SPRUCE Magazine Fall 2025

Shaelyn Mattix

THE DESIGNERS

These five local pros are changing the way our homes — and our city — look and function.

BY CARLA SORRELL

A radical reno of a ’90s home breaks the rules to make it lighter, brighter, more livable.

BY SARA HAROWITZ

Pumpkins, oh so many pumpkins; spicy hues; tech that makes a splash; architectural books; cozy features; robots we love. 14

DESIGN INSPO

Pick your cozy style: French versus English cottagecore. BY SPRUCE STAFF

Gas, wood, electric or ethanol? What you need to know before installing a new fireplace. BY SPRUCE STAFF 46

DIGNITY BY DESIGN

Yes, your home can be both beautiful and accessible. In fact, it should be. BY JOANNE SASVARI

16 HOW TO

Hang your own curtains — and know when to call the pros. BY CAROLYN CAMILLERI 50

REAL ESTATE

The housing market has changed, but have you? How to decide between wants and needs. BY SHANNON MONEO 52

GARDENS

Fall is the best time to plant a tree. Here’s what you need to know before you do.

BY CAROLYN CAMILLERI 54 AT THE TABLE

Chef Brian Tesolin rolls out ideas for making your own pasta. Plus: Tips, tools and wine pairings. BY JOANNE SASVARI 56 AT

Savour the ambience of artist Laura Harris’s Italian-inspired outdoor living room. BY JOANNE SASVARI

Soak it in: How to embrace the paint trend of colour drenching.

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Making Life Easier by Design

Long before I embarked on my big renovation last year, I’d spent hours and hours sketching plans for my dream kitchen. The stove here, the fridge there, a farmhouse sink on this wall, an island in the middle of the room, or should it be a peninsula by the other wall? But for months there was one awkward area under the window that I just couldn’t make work. It took a designer less than two minutes to look at it and decree that it should be a baker’s bench. D’oh.

That is the magic of design.

Design isn’t about making things look beautiful, or at least, it isn’t just about that. It’s about solving problems and making things more functional.

When things work so seamlessly we barely notice them, that’s good design. Traffic flows, tools are within reach, the lighting is bright enough for the task at hand. It’s easy to open a door or close a drawer, to answer the phone, to pick up your drink, to find the “menu” button on the remote control.

Bad design, on the other hand, frustrates us, slows us down, makes life difficult and, sometimes, dangerous. We get irritated by pinch points in our homes and struggle to close the blinds. We trip over unnecessary doorsills, hunt for our readers when the type is too small or the light too dim, and snark at our partners for leaving cupboard doors open when some soft-close hinges could easily solve that problem.

Design is always evolving. New problems arise — or we become aware of longstanding ones — and new solutions evolve to meet them. Take the doorknob. Before the late 19th century, doors were typically closed with latches or pull rings; it was only in 1878 that an American inventor named Osbourn Dorsey patented a round knob with an internal latching mechanism. His device became standard for the next 120 years or so. Today, though, building codes require the thing that opens your door to be a lever rather than a knob. Levers are easier to use for those with mobility issues or carrying, say, a bag of groceries. Design has evolved to meet a need.

Robyn Wildman

REALTOR®

AWARD WINNING REALTORS® wildmangroup@ sothebysrealty.ca

250.818.8522

Samantha Chisholm

REALTOR®

250.818.2006

Grace Shin

REALTOR®

250.893.9976

Good or bad, functional or not, everything in your home relies on design, from the style and location of the lighting to the way your rooms are arranged. You don’t need to hire a designer to create a functional design. There are basic principles to follow, standard layouts for kitchens and living rooms and bathrooms, and plenty of good advice to be found, including here in the pages of Spruce

Then again, take it from me: A designer can sure make your life a whole lot easier. That baker’s bench? It was just a solution to a problem, but it’s now my favourite part of the kitchen.

And that’s what beautiful design is all about.

Joanne Sasvari, Editor-in-Chief

Lovely Levers

Levers are practical, sure, but they can be a little, well, boring, at least compared to ornate vintage doorknobs. Or are they? Emtek, the maker of high-quality door hardware, offers some luxuriously beautiful levers like these with handles in precious burgundy-hued Rosso Levanto marble. They’re available in a round or square shape, 11 finishes and a smooth, quiet interior mortise lock that will make you happy every time you enter a room. emtek.com

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PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos Georgina Camilleri

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joanne Sasvari

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey Bosdet

LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Janice Hildybrant

ASSOCIATE

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kelly Hamilton

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS Deana Brown

Jennifer Dean Van Tol Cynthia Hanischuk

Brenda Knapik Ieva Sakalauskaite

ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR Rebecca Juetten

MARKETING & EVENTS

CO-ORDINATOR Lauren Ingle

COPY EDITOR Lionel Wild

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Carolyn Camilleri, Sara Harowitz, Shannon Moneo, Carla Sorrell

EDITORIAL INTERN Julien Johnston-Brew

CONTRIBUTING

PHOTOGRAPHERS Dasha Armstrong, Jody Beck, Ema Peter, Concept Photography, Hattie Root Photography

CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Alamy p. 53; Getty Images p. 16, 17, 49, 50, 51, 58; Living4Media p. 14

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ON THE COVER The Designers, p. 18

Photo by Jeffrey Bosdet

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Good Gourd!

Nothing says fall like a pumpkin or two on your porch. Well, how about 80 of them, carefully curated into a brilliant autumnal vignette? That’s the idea behind The Pumpkin Project, an initiative from Victoria and Jen Westcott, the sisters who also own Oak Bay Clean and Oak Bay Lawns. Their projects range from dropping off a truckload of locally grown pumpkins for a DIY tableau to styling an opulent display of dozens and dozens of pumpkins, mini-gourds and hay bales that will make your house the envy of the street. They only take 200 orders a year, though, so while you may be too late for this year, it’s never too soon to get on the waiting list for 2026. thepumpkinprojectvictoria.ca

AUTUMN MOOD

Richer hues, warmer spaces.

SPRUCE IT UP

‘Spicy’ Up Your Space

THIS

FALL’S ORANGEY HUES ADD A NATURAL WARMTH TO YOUR HOME

DÉCOR.

Orange you glad it’s pumpkin spice season again? We’re not talking about the aromatic spice mix that flavours everything from lattes to pie this time of year, but the earthy, orangey hues that are so stylish right now in everything from furniture to paint to cookware. Burnt orange, rust and terra cotta all mix beautifully with other earth tones like sage greens and golden ochre to create warm, inviting spaces throughout your home.

Paint It

A splash of paint is the fastest way to inject your rooms with colour. Two chic orangey hues to try: Benjamin Moore’s Spiced Pumpkin (No. 034), an earthy orange with a hint of red, or Topaz (No. 070), an orange with rich brown undertones.

Cover It

Knoll’s Harry Bertoia Diamond Lounge chairs are classics of modern design. Add one to your space or, if you already own one, easily replace the fabric cover in an up-to-the-minute colour like Orange K2025/01. Chairs and full cover replacements available at Gabriel Ross. grshop.com

Bake With It

From tart dishes to pinch pots, every kitchen needs the beautiful and functional ceramic bakeware by Emile Henry. This flan dish, for instance, is great for quiches, pies, tarts and crème caramel, and it comes in a stylish burnt-orange colour called Toscane. emilehenry.com

Sleep On It

Something about new bedding just makes you feel coddled, especially when it’s this lovely, temperatureregulating, flax-and-linen duvet cover produced by Canada’s Silk & Snow in earthy but sophisticated Copper. silkandsnow.com

Cook With It

Back in 1925, when the original Le Creuset enameled cast-iron Dutch ovens were introduced, they came in only one colour: a distinctive, vibrant orange colour called Flame (or Volcanique in France, where the company is based). This year, for its 100th anniversary, Le Creuset has introduced a limited-edition colourway called Flamme Dorée, which dusts that iconic orange enamel with a lustrous golden shimmer. lecreuset.ca

Step On It

Don’t forget your floors — add colour, texture and warmth, both literally and visually, with the Canteloupe Rug by Sanderson. This hand-tufted wool rug features a traditional pattern inspired by an archival print in cozy burnt orange. Available in four sizes at Finest Wallpaper. finestwallpaper.com

No. 034

No. 070

A Splash of Tech

Smart faucets offer convenience and precision in the kitchen.

Say you’re in the middle of a messy task like shredding pulled pork. Do you want to touch the faucet with your sticky, greasy hands? Probably not. Or say you need 105°F water for blooming yeast, or exactly three tablespoons of it chilled for your pie dough. Getting the right temperature and quantity of water right from the faucet has always been a little tricky — until now.

Modern faucets are tapping into smart technology, offering not just voice activation, but practical presets. Take the Moen Smart Faucet. It features four different ways to turn it on — voice control through a digital voice assistant, motion-activated wave sensor, smartphone app or the old-fashioned manual way.

The technology also allows for unlimited presets so you can dispense water precisely at your desired temperature and in the volume you need, all without ever touching a tap — and it comes in every style from sleekly contemporary to ornately traditional. moen.ca

Moen smart faucets, from far left: Align chrome; Align brushed gold; Nio in matte black; and Weymouth spot-resistant stainless steel.

Tom Kundig: Complete Houses by

Tom Kundig, edited by Dung Ngo (The Monacelli Press)

For the first time, the full extent of the King’s influence on architecture is gathered into one place. In the 40 years since he was mocked for his famous “carbuncle” speech of 1984, he has created model settlements, championed social regeneration, launched life-changing educational initiatives and much more.

This is the definitive collection of residential work by the celebrated architect — make that starchitect — Tom Kundig. It covers four decades of work by one of the world’s most sought-after architects and a whopping 462 residential projects, 38 of them in depth. Beautiful, at times aweinspiring, even moving.

Two decades after it was first published, this classic monograph is back in print. A fascinating look into the architect many believe had a greater influence on the modern world’s form than any other, it comprises hundreds of sketches, photographs and correspondences as it charts this fascinating artist’s vast and varied output.

