Vancouver Home - Winter 2016-2017

DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

WINTER

ISSUE

EMBEDDED IN COMFORT THE LATEST IN BEDS AND BEDDING

DOWNSIZING TO THE RIGHT SIZE An empty-nest couple move to the perfect condo

MAGIC CARPETS Innovative rugs designed and woven in Canada

A GIFT OF NATURAL BEAUTY Owners of a lakeside home share their space with those needing respite

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Display until March 28Th 2017

OUR ANNUAL GIFT GUIDE

HOW TO USE FENG SHUI

CONTEMPORARY FURNISHINGS

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DESIGN

Changing the rules

for architects and designers

artistic mosaics • glass, quartz and granite agglomerates • mosaic wallpaper • lifetime durability

The beauty and durability of our products are unparalelled • Your vision brought to life • Custom mosaic mixes • Affordable Elegance • Recycled content up to 72% • Revolutionary installations

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6-91 Golden Drive Coquitlam BC • V3K 6R2 • 604.695.7711 • www.TrendChangingTheRules.ca

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DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

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Status Quo?

Not us.

For all your Kitchen and Bathroom renovations...

Come and visit us today and we’ll show you how different we are!

THE WINTER ISSUE 6-91 Golden Drive Coquitlam BC • V3K 6R2 • 604.695.7711 • www.GTRockingTheStatusQuo.ca

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DESIGN

D E S I G N PO R T R A I T.

Ray, seat system designed by Antonio Citterio. www.bebitalia.com Inform Interiors: 50 & 97 Water Street, Vancouver BC V6B1A1 P. 604.682.3868 bbitalia@informinteriors.com www.informinteriors.com

DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

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CUSTOM HOMES - RENOVATIONS - PROJECT MANAGEMENT - GENERAL CONTRACTING

PREMIUM QUALITY WORKMANSHIP - RIGOROUS PROJECT MANAGEMENT - OPEN COMMUNICATION

CUSTOM HOMES - RENOVATIONS - PROJECT MANAGEMENT - GENERAL CONTRACTING

PREMIUM QUALITY WORKMANSHIP - RIGOROUS PROJECT MANAGEMENT - OPEN COMMUNICATION

DESIGN

The road less traveled was made for a car less ordinary.

THAT’S CONTINENTAL ©2016 Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. All rights reserved.

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DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

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LincolnCanada.com/Continental

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MyHouse Design/Build/Team is the winner of these 2016 Georgie Awards: RESIDENTIAL RENOVATOR OF THE YEAR BEST CERTIFIED WHOLE HOUSE RENOVATION BEST KITCHEN RENOVATION OVER $100,000

before

See the complete transformation of this 1960’s bungalow into an Award Winning three story stunner by visiting our website renovation gallery.

myhousedesignbuild.com

Custom Built

Award Winning Renovations & Custom Homes

Kitchen & Bat

Mechanical &

Home Improv

Creating great living spaces.

Visit MyHouse Design/Build/Team in Surrey, Vancouver or at our North Shore Design Centre, or call 604 My-House (604 694-6873) today and schedule a free consultation.

RENOVATIONS

CUSTOM HOMES

KITCHEN & BATH

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

MECHANICAL PLUS

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EDITOR’S LETTER

In our busy, noisy, chaotic world, one of life’s best pleasures is retreating to a bedroom that is a welcoming sanctuary, and a bed that is so comfortable it permits a deep, restorative sleep.

And when that bed is dressed in fine linens, a puffy duvet and a cozy throw, what could be more inviting?

In this issue, we talk to retailers who specialize in beds and bedding about the design trends that are transforming our bedrooms. Now, more than ever, we need comfort and beauty in the room that embraces our weary minds and bodies at day’s end.

It doesn’t surprise me that soothing, neutral colours are most sought after now in bedroom decor. This is a room that calls out for simplicity rather than “look-at-me” hues.

And when it comes to furnishing the bedroom, less is more these days. Walk-in closets have obviated the need for large, bulky furnishings in which to store clothing.

In this issue, we also take you to the Kootenay Lake home of Sandi and Brooke Leatherman, who clearly understand the need for sanctuary. In addition to building themselves a gorgeous home in the woods, the Leathermans built a guesthouse on their property. They open the space to people in need of respite: palliative caregivers. Being surrounded by Mother Nature is a balm for the soul for the homeowners and their guests.

And if, like me, you believe that art is a panacea when, in the words of William Wordsworth, “the world is too much with us,” you’ll enjoy the profile of artist Irena Chrul; her work is a deep, cerebral study of the murky depths of our subconscious minds. Many of her paintings are political statements, the product of the artist’s formative years in Poland under Soviet rule.

Take a few quiet moments away from the workaday world to curl up and enjoy this issue of Vancouver Home. May your surroundings give you peace and joy.

p.s.

There are several ways you can stay in touch with us:

@leahlipkowitz, @movatohome

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STEPHANIE WHITTAKER Editor-in-Chief stephanie@movatohome.com

@leahlipkowitz, @movatohome

DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

LOVE ROCKS

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CONTRIBUTORS

RANDY LAYBOURNE Vancouver Home welcomes new art director Randy Laybourne, a native of British Columbia who, until recently, was living in San Diego with his wife and children.

Randy studied art and design in Halifax following a year of backpacking through Europe. “After university, I did an internship on a magazine in California, where I didn’t know a soul,� Randy says. “I was able to meet some kind folks and connect with people way before LinkedIn was even a thought. Daily and constant creative exploration is what drives me to keep looking forward to what comes next.�

Volume 4, number 6, Winter Issue 2016/2017 Date of issue: February 2017

4020 St. Ambroise Street Suite #367 Montreal, Qc. h4c 2c7

Call 1-855-410-4663 movatohome.com sales@movatohome.com

PUBLISHER Leah Lipkowitz ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Hana Rakovski

JULIE GEDEON As a writer, editor and writing instructor and coach, Julie Gedeon says she deepened her appreciation of colour and craft by talking to the artists and designers behind Watson Soule’s contemporary, made-in-Canada rugs, which she profiled for this issue. Julie has been a regular contributor to Vancouver Home.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stephanie Whittaker ART DIRECTOR Randy Laybourne ASSOCIATE EDITOR Phillipa Rispin ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

SUSAN SEMENAK Susan Semenak is a Montreal writer and artist who wrote about an extraordinar y house and g uesthouse on Kootenay Lake for this issue. She was struck by the spectacular setting and the bold architecture of the homes, but even more so by the generosity of homeowners Brooke and Sandi Leatherman, who share their guest house with caregivers of the terminally ill in need of respite, and with artists looking for inspiration.

Marieve Gagnon ACCOUNTING AND PRODUCTION Trudy Kerman ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS Diane Dollisen Carmen Lefebvre

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Jennifer Mula OPERATIONS MANAGER Sheila Toby PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Wendy Loper ACCOUNTING Valentina Tarantchenko DIRECTOR OF SALES Kelly Chicoine LEGAL DEPOSIT issn

1920-1370 Montreal Home

magazine Inc. 2016. All rights reserved. Any copying or

CONTRIBUTORS Julie Gedeon Trudy Kerman Susan Semenak

reproduction of content without the written permission of Montreal Home magazine is strictly prohibited.

Publication # 41959020

PHOTOGRAPHY Patrick Barta Liz Dehn Peter Powles Karen Redfern Chris Rollett STYLING

Claudia Leccacorvi Becky Runacres

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Printed in Canada

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CONTENTS DESIGN

56 ON THE COVER A Point Grey home is renovated in a traditional, elegant style

DOWNSIZING TO THE RIGHT SIZE

An empty-nest couple renovate a West Vancouver condo that’s ideal for them

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VANCOUVER’S MISTY AMBIENCE

Artist Donna Giraud captures the cityscape in her abstract paintings

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24 THIS JUST IN

A selection of new items for your home

DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

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PATRAVI SCUBATEC Discover the world 500 meters below its surface. The Patravi ScubaTec diver’s watch offers a multi adjustable clasp and an automatic helium release valve to ensure ultimate comfort and worry free equalization of pressure. Created with the highest grade of stainless steel, its rugged ceramic bezel and blue illuminated hands and dial markers ensure perfect readability, even at the deepest depths.

BOUND TO TRADITION – DRIVEN BY INNOVATION

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CONTENTS

44 EMBEDDED IN STYLE

What’s hot in today’s beds and bedding

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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NICELY NEUTRAL A Vancouver store stocks contemporary furnishings in versatile neutral colours

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CHIC CHI How to use feng shui to create a beautiful life

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GLITTER & GLOW

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SHARED SPACE A couple lend their Kootenay Lake home to palliative caregivers who need respite

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APPLIANCE RELIANCE Our guide to the best European appliances for the kitchen and laundry room

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WELCOMING REFUGE The right furniture can transform a room into a retreat

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TURNING ON THE LIGHTS An architect and a builder team up to create a light-filled home.

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DREAM ON The art of Irena Chrul examines the contents of the subconscious mind

PRESENTS OF MIND…AND HEART Vancouver Home’s annual gift guide

102 MAGIC CARPETS

Watson Soule designs area rugs that are woven in Canada

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DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

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DESIGN

1. WHAT’S COOKING? If you love the speed and control of induction cooking, consider Wolf’s new induction range. It pairs the power of induction technology with Wolf’s dual convection oven, delivering even heat and 10 automatic cooking modes to help you master any dish.

——— Bradlee Distribution 13780 Bridgeport Rd. Richmond, B.C. 604-244-1744 www.bradlee.net

2. BEACH BATHING The Cape Cod bathtub collection by Duravit is inspired by beaches that stretch for miles, crystal-clear water and untamed nature.

