take walks down to Thetis Point to be near the ocean and perhaps to think of her husband and when she might see him next. Eventually the old lady died, but a local legend holds that her apparition is a wellknown presence even still on Thetis Point — or White Lady Point as the more romantic call it.

Though historians have vainly tried to prove or disprove the tale, the Haymes knew it was a captivating story and commissioned a stained glass window depicting the White Lady that now shimmers with a ghostly light in the wall near one of the massive fireplaces at Four Mile House. People that experience their spirits in liquid form may also imbibe a drink named in her honour.

The Haymes put all their savings and all their effort into bringing new life to Four Mile House in what they describe as “a labour of love and torture.” They and their growing family lived upstairs amid construction debris and dust while they prepared the lower floor for the furniture showroom and store. It is a common phenomenon with ghosts that they often become more restless during building renovations and this was definitely the case with the Haymes.

One of Wendy’s sisters came for a visit and stayed upstairs with the rest of the family. Wendy was busy downstairs one day when she heard her sister starting to descend the stairway. She thought it was strange that someone was with her sister, or at least that she could hear two sets of footsteps on the wooden treads. Suddenly her sister screamed, “He’s chasing me!” and began racing down the stairs. The other footsteps kept pace right behind her. When the frightened girl reached the bottom step she practically leapt into Wendy’s arms, trembling with fright. As they both looked to see who was pursuing her, the other footsteps ceased. No one was there. From then on, however, the spirits seemed to be more inclined to be helpful rather than scary.

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What was totally apparent to them, however, was that the place had seen better days. Built in the 1860s, it was crumbling by the 1930s.

A remodelling in 1931 had been intended to give the structure a new lease on life by creating a beer parlour with a taste of elegance afforded by chairs acquired from the Empress Hotel. However, the interior fittings did not impress the licensing authorities who refused to issue the liquor permit because the building was too close to the road. One tipsy customer taking a wrong footing on leaving the front door, or worse, a car running off the road as it sped down the Four Mile Hill would have spelled disaster.

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Above. The Four Mile House in 1928.

Royal BC Museum, BC Archives D-05589.

Hauntings at Four Mile House

The ghost of a woman, possibly Elizabeth Calvert, has been seen looking out of the upper windows.

She is credited with guiding the hands of the gardeners who maintain the beautiful flower beds.

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Four Mile House and the area around it are among the most haunted parts of Victoria, and probably have been from time immemorial. Four Mile House now operates as a very popular restaurant and pub, renowned for its heritage character, its antiques and its links to those who have lived there in generations past.

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When Wendy decided to tackle the overgrown garden she admitted that she knew little about plants, but as with the interior renovations, often sensed that someone was there guiding her hands to do the right thing. She was comforted by the spectral presence of an older woman who kept an eye on her from one of the windows in the heritage roadhouse.

She imagined it must be Elizabeth Calvert who had first planted the garden more than a century before, or perhaps Margaret Gouge, one of Elizabeth’s daughters who was famous locally for her flowers. Whoever it is has a very strong affection for the garden that has transcended many generations and many owners. People passing the Four Mile House also see the woman in the window at times when no one is in the building.

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Luxury & Supercar Weekend 2012

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California has its Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, The Louis Vuitton Classics automobile events are worldwide and now Vancouver has a solid rival with its Luxury & Supercar Weekend and Shaughnessy Concours d’Elegance, staged early September at the city’s beautiful Van Dusen Gardens.

The weather was great, the cars were beyond spectacular and the crowds, prolific and elegant. It’s a luxury lifestyle feast not to be missed.

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Photography | Dave Hamilton Photography | davehamilton.ca Creative direction of photography | Crystal Carson | crystalcarsonstyle.com

Words by tony whitney

It was almost certainly the most awesome gathering of fine cars ever seen in Canada. Vancouver’s superb Van Dusen Gardens again played host to the stylish Luxury & Supercar Weekend and Shaughnessy Concours d’Elegance, staged in the mild and sunny early September weather the city is often blessed with.

luxury & supercar

weekend

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For car buffs and lovers of the luxury lifestyle, Craig Stowe and Nigel Mathews’ third event in Vancouver was a dream come true and even those with just a passing interest in gleaming sheet metal couldn’t have left unmoved by the splendor of it all. The supercar displays featured most of the world’s most desirable automobiles and the Concours attracted a multi-million dollar entry of superb classics, many of which had never been seen in the region before.

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Luxury & Supercar Weekend 2012

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Basically, there were two main attractions — modern supercars and classic cars competing in the Concours. It was a rare opportunity to check the progress of motoring’s last century by viewing automobiles old and new, almost side-by-side. Focus displays included a tribute to James Bond movies, the latest of which reaches the screens later this fall — Bond’s 50th anniversary. Bond movies have always used cars front and centre, but not always the Aston Martins we tend to think of first. Thus the display featured most of the makes that have appeared in the films — as well as Astons. Another highlight display featured automobiles used by royalty and there were a surprising number of entrants.

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Modern supercars were everywhere and prominent among them were gleaming models from Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, BMW, Audi, Lotus and McLaren.

Naturally, MCL Motor Cars was there with its impressive stable of opulent nameplates — Bentley, Jaguar, Porsche, Aston Martin and Land Rover. It was hard to pick favourites, but Mercedes’ SLS AMG “722” special edition (celebrating the fabled 1955

Mille Miglia win) would be one, along with some superlative Bentleys, the magnificent new Rolls-Royce Phantom and Ferrari’s desirable four-seater FF. Standout domestic nameplates included a striking satin black Cadillac, much-modified by Vancouver’s Blitzkrieg Autowerks. The event was a rare chance to see a Lexus LFA supercar “in the metal,” this one belonging to multi-brand auto dealer Christian Chia.