Le Corbusier: Le Grand (Pre-order) by the Phaidon Editors (Phaidon Press)

King Charles III: 40 Years of Architecture by Clive Aslet (Triglyph Books)

5 THINGS

Get Cozy

COOLER DAYS MAKE US CRAVE SOFT FURNISHINGS, WARMING FEATURES AND TEXTURES TO SNUGGLE UP WITH — JUST LIKE THESE.

1 Cuddly Chairs

Get close to your favourite person — or just enjoy the extra space for yourself — in the cozy Snuggle chair by Vancouver’s Van Gogh Design. Made in Canada, widely customizable and designed for two people, it’s the largest piece in a family that also includes the medium-sized Nestle and smaller Cuddle, a swivel chair perfect for small spaces. Order through Luxe Home Interiors. luxevictoria.ca

2 Curated Cushions

Who says flowers are just for spring? In lush, moody, opulent velvet and richly embroidered fabrics, florals add a darkly romantic element to fall spaces. Get several in a garden full of colour and pile ’em up on your sofa or bed. Find them at Chintz & Co. chintz.com

3 Faux Throws

Fall fashion is all about faux fur, so why not add some to your living space as well? Nothing is as welcomingly warm — or as luxuriously stylish — as a textured faux fur throw blanket. You’ll find them in all sorts of colours this fall, including this Arctic Ivory version made from recycled materials by Crate & Barrel. crateandbarrel.ca

4 Updated Hearths

If your fireplace has seen better days — or your space doesn’t have one — it might be time to call in the folks at Vancouver’s DreamCast Design and Production. This family-run business crafts fine concrete products that combine traditional craftsmanship with modern technological innovation, including, among other things, luxurious fireplace mantels and surrounds in a variety of styles. heatsavers.ca

5 Customizable Candles

We love the soft light and gentle fragrance of a really high-quality candle, especially when it comes in a gorgeous vessel like Last Candle Co.’s one-of-a-kind stone holders. They’re made from marble, travertine or onyx, with interchangeable glass candle inserts filled with clean-burning natural coconut soy wax, available in nearly two dozen scents. Available at Bespoke Design in Oak Bay. bespokedesign.ca

BRIANNA MACDONALD

Sweep. Mop. Vacuum.

Who wants to spend time cleaning the floor? Not us, and now we don’t have to because the robots are here. Sure, robot vacuums have been around for more than two decades, and mopping robots for nearly as long.

But now we’re seeing multi-purpose units from companies like iRobot, Dreame and Ecovacs. These robots will do it all while you do something else.

Take the Airrobo T20+, which combines sweeping, mopping and vacuuming functions, all operated via app, voice command or smart systems like Alexa. Designed for hard floors, wooden floors or low carpet, and with a special affinity for sucking up pet hair, its intuitive navigation system gets your floor clean while avoiding obstacles like stairs and walls. Plus it’s got a self-emptying reservoir that can hold up to 60 days of debris, and it can run for up to three hours at a time.

Just set it, forget it, and come home to shiny clean floors.

Cottagecore Conundrum

We love its quaint, rural-ish, vintage charms — but not all cottage style is the same. Here’s how to tell the difference.

BY SPRUCE STAFF

There’s something both romantic and relaxing about the idea of a cozy country cottage. It’s the dream of a slower pace, a nostalgic past, a simpler life, and one that also happens to look quite lovely.

This rustic-retro look never truly goes out of style, but in recent years it has become a massive trend.

Now rebranded “cottagecore,” it’s as different as can be from our fast-paced, overly connected, high-tech lives and sleek, modern-minimalist design trends.

At its most basic, cottagecore celebrates a simple, rural and sustainable lifestyle, the kind we associate with the cute little homes of the English countryside or French villages (not the grand North American vacation homes that are also known as “cottages”).

True, it’s a bit of a fantasy of rural life rather than the rugged reality, but we all can dream, right?

All that said, English and French cottagecore, while similar, have some significant differences.

Two takes on cottagecore: Above, the French style is timeless and understated; to the left, the English look is more cozy, colourful and vintage-inspired.

English cottagecore is colourful, cozy and a little chaotic. It looks lived in, with vintage and antique pieces that could have been passed down through the generations. Hallmarks of the style include exposed beams, granny chic, floral wallpaper, patchwork or chintz fabrics, warm, earthy colours, gentle wear and tear, antique books.

French cottagecore is more understated, a timeless country retreat rather than a cozy storybook house. Look for a muted and pale colour palette, genteelly distressed furniture, natural materials (stone walls, wood furniture), antique mirrors, crystal chandeliers, soft linens, toile or simple stripes.

Whichever way you lean, to create a cottagecore vibe in your own place, infuse it with traditional crafts, vintage pieces, floral patterns and soft, natural colours, as well as wholesome domestic activities like baking, gardening, knitting and raising your own chickens. For more inspiration, start right here.

English Style

Clockwise from left: Think cozy, colourful and vintage-inspired like this pretty Bee Bloom linen tea towel from Irish Linen. irishlinenvictoria.com

This distressed-antique-grey pendant by Kichler Lighting taps right into the rustic vibe. destinationlighting.com

Consider colourful earth tones such as rosy pink, sage green, chestnut brown and warm ochre. Pictured here, a tin of Benjamin Moore’s Rosewood; in the background, a swatch of Behr’s Royal Orchard.

Look for colourful floral designs like William Morris’s Golden Lily in curtains, wallpaper and upholstery. wmorrisandco.com

What could be more English than afternoon tea, especially when served in Royal Albert’s prettyin-pink New Country Roses tea set? wedgwood.com

French Style

Clockwise from top left: Stripes are always trés chic, and we love the vintage look of this Parallel taupe-and-white linen tea towel from Ontario-based Brigette & Amy. brigetteandamy.com

Go for a romantic and everso-slightly formal look with a chandelier, like this mini crystal candlestick version in bronze with bead accents by Maison De Ville. homedepot.com

When it’s time for an apéro, serve it in pretty, vintage-style etched glassware. williams-sonoma.ca

Consider simple, single-colour toile patterns like this French Country Vintage Birds and Roses cotton wallpaper by designer Bridgett Stahlman. spoonflower.com

When it comes to colour, choose the palest of pinks, greys, taupes, greens and blues. Grey-blue Kakelugn paint from Farrow & Ball; Shiitake swatch from Sherwin-Williams in the background.

BY CAROLYN CAMILLERI

Hang Your Own Curtains

It’s

a satisfying way to add colour and fun to a window — but know when to call in the pros.

Hanging curtains is a DIY project that can go from “Oh, that was easy” to “Oh no, what have I done?” in very short order. Several factors determine the degree of difficulty, and knowing what they are can help you decide if you are up for the task or if you should call in the pros.

CURTAINS VERSUS DRAPES

Curtains are usually shorter, more casual and made from a lighter-weight fabric that’s probably machine washable. Choose fun colours and patterns — it’s easy to change curtains with the seasons.

Drapes are usually more formal and heavier in appearance and fabric weight, and they are often lined. They may require more hardware

such as curtain rings and pull rods. Drapes typically go right to the floor and may “puddle” — that is, be intentionally longer so they pile up a bit on the floor. Generally, drapes are a bigger project that’s best guided by a professional.

That said, there are many exceptions. Some lightweight curtains go from ceiling to floor and some heavier-lined drapes fall just to the windowsill. There are also variations depending on the window.

WHERE TO PUT THEM

How much space is there between the top of your window and the ceiling? “Standard” rod placement is halfway between. However, where you place the rod can vary from a minimum

of five centimetres to 10, even 15, centimetres above the window casing if there is more than 30 centimetres of space between the ceiling and window casing. To add height to a room, you can even place the rod higher and choose curtains that “kiss” the floor or puddle.

Shorter curtains hang to the windowsill or a bit below, depending on whether the sill is flush to the window casing or extends from it. You may want to keep the rod placement closer to the minimum five centimetres so the curtains look balanced to the window.

Want your window to look wider? Place the rod wider than the standard 10 centimetres on each side of the window to as much as 25 centimetres on each side.

Antigua linen curtain panels, lighthouseco.ca

HOW THEY HANG

If you’re like me, the colour, pattern and texture of the fabric are the big draw with ready-made curtains. To my peril, what is sensible sometimes takes second place.

Before you go past the point of no return, look at how the curtains hang. Do they have eyelets that are strung along a rod? Or a pocket of fabric you push the rod through? IKEA is known for curtains with heading tape that gives you a choice of loops you can push a rod through as well as places for gliderrail hooks.

The general rule for two panels is that each panel should equal the width of the window. Of course, there are exceptions depending on how full you want them to look.

Check the fabric weight — this is very important when you are choosing hardware. For example, full-length sheers at IKEA (145 by 250 centimetres) weigh 0.26 kilograms, while room-darkening curtains of the same size weigh 2.5 kilos, nearly 10 times as much.

Iron-on hemming tape is a bit of a miracle if you need to adjust the length of curtains and don’t like hemming. It might not stand up to a multitude of machine washes, but it is surprisingly durable.

SELECTING THE RIGHT HARDWARE

Choose a rod, brackets and rod caps or finials suitable for the weight and style of your curtains. These can range from simple to ornate and come with screws, instructions and sometimes drywall plugs. Read before you buy.

This versatile European Flax linen curtain panel from CB2 (shown here in the trendy hue of Tobacco Brown) can be hung three different ways. From top: The curtain rod can run through tabs behind the fabric, a rod pocket at the top of the fabric or drapery hooks that attach to it.

You could get fancy and venture to a hardware set with two and even three rods so you can layer the curtains — a light-blocking layer, sheer layer, decorative layer. You could also be drawn to a hook/glider rail set. As exciting as these may seem, these sets-ups are trickier to install.

USING STUDS AND/OR ANCHORS

Once you’ve selected your drapery and hardware, make sure you have all the tools you need:

• A sturdy ladder or stepping stool.

• Measuring tape and pencil so you can mark where the hardware is to go and a level so you can make sure it’s, well, level.

• A screwdriver or preferably a drill — a drill is more effective, whether you are creating holes for anchors or attaching hardware to the studs.

• A stud-finder and/or drywall anchors. If you are using drywall anchors, you will also need a rubber mallet.

• Studs are the vertical wooden framework holding up the drywall. Ideally, you will attach the rod brackets to the studs, especially for heavier drapes and wider windows. A stud-finder helps you find the studs; just mark the location and use the screwdriver attachment on a drill to drive the screws into them.