Like the wash bowl and bathroom furniture, the Cape Cod bathtub is crafted of Duravit’s material DuraSolid and it features thin rims and gentle curves. The tub also has an integrated headrest on the back slope.

——— Cantu Bathrooms and Hardware 8351 Ontario St., Vancouver 604-688-1252 www.cantubathrooms.com

27.07.16 10:20

3. THE BEST OF ITALIAN DESIGN 4. BREAK AWAY FROM THE HERD The Versace brand is characterized by pure form and high-quality Try the fusion of wool and hide to add interest and elegance to materials infused with the culture and history of Italian design. The a space, whether in the form of rugs, stair runners or wallpaper. accessories in the Ceramics Collection elegantly underline high style The construction of the flat-woven wool and the various hide with 24-kt gold plating, mirror chrome, crystal inserts textures and colours provide character and durability for years. and delicate silks. The collection includes consoles, bathroom Items are customizable. Choose from a variety of wool colours accessories, lighting, mirrors and interior design items to enhance the in combination with hide patterns to create a personal motif5. bathroom with luxurious elements.

——— ——— Fiber & Cloth Cantu Bathrooms and Hardware 491 Champagne Dr., Toronto 8351 Ontario St., Vancouver 416-799-0888 604-688-1252 www.fiberandcloth.com www.cantubathrooms.com

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DESIGN

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1. BALANCED BEAM The Beam sofa by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina rests on a beam base. It’s geometric and formal and has a strong aesthetic impact. The individual pieces – seating, padded elements, tables and ottoman – can be configured in various interesting compositions.

——— Inform Interiors 50 & 97 Water St., Vancouver 604-682-3868 www.informinteriors.com

2. CLEAN LINES The Urkiola Collection for Georg Jensen by Patricia Urquiola is a line of accessories made of mirror-polished surfaces united with ribbed steel. PVD is an eco-friendly, high-tech technology applied as a thin but durable coating to the steel surface.

——— Inform Interiors 50 & 97 Water St., Vancouver 604-682-3868 www.informinteriors.com

3. AAWAY 1960FROM s SENSIBILITY 4. BREAK THE HERD polyurethane is available withto Try the fusion This of wool and hide toarmchair add interest and elegance variousinbases, including legs with casters. can be a space, whether the form of rugs, stair runners or Itwallpaper. customized to your liking with wide of The construction of the flat-woven wool aand theselection various hide seat colours andand various styles for of legs. textures and colours provide character durability years.

Items are customizable. Choose from a variety of wool——— colours Inspiration Furniture in combination with hide patterns to create a personal motif5.

1275 W. 6th Ave, Vancouver ——— 604-730-1275 Fiber & Cloth www.inspirationfurniture.ca 491 Champagne Dr., Toronto 416-799-0888 www.fiberandcloth.com

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DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

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DESIGN

1. IN THE VANGUARD The Vanguard rug, available in many colours, has an abstract, free-flowing design. Made of handspun, high-twist Ghazni wool and handspun silk, the collection is perfect for any contemporary setting.

——— Jordans Interiors 1470 West Broadway, Vancouver 604-733-1174 www.jordans.ca

2. CUBIST ART The metal frame of this chair boasts a contemporary, architectural look, while its ultradown seat offers deep comfort.

Customize it with any leather to create your own unique look.

——— Paramount Home & Design 5520 Minoru Boulevard Richmond 604-273-0155 www.paramounthome.ca

4. RECLINE AND RELAX This Christopher Guy chaise longue is a headturner, attracting attention with its elegance and sensual appeal. Available in left- and right-facing versions.

——— Jordans Interiors 1470 West Broadway, Vancouver 604-733-1174 www.jordans.ca

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3. WALK ON THE WILD SIDE Exuding prowess and elegance, this acrylic Jaguar sculpture keeps a close eye on its surroundings. It measures 37" x 7" x 9".

——— Rodrozen Designs 1463 West Pender St., Vancouver 604-558-4443 www.rodrozen.com

DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

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DESIGN

SPARE AND SPECTACULAR A condo is minimally designed, allowing the view through the windows to shine

BY STEPHANIE WHITTAKER PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRIS ROLLETT STYLING: CLAUDIA LECCACORVI

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DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

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DOWNSIZING TO A CONDOMINIUM from a family home of 30 years can be a challenge for most empty nesters. What to keep and what to discard become key concerns.

Kay and Hamilton McDonald made the transition to a 1,600-square-foot condominium from a large single-family home quite seamlessly in 2013. They had never been pack rats. “We were very spare in our home,” says Hamilton. “We’re from the less-is-more school.”

So reducing the amount of space they were accustomed to occupying did not require them to discard a lot of personal belongings. Nonetheless, they decided it would be an opportunity to start afresh with new furnishings.

After buying a unit in a West Vancouver building constructed in the late 1980s, the couple asked interior designer Claudia Leccacorvi of Raveninside Interior Design to transform the space from empty shell to a serene home that would make the most of the natural beauty surrounding it. “When we had our house, it was on an acre of land and that gave us a lot of privacy,” Hamilton says. “We were giving up that privacy, but the compensatory factor here is the view.” •

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DESIGN

“The original kitchen was small and the window above the sink dictated what we could do. We tried to maximize the storage as much as we could.”

The designer began by reconfiguring the original layout, which featured an enclosed kitchen that was typical of the building’s vintage. “There were walls separating the kitchen from the dining room. We eliminated the dining room and created a larger kitchen,” Leccacorvi says.

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The couple also dispensed with their dining room table, noting that they had rarely used the formal dining room in their single-family home. “We always ate at the kitchen island in our house,” Hamilton says, adding that the new kitchen’s island is the go-to place for meals in the room that is the hub of the condo.

Builder Gary Sanvido of GES Management oversaw the construction, which involved stripping down the interiors to the concrete and starting from scratch with new wiring and all the other amenities that the couple desired. •

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The kitchen is the hub of the home and the place where Hamilton and Kay dine, having dispensed with their dining room. The subway tiles on the backsplash continue up to the ceiling to prevent the space from looking truncated. Bevelled-edge tiles: Daltile; oak flooring: Oregon Lumber Bellagio Collection: BC Hardwood; cabinet pulls: Restoration Hardware; dishwasher: Bosch.

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DESIGN

The result is the perfect urban pied à terre for the couple, who spend summers at their lakefront cottage and winters in California.

Leccacorvi recommended a soft palette of whites and greys to unite all the spaces – kitchen, living room, master suite, guest room and bathroom – and to ensure that the interiors would not compete with the spectacular view.

In the kitchen, the millwork is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Wind’s Breath, a soft grey that is a gentle contrast to the light oak floors, which were installed to replace the original broadloom.

“As in any condo, you’re constrained by the existing services – the plumbing and so on,” says Leccacorvi. “The original kitchen was small and the window above the sink dictated what we could do. We tried to maximize the storage as much as we could.”

To create an airy look in the space, the off-white subway tiles on the backsplash continue up to the ceiling “so it doesn’t look chopped up,” says Leccacorvi. The illusion of space was also created by panelling some of the appliances. “Appliances tend to cut up the kitchen,” she says.

The fireplace is the focus of the living room. Contiguous walls were removed, allowing the hearth to stand alone as a sculptural element. Leccacorvi clad it in a heavily veined statuario marble. The cognac-coloured ottoman was custom-made

by Carmel Furniture; it offers the only shot of colour in an otherwise neutral palette. The high-pile rug from Colin Campbell was custom-cut for the space.

Dellarobbia sectional sofa: Brougham Interiors; felt pouf: Livingspace.

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Designer Claudia Leccacorvi created an area for television viewing behind the fireplace. Here, two Eames chairs face an eye-level TV mounted on the back wall of the fireplace. Chairs: Inform Interiors; felt pouf: Living Space; arc floor lamp and twig side table: Brougham Interiors.

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The living room was also reconfigured. The main seating area, dominated by a large L-shaped sectional sofa, faces a fireplace that is in its original space but was redesigned with a new marble surround. The walls adjacent to the fireplace were removed, so the hearth

is free-standing. Behind it, where a dining area would have been, Leccacorvi created a little television room with two Eames chairs facing an eye-level TV. The space is warmed by a braided felt rug and a twig side table. •

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DESIGN

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“It’s refreshing to see people who live without clutter and so effortlessly.”

In the master bathroom, the designer replaced the bathtub with a shower.

However, here in the guest bathroom, the tub was maintained and clad with Tierra Sol mosaic tile. The vanity’s millwork reflects the style of cabinetry throughout the apartment. The floors and walls are clad in Bianco Macciato honed marble from Centura Tile. Pendant lighting: Hemera Lighting.

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The spare look of the design is evident in the master bedroom, too, where furnishings are kept to a minimum and the couple’s belongings are concealed in built-in cabinetry that connects the space to the ensuite bathroom.

“The whole apartment was considered in its entirety,” says Leccacorvi. “Throughout the entire apartment, the millwork is the same with its Shaker-style doors. We switched its paint colour in the bathrooms, but overall the rooms all speak the same language.”

DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

The master bedroom has the same spare, uncluttered look as the rest of the apartment.

The low-pile wool rug in a colour called Thunderstorm was sourced at Colin Campbell.

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Leccacorvi says the lack of clutter permits a sense of calm in the condo. “It’s refreshing to see people who live without clutter and so effortlessly,” she says. “It’s unusual.”

With the view through the vast windows taking centre stage, the couple asked their designer to remove the closet in the front entry that obstructed the view of the outdoors.

Hamilton says he still enjoys the unbroken sightlines each time he enters the condo.

He and Kay gave Leccacorvi carte blanche to source just the right furnishings. “The furniture we had before was sized for our house,” says Hamilton. “We didn’t want to introduce any of those pieces.”