Shaughnessy Concours “best of show” was a delectable 1953 Ferrari 212 Export Vingale Coupe — surely one of the best examples in the world of an early Ferrari. Topping the People’s Choice awards was a 1967 2000 GT — another Bond car, incidentally.

Exhibitors and sponsors were impressed with the event’s success and the strong attendance. Upscale furniture retailer Roche Bobois reported that numerous guests dropped by its impressive display tent and later showed up at the Yaletown store in surprising numbers.

Other businesses drew similarly enthusiastic guest response, but the cars were the real stars, easily upstaging us all.

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Homes & Living was honoured to be a part of the Luxury & Supercar Weekend, in Vancouver on September 7 to 9, 2012.

In a brief time, the event has become one of the social highlights of the Vancouver summer and attracts not only the world’s finest new and classic automobiles, but also a fashionable glitterati not often gathered in the region.

1. Home Couture’s Ali Assadi, H&L’s vice-president of sales and operations Vancouver, Julie Hamilton, and West Vancouver realtor Clarence Debelle enjoy the company and champagne at the Homes & Living tent. 2. Tony Whitney, H&L’s auto writer stops by the tent 3. Ken Reid, senior marketing manager for Jordan’s Furniture. 4. David Babakaiff, Alair Homes Vancouver and guest. 5. Jonathan Wang, Bentley Vancouver. 6. Jasmin Rawlinson, Dilawri Group of Companies.

7. Mark Tewksbury, Canadian Olympian with Rob Mabee of Axis Contemporary Art, Calgary, Alberta. 8. Scott Piercy, Sotheby’s International Realty, serving lower Vancouver Island. 9. Linda McGrath and guest, Brinkhaus Vancouver. 10. Lorne Freeman, MCL Porsche.

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Created by Craig Stowe and Nigel Mathews, the event drew not only the crowds, but blue-chip sponsors such as Mercedes-Benz, Roche Bobois, Sparkling Hill Resort, MCL Motors, Hagerty Classic Car Insurance and many others, some of whom (including H&L) welcomed guests to elegant display marquees with champagne abounding.

Visiting personalities were numerous (Porsche collector Jerry Seinfeld was expected) and we spotted swimmer Mark Tewksbury, just back from his recent role as Chef de Mission at the London Olympics. CBC’s Ian Hanomansing was there and also Henrik Fisker, creator of the famed electric supercar. The weather was great, the cars were beyond spectacular and the crowds, prolific and elegant. It’s a luxury lifestyle feast not to be missed.

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retirement living

House vs. Condo: Making the move this winter

Words by Jill Lang

Rain or shine, houses and condos come fully equipped with a host of perks and compromises. During the winter months, however, movers can be less expensive and real estate deals more plentiful.

Get excited about life for a moment and revel in the feeling of your future home. Are you living in a house now? Are you looking for an upgrade or change of scenery, or are you ready to downsize?

More homeowners are investing in condos each year. You may have to compromise space, furniture and décor, but downsizing could be just what you need to soothe those winter blues. Find an organized friend who will help you sort and purge, and be prepared to let go of things that no longer serve you. You can always renovate your future condo or hire a designer to maximize the space, and perhaps now is the perfect time to upgrade dated furniture and linens. If you are downsizing from a residential home surrounded by homes and fences, find a condo with a view to make up for some of the difficult adjustments.

For the retiree not yet ready to part with personal belongings, upgrading your home could be refreshing

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Traditionally real estate gets listed in late winter or early spring, but as we know in our economy, some real estate stays listed all year long. Winter tends to be a less traditional time of year to move, but here inlays yet another perk of living on the West Coast: winter typically visits for two weeks of the year, maximum. We don’t have to worry about trudging boxes and furniture through six feet of snow, or expecting it of our movers.

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We have to put up with rain on the West Coast, sure, but like Dolly Parton says, you have to put with up the rain if you want the rainbow. I’ve made several moves on the coast during the winter months, not one of them in the rain. And now that I’m thinking about it, any of the moves I’ve ever made — Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary — have all transpired in the sunshine. Or perhaps I don’t notice the rain? With this run of luck, instead of renting an apartment or basement suite next, I hope a future move involves me choosing between owning a house or a condo.

In 2011, Candy Spelling downsized from 56,500 sq. ft. to 16,000 sq. ft., her new condo almost as big as Spelling Manor’s storage room. Given the magnitude she was working with, that’s quite the purge. If Candy Spelling can do it, so can you. B.C. folks in Spelling’s age bracket are living longer now than in the early ’90s, so amenities and community services are generally available in most desired areas. Although for retirees with a large extended family that visits often, a house may be a more suitable investment.

Many homeowners move the other way, too, from cramped condo to bountiful house and setting. Houses can be dressed with various rooms and floors, and for the well-to-do, wings and acres of land.

Patios pander to parties, barbeques and sunbathing, while enclosed backyards cater to bashful children and dogs. Out here on the West Coast, it’s common to grow our own herbs and vegetables, although granted in condos you would need to grow in pots. For us earthy types, though, nothing beats tending to vegetables in a garden. And for the retiree not yet ready to part with personal belongings, it could be refreshing to upgrade to a modern home.

Whether you’re looking for a sky rise with a view or a house with a garden, let cheaper deals on movers and real estate sweeten the pot of your winter move. Knowing your options will help you look realistically at your needs in choosing between house and condo.

Feel grateful to be living on Canada’s magnificent West Coast, because in the end, you’re living in paradise.

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REJoice!

