SPRUCE magazine - Summer 2020

VICTORIA’S HOME & D E S I G N MAGAZINE

SUMMER 2020

INSPIRING HOMES AND INTERIORS MODERN MINIMALIST BEACH HOME RENO THE ULTIMATE BACKYARD DESIGNED FOR PLAY RECREATING AN UPLANDS ESTATE IN A 1,000-SQ-FT CONDO

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SUMMER 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

ON THE COVER

Geometric House — by our Ask the Expert architect Allison HoldenPope — exemplifies easy living.

Page 18

FEATURES

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32

38

46

52

This custom home embraces traditional and contemporary elements to achieve its welcoming esthetic.

A detailed kitchen and basement renovation elevates this beach house into a functional family dream home.

Looking to downsize, this homeowner translates his Uplands estate into a 1,000-square-foot condo.

This ultimate backyard is the perfect place to gather, cook and have fun — there’s even a putting green!

Consider these important factors when you’re deciding on when and how to repaint your house.

B Y JULIA DILWORTH

B Y DAVID LENNAM

B Y DANIELLE POPE

B Y SUSAN HOLLIS

B Y LINDA BARNARD

TIMELESS AND INVITING

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AT HOME ON THE BEACH

RECREATING A CLASSIC

A PLACE TO PLAY

EXTERIOR MATTERS

INCREDIBLE HOME WWW.INCREDIBLEHOME.CA

Live Life Incredibly CLOSETS • KITCHENS

GROW YOUR INVESTMENTS Managing business, family and personal wealth

12 IN THIS ISSUE DEPARTMENTS

10

EDITOR’S LETTER

B Y ATHENA McKENZIE

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S PRUCE IT UP

Easy living: fine design meets functionality with these inspiring finds.

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DESIGN DETAILS

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ASK THE EXPERT

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Fabulous faucets and fixtures can elevate both your bathroom’s look and usability.

IAN STOCKDILL Portfolio Manager & Investment Advisor 250-953-8461 or 1-800-799-1175 ian.stockdill@nbc.ca www.ianstockdill.com

A recent addition to the Victoria design scene, architect Allison Holden-Pope brings a striking esthetic to her sustainabilityforward homes.

B Y ATHENA McKENZIE

56 National Bank Financial Suite 700, 737 Yates St., Victoria

REAL ESTATE

Spruce explores why you need a legal professional on your real estate team.

B Y SHANNON MONEO

National Bank Financial – Wealth Management (NBFWM) is a division of National Bank Financial Inc. (NBF), as well as a trademark owned by National Bank of Canada (NBC) that is used under licence by NBF. NBF is a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF), and is a whollyowned subsidiary of NBC, a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA).

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FINISHING TOUCH

Soft colour elevates this kitchen into an elegant and soothing space.

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V I C TO R I A’ S H O M E & D E S I G N M AG A Z I N E

NEED A COLOUR CONSULTANT?

PUBLISHERS Lise Gyorkos,

Georgina Camilleri

MANAGING EDITOR Athena McKenzie

PRODUCTION MANAGER Jennifer Kühtz

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jeffrey Bosdet

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Amanda Wilson

LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Janice Hildybrant

ASSOCIATE GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Jo-Ann Loro

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Rebecca Juetten

DIGITAL MARKETING COORDINATOR Belle White

PROOFREADER Paula Marchese CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Linda Barnard, Julia Dilworth,

Susan Hollis, David Lennam, Danielle Pope, Shannon Moneo

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jeffrey Bosdet, Joshua Lawrence,

Ema Peter, Belle White

CONTRIBUTING AGENCIES Getty Images p. 53, 55 ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Deana Brown,

Cynthia Hanischuk, Gary Hollick

COLOUR IS CRUCIAL… and hiring an accredited and experienced colour consultant is even more crucial!

Interior & Exterior Colour Consultations Coloured Renderings ■ Residential Interior Design ■ Commercial & Hospitality Interior Design ■

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COVER

Geometric House by architect Allison Holden-Pope of One SEED Architecture + Interiors.

Photo by Ema Peter

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SPRUCE | SUMMER 2020

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EDITOR’S LETTER

The Evolution of a Home

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D

uring lockdown, my loft became an office and video-call centre, as well as a makeshift yoga studio, restaurant and movie theatre — there were even days it seemed like a bakery, with all the cookies and galettes I felt compelled to make. For many, their homes also had to act as daycares and schools.