“We found things all over the place,” says Leccacorvi.

The McDonalds say they also love the condo’s location in West Vancouver, which allows them plenty of opportunities for shoreline walks. “We’re very close to shopping and restaurants,” says Hamilton. “Kay goes to the market to pick up groceries for every meal rather than stocking up for a week. And we eat out in local restaurants.”

Leccacorvi says the outcome is pleasing to all. “It’s a charming place,” she says. “It’s breezy and uncluttered. A lot of the beauty is in the balance between the views and the light that comes through.” •

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Š2016 California Closet Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Each franchise independently owned and operated.

Experience the before and after

See more stories #CCBeforeAfter

californiaclosets.com 6 0 4 . 3 2 0 . 6 5 7 5 VAN C O UVE R

2421 Granville Street

B U R NABY

5049 Still Creek

DESIGN

NEUTRAL BUT NOT NEUTERED Furniture in neutral tones can be anything but bland

INSPIRATION FURNITURE 1275 West 6th Ave., Vancouver 604-730-1275 www.inspirationfurniture.ca

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“In recent years, people have been buying mostly whites and greys.”

NEUTRAL – it can be a loaded word to describe colour. For some people it means unassuming or bland. Designers, however, think that it means versatile and accommodating and even essential. A neutral piece of furniture can be the anchoring piece in a room around which all other style decisions are made.

The staff at Inspiration Furniture are wellversed in helping consumers in the Lower Mainland select and make the most of their neutral furniture. “In recent years, people have been buying mostly whites and greys,” says Felix Chang, the company’s marketing specialist.

“Those are the trending colours. And of course, beige always has a share in the marketplace.”

Chang notes that one time-honoured way to accessorize neutral furniture is to add colourful accessories and accent pieces. “Splash out,” he says. “Use a throw or pillows with colours that pop. You can also use lighting and artwork to add design interest to a room.”

Inspiration Furniture stocks several lines of furniture, covering a spectrum of price points, that add interest through texture,

shape and natural-source components. The Formitalia collection, for instance, features the Chocolate armchair: dark brown or beige in colour, it adds interest through an asymmetric back, cushy channel-quilted leather upholstery, and a metallic buckle detail. The company’s Cocco rug is in warm brown with cream accents, but what makes the all-wool rug a real standout is the crocodile-skin pattern woven in.

Many collections feature warm accents through wood trim. “We carry the Nordic collection, which reflects northern Scandinavian style in neutral and dark colours, but those cool tones are mixed with texture,” Chang says.

Store manager Hesen Zhang mentions lighting with LEDs as a popular strategy for adding interest in a neutral room. “It’s warmer and softer,” he says.

Marble is a natural material that can add subtle or standout detail to decor, but furniture – dining tables, for instance – with a ceramic top is increasingly popular. Zhang describes them as having “clean lines in

neutral colours. They have a marble look, but real marble has open pores that absorb stains, and it also cracks. Some people don’t want that vintage, weathered look. Ceramic is tough, and it can be made to look like many types of marble, such as Carrara.”

A not her t rend t hat Zha ng s ee s i s super-functional furniture. For instance, there are sofas with USB chargers to keep your tablet powered up while you comfortably surf the Web. He mentions a new sofa from Natuzzi that has an audio sound kit with built-in speakers to sync a smartphone or MP3 player with Bluetooth or cable.

“Motion is also a popular feature; recliners today are smart and functional, with great emphasis on ergonomics and electronics to reflect today’s lifestyle,” Zhang says. “Ours look contemporary and they’re functional: the seat slides out, the headrest comes up.”

All in all, Inspiration Furniture offers pieces in a range of textures, silhouettes and features to suit most budgets: always versatile, never bland. •

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Walk in with Walk out with

Try out Sub-Zero and Wolf products in full-scale kitchens.

Talk details with resident experts. Get a taste of all that your new kitchen can be.

Bradlee Showroom Vancouver 13780 Bridgeport Road I 604.244.1744

bradleedistributors.com

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DESIGN

MINIMAL BUT OH SO COMFY

Bedrooms pare down in detail but keep a high luxury factor

BY PHILLIPA RISPIN

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SHAKESPEARE HAD IT RIGHT when Macbeth characterized slumber as “sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care.” A quiet room and a comfortable bed go a long way to promoting a peaceful snooze. However, it’s nice to be happy aesthetically as well as physically. Decor can be an important component of a welcoming bedroom.

The bed is the centrepiece of the room, and consumers in the Lower Mainland and environs tend toward minimalist bed styles. There seem to be two main approaches: beds with large upholstered headboards but no footboards, and platform beds with headboards and the rest of the frame upholstered in the same material.

The retailers surveyed made little mention of bedroom suites, in which bed, chests of drawers and night tables are all the same style with the same wood finish. On this coast, furniture tends to be more mixed than matched.

“Imagine a beautiful upholstered bed with soft sheets, a couple of cushions, a cashmere throw, and an interesting nightstand, or a lacquered nightstand with drawers on one side and a round marble pedestal table on the other, says Joanna Ostrowski of Livingspace, describing the pared-down look.”

Life is so stressful, in the opinion of Nancy Bendtsen, co-owner of Inform Interiors, that everything, including decor, “has to come down. Bedrooms should be a slow place.”

She adds that her customers are going for a relaxed mix of bedside lamp styles, too.

Liz Miller, sales and design manager at Paramount Furniture, also finds that bedroom suites are less popular than before.

“We do a lot of luxury homes, including condos,” she says. “Closets are fitted, so the need for dressers and chests doesn’t seem to be prevalent.” She does say, however, that traditional suites are popular with her upscale clientele, an observation echoed by Hesen Zhang of Inspiration Furniture. • Photo courtesy of Inform Interiors.

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DESIGN

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Photo courtesy of Inform Interiors.

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“If our customers have decent-sized bedrooms, for instance. There is an exception: “Many of they look for a bed and night table at least, our manufacturers do exquisite lacquer in and then dressers,” Zhang says. “Also, some cream and white, anything that sparkles, anymodels of bed have a night table especially thing with bling,” she says. This bright look made for that bed. If you buy the bed without also applies to upholstered bed frames, where the night table, it does not look complete.” she finds that nailheads are still popular.

If a bed frame does have wood elements, The fabrics used on upholstered beds, irrespective of whether it’s part of a suite whether for headboard only or for the or not, the trend is toward lacquer finishes, entire platform, tend to neutral colours glossy or matte, according to Ostrowski. and add interest with texture and weave.

Miller concurs. She says that the “blonde, Leather is also a big item in upholstering. sandy coastal look” is still popular, but in In the Inspiration Furniture inventory, high-end furnishings the trend is back to “about 70 per cent of the upholstery is leathdarker and more traditional woods – walnut, er,” Zhang says, adding that white is the

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company’s best-selling leather colour. Fabric upholstery is in such neutral colours as white, light grey and taupe. It’s often found in textured fabrics – linens and tweedy looks, for instance. Velour in the same colours but also brights such as orange also has a place, often on chairs or stools.

Leather upholstery is a big seller at Inform Interiors, as is black velvet with luxurious mohair content. Favoured colours are neutrals, “greys, beiges, chocolate brown, black, ivory...anything that contrasts with crisp white linens and provides a tone-on-tone feel,” Bendtsen says. •

Photo courtesy of Living Space.

“Greys, beiges, chocolate brown, black, ivory... anything that contrasts with crisp white linens and provides a tone-on-tone feel.”

Photo courtesy of Paramount.

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DESIGN

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“It's about phenomenal quality and simplicity.”

Photo courtesy of Living Space.

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Among Paramount Furniture clients, linen looks and velvets are popular upholstery fabrics, providing subtle texture. Livingspace’s Ostrowski observes that “texture counts at least as much as colour. Wool felt always looks good on a headboard.”

But what of consumers with allergies, for whom textured fabrics can be a dust trap? Bendtsen says that elegant and sophisticated plain wood beds fit right in with current style trends. She also notes that the prevalence of mattresses on slats, obviating the need for box springs, is good both for

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sleepers (allergic or not) and the environment. The retailers surveyed were unanimous in Slatted bed frames are popular in the the opinion that less is more. With a few Lower Mainland. Within these frames, the notable exceptions, pattern is eschewed mattresses are supported without box springs, in favour of monochromes, and those giving a lower profile than typical North monochromes tend to be lighter or darkAmerican beds. Bed frames often allow slat er variations of bed upholstery colours. heights to be changed. Even when box springs Some bed manufacturers provide coordinare used, the bed has a somewhat low profile. ating linens. Livingspace carries two high-end Platform beds often offer useful extras such as Italian brands of beds, Flou and Ivano Redaelstorage drawers or mattress platforms that lift li. “Once you choose fabric for the headboard up easily to reveal storage space underneath. and base, the next step would be to choose a And what kinds of bed linens rest in coordinated set of sheets,” advises Ostrowski. those storage spaces or adorn those beds? “Both of these companies provide a complete•

Photo courtesy of Inform Interiors.

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program. It’s not a random set of sheets. cotton percale, 100 per cent linen, and a cot “We guide our clients to a neutral bed: ton-and-cashmere mix, often leaving the fabtaupe, grey, ecru,” she adds. “They can make ric's natural shade as part of the overall design.” seasonal changes with sheets.” Popular weaves The company also offers three collecfor sheets include jacquards and linen looks. tions of blankets and throws woven in Zha ng says that Inspiration Fur ni- natural fibres from sustainable sources. ture’s clients go for natural silk in gold, "It's about phenomenal quality and simoyster a nd da rk g rey – “pret t y much plicity" Bendtsen says. “Bed dressing is all solid colour.” He also says that beds not fussy, with a bajillion throw pillows.” are tightly tucked in for a tailored look. Paramount furniture clients strike out a Bendtsen says a local Vancouver company bit more boldly. Besides elegantly understated sews linens for Inform Interiors. "Our private neutrals, the company offers duvet covers label bed linens are sewn with luxurious fab- and bedspreads with beading, embroidery rics sourced from Italy and Germany," she says. or sequins, but even here the colours tend “We offer certified organic cotton, 500-strand to be “fairly neutral – creams and taupes

and the softest, palest of pinks,” Miller says. Embroidery is tone-on-tone and, over all, “there are fewer layers than in the past.”