Skin tightening The fourth pillar of beautiful skin

Beautiful, healthy skin takes work and I like to think about it as a 4D approach to the 4D’s of skin aging. Or, as four pillars to ensuring your skin looks its best. This article completes my series of the four pillars of office treatments that address our skin’s health and signs of aging.

To recap, the pillars are: Pillar No. 1 – Fraxel laser – to address “deterioration”; Pillar No. 2 – Botox® – to address “dynamic” lines; Pillar No. 3 – Fillers – to address “deflation”; and Pillar No. 4 – skin tightening – to address “descent.”

For skin tightening, there are surgical and nonsurgical options. Most people are well aware of surgical treatments such as facelifts, brow lifts, neck lifts and tummy tucks. As a dermatologist, I will focus on the non-invasive options, which have the benefit of often looking more natural and with the limitation that the results will be subtler than a surgery.

Thermage is a non-invasive treatment administered through a single session with results lasting up to two years and with no downtime. Pulses of radiofrequency energy with a vibrating hand piece are usually well tolerated and this works by collagen contraction and stimulating our collagen producing cells called fibroblasts, to create new collagen. Lax skin of the face, neck, tummy and arms are typical areas treated with Thermage.

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Ulthera is a unique, focused ultrasound device that was the first non-invasive device approved by the FDA for brow lift. It can be used to treat similar areas as Thermage as well as being a standalone treatment.

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Thermafrax is Thermage and Fraxel combined for deep tightening and improvement of surface damage. It allows for more comprehensive tightening and skin improvement than with Thermage alone and is often helpful to consider in delicate areas such as the face and neck as well as for loose tummy skin where stretch marks might be a prominent feature.

Thermathera is Thermage and Ultera combined on the same day to provide a potential synergistic response. It is especially helpful when someone is wishing for a maximum brow lift with the most non-invasive lifting.

LipoSonix® is another type of non-invasive focused ultrasound that has the dual benefit of permanent fat removal while tightening the tummy, thighs and buttocks. If both fat reduction and skin tightening are desired, this is a unique device that addresses both in a single treatment.

Sculptra® is a type of dermal filler comprised of a dissolvable material, similar in nature to a dissolvable suture. It works by stimulating our own collagen rather than just “filling,” as with the more traditional types of fillers like Restylane and Juvederm. While not intended for direct lifting of the skin, the newer collagen does help with overall skin restoration and may be considered as a nice complement to procedures such as Thermage.

And as an aside, the hyaluronic dermal fillers like Restylane and Juvederm have been shown to provide some collagen stimulation, an added benefit.

Words by Dr. Mark Lupin

In the

Details

Home care

Dr. Lupin’s ABC’s: A = retinol (a type of topical vitamin A) – while this is not for everyone, if well tolerated, it is one of the most researched skin treatments with excellent benefits to our collagen.

Just as important as looking after the 4D’s of skin aging, is to maintain your great results. There are many life examples where maintenance is an obvious important component of overall care: e.g. you see the dentist to fix your teeth, you use a toothbrush and floss at home and you see a dental hygienist for optimal maintenance.

Here is a common scenario that I recommend to most patients: • Thermage – once a year – this helps to stay ahead of the aging curve • Clear+Brilliant – four times per year – (this is a laser similar to Fraxel but at a fraction of the cost and with essentially no downtime.)

• Fillers – once to twice a year • Botox – two to three times per year

B = sun block – sun protection measures are an essential part of any skin routine.

C = L-Ascorbic acid (the most effective form of topical vitamin C) – pharmaceutical grade L-ascorbic acid (as in SkinCeuticals’ CE Ferulic and Phloretin CF serums), also complements sunscreens by providing four to five days of continuous low level sun protection while promoting better collagen.

I often add to this SkinCeuticals’ A.G.E. Interrupter as an elegant, scientifically proven cream to both hydrate as well as further promote best performance from our collagen.

Beyond the obvious importance of a good lifestyle with healthy diet and exercise, consider the GliSODin line of oral antioxidants and skin brightening supplements.

And there you have it: the four pillars for 4D skin care with ABC’s of home care – the full rejuvenation package!

Dr. Mark Lupin Dermatologist

Dr. Mark Lupin BSc MD FRCPC (Dermatologist) Clinical instructor – Department of Dermatology and Skin Science - University of British Columbia Regional director – Canadian Dermatology Association Dermatology director – Cosmedica Laser Centre cosmedica.ca

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maintenance:

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words on the street

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Christmas avenue: The miracle of Christmas

Words by Danda Humphreys

Christmas avenue:

miracle of C h ri st m as For most of us, Christmas comes but once a year, but for the residents of one Saanich street, the festive season is a permanent fixture. There are families with the last name Christmas, a horse called Christmas once galloped around a nearby race-track, and a couple of kilometres away from Christmas Avenue, there’s a place called Christmas Hill.

Christmas Hill — or Lake Hill as it once was known — is the first major “bump” north of the Inner Harbour. Like Mt. Newton, Mt. Tolmie and Mt. Douglas, it’s a relic of the glacial age. The fact that its name is recorded on early admiralty charts leads some to suppose that Christmas Hill was named for the day it was first discovered and climbed.

But there’s another side to the story of Christmas Hill — a long-ago legend that persists to this day.

Christmas Hill, near Swan Lake, Victoria, BC. Royal BC Museum, BC Archives D_08114.

It was Christmas Eve afternoon. On the south side of our inner harbour, where the legislative buildings now stand, a First Nations child played quietly near the water. Her mother watched carefully, but no matter how vigilant, she couldn’t have foreseen the danger that came — not from the water, not from the land that bordered it, but from above.