It’s only natural that our homes evolve to support our changing domestic needs, and some architects, designers and realtors expect lasting trends to come out of the lockdown. Predictions include minimalist design, with easy-to-clean décor and surfaces, multi-purpose spaces and closed-concept floor plans.

When it comes to renovating — or what we look for when purchasing a new house — some choices will focus around the possibility of another pandemic.

Others will grow out of our experiences in our homes during isolation, and what we discovered we really needed.

While the open-concept floor plan has been popular for decades, with the entrance, living room, dining space and kitchen flowing into one another, the pandemic has highlighted the advantages of a separate entrance area. This enables inhabitants to leave shoes, clothing and belongings (possibly dirty or contaminated from time outside our bubbles), rather than bringing them into the living quarters.

To further enable cleanliness, more house layouts will see a bathroom by that entrance.

As more of us work from home, there will be more renovations to accommodate permanent home offices, with some embracing a more professional esthetic for those frequent Zoom calls — though I myself would miss the candid peeks into colleagues’ homes. Other add-ons, like at-home gyms, will also move up the priority list.

There is also a renewed appreciation for nature and our outdoor spaces. A backyard oasis — like the one featured in “A Place to Play” on page 46 — becomes even more appealing when the prospects of cancelled travel plans are still very real.

Some changes can be much less involved. While I might be the only woman I know who didn’t engage in a deep closet purge, my partner and I did rearrange our furniture (several times), as well as creating productive and comfortable work areas. I also switched out my bedroom linens, moving away from my usual muted palette to a vibrant tropical pattern. It’s a small thing, but the broad fronds and cheery tones always spark a smile.

Lockdown wasn’t fun, and the full effects of this pandemic are yet to be seen.

But for those of us privileged enough to have homes on Vancouver Island, this is an opportunity to really reflect on how we use our spaces. As always, I hope you find lots of inspiration within these pages.

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Athena McKenzie, Managing Editor

RELAXED & CONTEMPORARY

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SPRUCE IT UP

Easy Living

FINE DESIGN MEETS FUNCTIONALITY WITH THESE INSPIRING FINDS.

EXTEND YOUR SUMMER

A pergola might be a simple structure, but it can transform your backyard into a highly usable outdoor living space that’s enjoyable in almost any weather. Modern options incorporate technology, and the panels can open, close, pivot and slide depending on your needs, whether that’s shade or protection from rain. StruXure has designed a number of customizable architectural elements, so your pergola integrates seamlessly with the look of your home.

Available through Pacific Rollshutters & Awnings

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NAUTICALLY INSPIRED

Understandably, outdoor lighting is often a case of function over style — but that doesn’t mean you can’t have both. For Cassina’s first outdoor lighting collection, which includes lantern and pendant styles, they looked to iconic design for inspiration.

The Bollicosa Nautilus (left), Ficupala Outdoor (right) and Singapore Sling all combine Venetian blown glass traditions, resistant materials and advanced lighting technology.

Find local retailers at cassina.com

FIRESIDE STORIES

An outdoor fireplace acts as a focal point for your deck, patio or porch — and adds year-round enjoyment to the space. A gas option avoids the complications of restrictions around open backyard burning, and still enhances your outdoor living space with the glow of its dancing flames.

Left to Right: Valor’s L1 Linear outdoor fireplace, available through Ark@Home; Town & Country’s Helifire indoor/outdoor gas fire feature, available through Heat Savers Fireplace & Patio Co.; Barbara Jean Collection outdoor fireplace, natural gas with split oak log set, available through Wilk Stove SPRUCE | SUMMER 2020

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The Home Office Edit If we’ve learned anything about our homes over the last few months, it’s that it’s important to have a dedicated area if you’re working from home. Whether that’s a whole room or a claimed corner in the living room, Ann Squires Ferguson, CEO of the Western Interior Design Group, shares her tips for creating the ideal at-home work space:

• “Natural light from the side is best,” she says.

“Try to situate your desk so a window is to the right or left, not behind or in front.” Supplement with task lighting.

• “Acoustic panels can create a visual separation, as well as provide sound dampening,” says the designer. These 12 by 12-inch acoustic felt wall tiles (available through thequietroom.ca) can also add a pop of colour.

• “Set up your space in the most ergonomic, human-centric way possible,” Squires Ferguson says. “Whether you are seated or standing.” If seated, your feet should be flat on the floor and your thighs roughly parallel to the floor.

The angle between your forearm and upper arm should be around 90 degrees when your arms are at rest on the desk.