Today’s well-dressed bed tends to look more like a sleek tuxedo than a froufrou party dress, but the goal is to personalize it. With smooth leather or textured velvet, white or chocolate brown upholstery, orange accents or no accents – the bedroom becomes a refuge. Sweet dreams! •

Photo courtesy of Inform Interiors.

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Photo courtesy of Paramount.

Photo courtesy of Inform Interiors.

Photo courtesy of Inform Interiors.

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MAGIC CARPETS Designed and made in Toronto, these area rugs are the result of artistic collaboration

BY JULIE GEDEON

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DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

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The colourful Fractions rug and uniquely formed Stills carpet were both tufted, cut and looped by hand of New Zealand wool.

A RUG ALWAYS BECOMES AN INNOVATIVE form of floor art in the minds and hands of artist Janna Watson and designer Nico Soule. “You can say we’re on a mission to have more people recognize the creative possibilities for this space in their homes and offices. A rug is such an amazing canvas,” says Janna Watson of Watson Soule, a company that specializes in contemporary Canadian-made area rugs.

In collaboration since 2012, Watson and Soule always discuss how they can push – and even redefine – the boundaries of art with their rugs. Their initial Out of Line collaboration derived from a conversation about the artist’s role.

“We decided to make a rug that reflected the hand of the art maker, and Janna drew the

initial pencil strokes,” Soule recalls. “I wasn’t sure the design would translate into a rug, but it works really well.”

Soule caught Watson’s attention when she presented the work for her Industrial Design thesis at OCAD University. “Nico obviously had a strong design orientation and skill set,” Watson says.

Always a painter, Watson had been introduced to rug design and crafting by her grandfather. “He was a rug hooker in the 1960s with an incredible sense of colours and industrial design,” she recalls. “He never found a market for his work, but he taught me so much.”

Watson originally set out to make Torontonians more aware of rug art at Come Up

To My Room, the Gladstone Hotel’s annual alternative design event. “I decided to create a painting that looked like a rug because I didn’t feel that rugs were sufficiently appreciated as an art form,” she says. “That actually sparked my interest in starting a rug company.”

Every rug is one of a kind. Many are experimental – inspired by their chats, an innovative computer rendering and most often one of Watson’s paintings. “I like to start out by just playing with a few colours,” she says.

“Sometimes this organic approach works and sometimes I need to start over.”

Some rugs are commissioned by designers, homeowners and businesses. “A rug is usually the last thing purchased for a room when •

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“We examine the colour scheme and determine the client’s preferences to come up with a unique sketch and palette that really complements the decor.”

The five-by-eight-foot Horizon rug from Watson Soule’s Twofold collection is hand-tufted on one side and flat-woven on the other.

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DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

Nico Soule (left) and Janna Watson at their 401 Richmond studio. A lifelong painter, Watson often begins a rug design by intuitively mixing paint colours on a canvas (far right), while Soule’s industrial design skills find a way to convey even the most challenging patterns into a carpet weave.

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it’s often difficult to find the ideal colours or pattern,” Watson says. “We examine the colour scheme and determine the client’s preferences to come up with a unique sketch and palette that really complements the decor.”

Watson Soule can show clients 1,400 colours on wool samples that resemble miniature pom-poms. “You can see exactly how the wool absorbs each dye,” Soule says.

The duo has a power-stretcher to weave and/or tuft six-by-four-foot pieces right in their 401 Richmond studio. Larger commissioned designs are made by Weaver & Loom, a Toronto boutique that specializes in hand-made rugs. “It’s amazing how everyone there does everything possible to realize our vision,” says Watson.

The relationship has also led to some innovative creations, such as the shaggy rugs made from Himalayan tahr wool. Strands from the mane of the tahr, a goat that is native to Tibet, Nepal and northern India, are snipped and dyed in various colours and combined in a woolly wonder.

Weaver & Loom also produces Waston Soule’s Twofold collection – a series that features a unique design on each side of the same rug. “A homeowner can have the plush tuft displayed in winter and switch it over to the short weave for the summer,” Soule says. “Or one side could be ideal for a child’s room and the other, years later, for a teenager’s.”

Having a rug designed and made in Canada ensures not only uniqueness but quality.

“You’re able to speak directly with the designers/makers,” Soule says.

As for any hesitation about actually putting one of these striking rugs on a floor, “they’re made for that purpose and gain authenticity with use,” Watson says. • THE WINTER ISSUE

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EUROPEAN STYLE IN A MODERN HOME Point Grey renovation makes the most of a traditional design aesthetic

BY PHILLIPA RISPIN PHOTOGRAPHY: PATRICK BARTA AND LIZ DEHN STYLING: BECKY RUNACRES

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WEST COAST TASTES IN HOME STYLE tend to be contemporary or transitional. The owners of this luxurious home in Point Grey, however, are decidedly traditional in their tastes. Their request for the grace and elegance of classic design, with a modern f lair, presented an intriguing opportunity for the Vancouver builder My House Design/Build Team.

Tradition from across the Pacific Ocean also played a part in dictating the layout of the nearly 6,000-square-foot house. The owners are originally from mainland China;

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adherence to feng shui design principles throughout the house, and details such as a secluded wok kitchen in addition to the usual kitchen open to the great room, were important for them.

My House Design/Build Team was hired to radically redesign and expand the original house on the property. Interior designer Becky Runacres, architectural designer Ignacio Lara-Faure and the rest of the team produced a welcoming family home, designed for gatherings of family and friends. It spreads

DESIGN VANCOUVER WINTER 2016/2017

out over three storeys, with plenty of windows for natural light and breathtaking views. The total effect is comfortable sophistication.

“It wa s cha lleng i ng but f u n,” says Runacres. The original two-storey house was outdated, with many small rooms, awkwardly laid out. Contrary to feng shui principles, the front door opened onto a staircase, so My House Design/Build Team re-designed the stairs. Situating them in the rear to serve all levels of the house (including a finished basement that replaced a crawlspace) satisfied feng

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shui requirements and provided access to the new rooftop deck above the second storey.

“This house now has so many design details not common in our Vancouver West Coast contemporaries – for example, custom rosettes incorporated in the island millwork to match window casing details, and ornate detailing on pull-out spice racks on each side of the cooktop, thus incorporating functionality and design. It was exciting to experience this traditional level of design,” Runacres says. •

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“This house is all about view and location,” says Graeme Huguet, owner of My House Design/Build Team. “The main floor has a tremendous view to the North Shore Mountains. The open-plan main floor affords interior views throughout, tying together the many design details. All the bedroom suites upstairs take advantage of the unprecedented views of ocean and Burrard Inlet and include a Juliet balcony or exterior access, topped off with the transformation of the old flat roof into an integrated 900-square-foot deck.”

“These clients have a refined, traditional design taste with European influence.”

The attention to detail as shown in the office (left and opposite, bottom) is typical of the fine craftsmanship throughout the home.

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The general design aesthetic is traditional, with rich detailing and ornamentation.

“These clients have a refined, traditional design taste with European inf luence,” says Runacres. “They had a wish list of pictures when they came to us and, once trust was established, they were able to let me come up with suggestions and options. They were involved throughout the process and were very efficient in saying yes or no, which really helps a designer.” •

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“Sourcing was more challenging than usual because [such style] is not readily accessible here on the West Coast.”

Runacres had to work with the homeowners’ choices in furniture, adding accessories and soft furnishings that play into the traditional aesthetic, and she also specified decorative details in cabinetry, window casings and other millwork. It was an opportunity to be creative in a style that is different from her usual projects.

“These clients like ornate, elaborate design,” she says. “Sourcing was more challenging than usual because [such style] is not readily accessible here on the West Coast.”

A prime example of the designer’s results is the living room’s elaborate fireplace mantel.

Obtained from Ontario, it tied in nicely with the millwork (with custom-designed moldings) in the nearby kitchen. Runacres also ensured cohesiveness among design elements.

For many rooms, “I chose one item and built the room around that,” she says. “Or, I took inspiration from a nearby space; for example, the shape of the foyer tiles ties in with the kitchen backsplash.” •

Designer Becky Runacres enjoyed sourcing suitably decorative design elements such as the living room’s fireplace mantel, brought in from Ontario.

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The interior of the house was so broadly rebuilt and expanded that it was able to be considered a new build and registered as a new home with 2-5-10 warranty. Taken back to the studs, inside and out, the structure was extensively reinforced with steel to meet building codes for seismic activity, and it has a fire suppression system. More than 450 square feet of living space was added in the basement by digging out the crawlspace. This allowed room for a full THX theatre, climatized wine cellar, bar and family room. •

The wok kitchen (above) is less ornate than the kitchen (left and opposite) that opens to the living room, but it still received great care in design and execution.

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The exterior style, however, could not be radically altered. “Our clients fell in love with the front facade, so we based the exterior design to work with the existing shell and roof line,” Runacres says. “We tied in natural granite to match the front retaining wall, used Enviroslate roofing to give the look of slate without the weight, and installed windows with charcoal frames to tie in with the front door and railing details.”

Behind that traditional-looking facade, within those traditionally decorated rooms, is a house replete with up-to-date technology.