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In early times, when Fort Victoria was the centre of social activity in this area, Christmas was a rather somber affair.

For Hudson’s Bay Company contract workers, many of whom had wives and families back home, the holidays held little cheer. To make matters worse, relations between HBC men and local First Nations were strained, to say the least. But one year, an event brought the two groups together in a way that no one could ever have imagined, or so the story goes.

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words on the street

Christmas avenue: The miracle of Christmas

Above. Lake on Christmas Hill looking North.

Royal BC Museum, BC Archives PDP_06527.

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One moment the child was playing quietly; the next moment a large, black, raven-like bird swooped down from the sky and, to the mother’s absolute horror, plucked the child from the water’s edge and carried her aloft.

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The mother cried out to others in her group. Almost hysterical with fear, she pointed in the direction the bird had flown — to the north. The other women tried to comfort her. The men followed the direction the bird had flown, in the only way they knew how — by running east along the shoreline, to the place where the Church of Our Lord would one day stand, across a small foot-bridge to the other side and around the shoreline to the north.

As they ran, they called the missing child’s name. Curious about the commotion, the men at Fort Victoria watched as the group approached, then questioned them as they came close to the fort. When they heard what had happened, they didn’t hesitate.

Lighting torches against the gathering gloom, the Hudson’s Bay Company men joined in the search.

The woman had pointed northwards, so the men followed the winding trails through the dense forest north of the fort. Side by side, native and newcomer, they watched carefully for any sign of life, calling out to the child and listening carefully for a responding cry.

Circling Swan Lake, the group moved ever farther from the fort, toward the hill that loomed in the blackness. Slowly they climbed, calling continuously as they went. They were tired, and it seemed fruitless, but they didn’t give up. Every tree on the slope was examined. Every bush was carefully checked.

When dawn broke, the truth could not be denied. A small human creature could not have survived the bitter cold of this winter’s night. All hope now gone, the men climbed wearily to the top

of the hill, thinking to take stock of their surroundings and plan their return route, when… There was the child!

She was playing happily, by herself, and was clearly unharmed.

It was truly a miracle! Fatigue forgotten, the men scooped her up and retraced their steps to the fort. The journey took the best part of a day, but amid relief, joy and jubilation, the child was returned safely to her mother’s arms.

The decades came and went. Fort Victoria was torn down and replaced by commercial structures. Christmas Hill was renamed Lake Hill for a while, but now it’s called Christmas Hill once more. Why? Because no matter who tells it, or how often it’s told, we never tire of the tale of a child who appeared — like a miracle — on Christmas Day in the morning.

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Their hopes faded with the light, but still they pressed on. Soon it was dark, but they continued the search, because none of them wanted to face, empty-handed, the young mother who waited, weeping, at the harbour-side camp.

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legacy

Legacy plans through generations

I recently attended a seminar for charitable gifting strategies and was given a book written by Keith Thomson, titled What Was Your Great-Grandmother’s Name? Not only is it kind of an odd question to ask, but I wondered what it had to do with charitable gifting.

So firstly, do you know what your great-grandmother’s name was? Quite frankly I didn’t have a clue and based on some surveys taken, it appears that more than two thirds of people don’t know who their great-grandparents were. Now in my family, as with many baby boomers, our relatives are overseas.

Depending on how far back you go most of us come from immigrants. My father was a Hungarian refugee who escaped Soviet communism in 1957. There was a brief attempt during an uprising in Hungary during 1956/57 where many Hungarians escaped and eventually came to Canada. As a result I never had the privilege of having any family connections through my father’s lineage. My mother was second-generation German born in Canada, so we had one generation of family to connect with. For many of us going back multiple generations can be quite difficult, especially to get specific details on what our great-grandparents were like.

Besides the generational connection, what’s the point? What was Thomson really getting at by asking the question in the first place? Maybe the second question explains it a bit more. How would you feel if your great-grandson or great-granddaughter knew nothing about you, not even your first name?

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This exposes an area that we are working in, the concept of building a personal legacy. Part of our Legacy Lifestyle process is to encourage people to think past their day-to-day existences and attempt to develop deeper purpose, adventure and meaning in their life. The following quotation by Leo Rosten is quite apropos.

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“I cannot believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.”

Words by robert pesti

The power of wealth It is one thing to build wealth and accumulate money and assets, it is quite another to know what to do with it. I have met many people who have accumulated significant wealth but struggle with purpose in their own lives and what to do with the wealth that they have. I’ve also seen many situations whereby wealth was created in one generation but because of lack of time, knowledge, values and principles, the wealth from the first generation actually destroyed the second generation. Basically kids were spoiled, and the work ethic and values from the first generation never passed into the second. Wealth is a powerful tool and can do wonderful things but it can also destroy lives quite easily.

Leaving a family legacy As we approach the end of 2012 so does the deadline for charitable gifting, as December 31 of each year is the final day that tax-deductible gifts can be made. Many charities raise close to 70 per cent of their yearly budgets during this time. Typical human nature, we tend to be rushed and end up doing many things last minute or when we are faced with a deadline.

Robert Pesti CLU, EPC

With 27 years’ experience in the financial services industry, Robert is a specialist in estate and retirement planning; offering expertise in the areas of wealth management and creative tax strategies.

Please contact us at the Legacy Group if you require assistance in this area of planning, and/or want to review some creative charitable gifting ideas that can enhance your personal legacy vision.

december/january 2013

There’s nothing wrong with this especially if we are giving, but rather than be rushed as an individual or more importantly as a family you may want to establish a legacy plan. This can be quite simple, or more complex depending on your wealth. Before you rush to write a cheque to the charity that comes knocking, you may consider sitting down with your family and asking the question of how can we make a difference in this world? It could be an interesting adventure and it doesn’t matter whether you are young or old, rich or poor, there is always something you can do to impact this world in a positive way. Have the discussion and you may be pleasantly surprised at what your children, grandparents or others come up with and the direction it may take you or your family.