The top line of your screen should be at or below eye level.

Try to alternate between sitting and standing. How to know if you’re set up properly? “The easiest way is to have someone take a picture of you at your workstation from the side to determine if it’s ideal,” she says.

• The designer recommends you determine the tools you need before you set up your space: technology (laptop or desktop) and your connectivity. Setting up doesn’t require an extensive shopping trip. “Shop your home first — or your work place, if possible — and repurpose existing furniture.”

• “Your space should be happy and productive, and instill a sense of calm,” she says. “Put up things that inspire you and that you love — like plants and photos.”

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• “ Seating is one of the most important things,” says Squires Ferguson.

Spruce recommends an ergonomic office chair, which can help prevent back and neck pain.

Twenty physicians and PhDs in the fields of biomechanics, vision, physical therapy and ergonomics helped develop the Herman Miller Embody chair.

Available through Monk Office

Our goal is to exceed your expectations and bring everlasting beauty into your home.

ENGLISH MAKE IT RAIN

The following is a quick reference guide to Edward Jones’ speci colors, fonts, and logos.

A sleek and stylish outdoor shower makes for an unusual garden feature — and you can use it to cool down on warm days or to rinse off before a soak in the hot tub on those cooler evenings. The freestanding Soho collection from JEE-O is characterized by the simplicity of the New York neighbourhood’s lofts. The collection is available in raw, black hammer coated stainless steel and multiple colours. Choose the colour to best suit your style.

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Fonts

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ELEVATED SURFACES

Up the livability of your outdoor living room with finishing touches that borrow from the indoors — like adding a glazed porcelain that looks like an authentic hardwood floor, without the maintenance. Porcelain tile is a particularly strong form of ceramic, so ideal for patio applications, as long as it is textured so it isn’t slippery when wet. Daltile’s Saddle Brook XT glazed porcelain planks are slip-resistant and are available in four natural wood colours, so you can bring consistency to the overall look of your property.

Logos

Promotional logotype Used in our national brand campaign and marketing materials.

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SPRUCE | SUMMER 2020

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DESIGN DETAILS FIVE EXPERT TIPS FOR CHOOSING YOUR FIXTURES

What’s on Tap? FABULOUS FAUCETS AND FIXTURES CAN ELEVATE BOTH YOUR BATHROOM’S LOOK AND FUNCTION. Brizo Invari

While chrome has always been a standard choice, there’s a stunning variety of material and colour options to make your bathroom really stand out — and reflect your own style.

“When you update your space, it can create a cleaner, brighter, more personalized place,” says Sameha Dixson, showroom supervisor at Splashes Bath & Kitchen. “The fixtures are the things you touch every day — they can be one of life’s simple little pleasures. Finding these moments, whether that’s on the top of a mountain or in your powder room, is really important.”

Here are some of the beautiful things you can add to your bathroom.

1 Know your measurements: My biggest thing is measurements. They help us understand the available space, and, together with how it’s going to be used, help us to gauge what can physically fit and how the fixtures should function.

2 Clarify who is going to be using the space: Maybe it’s a basement bathroom for guests, and it’s only used at Christmas time. Then, you might want something a little bit more basic, spending less of your budget in that room versus a main bath, where everyone’s going to be using it, and you need it to be as functional and as versatile as possible.

GOLDEN AGE

Frederick York St. Croix

Brizo Virage

Brass or gold in the bathroom is a bold choice, compared to the silver tones, which tend to blend in. Both gold and brass really pop against white marble and tile, and the results can be stunning.

“Bronzes and golds are definitely having a moment,” Dixson says. “These finishes are interpretive and vary between suppliers, so the challenge is ensuring you get all of the same finishes because often not all one brand makes everything you might need.”

MIXED MATERIALS

KOHLER Ombré Vibrant

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Sameha Dixson, showroom supervisor at Splashes Bath & Kitchen, shares her advice for finding the perfect taps and faucets for your space.

As with kitchens, bathrooms are seeing designers and homeowners mix it up with their fixtures.

“There are more mixed metals, such as a matte black with gold or matte black with chrome, and some brands even offer beautiful coloured sinks,” Dixson says.

“The mixed metal trend is really starting to take off in kitchens and moving into bathrooms. It takes a little while for us here in Victoria to catch up, just because the city has so many traditional homes, but a lot of these homes are being updated, and we should see more if it here soon.”