However, drywall anchors — plastic fasteners that create a stronger connection between a screw and the wall — may suffice for lightweight curtains on smaller windows. To install them, drill a small hole in the drywall, then, using a rubber mallet, tap the anchor into the hole until it is completely inserted. Then drive the screw into the anchor.

Once the bracket is in place, thread the drapery on the rod and place it on the bracket.

It’s a good idea to have someone to hold the ladder, pass you tools, help lift the rod into place and provide moral support.

WHEN TO CALL IN THE PROFESSIONALS

Window-covering professionals have brilliantly creative ideas and know all the latest trends. They have solutions for everything — arched windows, cathedral ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, wall-to-wall windows, tight corners, patio doors, rooms you want darker and quieter.

They can also show you drapery fabrics, Roman blinds, roller shades and ways to better control the temperature and lighting in your home — and even fully automate it all with a smart system.

In short, if your drapery needs are at all complicated, you’ll want to rely on the pros.

When installing multi-rail systems, be sure to attach them to the studs.

Consider the weight of your fabric when choosing the hardware it will hang from. A lightweight curtain like the Verity tweed cotton from Anthropologie can take a simpler rod than heavier lined drapery.

Designers The

MEET FIVE LOCAL CREATORS PUTTING THE SOUTH ISLAND ON THE WORLD MAP FOR EVERYTHING FROM LANDSCAPE TO FURNITURE DESIGN.

BY CARLA SORRELL

Landscape designer Andrew van Egmond, pictured here outside the home he designed on Saturna Island, works to integrate structures with the natural environment where they are located.

JEFFREY BOSDET/SPRUCE MAGAZINE

What I love about Victoria’s design scene is that the city’s proximity breeds a certain intimacy: Collaborations form quickly, ideas circulate freely and projects often carry a shared sense of place.

As in most of the Pacific Northwest, Victoria’s designers draw heavily from their surroundings. There’s a nature-oriented sensibility — architecture and interiors that open to the outdoors, furniture shaped from local timber, products and experiences that connect to the coast.

You can see this in both residential and commercial buildings, in Cascadia’s recent design for The Redfern residences on Oak Bay Avenue or DAU Studio’s iconic designs for the Rotunda and Atrium downtown, structures where community and gathering spaces are highly valued for a city that is becoming increasingly urban and dense.

“Laidback cool” is part of the visual vocabulary here. It’s expressed in Hey Happy, a cult-status café designed by Bidgood, whose designs invite a sense of joy and play, as well as Superflux, an inventive brewery designed by Vancouverbased Studio Roslyn, whose eclectic yet cool approach can also be seen at Rabbit Rabbit wine bar as well as Tourist Wine Bar, designed by Vancouver-based ODDO.

That vibe is also characteristic of where we work and play, for instance, at KWENCH, the welcoming coworking space that is the vision of founder Tessa McLoughlin, or at HAVN, the innovative and striking interpretation of spa culture by cofounder Nick Van Buren.

All of these spaces have an ease to them. They are designed for stylish comfort, while quietly reflecting a high level of craftsmanship.

That craftsmanship extends to fine furniture, too. Autonomous Furniture has made a name for its coastal masterpieces — think big, raw-edged and contemporary — throughout North America. The company exhibits at ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair, a leading platform for contemporary furnishing design that takes place annually in New York), and has just moved into a stunning new showroom in the Powerhouse Building on lower Store Street.

Meanwhile, renowned local lighting designer Mike Randall and furniture designer Stefane Dimopoulos, who have been exhibiting together at IDS Vancouver for decades, have struck up a relationship with the internationally renowned luxury furniture brand Montauk Sofa, which has major showrooms across Canada.

These connections help position the city, not as a satellite to larger markets, but as a place recognized for world-class design.

At the same time, makers and craftspeople keep traditional skills alive here while pushing into contemporary forms, and the tech sector brings fresh ideas and advanced fabrication to the mix. Across disciplines, there’s an emphasis on quality, sustainability and durability: products designed or built here — whether it’s an Elate Beauty makeup palette, an Anían overshirt or a Fawcett Mattress — often rival or exceed global standards.

Across disciplines, there’s an emphasis on quality, sustainability and durability: products designed or built here.

This photo: For this Splyce Design home in View Royal, landscape designer Andrew van Egmond restored the property to as natural a state as possible, taking advantage of its location overlooking the Gorge.

Right: His work on the Amsterdam Vondelpark, which blended historic and contemporary elements to create a green oasis, won a DNA Paris Award.

But what makes this community unique isn’t just the calibre of the work. It’s the way designers engage with each other and create a sense of connection. Collaboration is in the region’s DNA, and that’s as true in the design sector as it is in the tech sector. People help each other out, sharing insights and techniques, in what Ann Squires Ferguson, owner of Western Design+Build and design community connector extraordinaire, calls “collabatition.”

Beyond the region’s marquee names, there’s a wealth of talent producing exceptional work here, designers who may not be well known, but who are designing products, spaces and ideas that connect local culture with global audiences. Sidenote: That’s exactly why I started the Design Victoria festival — to shine a spotlight on things that are designed and made here, often with little local recognition.

The following five profiles spotlight some of these designers. Each works in a different discipline — fine furniture, landscape architecture, metalwork, product design and graphic design — but all share a commitment to craft, original thought and the unique character of the region. Together, they tell a story about Victoria’s design community: rooted in the region’s vernacular and lifestyle, outward looking and full of ideas worth watching.

The designer: Andrew van Egmond

The discipline: Landscape design

For landscape designer Andrew van Egmond, the goal is never simply to “make a garden.” His work aims to connect people to the larger landscape — to the geology, history and natural rhythms of the place. Originally from the Netherlands and now based on Saturna Island, van Egmond’s approach naturally bestows him with a sense of the region’s unique geography and vernacular.

Each project begins with deep research into the site’s history and ecology. In one Lower Mainland home, for example, he and the architects drew on the property’s location within the former floodplain of the Fraser River. Layers of sediment were referenced in the hardscaping; wooden elements emerged from the landscape like a marsh-born structure. This kind of collaboration — often beginning in the earliest design stages — is where van Egmond thrives.

His portfolio spans the West Coast, from Vancouver and West Van to Ucluelet, Quadra Island and Victoria, and extends to works in Europe as well. Across all sites, his approach balances structure with spontaneity, embracing the unpredictable beauty of plant life as it matures. “If you want to create a place that feels alive,” he says, “you have to be willing to embrace a little chaos.”

The designer: Brendan Harrington, Kerfwork

The discipline: Furniture design

It’s only recently that Brendan Harrington decided to go all-in on fine furniture design. Before launching Kerfwork, he spent more than a decade crafting custom architectural millwork — concierge desks for high-end hotels, institutional interiors for UBC and countless bespoke projects — after earning his formal BCIT apprenticeship in cabinetmaking and joinery.

Harrington’s first foray into furniture was 20 years ago, building a simple farmhouse table while working at a café, armed only with a few hand tools and a construction saw on his apartment balcony. That curiosity grew into a mastery of craft, and after moving to Victoria a few years ago, he slowly built up the tools — and the vision — needed to create his own collection.

Kerfwork’s pieces are bold yet pared back: thick timber, generous radiuses and strong silhouettes reduced to their purest forms. “My goal is always to make a piece as simple as possible while still being eye-catching,” he says. Inspiration often comes from historic designs, distilled into contemporary interpretations. The Sligo chair, for instance, is shaped from a single cracked piece of elm, joined with bow ties and echoing a traditional Irish form.

His work has found many homes abroad — bar stools in England, tables in Bangkok and New York — while Harrington now focuses on growing his reputation, piece by loving piece, handmade in his Quadra Village garden studio.

BRENDAN HARRINGTON

At Kerfwork, Brendan Harrington’s furniture designs combine bold forms, quality materials and meticulous attention to detail. Above left: The Sculpted Sligo dining chair, in elm, is a modern take on the traditional Sligo/Tuam chairs of Western Ireland. Above: The Rocket Media Console evokes mid-century modern design, but in an all-new way. Made of black walnut with an interior of elm and maple, it features a slatted fold-down door, three-drawer storage and wedged tenon tapered legs.

Right: The Big Cricket table is designed to be a centrepiece for conversation, with an extra-deep dovetailed drawer for handy storage.

The designer: Sarah Reid, State + Story

The discipline: Graphic design and community building

At the heart of Sarah Reid’s career is a passion for bringing creative people together. A graphic designer by training, the creative director has spent the last 13 years shaping platforms that support artists and designers — from curating global assets at Adobe to her work as creative director at Stocksy, where she helped build a fairer, more sustainable model for contributors.

When Reid moved to Victoria on short notice, she knew no one. A small meetup of designers and developers became her first circle of friends — until it disbanded, leaving a gap in the city’s creative ecosystem. She designed and started up State + Story, a gathering that quickly grew into a hub where disciplines mix freely: architects meeting photographers, developers collaborating with designers, entrepreneurs finding creative partners. Many of those encounters blossomed into lasting friendships and exciting new projects.

For Reid, this is the spark: watching strangers arrive not knowing anyone and leave with a new collaborator or friend. “I get really emotional after State + Story because I see all these connections being made,” says Reid, who has been running the meetups for over 12 years and still meets new people at every event.

It’s the same ethos she brings to all her creative work — curating images that reflect the diversity of society, building communities that sustain artists and creating spaces where connection flourishes. For Reid, creativity isn’t just about what we make, but how we come together.

Sarah Reid is a graphic designer by trade, but perhaps her biggest success has been fostering her creative community through a gathering called State + Story. Hanging on the wall behind Reid is a painting by Victoria artist Laura Mycroft.

The designer: Bronté Freeman, Freeman Fabrication

The discipline: Metalwork

In just seven years, Bronté Freeman has forged an exceptional reputation for custom architectural metalwork. From her 4,000-square-foot fabrication studio in Shawnigan Lake, Freeman and her skilled team — composed entirely of women welders trained through Camosun College’s Women in Trades program — craft striking work that blurs the line between functionality and art. Freeman’s work prioritizes sleek, seamless craftsmanship — “I want my welds to disappear” — with clean lines that elevate architectural railings, interior doors, staircases and furniture into timeless pieces. With clients across Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Lower Mainland, Freeman has become familiar with some of the region’s most beautiful sites. Locals in Victoria may have sat on one of her chairs at End Dive or taken in the technically impressive circular window frames at HAVN.