A Control4 home-automation system means that heating, lighting, security, and audio and video equipment can be controlled easily, both at home and remotely from anywhere in the world. Runacres is a LEED Green Associate and, along with the My House production team, which is Build Green-certified,

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has ensured that the house is energy efficient – so much so that the building is Certified Built Green Platinum, the highest residential industry rating. Spray-foam insulation, high-efficiency windows and doors, in-floor hydronic heating, and heat recovery ventilation (HRV) equipment ensure that the heating and air conditioning requirements are as low as possible. Water and air purification ensure a healthy environment. The house’s electrical system is solar-power ready, and there are provisions for a charging station for electric vehicles in the 650-square-foot detached garage.

The owners enjoy international travel; however, with the new home-automation amenities, the auspicious layout, and the richly detailed decor, they are now excited to return to their welcoming, healthy and comfortable dream home. •

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GET INTO THE FLOW How to use feng shui to get chi moving smoothly through your home and life

BY TRACEY MACKENZIE

FENG SHUI IS DEFINED as the ancient Chinese art of placement, but that’s a simple definition of a system that is both rewarding and complex for those who practise it.

Developed in China about 5,000 years ago, feng shui (pronounced fung shway) is more aptly def ined as the env ironmental study of a par ticular location.

Literally translated, “feng shui” means “wind and water.” In China’s ancient agricultural society, a site was considered auspicious if it was sheltered from strong winds and could benefit from slow-moving waters.

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Although originally developed to locate an auspicious site for a city, village, building or tomb, feng shui has evolved and has gradually gained traction in the West. Its use by Western celebrities, including Sir Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Donald Trump, has popularized it.

Traditionally, the Chinese believed that the universe was in a constant state of flux and that energy, known as chi, could work for or against humans, depending on how they use it. Understanding and harnessing that energy to benefit from it is the basis of

feng shui. The proper distribution and flow of energy in buildings and landscapes is said to improve health, increase prosperity, activate career opportunities and even attract a life partner. The ancients also used feng shui to protect their dead. Master practitioners carefully chose sites for the dead in the belief that the wrong placement would adversely affect the prosperity of the deceased’s descendants.

While feng shui is a complex and esoter ic discipline, homeow ners ca n employ its basic tenets to improve the f low of energ y i n t hei r su r rou nd i ng s. •

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HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FENG SHUI TIPS TO USE IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT v Beautify your home’s entrance to improve your life. The main entrance to a home is considered the “mouth of chi” in feng shui. What do you see when you open your front door? If your walkway is disintegrating, and your door is covered in cobwebs, has chipped paint or a broken handle, your life will reflect this. Repair what’s broken and place brightly coloured flowerpots on each side of the entrance door to spruce up the energy … and your life. v Want more money or new opportunities? Get rid of clutter. Clutter causes blockages in your life by slowing down the flow of chi, especially if your space is filled with stuff you don’t use. In my home, no more than 30 per cent of any surface is used. Closets have lots of unused space and there are empty drawers in my dressers, awaiting new things. Make space for the new and you will receive. v Is your love life non-existent? Make your bedroom an oasis. Scan your bedroom. Is there laundry in it? An ironing board? Do you have a treadmill beside your bed? Do you have a giant picture of your parents hanging above or in front of your bed? If you said yes to any of these questions, romance may well be scarce. The bedroom is for intimacy, so remove the work from it. Hang pictures of you and your partner while vacationing or at a happy event. If you don’t have photos of the two of you, hang pictures of a beach or a lake or any place that makes you happy. This will keep you positive. v If you want to attract a loving relationship, start thinking in pairs. If you surround yourself with single items, the concept of singularity is metaphorically reinforced. If you hang pictures of single people, or have only one night table and one place mat, you are advising the Universe that you are fine being single. Put two place mats on your table and two night tables in your bedroom. Display a statue of a couple or a pair of mandarin ducks. Remove artwork depicting single people. Create space in your closet to metaphorically send the message that you are ready to share it.

HERE ARE SOME FENG SHUI TIPS TO ATTRACT PROSPERITY v In addition to enhancing your home’s entrance and eliminating clutter, clean your wallet (remove bills and receipts). v Start a gratitude journal. v Hang three lucky Chinese coins tied with red string on the inside door handle of your main entrance and keep some in your wallet. v Sign documents in an upward motion. v Place a laughing Buddha facing the main entrance door. v Change your business phone number to one that ends in a combination of the numbers three, eight and nine. v Avoid the number four in both your phone number and your address (especially if it ends in a four). v Activate the east of your home in 2017 by adding red or orange items there. v Wear a piece of jewelry that contains citrine.

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Traditional Hot Tub

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1. SEDUCTIVE SAPPHIRES ——— The Emotion blue sapphire ring by Fabergé is aglow with intense colour, emblematic of the artistic richness of Fabergé’s world. With round blue sapphires set in 18-karat white gold, it makes a bold and sophisticated statement.

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——— Palladio Terminal City Club 855 West Hastings St., Vancouver 604-685-3885 www.palladiocanada.com

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TO THE LIGHTHOUSE A Kootenay Lake home is a soothing oasis for its owners and their visitors

BY SUSAN SEMENAK • PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER POWLES (MAIN HOUSE) AND KAREN REDFERN (GUESTHOUSE)

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LIGHTHOUSE, they call it. It’s a sunny, spectacular house perched on the rocky shores of Kootenay Lake, with endless expanses of glass that pull in the light. There’s a beacon right outside the house, at the water’s edge. It blinks all night, warning passing boats of the protruding rocks.

But Brooke and Sandi Leatherman’s home is a lighthouse in other ways, too. The couple, who moved to British Columbia from California in 1994, have long been committed to building communities. One of the projects dearest to their hearts is the Kalein Hospice Centre (kaleinhospice.org)

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in nearby Nelson, which Sandi founded in 2010 to offer palliative care and counselling and to encourage dialogue about end-of-life issues. They’ve built a guesthouse a short walk from the main house where caregivers can go for respite and where artists, playwrights and authors can come to find inspiration. It’s the Leathermans’ way of sharing the beauty of the place with others.

“We wanted our house to be a place of welcome and exploration for anyone who came to it,” Brooke Leatherman says. “A place for conversation and enlightenment, a place to learn from each other.”

The guesthouse stands tall among the trees. Its most impressive feature is the expansive remote-controlled front window – 11 feet wide by 20 feet tall – that is actually a door. “You press a button and up it goes, and there you are, as if outside,” homeowner Brooke says.

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Architect Don Gurney designed the main house to nestle into its surroundings on the shore of Kootenay Lake.

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The couple had been looking for property in the Kootenays for nearly a decade when they came upon this wooded site 45 minutes outside of Nelson, right on the main lake. On their first walk through these woods, they were awed by its majestic beauty, its wildness and peaceful nature. They hired architect Don Gurney of OpenSpace Architecture, a North Vancouver firm that specializes in contemporary coastal buildings. The firm oversaw both the architecture and interior design.

Gurney, whose family had long ago camped on the land, spent two years working with the owners to ensure the buildings would be “sited in right relationship to the landscape.”

“Most of the buildings I design put people in touch with nature, so they experience the seasons and landscapes in a full-frontal way,” Gurney says. “Many of the people we work for come from all over the world – New York, Sydney, Hong Kong – and we give them an experience of ‘super, natural B.C.’ We want to make sure the owners experience that.” •

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Brooke says he and Sandi have an affinity for contemporary architecture. They like glass, wood, steel and concrete. But more than anything, they wanted a soulful house that would exist in harmony with the land. “So many contemporary homes look amazing, but feel sterile,” Brooke says. “We wanted a place that would feel comfortable for the two of us, but also one that could embrace large groups.

And we wanted it to be a peaceful house.”

They were intent on “bringing the outdoors in,” he says. And so they have. Every room in the two-storey house, as in the guesthouse, highlights and embraces the surrounding forests, mountains and lake.

When visitors enter the living room they can’t help but gasp at “the big view” over Kootenay Lake. But there are “smaller views” that are no less enchanting, Brooke says, such as the scene out the kitchen window of the gardens that they’ve planted with indigenous species.

It’s one of these small windows that he says brings him the most joy. •

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A wood carving by Haida artist Corey Bulpitt greets visitors at the entrance to the main house. Both houses feature light sculptures by Cameron Mathieson.

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" We wanted a place that would feel comfortable for the two of us, but also one that could embrace large groups."

To create wood-grain patterns in the concrete, builder Luc SĂŠnĂŠchal and his crew sandblasted planks of fir to raise the grain, which left its impression on the wet concrete when it was poured into the forms.

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At the kitchen’s heart is an extra-large island, harbouring two trolleys that can be pulled out when the homeowners entertain. One holds 12 folding chairs. The other is a catering trolley that stores a dinner service for 20.

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“If I look toward the northeast, I can see through a narrow horizontal strip of window and out onto a bluff with its greenery and rock. That’s my favourite view,” he says.

Brooke says he knew from the start that the house should be built of wood and concrete, materials that evoke the beauty of the massive fir trees and boulders that surround it. But it’s the myriad details and strokes of hand-worked craftsmanship that give the house its soulfulness.

To greet guests at the front entrance, a wood carving called Dragonfly by Haida artist Corey Bulpitt hangs on the wall, its motif inspired by the wings of the colourful insect.

The concrete walls inside and outside the house are textured with wood-grain markings that soften the otherwise industrial personality of the material. And in the guesthouse, a curvy line of river rocks set into the concrete floor represents a meandering brook. •

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The house’s custom millwork and steelwork, including the curved beams in the roof and the kitchen cabinetry and the curved wall in the bedroom, were created by Nelson-based Spearhead Timberworks.

Furnishings throughout: Inform Interiors.