VIGO Cavalli vessel sink and Linus vessel-mount faucet

3 Determine the range of fixtures needed: Once you get an idea of the style you’re attracted to, then look for a brand with a series that has the product depth you need for all the fixtures to accommodate the people using it — sometimes a brand doesn’t make everything, like the shower door or the drain for your sink or tub.

4 Distribute your budget accordingly: One can overspend in a room that gets less use, then wonder why if they’re in a different bathroom all the time.

Distribute the budget to make sure you get those special things in the room you’re going to be in most.

5 Know that all of this takes time: It helps to understand that this is not only an investment of money. Getting it right can take time. Cost, availability, cleaning and function all need to be considered. That investment of time can make the difference on whether you’re happy with the choices you make.

MAKE IT BLACK

Consider a matte black faucet your bathroom’s little black dress — an elegant classic.

“We’ve seen a big increase in matte black sales,” says Dixson.

“Where chrome has always been the most cost effective and the good old standby, whenever anyone wanted to make a space feel more special, they would turn to stainless. Now they’re turning to matte black.

“Lots of the brands are expanding their offerings in that finish, and we’re seeing a range of available fixtures. And not just contemporary, but also nods to the more traditional.”

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ASK THE EXPERT

BY ATHENA McKENZIE

Down to Earth HIGH-PERFORMANCE HOMES AND A GREENER FUTURE

A recent addition to the Victoria design scene, architect Allison Holden-Pope brings a striking esthetic to her sustainability-forward homes.

JEFFREY BOSDET/SPRUCE MAGAZINE

W

hen talking to architect Allison Holden-Pope, her passion for helping people build their perfect homes is evident on many levels.

“I love the scale of it,” she says. “I love the complexities — per square foot of space, there are so many more moving pieces than the replication you get in a large tower or condo. In every part of the home there is problem-solving and optimizing. And as much as we like to think that there’s a template for a home, as soon as we dive in with our clients, every preconception of ‘we want it to look like this previous project you did,’ is out the window once they talk about how they like to use space.”

Holden-Pope, who is now based in Victoria, originally worked in commercial architecture — she was the first LEEDcertified professional in Quebec — but always knew she wanted to design Architect Allison Holdon-Pope on the homes. The green-forward site of her new residential project in mindset of the West Coast Esquimalt. drew her to Vancouver, where she eventually formed her own firm One SEED Architecture + Interiors in 2008.

Her firm did one of the first Passive Houses in Vancouver, Khotso Passive House, a custom multi-generational home that exemplifies Holden-Pope’s minimalist and airy style.

“Some of our clients don’t realize when they hire us, how some of these beautiful West Coast Modern homes have been designed and optimized for sustainability,” she says. “On the other hand, I’ve done a lot of speaking engagements, and we have several Passive homes in our portfolio now, so other people hire us

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HOUSE PHOTOS BY EMA PETER

Geometric House is named after the dramatic angles created by its design, which was informed by the lines of the site and setbacks from a creek. The extensive renovation involved gutting the 1970s modern post-and-beam house — so only the posts, beams and roof were maintained — and adding an addition.

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The house’s siding consists of Western red cedar, slate ledger stone from Pamas Slate & Tile and metal siding from Vicwest Building Products.

The new design enhances the existing post-andbeam esthetic. New cedar soffits continue past the window walls and transform into ceilings for the master suite and living room.

Above: A two-storey addition was built at the front of the house, which includes a mud room, guest room, the kitchen and dining area, as well as three kids’ bedrooms, a kids’ lounge and two kids’ bathrooms. The new addition furthers the geometric theme and is separated into two distinct spaces by a glass atrium entrance, which allows daylight to filter in from three sides.

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without necessarily being influenced from the esthetic side of things.”

Looking to raise their young family and be closer to her parents, Holden-Pope and her husband decided to move to Victoria in 2019.

“I just love driving through Victoria because of the West Coast Modern architecture — the housing stock is really of that era,” she says. “And also coming from Vancouver, where the lots are a lot tighter and denser, here there’s room for expression and articulation. There’s just more flexibility of what can happen on a site.”

Spruce sat down with Holden-Pope to talk about her Geometric House project — a renovation in North Vancouver — the importance of sustainable design, the misconceptions and its benefits and challenges.

What attracts you to a project?

We have three things that help us choose a project. The client is the big thing. We’re going to be working together for three years. So, it’s how well we communicate, and if I feel like they will enjoy what I can bring to the project. It’s a collaboration.