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source guide showcasing the best in retailers & showrooms

december/january 2013

H&L’s

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H&L’s community in the news

Jane Lockhart launches new furniture line Celebrity interior designer Jane Lockhart recently launched Jane by Jane Lockhart furniture line. The collection is an affordable, customized and completely Canadian line that is focused on customer choice. Shoppers are put in the driver seat with more than 240 fabric choices and infinite detailing and size options.

Drawing on her colour theory expertise and more than 20 years working with interior design clients, Lockhart has created a design forward line of eight collections that present an infallible approach to design.

The distinct collections guide shoppers on what colours, patterns and styles work together. Consumers’ can stick to just one palette or incorporate from multiple collections.

Achieving a serene balance of luxury, elegance and timeless tradition, Jane

by Jane Lockhart offers a range of contemporary to classic looks. The Hemingway collection is a nod to tradition; the Granger is contemporary; and the Sutherland is the epitome of glamorous.

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Partnering with Jane by Jane Lockhart is Statum Designs Inc. & Korson Furniture Design — two Canadian-based companies whose local manufacturing facility allows custom pieces to turn around within four to six weeks. Available at select retailers across Canada.

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Jane by Jane Lockhart janelockhart.com

Thomas and Birch in 3D. Full colour renderings for you to visualize your new kitchen at its full potential, before you order!

The skilled tradespeople at Thomas and Birch help their clients visualize their dreams before even picking up their tools. Using industry-leading software to create 3D renderings, the Thomas and Birch team can show clients exactly what they are creating before the dirty work begins.

Thomas and Birch, which specializes in custom design and cabinetry for the kitchen and bath, aims to take the potentially overwhelming aspects out of a project by allowing the homeowner to take on as big, or little, a role as works for them. Education is a key facet of the process, whereby designers and builders explain why they are approaching the project in a certain way, ensuring the client is comfortable with the process.

Thomas and Birch 250.381.5123 1609 Blanshard Street #2A Victoria, BC thomasandbirch.com

updates around the community

David Coulson Design announces new certification David Coulson Design Ltd. is proud to announce that its recent project on Wilmot Road in Duncan has received SAFERhome certification. This is its first home by the company to receive certification and it is also the first project on Vancouver Island to be certified.

SAFERhome certification is a listing of 19 points that ensures homes are built to the highest standard. The design is meant to allow homeowners to easily adapt the space to their lifestyles now and in the future. Criteria include standards for door and hallways, as well measures to allow cabinetry to be modified. SAFERhome is an overlay for homes that brings flexibility, safety, comfort and cost savings. All of the criteria are within the existing provincial and national building codes.

Duncan-based David Coulson Design Ltd. is a family-run company that offers a range of services for new builds and renovations. The company is strongly focused on “eco-construction” and uses recycled and low-impact materials wherever possible. The company is a member of the Built Green British Columbia the Canada Green Building Council, BC Construction Safety Alliance and the Canadian Home Builders Association.

David Coulson Design Ltd. 250.746.5372 5372 Miller Road Duncan, BC davidcoulsondesign.com

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1 handcrafted solid cherry cabinet

3

Available in various domestic or exotic woods and configurations. Brit’s Fine Furniture specializes in unique, custom built furniture and cabinets handcrafted to exacting standards.

Available at Brit’s Fine Furniture 2622 Bridge St. Victoria | 250.361.3015

britsfinefurniture.ca

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Funky tree display unit

Industrial Intrigue

Sleek, unique and eco-friendly

The Funky Town collection is made up of unique shapes and forms. It comes in blonde or black zebra-wood with a matte lacquer finish. Also available in this collection are coffee, end and console tables as well as a buffet.

Add some industrial intrigue to your home with the Dark Red Rockwell Drawer Chest.

This chest combines a great storage solution with a edgy sense of style with it’s all-metal construction and distressed painted finish.

Eco-friendly LED light in a sleek black or white finish, full range dimmer.

Available at ScanDesigns

Available at Muse & Merchant

661 McCallum Rd. Victoria | 250.475.2233 1711 Bowen Rd. Nanaimo | 250.753.6361

661 McCallum Rd. Victoria | 250.474.3433 1711 Bowen Rd. Nanaimo | 250.753.8900

scandesigns.com

museandmerchant.com

Available at Illuminations 2885 Quesnel St. Victoria | 250.384.9359 4300 Wellington St. Nanaimo | 250.756,3614

illuminationsbc.com

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CLASSIC STYLE MODERN COMFORT

hang your stockings by the fire

the sanjay bar table

The Ralph Lauren Home Avalon Lounge Chair’s dramatic architectural lines and art deco touches lend any home a refinded, timeless glamour.

Element4 collection has a wide range of gas fireplaces. They all have one thing in common.

Their well thought-out simplicity guarantees a cozy and warm atmosphere at the push of a button.

It’s the Sanjay bar table featuring a full end table that opens into a roaming bar on castors. Great space saver and very cool design. Fashioned in a dark wenge finish.

Measures 18 x 18 x 21.5” high. Great for small spaces with that James Bond appeal.