Tapping into a reputation for highquality contemporary metalwork, Freeman Fabrication has recently launched a made-to-order product range: durable, corrosion-resistant planters and a fire bowl combining modern CNC precision with the understated elegance of artisanal hand-finishing. As an extension of her custom commissions, the new line distills the essence of Freeman’s style into elemental forms that are available for customers who may have previously admired her work only from afar.

Bronté Freeman creates metalwork that is both functional and beautiful. Her corten steel Hex planters are rugged, timeless and weather-resistant.

The designer: Alex Nagel, ANCORD Design

The discipline: Product design

You might be surprised by how far-reaching — and how versatile — product design can be. With clients across North America, Alex Nagel is one of few local product designers and the only one to build a reputation for sustainable product development in the action sports and outdoor sector. Supported by a hybrid team of five to six, his practice moves fluidly between projects, the scope of work as varied as the skills of the people who shape it.

In a mass-consumer market, Nagel’s process prompts clients to slow down and reconsider: How long will this product be used? How many units are truly needed? What materials will have the least impact? From these questions emerge projects like an heirloom-quality measuring cube for children to track their height; an ethical salmon fishing net; a wetsuit wrench designed to make the sport more accessible to everyone, especially to people with mobility challenges; and detailed interior renderings for a residential complex by Fold Architects.

His clients range from startups seeking validation for an idea to architects in need of technical visualizations to innovation teams at established brands like Burton, where he is collaborating on new products that honour the brand’s heritage while pushing into new territory. Whatever the brief, the goal is the same: to create products that serve their purpose beautifully, with a life — and a story — that lasts far beyond their first use.

ANCORD Design’s Alex Nagel creates products that look cool, work well and are designed to last while making less impact on the planet.

Above: His heirloom-quality measuring cubes for tracking the height of your children. Left: A better bike helmet.

hosts Cathy Larsen and Cathy Scott

McGEACHY HOME

Locally designed and manufactured products on Vancouver Island

McGeachy Home is more than a local furniture and décor brand — it is a synergy of design, luxury and community. Founded by interior design consultant and television host Amy McGeachy, the brand was born from a clear vision: to create heirloom-quality pieces that celebrate local makers while keeping design fresh, functional and rooted in West Coast living.

Every piece at McGeachy Home begins with collaboration. From furniture handcrafted in North Vancouver by FFABB — whose sculptural sofas and modular sectionals balance comfort with craftsmanship — to home accessories created with Vancouver Island artisans, each collection carries a story. These are not products of mass production; they are built with intention, designed to endure, and meant to be lived with.

Sustainability lies at the core of McGeachy Home. The Second Story program gives designer-approved, pre-loved, staging,

showroom and floor-model furniture a renewed life, keeping exceptional pieces in circulation for another chapter. Similarly, the Burn & Return initiative, developed in partnership with Cordova Candle Co., extends the life of McGeachy Home’s signature Social Hour candle. Customers are invited to return their empty jars, which are cleaned, refilled and resealed for their next burn — an approach that merges sustainability with pure luxury.

A defining favourite, the Social Hour candle has quickly become an icon of the collection. Hand-poured in small batches in Cordova Bay, it layers zesty lime, juicy pineapple and crisp eucalyptus into a fragrance that feels both fresh and timeless. Packaged in a frosted glass vessel with a wood lid, hand sealed wax detail and tucked into a velvet bag, it’s the gift that always earns you bonus points — no regifting required.

McGeachy Home offers a refined, evolving tight edit of pieces that will continue to grow. The brand curates experiences through

appointment-only showroom visits, digital storytelling and artisan collaborations, offering clients a direct connection to the people who make their products. Beyond commerce, it is about community — supporting local talent who are also our neighbours, family and friends.

McGeachy Home is a reminder that what we bring into our homes should reflect not only our style, but also our values.

Visit the collection at mcgeachyhome.com, it’s what’s inside that counts!

SEAFIRST INSURANCE

People caring about people

High Value Home clients have coverage, liability and asset protection that goes beyond the average home, which is why SeaFirst Insurance offers a “concierge service model” led by four outstanding individuals (pictured above): Loretta Copley, Kim Topping, Jessica Oberg and Kerri Koome.

Ensuring that each interaction begins with acknowledgment, appreciation and a genuine effort to understand clients’ unique needs is a top priority. Whether for a primary, seasonal or vacation home, or for coverage related to boats or travel insurance, this team provides tailored solutions with clarity and care. Their dedication to making insurance meaningful for clients is one of their standout strengths.

At SeaFirst, every client has the right to understand how their coverage benefits them. The team focuses on educating clients about their policies and the protections they offer, ensuring that personal and business assets and liabilities are comprehensively safeguarded. In addition to personal

coverage, SeaFirst’s outstanding commercial team is ready to assist with business operations and property ownership needs.

By listening to clients, the team has learned that many initially view purchasing insurance as a chore — simply a box to check. This is why SeaFirst’s client service philosophy is centered on transforming what often feels like a daunting task into a positive, even empowering, experience. The team is committed to every client who reaches out, whether in person, by phone, email or through social media.

SeaFirst’s culture of care extends beyond its offices and into the community. With over 100 employees across Greater Victoria and the Gulf Islands, the company is deeply embedded in the regions it serves.

Team members contribute as volunteers, board members and mentors, supporting youth organizations, arts and cultural events, nonprofits and volunteer firefighters. This community-first mindset underscores the belief that insurance is about more than

policies — it’s about people.

“We Got You” is SeaFirst’s commitment to understanding and responding to clients’ needs and following through with solutions. Across its six locations on lower Vancouver Island, SeaFirst’s knowledgeable teams take pride in providing best-in-class service, from the initial inquiry to claims handling, providing a seamless and supportive experience at every step. With SeaFirst, clients can feel confident that “We Got You” truly means you are in good hands.

Left to right: Loretta Copley, Kim Topping, Jessica Oberg and Kerri Koome

HOW BOLD DESIGN MOVES TOOK A BRENTWOOD BAY KITCHEN FROM DULL TO DAZZLING.

LETTING THE LIGHT IN

BY SARA HAROWITZ | PHOTOS BY HATTIE ROOT PHOTOGRAPHY

When Alexis Solomon put together a renovation plan for her clients’ 1990s Brentwood Bay kitchen, she included an idea that would seem, to the uninitiated, blasphemously counterintuitive: removing a window ...

The homeowners wanted the room — at the time a closedin, overwhelmingly beige space with a popcorn ceiling and dated fixtures — to feel brighter. Why on earth, then, would they agree to getting rid of a source of natural light? But Alexis Solomon, founder of Victoria-based MINT Freshly Inspired Design, could see the bigger picture.

“Their initial reaction was like, ‘Oh my God, we can’t get rid of a window,’ ” she recalls. “I had to really talk them into believing my vision.”

That vision involved removing two nonload-bearing walls, replacing the current cabinets and counters with white ones and smoothing out the crumpled-looking ceiling.

“A lot of people don’t know this, but popcorn ceilings actually absorb light,” she explains. “Any textured finish will absorb light; any smooth finish will reflect light. So just smoothing out your popcorn ceilings will make a room feel brighter, because a smooth drywall ceiling will reflect any light that comes into the space.”

FUNCTIONAL LAYOUT

A passionate, seasoned designer with years of experience under her belt, Solomon knew that even with that window removed, she could achieve her clients’ desire for more light.

“When I explained that the layout of the kitchen would be optimized by removing that window, and then, in turn, we’d get that natural light back in by smoothing out the ceiling and opening up those walls so that all the light from the west side of the house was coming in, then they felt better about it,” she says. “That was how I met that request to keep things bright and open and still have a functional layout and space.”

That former window is now a wall that the fridge sits in front of. It was one of the many design elements that Solomon used to achieve the best outcome for her clients: a young couple with three kids and a puppy.

Speaking of that puppy, part of Solomon’s design puzzle involved sourcing new flooring that could withstand the constant pitter-patter of German shepherd paws.

“I spent time really sourcing out the perfect flooring for them that would be max durability and easy to clean,” she says. The couple wanted a dark hardwood esthetic, so they settled for an engineered wood that had a hand-scraped, matte finish and a thicker veneer on top. That way, Solomon explains, “if there were any scratches that happened along the way, you wouldn’t be able to see them very easily.”

BEFORE

Despite its large window, this 1990s kitchen looked dark and cramped, thanks to an inconveniently placed wall, excess of beige and dated features like popcorn ceilings. Designer Alexis Solomon opened up the space, creating new sources of light, and filled it with bright, energizing hues of blue and white.

HIDDEN AMENITIES

Another key deliverable for the space was the addition of a kitchen island.

“Both of their parents live close by, and they have their parents over a lot because [the owners] have three kids,” Solomon says. “They really wanted a big island where the kids could sit and do their homework. And they loved to bake together as a family, so they really wanted the island to be able to bake on.”

The final product has a white countertop from Vancouver’s Vicostone, complete with an ogee profile — a beautifully nosed edge — and a soothing blue-green body. It comfortably seats six people and features a secondary prep sink to make baking that much easier.

“We positioned that sink just in front of the dishwasher,” Solomon says. “So if you’re standing there and you need to just throw something in the dishwasher while you’re baking, you literally just turn around and throw it in. They love that.”

With the new layout, there was room for an entertaining-ready island. Meanwhile, the dated flooring was replaced with a sleek engineered hardwood that hides any scratches from the owners’ beloved German shepherd.

The baking amenities don’t stop there, either, with the island also featuring a lift-up, pullout drawer that can hold an estimated 1,000 pounds of gadgets and tools. It houses the family’s KitchenAid mixer — a notoriously heavy machine — meaning that all they have to do is gently pull it up and out of its hiding place, and it magically sits flush with the countertop.