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The house is poised on a long, narrow parcel of land sandwiched between Kootenay Lake and the Canadian Pacific railway tracks, which run parallel to the shoreline. To other potential buyers the proximity of the train might have been a deterrent. But Brooke says he and Sandi have embraced it. “Every day between five and six in the evening, the train goes by and we wave at the engineer and he waves back,” he says with a chuckle.

They allowed the train to work its way philosophically into the architectural design of the house, too. There’s a reference to the railway in the curved roofline and closely spaced crosspieces of the long, narrow house.

The guesthouse, reached by a path through the woods, is a 425-square-foot building with a large personality. While the main house is horizontal, the guesthouse is vertical. A tall, narrow, totem-like structure, its two storeys are built into a three-storey shell, a feat that makes the ceilings appear to soar. It’s a place for visiting family and friends, that is also open to caregivers who need a break. •

The rocky site posed challenges for the builders. Luc Sénéchal of Sénéchal Construction says it took a month to chip away at the solid bedrock with jackhammers to prepare the site for construction.

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“We think of ourselves as the diviners of this place.”

“We meet a lot of people whose relatives are in palliative care. They are worn out and in need of a little respite,” Brooke says. “We wanted for them to have a place where they could come for a few days or a week to take a break.”

The guesthouse is just that place, with its endless views and restful design. It’s also a dramatic setting for one of the most impressive pieces in the Leathermans’ collection of light sculptures by artist Cameron Mathieson, whose work appears in international galleries. As it happens, Mathieson is a former housing contractor, and the Leathermans’ house was his last project before he left the profession to focus on his art.

The guesthouse features a bedroom that sleeps two, but also a loft for two more as well as a sofa and a daybed for two others. The kitchen ceiling is 13 feet high, and the living room tops out at 20 feet.

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Mathieson creates his dramatic, hauntingly beautiful sculptures from driftwood he gathers at remote Duncan Lake in the springtime, filling his truck with the weathered, gnarled and bent pieces that he later assembles with layers of paper and epoxy. When illuminated, the pieces glow.

When the building project was complete, the Leathermans held a party for the 75 tradespeople and contractors who had worked on the house and their family members. Each tradesperson was invited to bring an item that symbolized “home” for them. One brought a rock, another a feather found on the site, others photographs. The objects were placed in a time capsule near the front porch. “We think of ourselves as the diviners of this place,” says Brooke. “But so many others brought so much of themselves to it, too.” •

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THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF APPLIANCES Company imports and sells European models

BY TRUDY KERMAN

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EURO-LINE APPLIANCES INC. 2912 West 4th Ave., Vancouver 604-235-3980 www.euro-line-appliances.com

“We are a wholesale importer and distributor of AEG, Liebherr, SMEG, Porter & Charles, Franke. . . . all fine European appliances.”

YOU COULD SAY THAT MARK EGLINGTON was born to run – a national company, that is. “I never stood a chance. I was the brat running around the warehouse, Canadianizing appliances, changing plugs and applying inspection stickers,” Eglington, president of Euro-Line Appliances Inc., says of his childhood.

With his sister Michelle Gagné as vice-president, he runs the company that was founded in 1987 by their father, Douglas, who moved the family to Canada from South Africa the previous year.

Now semi-retired, Douglas Eglington realized then that the market had room for a store specializing in European appliances, which are smaller, have higher rates of efficiency and are built flush to look fully integrated with kitchen cabinetry. He opened the first Euro-Line store in Oakville in 1987.

“We are a wholesale importer and distributor of AEG, Liebherr, SMEG, Porter & Charles, Franke. . . . all fine European appliances,” says Eglington.

At an international appliance trade show last year in Germany, Eglington scouted for new developments in products. “We have a couple of things we’re excited about: a heat­pump clothes dryer by Gorenje, a manufacturer in Velenje, Slovenia,” says Eglington. The heat pump recaptures the warm air it creates and sends it back into the drum, increasing the drying efficiency and resulting in shorter drying times and reduced energy consumption.

Both the washer and dryer will be available at Euro-Line stores in February 2017 and will sell for about $4,000, a price that will include the stacking kit, adapter box and five-year warranty.

Customers are also visiting Euro-Line to buy the Combi9-6 washer-dryer, manufactured by Porter & Charles. The all-in-one machine’s drum boasts enough space to wash a kingsize duvet. The washing cycle can handle nine kilograms of laundry but the drying cycle just six, because of the space needed to tumble-dry the items.

Innovation comes to the kitchen from two manufacturers. AEG offers users a combination steam oven, which allows food to be cooked either by 100-per-cent steaming, a regular dry heat, or a combination of both.

“A 25-per-cent-steam setting for meat will give bursts of steam in the oven while hot air circulates, cooking the roast and locking in the juices. Fish can be cooked in a 50-per-cent steam environment while cooking at a high heat. AEG’s BS7 unit is a 24-inch oven with the largest interior capacity you can easily fit a turkey in,” says Eglington. These ovens can also be used as a dehydrator, a low-temperature cooking process favoured by raw-food chefs.

Tired of spoiled fruit and limp lettuce?

European refrigeration manufacturer Liebherr has a reputation for assuring the longevity of fresh food. It offers a food-preservation control system called BioFresh, which keeps the vegetable crisper cool and humid. Temperatures in the rest of the fridge stay cold and dry. “Apples keep six months before they start to go off and strawberries last 14 days,” says Eglington.

What’s coming in the future? “Cameras inside the fridge so that you can see what’s inside with a cell phone app,” he says. “They are also working at 100-per-cent home connectivity so that eventually the appliance will order directly from the store.” •

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1463 W Pender Street, Vancouver BC V6G 2S3 www.RODROZEN.com 604.558.4443

INTERIOR DESIGN

RENOVATIONS & CONSTRUCTION

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The paintings of artist Donna Giraud evoke the idea of Vancouver’s landscapes and water

BY STEPHANIE WHITTAKER

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SOMETIMES, INSPIRATION COMES to us in ordinary moments. It happened to Donna Giraud.

The Vancouver artist was in a restaurant, dining with a friend, when a new vocation called to her in 2001. “There was a painting on the wall that my friend really liked,” Giraud recalls. “I looked at it and thought to myself: ‘I could do this.’ So I took a photograph of the painting and went to a crafts store, where I bought paint and a canvas.”

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Then Giraud created her first-ever painting and gave it to her friend as a gift. Looking back on that early attempt, she views the work as the beginning of her career as an artist. In fact, art now claims so much of her time that she has reduced to part-time her work schedule as one of the head nurses in the acute medicine department at St. Paul’s Hospital. “I am one of the lucky ones who actually gets to make a living from art,” she says. •

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"I feel my best when I am near water, and I think that comes out in each of my paintings.�

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Giraud didn’t set out to be a full-time artist. She studied nursing, graduating from Langara college in 2005. But once she began painting, she discovered an artform that allowed her to express deep emotions.

The paintings are abstract, and despite the fact that Giraud doesn’t start a painting with a clear image in mind, each tableau evolves into an idea of a seascape, a horizon, a mountain, land.

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“I don’t intentionally paint a horizon or a mountain scape,” Giraud says. “But I am very inf luenced by the geography around me. My parents live on a boat on the North Shore so I’m constantly surrounded by water and mountains. I feel my best when I am near water, and I think that comes out in each of my paintings.” •

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“All of my paintings are named after someone, something or lessons I’m learning,”

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Her medium is acrylic paint. “I start with my palette knife, which I use to apply molding paste, a product that gives life and texture to each of my pieces. The way the paste goes onto the canvas gives me an indication of what I’ll paint.”

The paste takes two days to dry. “That’s the frustrating part when I have an inspiration that I need to get down on canvas,” Giraud says. “So I intentionally have several canvases on the go, in various stages. I also tend to paint with both hands. I have my paintbrush in my right hand and a paper towel in my left.

As I apply paint with my brush, I use my left hand to rub it off. I use water to dilute the pigmentation, and as a result, I get a subtle layering effect that provides a real depth to each of the pieces.”

The colour palette is muted, ref lecting Vancouver’s misty, rainy landscapes. “I think of being in this city and having the greyness around us,” she says. However, an occasional smudge of red will give the impression of land or rock. And turquoise is a favourite colour among her clients. “Bright colours don’t come out of me naturally though,” she adds. •

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Giraud lives in Yaletown, but does her paintings on large (five by four feet) canvases in her Mount Pleasant studio.

The paintings bear mysterious names. “All of my paintings are named after someone, something or lessons I’m learning,” Giraud says, adding that the emotions she expresses in her work are communicated to viewers. While she has been represented by art galleries in the past, most sales of her work are currently generated by her attendance at four local design shows and by clients’ visits to her studio.

She strives to inspire emotional reactions.

“I want people to feel something when they look at my work. I believe that buying art should be an unforgettable experience,” she says. “I’ve had people see my work and break down in tears, and that is the greatest gift.”

The paintings are in collections throughout North America. “My hope is to continue finding each of my pieces its destined owner and never to stop exploring my artistic boundaries,” Giraud says. • For information about Donna Giraud’s art: www.donnagiraudart.com.

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Gifts,

Glorious Gifts Bestowing presents upon friends and loved ones is a year-long activity, so why not start your year off right and plan early for birthdays, anniversaries and just-because-I-feel-like-it moments? Herewith, our guide to some great gifts to help the process.