Available at Jordans Interiors 2680 Blanshard St. Victoria | 250.385.6746

jordans.ca

Available at Heatwave 1950B Oak Bay Ave. Victoria | 250.361.9243

heatwave.me

Available at Parc Modern 546 Herald St. Victoria | 250.590.1110

parcmodern.com

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H&L’s source guide directory appliances

The finishing store

carpets & rugs

780 Topaz Ave. Victoria | 250.384.3003

Coast Wholesale Appliances

babak’s oriental carpets & rugs

736 Cloverdale Ave. Victoria | 250.475.0277

919 Fort St. Victoria | 250.480.7114

Trail Appliances

hourigans

2360 Millstream Rd. Victoria | 250.475.1511

477 Boleskine Rd. Victoria | 250.475.2401

tedford overhead doors 755 Vanalman Ave. Victoria 250.727.6811 | tedforddoors.com

belltech systems

architects / home designers

3375 Tennyson Ave. Victoria | 250.475.3323 islandfloors.com

d’ambrosio architecture + urbanism

jordans floor coverings

houle electric

2960 Jutland Rd. Victoria | 250.384.2400

2680 Blanshard St. Victoria | 250.385.6746

300-2261 Keating Cross Rd. Victoria | 250.544.0099

dhka Architects

jordans warehouse outlet

977 Fort St. Victoria | 250.658.3367

882 Langford Parkway Victoria | 250.478.2989

kb design 5043 Rocky Point Rd. Victoria 250.384.1550 | keithbakerdesign.com

469 John St. Victoria | 250.360.2233 pg. 73

2353 Douglas St. Victoria | 250.381.5590 pg. 37

closet & garage organizers

Praxis Architects inc

incredible closets

401-1245 Esquimalt Rd. Victoria | 250.475.2702

462 Burnside Rd. E. Victoria | 250.381.6511

2655 Douglas St. Victoria | 250.386.7632

Studio 201 Furniture 1831 Oak Bay Ave. Victoria 250.370.2012 | studio201furniture.com

pg. 01

1950B Oak Bay Ave. Victoria 250.361.9243 | heatwave.me

3205 Quadra St. Victoria | 250.475.2033 decoratile.com

Victoria blinds & closets

European Flooring

103-700 Shawnigan Lake Rd. Shawnigan Lake 250.590.8060 | vicbc.ca pg. 71

2960 Jutland Rd. Victoria | 250.483.0301 europeanflooring.ca

pg. 71

pg. 05

hourigans

doors

477 Boleskine Rd. Victoria | 250.475.2401

island floor centre ltd.

aurora woodwork 6-2062 Henry Ave. Sidney BC

pg. 59

flooring

780 Topaz Ave. Victoria | 250.384.3003

scan designs 661 McCallum Rd. Victoria | 250.475.2233 scandesigns.com

pg. 37

decora tile

the finishing store

Luxe Home Interiors

6-1950 Government St. Victoria 250.386.7643 | arkathome.ca

heatwave

112-826 North Park St. Victoria | 250.360.2106

beds / mattress / bedding

fireplace ARK SOLAR

rugs by alexandria

Number TEN Architectural Group

HLMAGAZINE.COM

pg. 67

electrical contractors

island floor centre ltd.

156

The quality companies showcased in Homes & Living have been highlighted.

You can download their brochure and directly link to their website at: HLMAGAZINE.COM

| 250.655.3837

3375 Tennyson Ave. Victoria | 250.475.3323 islandfloors.com

pg. 73

jordans floor coverings 2680 Blanshard St. Victoria | 250.385.6746

sagers

David Coulson Design Ltd.

1802 Government St. Victoria 250.386.3841 | sagers.ca

5372 Miller Rd. Duncan 250.746.5372 | davidcoulsondesign.com

pg. 93

sandy’s furniture

jordans warehouse outlet 882 Langford Pkwy. Victoria | 250.478.2989

975 Langford Pkwy. Victoria 250.391.6646 | sandysfurniture.ca

matrix marble

scan designs

2890 Allenby Rd. Duncan 250.746.7257 | matrixmarble.com

661 McCallum Rd. Victoria 250.475.2233 | scandesigns.com

pg. 131

stone age

Studio Y Design

345 John St. Victoria 250.386.5954 | stoneagemarble.com

520 Herald St. Victoria 250.590.5200 | studioydesign.ca

pg. 47

Hemsworth Master Builders Inc. 2637 Tanner Rd. Victoria | 250.883.8300 IBC

Horizon Pacific Contracting pg. 01

furniture

pg. 15

1275 Bay St. Victoria 250.381.8700 | landeca.ca

TM

custom homes | renovations | landscapes 250 381 8700 www.landeca.ca

pg. 89

mac renovations pg. 97

825 Viewfield Rd. Victoria 250.384.6091 | macreno.com

pg. 07

space setters construction

Brits Fine Furniture 2622 Bridge St. Victoria 250.361.3015 | britsfinefurniture.ca

104-4226 Commerce Circle Victoria | 250.412.0898

landeca

woodcraft Furniture 574 Culduthel Rd. Victoria 250.598.1113 | woodcraftfurniture.ca

pg. 51

pg. 69

Greater Victoria 250.818.5611 | spacesetters.ca

home & building inspections

Chintz & company

all-points home inspection

1720 Store St. Victoria | 250.381.2404

874 Monterey Ave. Victoria | 250.213.6700

Isn’t it time?

pg. 117

We’ve assembled the top trades in the Greater Victoria area and will build you a better home, or renovate your existing home, for less money than anyone else in Victoria. A bold statement-we’ll back it up. Building has always followed one path: Hire the Architect, possibly a Designer, hire the Contractor.

Try a new approach and spend your money where it counts-the home.