There’s also an “appliance garage” complete with an electrical socket that keeps lessthan-cute electrical gadgets tucked away in a cupboard. It’s actually against building code to have plugged-in appliances put away in cabinets where you can’t see them, but Solomon had a solution for that, too.

“There’s a device you can buy that trips the

electrical current when the cabinet door is closed, and then when you open the cabinet door, it trips it back on,” she explains. “So you can keep your appliances plugged in, pull them out when you want to, and then slide them back in and close the door. It meets code and it’s not a fire hazard.”

The cabinets were all custom-made by Victoria’s Ceanesse Kitchens (many of them containing custom knife and cutlery organizers within); the tile backsplash, meanwhile, features white ceramic hand-glazed tiles, giving the whole space a clean, glossy look. All of the plumbing fixtures and cabinetry hardware — including the new farmhouse sink — use a polished nickel.

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The kitchen is designed for cooking and baking, with features such as the cutting board that fits over the farmhouse sink, tucked-away knife drawers and custom-made cabinetry that hides the KitchenAid and other appliances.

FROM DATED TO DYNAMIC

Solomon’s project expanded beyond the kitchen and into the house entranceway and dining room, as well. In the entrance, the focus was on the stairs. The half-walls that went around the upper level back to the bedrooms were removed, replaced with open metal spindles to give the space a lighter feel. The banister and railing were then custom-stained to tie in with the new flooring, a runner rug was added and an outdated crystal chandelier removed to make way for a simpler, more contemporary light fixture.

“We also extended the landing at the bottom of the stairs,” says Solomon. “Originally it was just two standard-sized steps at the very bottom, and we extended that by two-and-a-half feet so that it felt more like a landing. When you walk into the house, it feels a bit more like a focal point.”

In the dining room, the main goal was to reconfigure the space to fit a larger table, one that could seat significantly more people around it than their former setup. Solomon did the design work and also sourced the furniture.

The entire project is a shining example of the client and designer trusting and respecting each other, with each one doing their part to achieve the best result. As for that controversial window?

Solomon says it very quickly became a thing of the past.

“When the two walls came out and then the window got boarded up, I had a site visit, and they were there,” Solomon recalls. “And I was like, ‘So what do you guys think about the window being gone?’ And they were like, ‘I don’t know what we were worried about. It’s so much brighter in here.’ ”

PROJECT SUPPORT

Interior designer:

MINT Freshly Inspired Design

General contractor:

Outlook Project Management

Flooring and tiles: Hourigan’s Flooring

Cabinetry: Ceanesse Kitchens

Countertops: Stone Age Marble & Granite

Lighting: McLaren Lighting

Plumbing fixtures:

Splashes Bath & Kitchen

Stair railings: Van Isle Stairworks

Hearth & Home

Considering adding a fireplace to your home this fall? Here’s what you need to know before you do.

BY SPRUCE STAFF

A fireplace adds warmth to your home and a visual focus to any room. This sleek gas fireplace from Clemco Plumbing & Heating, in a project by GT Mann Contracting, fits elegantly into the mid-century-inspired décor of the room.

There’s nothing like a fireplace to create a warm glow, both literally and emotionally. A fireplace is both functional and esthetic, heating your home and creating a focal point for any room it’s in. Installing one — or redoing the one you already have — is a smart and stylish way to instantly update your space.

But before you make any moves, you need to understand the different types of fireplaces and how they work. It’s not just choosing the prettiest one. It’s also how much it costs to install and to operate, as well as how efficient it is, how much maintenance it requires and whether it complies with your building’s codes, utility access, ventilation and other restrictions.

There are four basic types of fireplace based on the type of fuel they use — wood-burning, gas, electric and ethanol. Here’s what you need to know about each.

Gas Fireplaces

This is the most popular choice, both in new builds and in many older homes where gas fireplace inserts can bring new life to old wood-burning fireplaces.

“Gas” here means natural gas, and gas fireplaces can be vented or ventless. Similar to wood-burning fireplaces, vented gas fireplaces use a chimney or similar component to vent the firebox. Ventless gas fireplaces don’t need venting, as the gas burns cleanly and doesn’t produce carbon monoxide.

PROS:

• A gas fireplace is more energy efficient than a traditional wood-burning fireplace — in fact, a ventless gas fireplace is likely the most efficient choice of all of them.

• It produces fewer harmful emissions.

• It’s relatively low-maintenance.

• It has a real flame, unlike electric options.

• It generates more heat than most other fuels.

CONS:

• A gas fireplace relies on supply of natural gas, which requires a gas line to be installed if your home doesn’t already have one, and could be disrupted in case of natural disaster or other crisis.

• It costs more up front than some other options, especially if you need to install a gas line.

• If it’s a vented style, it will need a ventilation source.

• Although they are rare, gas leaks are possible.

JENNY MARTIN DESIGN | PHOTO BY DASHA ARMSTRONG

This Napoleon direct-vent gas fireplace complements the traditional décor of the room thanks to its Porcelanosa hearth in Karachi matte grey tile and custom-built surround painted in Benjamin Moore’s White Dove.

Ethanol Fireplaces

Ethanol fireplaces — also called bio or bioethanol fireplaces — are a relatively new heating solution that burns a real flame from a clean-burning fuel source, alcohol-based ethanol, which is typically derived from corn. These can be built-in, wall-mounted, freestanding or even small enough to use on a tabletop.

PROS:

• An ethanol fireplace is relatively inexpensive to install.

• It is clean-burning and needs no ventilation.

• It’s easy to maintain.

• It burns a real flame.

• It’s available in a wide range of design options.

CONS:

• It produces a lower heat than other options.

• The fuel source — bioethanol — is more expensive than gas or wood.

• Users have limited flame control.

• Although it produces no harmful emissions, it is not as safe as a gas or electric fireplace, and has an increased risk of burns, uncontrolled fires and flame jetting.

• Because ethanol costs more than other fuel sources, its long-term costs might counteract the savings on installation.

Ethanol fireplaces offer exciting new opportunities for design. Top: This leftcorner ethanol fireplace from EcoSmart’s Flex line can be customized to fit different configurations. Bottom: The XL900 ethanol burner by EcoSmart Fire is the most popular one of the range.

Wood-Burning Fireplaces

This is the romantic ideal of a fireplace: Think woodsmoke, flickering golden light, the soft crackle and pop of burning logs, the pleasure of watching sparks fly as you move the glowing coals around with a poker.

Traditional open-hearth wood fireplaces are the most attractive, but among the least efficient. Closedhearth fireplaces are much more efficient, but lack the charm of an open hearth. Making the best of both worlds are wood fireplace inserts, which can be placed into an existing fireplace to improve its safety and energy efficiency.

Nothing beats the comfort and charm of a wood fireplace, but it does come with its drawbacks.

PROS:

A closed-hearth, wood-burning

• A wood fireplace is romantic and charming, with a lovely aroma, sound and appearance.

• It can add value to your home.

• If you own a wooded property, you have plenty of free fuel.

• High-efficiency wood inserts can emit the most heat of any fuel source.

CONS:

• A wood fireplace is, generally speaking, the most expensive to install and less efficient than other options.

• It requires a great deal of maintenance.

• If poorly installed and/or maintained, it can be dangerous, presenting both a fire hazard and the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

• You will need a source of wood and a place to store it that is not a fire hazard.

Left:

fireplace insert like this one by Supreme Fusion, available at Wilk Stove, combines charm and efficiency. Above: The cast-iron 8463 woodstove by Morsoe, with built-in log storage, is the most powerful ever made by the Danish company.

Electric Fireplaces

An electric fireplace is the easiest both to install and operate. Just plug it into an everyday socket, flick it on and voilà, you have fire. Well, sort of. The big drawback with an electric fire is that it doesn’t have a real flame, though it can have flamelike effects with moving lights or coloured glass. Some electric fireplaces can be mounted on a wall like a flat-screen TV. Others are designed to be portable, so you can move them around as needed. There are insets you can pop into a defunct wood-burning fireplace, as well as stove-style fireplaces, TV stands with integrated electric fireplaces and basket-style ones that look like antique cast-iron fire baskets.

PROS:

• An electric fireplace is the easiest type to install — many just need to be plugged into a wall socket.

• It’s also energy efficient.

• It requires almost no maintenance.

• It’s very safe to use, with little risk of fire and none of emissions.

• It’s easy to adjust to your preferences.

• It’s the most cost-effective, economical option — the combined cost of the unit, installation and operation is lower than that of any other type of fireplace.

CONS:

• It doesn’t burn a real flame.

• It doesn’t produce as much heat as gas or wood.

• If the power goes out, so does your heat source.

• It’s not as charming as a wood or gas fireplace.

An electric fireplace like the IgniteXL by Dimplex, available from Pacific Fireplaces, is easy to both install and operate, but it lacks the romance of a traditional flame.

Don’t Forget the Permit

All types of fireplaces are allowed in Greater Victoria — but only as long as they are compliant with certain rules and restrictions.

If you are in a condo or townhouse, check first with your strata bylaws to see whether you are allowed to install a fireplace at all, and what restrictions there might be around that. Some stratas won’t allow gas lines, for instance, and others prohibit wood burning.

Otherwise, installing a new solid fuel appliance or chimney (that is, a wood-burning or vented gas fireplace) requires a building permit from the Capital Regional District.

A wood fireplace will likely also require a post-installation inspection by fire or building officials. (Wood stoves not only require permits and inspections, they must be emissions-certified and compliant with smoke control bylaws.)

A record of the approved installation should be available in case you change insurance companies or as part of your disclosure statement when you sell your home.

The same goes for gas fireplaces, with a few extra details.

Permits issued by the BC Safety Authority are required by Fortis BC prior to any new gas installation activation. Additionally, all installation permits, including appliance model and serial number, must be archived by address in the event of a safety recall even after you have moved from your home.

Ethanol fireplaces are allowed in Victoria as long as they meet safety standards and are installed by qualified professionals. However, Health Canada warns against certain models due to flame-jetting incidents resulting in injuries or deaths.

For more information, visit crd.ca

Rustic accents, warm textures & golden hues — everything you need to create a cozy seasonal escape. Let our decor set the mood; from pumpkin-spiced candles to harvest centrepieces, you’ll love coming home.