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1. BREEZY RIDER The Sainte-Elisabeth 2.0 from Courselle Cycles’ Mile End collection is a streamlined beauty, designed and assembled in the company’s workshop in the St. Henri neighbourhood of Montreal. As Canadians embrace cycling as their transportation of choice, this well-made bike makes a great gift. $815. Available from Courselle Cycles. www.coursellecycles.com. 2. LOSE THE BLAHS There’s nothing like a shot of intense colour and some sparkle to cheer up a blah day. This 6.4-ct cushion-cut sapphire, surmounting a 19-kt white-gold band and flanked by heart-shaped diamonds set in 18-kt yellow gold, will do the trick nicely. Available from Brinkhaus Jewellers. www.brinkhaus.com. 3. MAKE SCENTS It may be reminiscent of chemistry class equipment, but this handcrafted burner is designed to let you enjoy the aromas of your favourite essential oils. The kit includes the burner unit, adjustable metal clamp, flask, beeswax candle, glass dish and five millilitres of Australian lavender oil. $211.20.

Available from Free People. www.freepeople.com. 4. PRETTY PEREGRINATIONS This American-made lined leather travel kit with its zipper closure holds your toiletries and grooming essentials for elegant travel. Happy trails. $259.38. Available from Free People. www.freepeople.com. 5. DETOX AND DESTRESS Herbivore offers a gentle yet effective soap bar, infused with activated bamboo charcoal for deep cleansing, exfoliation, and detoxification. It works especially well with oily, combination, and blemish-prone skin. $14. Available at Sephora. www.sephora.com.

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1. BASIC BLACK Montreal designer Rachel F. presents the Osaka backpack, the perfect accessory when you need to carry things but want your hands free. The Osaka is made of full-grain leather and is equipped with closings that adjust to various heights to accommodate contents. The straps, made of the same leather, are adjustable. $295. Available from Rachel F. www.rachelf.ca. 2. COZY CARIBOU COMFORT The Hudson’s Bay Company’s timeless wool throw bordered with its iconic stripes never goes out of style. Embodying quality craftsmanship that dates to the 1800s, this 100-per-cent-wool fringed Caribou throw will keep you comfy all winter. Measures 42 by 70 inches. $170. Available at Hudson’s Bay. www.thebay.com. 3. FEATHER YOUR NEST The rich aromas of Moroccan tea, Kashmir wood, and black cardamom are combined with wild fig and bergamot in Nest, a fragrance that is perfect for day or evening. Laura Slatkin collaborated with master perfumers to translate the works of 18th century British artist Mary Delany into luxurious scents that capture the essence of the botanicals that adorn Nest’s striking packaging. $78. Available at Sephora. www.sephora.com. 4. BAG A BANGLE These enamel bracelets from the Tempo collection combine pure colour with the sumptuousness of gold. The elegant circlets are accented with white diamonds pavé and intriguing numerals and patterns in 18-kt white, yellow and rose gold. Available from Brinkhaus Jewellers. www.brinkhaus.com.

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1. WINTER WARDROBE CLASSIC Warm up your winter with a cozy muffler. The Ashby twill scarf, made of 100 per cent merino wool, comes from the Faribault Woolen Mill Co. of Minnesota, which has been crafting heirloom blankets since 1825. It’s woven with a “broken” twill technique that creates a subtle zigzag texture. $119.95. Available from Old Faithful Shop. www.oldfaithfulshop.com. 2. COLD WEATHER COMFORT Odeyalo’s Ritz coat combines wool, viscose, nylon and alpaca for a classic garment that permits a warm transition from autumn to winter. Made in Canada, it features a hand-sewn snap closure and concealed front pockets. $475. Available from Odeyalo Clothing. www.odeyaloclothing.com. 3. METALLIC MAGIC Pen cases may be a delightful throwback to an elegant age, but they’re also practical. Store your pens in Midori’s solid brass pen case, which will acquire a beautiful patina over time. ¤54.90. Available from Kohezi. www.kohezi.com. 4. A RARE TREAT The original Venturer Small Seconds watch by H. Moser & Cie. has been punched up. Meet the Venturer Small Seconds XL Funky Blue. Drawing inspiration from vintage design, it features a sky-blue fumé dial and a kudu raw leather strap. Approximately 25 of these watches are made per year – don’t let this one escape! Available from Palladio. www.palladiocanada.com.

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1. TONY TONIC Crack open your favourite gin for the holiday season. Tonic Maison is the perfect hostess gift. Handcrafted in Quebec of cinchona bark, from which quinine originates, this is one artisanal syrup your home bar should stock. One bottle mixes approximately 25 drinks. $25. www.34oztonicmaison.com. 2. SOFT AND CASUAL With a nod to the design of the 1950s, this updated men’s bomber jacket from Odeyalo is 80 per cent organic cotton and 20 per cent recycled polyester. Made in Canada, the Myriade bomber features a classic brass snap-front closing and elasticated cuffs and bottom. $220. Available from Odeyalo Clothing. www.odeyaloclothing.com.

3. YEAR-ROUND GARDEN Enjoy the pleasure of snipping fresh herbs for dinner year-round with this indoor herb garden from Nude. The set includes two posts and a concrete base, with a hydroponic irrigation system. Buy it as a gift for others or for your own kitchen. US $241. Available from Amara. www.amara.com. 4. OF SURF AND TURF The Sea & Land ring combines motifs of two great elements: water and earth. A glossy South Sea pearl contrasts with multicoloured, intricately faceted sapphires.

In pink gold with diamond details. Available from Palladio. www.palladiocanada.com.

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1. LOVELY LOOPS Sinuous white-gold earrings feature an organic shape traced out with diamonds. The pendant is a South Sea pearl, its serene glow complementing the flash of the diamonds. Available from Palladio. www.palladiocanada.com. 2. WONDERFULLY WOVEN Kilims are beautiful flat-weave area rugs that originate in central Asia. This one from Ferm Living is joyously colourful in a blend of 80 per cent wool and 20 per cent cotton. Adorned with a graphic semicircle in warm pastel tones, it is finished with a tasselled edge. $340. Available from Amara. www.amara.com. 3. MIRROR MIRROR Influenced by 1950s Italian design, this Pepe marble mirror from Menu is finished with complementary brass fittings. Its adjustable angle makes it perfect for applying makeup and shaving. $701. Available from Amara. www.amara.com.

4. CLASSIC STYLE Little black dress, timeless tuxedo – two mainstays of soignée, understated dressing – are joined by a third exemplar: the diamond stud earring. It’s a simple yet elegant finishing touch that’s always in style. Available from Palladio. www.palladiocanada.com.

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FURNITURE THAT TRANSFORMS ROOMS INTO RETREATS Spain-based company offers unusual and customizable sofas and chairs

BY TRUDY KERMAN

FAMALIVING MONTREAL www.famaliving.ca Famaliving offers free delivery Canadawide.

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“Clients can meet with their designers here and plan. It’s cozy and everyone is happy.”

WHEN DOES A ROOM BECOME AN OASIS, a retreat, a sanctuary? Whether you are curling up with a good book, cuddling with loved ones or having a nap, a great sofa or armchair can transform a room into a welcoming refuge.

Finding that perfect sofa or chair requires time and testing. At Famaliving Montreal, customers are encouraged to drop in and try out the contemporary, curved, colourful and geometrically shaped sofas and chairs.

“I like to suggest to the client the best colours and configurations of shapes, and textures and patterns. If they want, I can do the design for the whole space,” says interior designer Nelly Musayelyan, adding that she has a collection of home photos from her customers displaying the happy results of their collaborations.

“We can create a unique sofa: you can choose different coloured fabrics for the back and seating,” she says.

The plethora of pillows seen on the floor models is included with each purchase. Foam used in the sofa and chair seats is available in three different densities. “I recommend firm for seniors because it is easier to get up from,” Musayelyan says.

Mixing and matching fabrics involves a short stroll over to the large flat touch-screen, where virtual meets actual, allowing customers to see in 3D what their selection of furniture will look like from every angle. It also makes fabric changes instant, at the swipe of a fingertip. “Clients

can meet with their designers here and plan. It’s cozy and everyone is happy,” she says.

The store also boasts a children’s corner where children can draw and colour while their parents consult with staff and have a cup of coffee.

Famaliving was founded in 1970 in Yecla, Spain, where the company continues to manufacture its products.

The company’s products can be used in homes and offices; they’re made to specification and can be upholstered in fabric or leather. They also come with a lifetime guarantee for the wood frame and a 10-year guarantee for the webbing. Customers can take delivery of orders in 12 to 14 weeks.

Of the 1,000 fabrics from which to choose, most are washable. The Aquaclean line of fabrics can be cleaned with water.

And one line of fabrics is pet-friendly; its tight weave, for instance, allows a cat’s claws to slide off rather than puncturing or tearing the upholstery.

Reclining sofas and chairs can be operated at the push of a button, and the battery that powers them is rechargeable. A phone or tablet can be connected with the My Club chair, which is equipped for Bluetooth and has built-in speakers.

Famaliving stores are in 60 countries worldwide, and Montreal boasts the company’s only store in Canada. •

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“We were hooked – it had everything we wanted”

Spectacular Waterfront Homes

Here’s what our residents are saying about the Cottages.

“The setting is simply stunning, the cycling is gorgeous and safe, there are wonderful hikes to explore, and there are fish just waiting to be hooked.

But what we have discovered while building at The Cottages, is the wonderful community – a caring“family” of homeowners, reminiscent of the small towns in the Maritimes where I grew up. It was the location and setting that brought us to The Cottages, but it is the vibrant and welcoming community that will keep us here.”

Visit our website for more details including photo galleries, home plans, video tours and more homeowner testimonials about our gorgeous location and homes.

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Visit our Display Homes » 2450 Radio Tower Road, Oliver, BC See website for open hours.

1.855.742.5555 osoyooscottages.com

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LET THERE BE LIGHT A builder and architect work together to create a bright, cheery home

BY SUSAN SEMENAK

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BUILT LIKE RECTANGULAR GLASS BOXES SET ATOP ONE ANOTHER, this Pemberton Heights house seems to glow from within.