250.818.5611 www.spacesetters.ca

terry johal DEVELOPMENTS 4569 Gordon Point Dr. Victoria 250.418.1660 | terryjohaldevelopments.com

generation furniture

amerispec inspection services

zebra group

977 Langford Pkwy. Langford | 250.391.0033

210-314 Wale Rd. Victoria | 250.590.6912

1161 Newport Ave. Victoria | 250.360.2144

home builders & renovators

hot tubs & saunas

pg. 121

jordans interiors pg. 13

abstract developments

La-z-boy furniture galleries

1969 Oak Bay Ave. Victoria 250.883.5579 | abstractdevelopments.com

3501 Saanich Rd. Victoria | 250.382.5269

luxe home interiors 2655 Douglas St. Victoria | 250.386.7632

pg. 04

pg. 29

Muse & Merchant 661 McCallum Rd. Victoria 250.474.3414 | museandmerchant.com

1942 Blanshard St. Victoria | 250.384.2545 pg. 02

Alair homes

monarch furnishings 1807 Store St. Victoria 250.590.3955 | monarchfurnishings.com

twilight hot tubs & billiards

Victoria 250.382.5400 | Nanaimo 250.754.5500

interior designers

Aryze Developments

jenny martin design

1580 Despard Ave. Victoria | 250.893.4321

3031 Jutland Rd. Victoria | 250.383.8206

jC SCOTT DESIGN

Christopher Developments pg. 08

parc modern interiors

citta group

546 Herald St. Victoria 250.590.1110 | parcmodern.com

101-1763 Sean Heights Rd. Victoria 250.544.1837 | cittagroup.com

pg. 39

roche bobois 716 West Hastings St. Vancouver | 604.633.5005

17-1/2 Fan Tan Alley Victoria 250.385.9545 | jcscott.com

109 Mills Cove Victoria | 250.882.1895

nygaard interior design 1364 Slater St. Victoria | 250.592.4320 pg. 101

coastal construction 1986 Mills Rd. Victoria 250.656.8006 | coastal.cn

zebra group 1161 Newport Ave. Victoria | 250.360.2144 pg. 107

december/january 2013

2680 Blanshard St. Victoria 250.385.6746 | jordans.ca

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pine lighting

kitchen & bath cabinets

kitchen & bath fixtures

Hobson Woodworks

cantu

250.590.4230 | hobsonwoodworks.com

2-1010 Yates St. Victoria | 250.382.1252

mortgage brokers

splashes bath & kitchen

Michael Giordano

712 Bay St. Victoria | 250.386.8311

Serving South Vancouver Island | 250.884.0885

the ensuite

Margaret Mots

3400 Douglas St. Victoria | 250.380.1570

2nd F 4520 West Saanich Rd. Victoria | 250.475.9810

harbour city kitchens 2189 Keating Cross Rd. Saanichton 250.652.5200 | harbourcitykitchens.com

790 Spruce Ave. Victoria | 250.475.0105

pg. 25

jason good 530 Hillside Ave. Victoria 250.384.4663 | jasongoodcabinets.com

pg. 79

kitchen craft

Victoria speciality hardware

800 Cloverdale Ave. Victoria 250.475.1159 | kitchencraftvictoria.com

movers

1990 Oak Bay Ave. Victoria | 250.598.2966 pg. 81

onsite cabinets 660 Lorimer Pl. Victoria 250.391.7259 | onsitecabinets.ca

HL_Aug_12.pdf 05/Jun/12 2:08:41 PM

pg. 83

bekins moving & storage

Landscaping & supplies

6598 Bryn Rd. Saanichton | 250.544.2245

When design demands craftsmanship

swiftsure woodworkers ltd.

444 William St. Victoria 250.381.3574 | swiftsurewoodworkers.com

acacia landscape

C

M

1625 Fort St. Victoria | 250.595.0527

paint stores

Hoek Van Holland Landscaping Ltd

cloverdale paint

1015 Wollaston St. Victoria | 250.381.1567

1616 Cedar Hill Cross Rd. Victoria | 250.472.6868

K2 Stone

colormart paint

876 Langford Pkwy. Victoria | 250.727.7625

1581 Hillside Ave. Victoria | 250.595.4243

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CMY

VINCE KLASSEN PHOTOGRAPHIC

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thomas & Birch cabinetry

pg. 17

For great kitchen and bathroom ideas, visit our website at SwiftsureWoodworkers.com

1609 Blanshard Street #2a Victoria, BC 250.381.5123 | thomasandbirch.com

pg. 69

kitchen & bath countertops colonial countertops 646 Alpha St. Victoria 250.383.1926 | colonialcountertops.com

landeca pg. 19

eurotek kitchen & bath 727 Summit Ave. Victoria | 250.381.7588

floform 731 Summit Ave. Victoria 250.472.1200 | floform.com

pg. 81

1275 Bay St. Victoria 250.381.8700 | landeca.ca

TM

custom homes | renovations | landscapes 250 381 8700 www.landeca.ca

pg. 89

rusnak Gallant ltd.