DIGNITY BY DESIGN

All of us will need a little help one day. Wouldn’t it be nice if our homes were there for us when we do?

BY JOANNE SASVARI

The very young, the very old, and many, many of us in between will one day find ourselves struggling in the spaces where we live and work. A table might be too high to reach or instructions printed too small to read, a handle too hard to turn, a toilet impossible to rise from without help or a hallway too narrow to navigate with a walker or wheelchair or baby carriage.

But it’s not just whether we can function in our spaces that matters. It’s whether we can do so with ease, with comfort, with dignity.

“Designing for accessibility is the baseline, it’s for accommodating physical limitations,” says Ann Squires Ferguson, CEO and senior principal designer at Western Design+Build. “When I think of accessibility or, ideally, universal design, it’s that functionality we lean into. Designing for dignity is more of a conversation about empathy.”

Good design, she adds, should “allow the person the rights that they have as a human of being comfortable and at ease in their own mind, in their own body and in their own environment.”

True, much has improved in terms of accessible design, at least as far as commercial buildings are concerned. But our homes are another story. Just think of the narrow doors and hallways of 1950s post-war homes, the many stairs of 1970s split-level ranchers or the multiple pinchpoints of Y2K-era design.

“We built all these houses with future mobility challenges built in,” says Matthew Shaw, the head of Accessible Practice for the Rick Hansen Foundation. He believes that this is the time to change that kind of thinking, and to do so with beauty in mind.

“We have this assumption that accessibility is ugly … that any accessibility modification looks like a hospital room that’s brought into our home or bedroom. But it doesn’t have to be that way,” Shaw says. “It’s untapped potential in terms of what’s really in that space. There are ways and approaches that are elegant and beautiful.”

DESIGNING WITHOUT PITY

Designer Iván Meade, the principal of Meade Design Group, spends a lot of time thinking about how to make homes both accessible and beautiful for his clients, many of whom are 55 and older, looking to retire and age in place.

“Designing for dignity is not just for people with disabilities, it’s for the general public,” he says. “Designing for dignity to me is not designing with pity — it’s for environment and independence.”

According to Meade, the key difference between designing for accessibility and for dignity is that the first is about functionality, while the second also takes into consideration both beauty and our emotional well-being.

“You have to start with functionality, then esthetics come into play,” says Meade. “Esthetics is the dialogue between materials, to find the harmony with all the elements in the place, to be useful in everyday life.” Together, functionality and esthetics should foster empowerment, independence and “emotional well-being through design.”

Yet it’s remarkable how often design falls short. “What is it and how do I use it is the very first thing,” Squires Ferguson says. “Anything that people don’t instinctively know how to use — it makes people feel stupid, it makes people feel older. Think of all the million ways that your humanity gets chipped away at.”

In Canada, a quarter of the population identifies as having a disability, which means that a whole lot of people are looking for accessible accommodation, whether for themselves or their loved ones. But while building codes force commercial buildings to be more accessible, “legislative decisions aren’t going to create meaningful experiences,” Shaw says. And with all the competing needs and demands in construction, designing for dignity too often “becomes the end goal of all the end goals.”

“YOU HAVE TO START WITH FUNCTIONALITY, THEN ESTHETICS COME INTO PLAY.”

— Designer Iván Meade

that

and

This bathroom by Jenny Martin Design features many elements

improve accessibility while still looking beautiful. Among them: lower cabinets with recessed motion-sensing lights underneath, a barrierfree walk-in shower with a practical bench

spaces wide enough for a mobility device. The powder-coated black handrails were installed for stability, but add dramatic punctuation to the walls, and the matte finish of the porcelain Ames Tiles on the floor reduce the risk of slips and falls.

PHOTOS:

To Shaw, who was born with a degenerative deafblind condition, “Dignity is when we believe that we matter … when we feel we’ve been seen and cared for.” And designing for dignity is “a kind of personal and intimate communication.”

Unfortunately, our homes — the places where we should feel the safest and most cared for — are often the places that are the worst designed to do just that.

MOBILITY CHALLENGES

Even without a disability, human bodies are all different — shorter, taller, wider, skinnier, with better or worse eyesight or hearing or flexibility. Yet, Shaw says, “Very much of what we make forgets that fact. Once you recognize that, you can see it everywhere. You begin to see the ways in which we don’t design and build with accessibility in mind.”

Realization often comes when our mobility is challenged, when we break a leg or develop tendinitis in a wrist after too much pickleball. “Mobility and flexibility are most people’s entry point,” Shaw says. That, or we get sick and find our skin suddenly sensitive to certain textures or our joints weakened by chemotherapy.

“I’ve been doing this for 25 years and I can’t tell you how many people have some form of arthritis,” says Meade. So, he suggests, why not simply replace knobs with levers, add soft closures to your cabinetry, or install hardware with ergonomic handles that are bigger, lighter and easier to use when you have less mobility?

“But make it part of the design. It can be beautiful,” Meade says. And it can be something you love, too. “Good design should feel personal. If it’s beautiful it still has to represent who you are.”

Meade also points out that accessibility should take into consideration mental wellness. Designing for that could be as simple as setting up bins to corral the clutter that makes you feel so stressed or replacing the cold, white lights that make you feel tired and despondent with soft, warm ones that make you feel happy and energized. It could also mean using rooms for their intended purposes, something that went by the wayside for many of us during the COVID lockdowns when we worked at our kitchen tables and dined in front of the TV.

Redesigning our spaces and re-engineering our habits isn’t always easy, though. “Start small so it’s not overwhelming. Not getting overwhelmed is really important,” Meade says. “I feel psychologically if you do something small, you feel like you accomplished something.”

FUTURE PROOF

Older homes are especially challenging, as anyone who’s had a senior parent try to age in place in one can attest. To make them accessible, you’d need wider halls and doors, space for ramps, lots of grab bars and maybe a stairlift. And, as Meade says: “You have to make it look nice so it doesn’t look like you’re living in a hospital room. You don’t want to make people feel bad.”

Retrofitting a home can be prohibitively expensive. That’s why the better solution may be planning for future accessibility needs before they arise. “We need more homes that are accessible ready,” Shaw says.

Right now, governments at every level are encouraging more homes to be built in an effort to resolve our ongoing housing crisis. But Shaw points out that if we don’t think seriously about future-proofing them for accessibility, we’ll end up with the same kind of houses that people are aging out of right now.

The good news is that, for the first time, Canada has a standard for designing dwellings that are “affordable, adaptable and accessible,” published by CSA Group, which aligns with Accessible Standards Canada (CSA/ASC B652).

The key word is “adaptable.” Some of the most forward-looking designs may not have grab bars and lifts in place, but have built in the capability to install them later by, say, reinforcing a wall behind the drywall or designing a closet that can become an elevator shaft.

Shaw believes that preparing our homes for accessibility is a huge and potentially lucrative opportunity.

“I’d love to see more interior designers and product developers bringing high-quality things that you’re happy to have in your home versus everything having the esthetic of a hospital or health-care institution,” says Shaw. “There is an enormous global market for it. I don’t think people have really tapped into this. I think there’s a real opportunity for enterprising designers and developers.”

A big part of the problem, though, is us. No one wants to be thinking about the day they can’t get in and out of the tub, especially when

Above: The kitchen in this home by Waymark Architecture included features designed to accommodate a visually impaired homeowner. The team at David H. Moore Cabinetry, working with interior designer Carly Sanderson, created cabinets with rounded corners that the owner could use as a guide as he made his way through the home.

Below: In this Oak Bay renovation led by designer Jacques Boisvert of Bidgood, the team at Strong Built created a ramp that looks as beautiful as it is functional to accommodate the mobility challenges of the owners’ young son.

JODY BECK

JEFFREY BOSET/SPRUCE MAGAZINE

they’re just in their 30s or 40s, buying their first house, raising a young family, working full time and juggling all the myriad demands of life.

“People don’t plan ahead. Nobody wants to age and nobody wants to have these things, but planning it is important,” Meade says. “It’s not just: What colour is my shower going to be? It’s: How is my shower going to function, and how is my shower going to function in 20 years?”

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

The conversation around dignity and accessibility often focuses on older people, but it should really start when we are very young.

Squires Ferguson recalls designing a daycare centre a few years back and considering how to handle the diaper station. Many of the centre’s clients were older toddlers who were already walking and proud of their independence — which was stripped away the instant they were lifted like babies to have their diapers changed. So, she wondered, “How do they get from the floor to the change table?”

for a seniors’ home, where many of the residents could not bathe unsupervised and often required a sort of sling to hoist their naked bodies into the tub. “The renovation we did was taking that incredibly functional space and making it feel as human as possible.”

Her team added better lighting and multitrack curtains to screen the space “so it becomes smaller and softer and it’s clearly lit.” They built a cubby for each senior, so everyone has their own soap and shampoo, and their own robe on their own hook. They also designed a nook so the caregiver would be in the room for safety, but out of sight for privacy and dignity. It took longer to do, but was more meaningful when it was done.

this

The solution, it turned out, was simply designing a set of steps to the table. “Toddlers can climb onto that change table themselves. That gives them their body autonomy back,” she says.

On the other end of the age spectrum, Squires Ferguson was asked to renovate the bathing area

“It requires us as designers to slow down and walk through that experience slowly,” she says. “It does take time and it does take effort. But think of the impact that one little room can have on so many people’s lives.”

It takes so little to strip away our dignity, and just a little thoughtful design to give it back. But perhaps the goal really shouldn’t be designing for accessibility or dignity at all. It should just be … design.

After all, as Shaw says: “One of the things about accessible design that is funny but true is that, when it’s done really well, it’s invisible.”

Accessibility is a key consideration for aging in place. The entry in this Passive House design by ONE SEED Architecture + Interiors incorporates wide areas for movement, as well as low-threshold front doors should mobility aids ever be needed. The living spaces remain on one level and include low, accessible

10 Ways to (Re)design Your Space for Dignity

If you already have a house, especially an older one, there may be limited things you can do to make it truly accessible. But there are always things you can do to make it better — and still beautiful.

1 Replace round doorknobs with levers.

2 Make the floor level at your entryway and other doorways. If possible, remove raised sills or metal strips between rooms — it will look more modern, too.