“The structure is simple with lovely spaces to be in,” says Ed Berwick, the Vancouver architect who worked on the project with Barrett Group Custom Builders.

His first mission, in a city that’s often cloudy and grey, was to create a space that would be perennially bright and cheery.

“Natural light was encouraged to penetrate the spaces wherever possible while preserving the privacy of the owners and neighbours,” he says.

He didn’t just harness the light though; he made it move throughout the house by introducing glass walls, oversized windows and doors, and lustrous white surfaces.

A skylight pierces the roof above the kitchen, as does another upstairs in the master bathroom, flooding both rooms with natural light. On the main floor, outsized doors open the full width of the house on the north and south walls, washing the open kitchen, living room and dining room with light. The south wall of the lower storey’s suite also enjoys vast fenestration, giving it an abundance of natural light.

In the kitchen, a 16-foot-long waterfall island is topped with deeply veined white granite, the sections all cut from the same slab of stone so that the veining continues uninterrupted.

Throughout the house, oversized windows and doors with minimal frames admit maximum light.

(Above) The sliding glass doors that camouflage the open kitchen shelving, would have been expensive to custom-build.

Instead the builders use Ikea glass doors for one-tenth of the price.

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Joel Barrett, of Barrett Group Custom Builders, says the homeowners – a couple who work in the film industry – wanted an, open, contemporary-style house for themselves and their two children. To achieve the look, Barrett says, they used a limited range of colours and materials. Polished pale grey concrete f loors run uninterrupted throughout the house. Built-in white-oak furniture in almost every room minimizes the need for freestanding furniture.

“We customized each of the children’s bedrooms with built-in desks, beds and closets.

And there is custom millwork in the master bedroom closet and in the ensuite bath,” Barrett says.

In the kitchen, a 16-foot-long waterfall island offers plenty of space for working and eating, with seating for six. Behind it, there’s a set of opaque glass doors that slide open to reveal a wall of open shelves housing small appliances and kitchen gear. “When you are cooking, you slide the doors open so that everything you need is at hand,” says Berwick.

“But then when guests arrive or when you don’t want to see the mess, you slide the doors closed.” Floor-to-ceiling glass doors create seamlessness between the kitchen and the patio. •

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Builder Joel Barrett says the stairway was one of the most challenging elements of the project – and one of the house’s most stunning features.

Four-inch-thick white oak treads are supported on aluminum stringers and sandwiched between glass panels. “It’s as if they float there,” he says.

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Upstairs in the master bathroom, the curbless shower is at the same elevation as the floor. It is lined with extra-large panels of the same white granite used in the kitchen. Its dramatic vertical veins, like strokes of an artist’s brush, bring the raw beauty of natural stone to an otherwise minimal space.

The only place where the dark side was allowed to win was in the basement. One of the owners is a cinematographer who wanted a studio-quality home theatre where he and his wife could work and entertain.

The basement accounts for one-third of the house’s square footage, so there was plenty of room to create an impressive home theatre. It features six luxurious seats, a 10-foot-wide screen and state-of-the-art acoustics. At the rear is an alcove where the owner has set up his editing equipment.

And just in case someone gets a hankering for a finger of Scotch, there’s a glassed-in room right next door to the theatre, where the owner, a whiskey aficionado, keeps his extensive Scotch collection.

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Back outdoors, Berwick capitalized on every ray of sunshine Vancouver gets. Generous overhangs are his signature and he has used them to full advantage. He designed the second floor to cantilever out over the patio area, providing a sheltered space for barbecuing, entertaining and eating, regardless of the weather. “We get a lot of days in summer here when it is rainy but the temperature is a pleasant 20 degrees C. It would be a shame not to be able to take advantage of them,” he says. •

In the backyard, a natural gas raised fire pit offers a little warmth and a lot of ambience. A hot tub at the other end of the patio invites relaxation. Rectangular concrete pavers echo the geometric shapes of the house and form a path through the gardens at the front and rear of the house. What looks like a lawn in the backyard is actually the roof of the underground garage. It is covered in artificial turf to match the real lawn.

“When you walk over it, you would never know that the garage is there below you,” Berwick says.

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Dream State Artist Irena Chrul illuminates the dark corners in our subconscious minds

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FRAGMENTS OF DREAMS. Elusive memories of long-past events. A vaguely recalled face.

The work of Montreal painter Irena Chrul spies into the crevices in our subconscious minds, forcing us to look at what’s stored in there.

Chrul’s art is subversive, thought-provoking, sometimes disturbing and, for her, a catharsis. “People sometimes ask me about my paintings being a political statement. In fact, my whole life is a political statement,” says the artist as she stands in front of a triptych that elegantly depicts themes ranging from terrorism and war to women’s struggle for equality.

Chrul’s view of her own life as a political statement stems from her experience of growing up in Poland when it was part of the Eastern Bloc. While studying painting, poster design and sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan, she worked in theatre, designing posters and costumes. “I met my husband there; he was a set designer,” she says.

The two fled Poland after martial law was declared in 1981. “We had to escape the country, and knew of many intellectuals who were escaping,” Chrul says. “An advertising agency had invited us to attend an exhibition in West

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Germany. We went to it and sought refugee status. Because we were refugees, we couldn’t work for that first year, so we took courses in computer-operated graphic design. Then we started our own company, specializing in graphic design, branding and packaging.” All the while, Chrul was painting.

She and her husband stayed in Germany for more than two decades, building a successful business that collaborated with large companies.

In 2003, she moved to New York, after splitting from her husband. “I love New York, with all its art and activity, but I couldn’t get a U.S. visa and I had to leave,” she says. “I came to Canada. My ex-husband had settled in London, Ont., where his sister lived, and he loved Canada. I came to Montreal and enrolled at McGill to learn French.”

But as time passed, Chrul became increasingly lonely in North America, yearning for friends and family abroad, so she bought an airline ticket to return to Germany. Shortly before her departure, she exhibited a few paintings in an atelier on St. Denis St. One of the people who wandered in to view them was Marc Hébert, a •

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Quebec-born film director and photographer who had spent most of his adult life living in Europe. The two became a couple and Chrul cancelled her plans to leave Montreal.

Three years later, they moved to Italy, where they rented an apartment with a studio in a 12th-century Tuscan palace before returning to Montreal in 2013. Today, Chrul and Hébert live in a loft in St. Henri, where the artist devotes many hours to painting each day.

Her work is coveted by art collectors internationally. During an exhibition in Abu Dhabi, 12 paintings were sold in one day. A collector in San Francisco has bought several of her paintings. And a gallery in Washington D.C. has sold her work.

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Recently, Chrul and Hébert opened Portfolio Arts Visuels, a small gallery where they display her work, in the Chateau St. Ambroise, a former 19th-century textile mill in St. Henri, converted to commercial lofts.

Despite the fact that her paintings look distinctly contemporary, Chrul says she uses techniques that date to the Renaissance. She sketches forms on canvas with charcoal and then repeatedly applies thin layers of paint – oil or watercolour – to give the images depth.

Her palette is subdued, devoid of vibrant colours. “I’m not a colourist,” she says. “I am very impressed with works such as those by David Hockney; his landscapes are full of colour. But I don’t have the courage to use bright colours.”

The subject matter, however, is startling, eclectic, and deliberately dissident. In one painting, the artist portrays the Habsburg empress Maria Theresa as ugly. The painting hangs beside one of Napoleon, who is portrayed with a small, pointed head and warped body. “These are my conversations with toxic personages,” Chrul says. “I make them look grotesque because we don’t need dictators or heroes.”

In some paintings, classical Greek and Roman sculptures are depicted through a gauzy film. One painting, for example, portrays ancient sculptures on pediments with disturbing, disoriented people in the foreground. “The background of this work is a museum,” she says. “The two women seated in front of the sculptures are victims of the terrorist bombing in Brussels. The little boy on the floor beside them is one of the survivors of the war in Syria.”

But not all of Chrul’s work is so politically freighted. One series of paintings depicts beautiful spherical objects that glow luminously. Are they eggs? “They’re actually grains of sand magnified under a microscope,” she says. “These paintings are about our place in the cosmos. We are tiny grains of sand in this vast universe.”

She and Hébert took the series to an exhibition in Abu Dhabi. “It’s a city created from sand,” says Hébert. •

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“This is not a particular place. These landscapes are nowhere and nothing and nobody.”

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Despite Chrul’s focus on humanity’s dysfunctional nature, she also sees beauty everywhere. A series of portraits and figurative work reveals her fascination with faces and bodies, wrought in various guises. There are also impressionistic works that hint at ideas. A painting titled Venus at first glance resembles a wave on the surface of water. But look closer to decode the dreamlike body swimming under the wave and the chiffon of a bridal gown streaming from its surface.

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Chrul recently began working on a series of large paintings of landscapes, which she says will define the next five years of her work.

There is a sense of peace in them. “This is not a particular place. These landscapes are nowhere and nothing and nobody,” she says, gesturing to a vast unfinished tableau in her studio that conveys a hint of hills in the distance, a lake in the middle ground, and a patio umbrella in the foreground. But not quite. The images appear to be sheathed in

gauze; they’re not fully fleshed out because they’re metaphors we see in dreams. They’re the visions we keep in the morass of our subconscious minds, awaiting an artist’s deft hand to pull them out and display them in the sharp light of day. •

To view Irena Chrul’s art by appointment, call 514-992-5022 or email impressartoday@gmail.com

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For several years, we have observed the trend toward building, designing and renovating houses around the kitchen. The room that was once tucked at the back of the house out of sight is now the centre of attention. The kitchen has evolved into the go-to room, the centre of family life. In our next issue – the annual Kitchens issue – we’ll look at the current design trends, materials and products that affect our kitchens.

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