capital iron

4351 Blenkinsop Rd. Victoria | 250.721.5646

1900 Store St. Victoria | 250.385.9703

westpoint pavers

Home & Patio Gallery

568 Langholme Dr. Victoria | 250.588.2575

475 Gorge Rd. E Victoria | 250.385.9112

matrix marble 2890 Allenby Rd. Duncan 250.746.7257 | matrixmarble.com

pg. 131

2885 Quesnel St. Victoria 250.384.9359 | illuminationsbc.com

HLMAGAZINE.COM

4-734 Aldebury St. Victoria | 250.383.1955

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the wicker tree

lighting fixtures

4705 Trans Canada Hwy. Duncan | 250.748.1100

illuminations

precision marble kitchen & bath

stone age marble & granite 345 John St. Victoria 250.386.5954 | stoneagemarble.com

patio furniture & accessories

pg. 47

pg. 23

railings

Mclaren lighting

excalabor glass & aluminum

3400 Douglas St. Victoria | 250.475.2561

3-2189 Keating Cross Rd. Saanichton | 250.652.3833

simply automated

realtors

phantom screens

Deana Fawcett

sound solutions

4440 Chatterton Way Victoria | 250.893.8932

103-1740 Island Hwy. Victoria | 250.478.0150

dolores todd 4440 Chatterton Way Victoria | 250.744.3301

leslee farrell 755 Humboldt St. Victoria 250.388.5882 | lesleefarrell.com

window & door screens

16-755 Vanalman Ave. Victoria | 250.479.7877

1957 Cougar Cres. Comox 1.888.742.6866 | phantomscreen.ca

sundecks

hotel, resorts & SPAS

deck-cetera

black rock oceanside resort 596 Marine Dr. Ucluelet 1.877.762.5011 | blackrockoceanfront.com

971 Cloverdale Ave. Victoria | 250.216.7425 pg. 41

lisa williams

window coverings

Marijane Smith

ganges floor coverings ltd.

1286 Fairfield Rd. Victoria | 250.385.2033

122 Lower Ganges Rd. Salt Spring | 250.537.9112

1100 Burrard St. Vancouver, BC 1.800.663.0366 | theburrard.com

island window coverings

kingfisher Oceanside resort & spa

3381 Tennyson Ave. Victoria 250.475.2600 | islandwindowcoverings.com

207 Menzies St. Victoria | 250.883.1995

Garman group 755 Humboldt St. Victoria garmangroup.ca 250.896.7099 | 250.213.8129

849 Verdier Ave. Victoria | 1.888.544.2079

the burrard hotel

pg. 73

ruffell & brown interiors

755 Humboldt St. Victoria 250.889.4771 | sheilaaujla.com

1-2745 Bridge St. Victoria 250.381.1230 | ruffell-brown.com

pg. 45

1411 Government St. Victoria 250.388.4419 | lespasereine.ca

738 Caledonia Ave. Victoria | 250.383.8515

sheila aujla

250.889.4771

4330 Island Hwy. South Courtenay 1.800.663.7929 | kingfisherspa.com

pg. 95

pg. 51

Le Spa Sereine Inc.

pacific blinds & drapes pg. 31

pg. 135

brentwood bay resort & spa

752 Douglas St. Victoria | 250.514.1966

mark imhoff group

pg. 06

pg. 45

pacific sands beach resort 1421 Pacific Rim Hwy. Tofino | 1.800.565.2322 pg. 10

sheilaaujla.com Macdonald Realty Ltd. | 755 Humboldt Street, Victoria

saffron window fashion drapery & blinds 107-2220 Sooke Rd. Victoria

sylvia therrien 1286 Fairfield Rd. Victoria | 250.385.2033

250.744.2523 | saffronwindows.com

poets cove resort & spa 9801 Spalding Rd. S. Pender Island | 1.888.512.7638 pg. 61

Victoria blinds & closets 103-700 Shawnigan Lake Rd. Shawnigan Lake 250.590.8060 | vicbc.ca

roofing

the magnolia hotel & spa pg. 71

Aerial Roofing

mac renovations 825 Viewfield Rd. Victoria 250.384.6091 | macreno.com

the oswego hotel

windows

606 Sutiacum Rd. Sooke 250.474.1519 | aerial-roofing.ca

500 Oswego St. Victoria | 1.877.767.9346

the westin bear mountain golf resort & spa 1999 Country Club Way Victoria 1.888.533.2327 | westin.com/bearmountain pg. 147

euroline windows inc pg. 07

626 Courtney St. Victoria | 1.877.624.6654

3352 Tennyson Ave. Victoria | 250.383.8465

security & smart homes systems

vinyltek windows- mac renovations 3825 Viewfield Rd. Victoria 250.384.6091 | vinyltek.com

adt

van isle windows

wedgewood HOTEL & SPA

104-3375 Whittier Ave. Victoria | 886.285.8345

404 Hillside Ave. Victoria | 250.383.7128

845 Hornby St. Vancouver | 1.800.663.0666

victoria marriott inner harbour IFC

728 Humboldt St. Victoria | 1.866.306.5451

december/january 2013

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a final thought

HLMAGAZINE.COM

With the bustle of the holidays and a new year, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of it all...

160

There is after all a lot to get excited about — from connecting with friends, family and loved ones to turning our homes into magical places that will set the scene for a lifetime of memories.

It’s one of the best times of year to experiment with different decorating ideas, allowing pops of colour and seasonal greenery to transform any room into a cozy holiday retreat. There is an energy this time of year that draws people together and often revolves around shared meals.

Words by amy dove

Life gives us brief moments with one another, but sometimes in those brief moments we get memories that last a lifetime.

It’s a great thing to indulge in, but one must not forget that these festivities — although in different forms (and with different decorating ideas!) — happen throughout the year. Homes & Living hopes that this issue inspires you on ways to make your home, and ultimately your life, even more beautiful. Every home is after all the setting for memories to be made.

NEWALS

FALL ARRIV

IN STORE NOW

Benvenuti a casa.

Visit the Island’s Largest Natuzzi Italia Gallery.

1335 United Boulevard, Coquitlam 604.520.0800 975 Langford Parkway, Victoria, BC 250.391.6646 www.sandysfurniture.ca/natuzzi-italia Mon - Wed: 10AM - 6PM • Thurs & Fri: 10AM - 9PM • Sat: 10AM - 6PM • Sun: 11AM - 5PM

Lugaro. Timeless Elegance