3 Rethink your lighting. Add task lights and sconces, and replace cool white light (4000 to 6500 Kelvin) with warmer light (2700 to 3500 Kelvin).

4 Install a smart home system that can take care of finicky or repetitive tasks such as operating the heating/cooling system or opening and closing blinds.

5 Remove any tripping hazards such as thick, slippery area rugs and install non-slip flooring.

6 Install attractive grab bars for getting in and out of the tub and at other strategic locations.

7 Make sure all your stairs have functional handrails.

8 Consider replacing your old bathtub with a barrier-free walkin shower (with a bench) or walkin bathtub.

9 Assess your home for pinch points and find ways to improve them.

10 Install shelves, drawers, cupboards and coat hooks that are low enough for children, adults of lower stature or people in wheelchairs to operate — as a bonus, you will increase your storage space.

cabinetry.

At

daycare centre, Ann Squires Ferguson designed a riser so toddlers can reach the taps and steps so they can climb to the change table themselves. This both preserves their independence and autonomy and saves the backs of the staff who had to lift the kids up.

BY SHANNON MONEO

Wants, Needs and Negotiation

Greater Victoria’s frenzied 2020-2022 real estate market featured bidding wars, purchases made sight unseen and dramatic price hikes. It’s a different world in 2025.

Robyn Wildman earned her real estate licence in 1989 and since then has witnessed interest rates as high as 18 per cent and as low as 2.8 per cent. “I’ve been through many, many markets,” says Wildman, who works in Victoria for Sotheby’s International Realty Canada.

In 2025, financial stressors combined with more homes on the market have led to a trickling down in price, or as those who are in the real estate business call it, “price amendments.”

“People should celebrate that they can find a house for $880,000 in Victoria,” Wildman says. “It’s been years since you could get a threebedroom, three-bathroom home for under

$1 million. Now you can.” Wildman cites the 2025 sale of a Langford home that sold for 6.25 per cent less than in 2024. “It’s happening now — homes are selling for less than the owners paid,” she says.

The falling prices are evident from Sidney to Cobble Hill. More homes mean more variety. When there are six homes under consideration for purchase versus the one or two we’d have seen five years ago, sellers may be forced to drop their prices in a competitive market.

“Now buyers know they have more choice,” Wildman says. With that comes the urge to put wants before needs. “My job is to help buyers dial down,” she adds.

AN UNCERTAIN MARKET

Some buyers’ first priority is that the house they “need” has a big fenced yard, updated bathrooms and double garage. The second priority is the neighbourhood. “But the house can change, the neighbourhood can’t,” Wildman points out.

Alterations, such as adding a second bathroom or upgrading fixtures, can often be done, Wildman notes. And sometimes an older home, with the one bathroom, will be a deficit that can be used as a negotiating tool or be priced to reflect the shortfall of the outfall.

The Victoria Real Estate Board’s 2025 chair has a proven method to help clients separate the somewhat opposing concepts of wants versus

needs. “I take them out to visit a few properties to determine what can be afforded,” says Dirk VanderWal, who also works at Newport Realty. “There are nice-to-haves versus dealbreakers.” When the buyer sees what their budget allows, it “crystallizes wants and needs,” he says.

VanderWal recalls one customer who had her heart set on a small rural acreage where she planned to build a cabin. Once she viewed her options in the country and the money she’d need to spend on construction and maintenance, she did a 180-degree turn. The bucolic dream metamorphosed to a condo in the city.

Oliver Katz has been selling properties in Greater Victoria for over 27 years and says the market has never been as uncertain as it is now. Amid the unpredictability is a disdain for anything dated. “Today [many younger buyers] want brand new, all the bells and whistles,” says Katz, who works for RE/MAX Camosun. If a home doesn’t sport granite countertops, spa bathrooms and high-end appliances, people are put off, he adds.

There’s no denying the “very good look” of a new home that shouldn’t need repairs for several years and comes with a 10-year warranty, Katz says. “But stop and think back 20 years. It used to be Arborite counters, lots of carpet, cheap vinyl.” The desire to have the dream home versus the 30-year-old house makes a difference in pricing. “Some people stretch it too far,” he says, adding that existing homeowners often take a restrained approach when seeking a new residence.

‘GOING TO BAT FOR THE CLIENT’

In any market, the role of negotiations cannot be overlooked. In an environment where prices have dropped five per cent or more, negotiations are happening more often than during the unrestrained COVID-19 days when homes sold with no conditions.

Wheeling and dealing on the price is one area that Katz relishes. “I really enjoy the negotiating

side, going to bat for the client. Everyone feels good if they’ve won something,” he says.

Wildman, too, welcomes the to-and-fro of squeezing out pricing. “What I love about this market, as buyers have more choice, I can negotiate again,” Wildman says.

Unlike the FOMO (fear of missing out) pandemic days when buyers got snared in the hype, Wildman tries to get her clients to step back and quell the emotions. “Don’t let them make decisions in crazy moments,” she says.

VanderWal ensures his clients know that a home is priced fairly. While there’s plenty of available comparison information, VanderWal stresses that buyers or sellers need a skilled “interpreter.”

And while prices may have fallen in some regions and in housing categories like condos, there are plenty of micro-markets. “One benchmark price for the whole area doesn’t tell the whole story,” VanderWal says. “It varies by area. Oak Bay versus Langford.”

Future price fluctuations remain unpredictable, says Katz. U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff talk, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s policies and even global events mean that accurate price forecasting is all but impossible. And VanderWal acknowledges that a “black swan” event like another pandemic or 9/11 could upend markets.

Putting some perspective on it is Wildman: “If prices don’t go down, we don’t know what up is,” she says.

GARDENS

BY CAROLYN CAMILLERI

There’s an old saying about planting trees: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the next best time is today.

As long as “today” happens to be during the dormant season, that is. I mean, you could plant a tree anytime, but you improve its chances of survival substantially by planting it from late fall to sometime before spring buds come out.

I like fall for tree planting — it’s a nice time of year in the garden and the ground is still soft and warm. It also gives the new tree more time to establish before the heat and dryness of next summer.

Before you rush out to the nursery, though, consider this: A tree is young for about five years, which means you need to take care of it, especially with watering. Trees are long term — we are talking decades here — and you want to be happy with your choice.

Kelly Chashai, owner of Down to Earth Gardens and Nursery in the Metchosin area, says that when people come in looking for a tree, they often have a general idea of what they are looking for, but that may change as they look around.

“Our goal is always to give them three or four options if we can,” says Chashai. “I always joke halfway through when I see them get that clouded look on their face, I say, ‘Yep, it’s my job to make it hard for you.’ ”

THE ESSENTIALS

Trees are a big decision, in more ways than one, starting with size. For example, Chashai says people might think they want a fast-growing, evergreen Leyland Cypress to create a privacy screen — but they grow huge, up to 18 metres tall and six metres wide.

Successful Tree Planting

Give your new tree a solid start and enjoy its beauty for years — even decades — to come.

SIZE MATTERS

Trees can grow big — sometimes really big — so be sure the one you choose will fit the space you have. For smaller yards and containers, look for dwarf varieties, which naturally grow to 15 feet high or less, such as Japanese maple, Rose of Sharon or dwarf Alberta spruce, or certain shrubs, such as some hydrangeas and lilacs. If you have a bit more space, consider a medium-sized tree, one that is in the 20to 40-foot-high range, such as Pacific dogwood, arbutus or evergreen western hemlock. If height and width are no object, you can plant whatever you want, including local giants like Douglas fir, western red cedar or sitka spruce.

Rose of Sharon

“If someone puts one in at their small new build in Royal Bay, they’re going to have some problems in the future, so we have to be careful about that.”

Then she asks if they have an irrigation system — drip irrigation is ideal, especially if it follows the tree’s natural drip line — and if they know what kind of soil they have. And really, it is all about the soil.

Sandy soil doesn’t hold water, no matter how much you irrigate. If your home is new, you might even be dealing with gravel, which certainly doesn’t hold water. The opposite problem is clay, which really holds the water and can drown the roots.

What you want is rich, black soil that clumps just right when you grab a handful of it. If you don’t have that, you need to amend what you do have with organic matter such as compost or dig a much bigger hole so you can fill it with good soil.

Finally, you should only stake a newly planted tree if it’s necessary for support (for instance, if it’s a bare root tree, unusually top-heavy or planted in unstable conditions); otherwise, it can impede its natural growth.

“I see a lot of people come in and they just want to plant trees,” says Chashai. “They want the pretty apples or the pretty flowers, but the science behind it is the key to success.”

PLANTING TIPS

Planting trees properly is also an art. At Down to Earth Gardens and Nursery, they have handouts. “A lot of trees fail because people plant them too deep. They think that they have to be right at the soil level line. In fact, a tree needs to be raised just above where the root flare is exposed.”

The root flare is where the trunk curves out to meet the roots. If you bury the trunk, water will funnel down and rot the roots, killing the tree.

As for which trees to plant, you have so many choices here in the gardening paradise that is Greater Victoria. One of Chashai’s full-sun favourites is the evergreen magnolia. For a shade-friendly evergreen, try a Western yew (Taxus brevifolia). Italian prune plums are a popular fruit tree that can take quite a bit of drought. For beautiful fall colours, consider a maple tree or, if you have the space, Chashai suggests a Parrotia, a.k.a. Persian ironwood, which transitions from red to orange then yellow in the fall.

Whether you have a tree in mind or not, before you buy, check your space, look at your soil, make a list of questions and take the handout or whatever advice your favourite nursery has to offer. Years from now, you will be so glad you did.

DIG WIDE, NOT DEEP

2-3 inches of mulch

Unless you are planting a bare root tree, it will likely have a root ball wrapped in burlap or twine, which should be removed. Dig the hole as deep as the root ball, and at least twice as wide — this will help the roots develop laterally. Add some mulch, plant the tree so the root flare (where the trunk widens into roots) is just above the soil level and stake it if necessary.

TRIED AND TRUE TREES

Most trees will grow well in Victoria, but these are a few popular choices, depending on whether you want an evergreen, a fruit tree or autumn colour. From left: The leathery leaves of evergreen magnolias add year-round foliage and lush blossoms in spring. Italian prune plums are smallish, self-pollinating trees that produce reliable yields of dark purple plums ideal for drying, canning, baking and eating. The Persian parrotia, a.k.a. Persian ironwood, is a small upright tree or largeish shrub whose oblong leaves put on a spectacularly colourful show in fall.

Hole 2-3 times as wide as diameter of root ball

Root flare Stake tree if necessary

Backfill

AT THE TABLE

BY JOANNE SASVARI

BPasta Mastery

A chef’s advice on how to transform water and flour into culinary magic.

rian Tesolin has all the pasta-making toys. He has the mattarello and the ravioli stamps, the grooved gnocchi board, brass-wheeled pasta cutters and even a stringed pasta “guitar” for making the squarish spaghetti called chitarra.

“I was one of the first customers of Nonna’s Wood Shop,” says Tesolin, who was most recently chef at The Courtney Room. Nonna’s Wood Shop is an operation run by Dan Ewart, a former chef who became obsessed with pasta while working at Vancouver’s Osteria Savio Volpe, and now handcrafts beautiful pastamaking tools in Stave Falls, near Mission in the Lower Mainland.

Tesolin may be a pasta pro these days, but he wasn’t always. It was only when the pandemic hit and he had time on his hands that he got serious about it.

He taught himself how to work a mattarello, the big rolling pin used to roll out thin sheets of pasta dough. He watched videos and read books by Evan Funke, the Los Angeles chef who

made pasta cool, as well as the Pasta Grannies and Mateo Zielonka, a.k.a. The Pasta Man. He became expert at understanding hydration and forming even the trickiest of pasta shapes, like tortellini. (“Everyone ends up making something that looks like an envelope rather than the belly button of Venus, which is what it’s supposed to be,” he says.)

Along the way, Tesolin fell in love with pasta.

“Once you start doing it, it becomes your whole life. Anything else that stops you just gets in the way,” he says, adding: “Every single piece of finished product is a win. To see something pretty being created out of your hand is wonderful.”

Tesolin especially loves tagliatelle — “I like a long noodle with a nice ragu,” he says — and orecchiette, the “little ears” that go so well with sausage. He’s also fond of twisty trofie, chitara and sorpresine, “which is like a tortellini with no filling. You serve it with broth and it looks like a fleur-de-lis.”

He does, after all, have plenty of options.

There are some 350 different pasta shapes and up to four times as many names for them. Some are long skinny noodles, some are short and shaped, some are stuffed. Some are made from soft, rich, egg-based dough; others just from flour and water in one of the most magical transformations in cuisine.

At the end of the day, pasta is pretty simple: just flour and water or maybe some eggs. It’s not even all that hard to make, especially if you have a pasta machine. Any home cook can do it.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy to do it really well.

“It’s labour intensive and it’s technical, too,” says Tesolin.“There’s variable after variable after variable. And then you get the sauces. A lot of the sauces are the same, but the shapes are different based on the regional differences in hydration.”

He adds: “That’s the thing with pasta. It’s so simple, but in the end it’s not.”

JEFFREY

Chef Brian Tesolin rolls out a sheet of pasta using a mattarello.

TOOLS FOR PASTA MASTERS

Mattarello

To make pasta by hand the traditional way, you need a long wooden rolling pin called a mattarello to roll the dough into perfectly thin, even sheets. Nonna’s Wood Shop, located in aptly named Stave Falls, produces highquality mattarelli from lathe-turned hardwoods including beech, maple, walnut and cherry in sizes that range from 24 to 44 inches. nonnaswoodshop.com

Pasta Machine

Then again, you can always let technology do the work for you. A hand-cranked pasta machine is a marvel of engineering, and Marcato’s Atlas 150 is the industry standard, with attachments available for cutting everything from vermicelli to lasagne noodles. It’s available at many kitchen supply stores.

However, if you want to make hollow noodles without the finicky hassle of forming them by hand, you will want a pasta extruder. Marcato makes a hand-cranked version that forces dough through interchangeable dies to form professional-looking bucatini, fusilli, rigatoni or macaroni. Find it at Lee Valley. marcato.it/it, leevalley.com

Drying Rack

If fresh pasta isn’t cooked immediately, it should be hung to dry. Thinner noodles like spaghetti and linguine especially benefit from drying for about an hour so they don’t get soggy when cooked. You can find drying racks at many kitchen supply stores; this acacia one from Crate & Barrel is both sturdy and beautiful. crateandbarrel.ca

Tons

of Tools

Aside from the basics — pasta maker or mattarello, bench scraper, electronic scale, pastry brush, piping bags for fillings — different types of pasta require specific tools. Among the options: A gnocchi board to create those sauce-embracing grooves. A ravioli stamp or mould to help form stuffed pastas. A pasta wheel, fluted or otherwise, for cutting a myriad of shapes. Metal ferretti and wooden dowels for rolled pastas like garganelli. While you can find these in many kitchen supply stores, we especially love the locally handmade wood and brass versions from Nonna’s Wood Shop. nonnaswoodshop.com

The Right Flour

Sure, you can make pasta with regular all-purpose flour, but to achieve that ideal smooth, chewy, elastic texture, try the finely milled 00, also known as “doppio zero,” flour. In Italy, flour is categorized by grind size, not protein content as it is here in North America. Doppio zero is the finest; it is powdery in texture and when made from hard durum, perfect for pizza and pasta. Find it at some supermarkets or at Gigi’s Italian & Specialty Foods. gigisitalianfoods.com

Pasta by the Book

Credit Los Angeles chef Evan Funke for making us all fall in love with handmade pasta. His gorgeous 2019 book American Sfoligno (Chronicle Books) is the bible for pasta heads. It provides everything you need to know for making fresh, egg-based pasta at home, as well as plenty of inspiration.

PERFECT PAIRINGS

Wondering what wine to serve with your favourite pasta dish? Here are some ideas.

Trofie al pesto: Dry, savoury white wines go with the fragrant green notes of all that basil. Vermentino from Liguria is a natural choice; other good options include Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Albariño or Grüner Veltliner.

Fettuccine Alfredo: Buttery Chardonnay is the go-to pairing for creamy dishes like this, but you can also cut all that richness with sparkling Prosecco or a light-bodied red such as Gamay or Pinot Noir.

Gnocchi in sage butter: The acidity in crisp white wines like Pinot Grigio or Vermentino cuts through the richness of the butter. But a light, juicy red, such as Barbera, Pinot Noir or Gamay, may complement the earthiness and weight of the dish even better.

Spaghetti carbonara: Salty bacon, spicy pepper and rich eggs and cheese demand wines with a little weight, soft tannins and juicy acidity. Italian whites like Fiano or Vermentino are a good call; so are softer reds like Gamay, Barbera, Grenache or a lighter Syrah.

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese: The rich, meaty ragu cries out for a red wine that is fruit forward but fairly high in acid, and that means classic Chianti, a Sangiovesebased wine with notes of tart red cherries and hints of smoke, dried herbs and game.

AT HOME WITH Artist Laura Harris

BY JOANNE SASVARI

PHOTO BY JEFFREY BOSDET

You’ve probably seen Laura Harris’s paintings, those gorgeously moody, large-scale abstract landscapes with layers of texture, and if you haven’t, you definitely should. A fourth-generation Victorian (“Our roots run deep here,” she says), Harris has been painting full-time for over 25 years, and also hosts painting retreats both at her home and abroad. Many of them end up in her favourite space: her outdoor living room.

Tell us about your favourite “room.”

Harris: We have lots of lovely little spaces here. We tuck in right against Mount Doug Park [PKOLS] and we can see the ocean. We’ve got all afternoon sun so it’s really warm. And you’re sitting next to a pond and a running stream. Everyone calls it an oasis. It’s clichéd, but it is what it is.

What was the inspiration for the design?

Harris: I’ve tried to recreate my first trip to Italy so there’s lemon trees and olive trees and climbing jasmine… and grape vines that are full of grapes. Rustic but elegant, that’s what I really wanted.

How did it all come together?

Harris: During COVID, my partner Pete put a sort of roof over the space. Pete is a handy guy. We used bamboo so it has the feel of an Italian pergola, but we have a plastic top so it’s West Coast-safe. We’ve got two sofas [one of them recently recovered by Hundred Hills Home from Salt Spring Island]. We also built an outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven and a fireplace and that’s right next to it.

How do you use the space?

Harris: We go out and have coffee, we have guests over for dinner, we are out there all the time. The whole space is geared for socializing. There’s a lovely fire so we sit out there even in the rain. That’s my favourite time to sit out there, when it’s raining.

Find Laura Harris’s paintings at Gallery Merrick or check them out on lauraharrisartist.com.

LAST LOOK

DRENCHED IN COLOUR

This top design trend can transform a space in unexpected ways.

“Colour drenching” simply means to paint everything in a room — walls, ceiling, millwork, trim, even furniture — in a single colour to create a cohesive, immersive space. Although it is very much of the moment, colour and design experts expect this to be one trend that sticks around for a while. In fact, in the U.K. it’s long been used as a technique to make awkward features like radiators or built-in cabinets “disappear.”

Any colour can be drenched, but different hues have different effects and are better for different spaces. For instance:

Pale and neutral colours: Off-whites, beige tones and other very pale hues blur the line where walls and ceiling meet, which can make a room feel bigger and airier. Best for: narrow hallways and other awkwardly shaped spaces, as well as kitchens.

Cool pastels: Drenching soft greens, blues, pinks and greys erases harsh lines, creating a calm, tranquil ambience. Best for: bedrooms, nurseries, workspaces.

Dark tones: Moody dark greens, blues, plums and browns create a rich cocoon of colour that is as cozy as it is dramatic.

Best for: spaces that you’re likely to use (and linger in) during the evening hours, such as the living or dining room.

The paint can all be one finish — very matte paints are particularly hot right now and create an elegant velvety look that works especially well with dark colours — or it can be a combination of finishes, such as matte on the walls and high gloss on the doors.

Finally, to add visual interest, it’s a good idea to incorporate different textures (fabrics, wood), as well as furniture or accessories in different shades of the same colour and/or contrasting hues.