Then sustainability — that the clients value and are interested in sustainability — and some esthetics. We focus on West Coast Modernism and Nordic-influenced architecture.

What do you wish people understood about sustainable design?

That’s it’s very low tech — it’s not about using complicated systems that are counter-intuitive. It’s a simple approach to construction. And it’s so intuitive. Once you learn about it, you realize this is the only way we should be allowed to build. When we’re talking about Passive House, the actual certification requirements are just a certain energy consumption and an air tightness. It doesn’t tell you at all how to get there, so you have the flexibility as a designer to respond to the site.

How does Geometric House embody your sustainability-forward approach?

There were three prongs. The first one was related to the site, as the existing house was in an environmentally sensitive area. A demolition and new build would have had a much harder impact than doing a renovation and keeping the footprint contained. The second is something we do for all of our projects, which is to focus on the envelope.

Even though this is not a Passive House, we were clever about getting high R values in a plan that looks like it’s just posts, beams and glass. The third prong, a big environmental factor for this particular house, was material selections — not only choices that were healthy for the environment, but are also healthy for the homeowners.

Feel Feel the theWarmth Warmth

2519 Government Street 250.383.3512 feelthewarmth.ca

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ARTFUL. SUSTAINABLE. WEST COAST DESIGN

In the evening, the pattern of the window mullions cause the atrium to glow like a lantern.

keithbakerdesign.com | 250.384.1550

It’s time to get comfortable!

FIREPLACES • HEATING • WEATHERPROOFING

If you have to stay home, stay warm.

Does a sustainable-forward build cost more?

It doesn’t have to. It’s about placing windows in the right place at the right location. We do solar studies to assess where the sun is hitting, what windows, what time of the year and what time of the day. We can model that out fairly accurately to get shading, so we’re only letting in winter light, shading out summer light and passive venting — these things don’t cost more money.

Our clients, who maybe didn’t start interested in sustainability, are always really happy as they go walk through the process with us, and as we talk about why we want to put this here and that there, and they like the idea of their house working for them. It is a way to bring them a lot of joy, and it makes them feel good about what they’ve done with their construction dollars.

The sustainability movement is gathering momentum in Canada, but have there been issues?

Home comfort since 1978. Our team of energy experts install, service, guarantee, and are proud of our work. #6 - 1950 Government Street | 250-386-7643 | www.ArkAtHome.ca

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It was discovered that about 75 to 85 per cent of the harmful environmental impact of a house over its life cycle — from sourcing the materials to their disposal — comes from the energy consumption of the home. So everybody just started focusing on energy consumption.

Then the issue was many people started using spray foam and vinyl and all these materials that, yes, have a high R value, but are so hard

The only way you can get there is with a really insulated envelope, as well as being airtight.

How does it affect the operating costs?

So there is a great way to describe this. While it often can be more expensive to build a Passive House, compared to a house that’s just built to code, the costs are often rolled into a mortgage, which transfers into a monthly cost. But right away, there is savings on the operating costs, so the difference in the monthly costs aren’t necessarily substantial. Then once the mortgage is paid off, you’re saving more because of the reduced operating costs. It’s often whether there is the upfront capital to make that jump.

Is energy consumption the only benefit?

The thing that actually draws people the most is the comfort. In a Passive House because of the high thermal envelope and insulation, the whole house has no surface that varies by more than four degrees.

There are no drafts; it’s always the perfect temperature. There’s still fresh air coming in, but it’s coming in where it’s supposed to be coming in, not through gaps or cracks in the wall assembly. When I’ve asked people who live in Passive Houses to describe the comfort, they say you can’t actually describe it — you’ve never experienced anything like it. It’s next-level comfort.

on the planet. We have always come at it from a more holistic approach, which is a low-embodied carbon construction that considers the climate and the health of the occupants.

Some of your projects are considered Passive Houses — can you give me the Passive House 101 explanation?

The basic principles of Passive House are focusing on the envelope. So that’s walls, roof and floor. Hyper-insulated is the first element, and the second element is air tightness.

The certification of Passive House would be that you’re focusing on a home that is super insulated, including windows and doors, airtight and reduces thermal bridging, which may be a more complex term.

What is thermal bridging?

It’s those elements that extend from the inside out, transferring heat to the outside, causing heat losses.

What are the standards?

The energy consumption — the metric is 15 kilowatt hours per meter square per annum.

That’s your heating and cooling and hot water demands. In the design of the house, you have to assess how much energy is required to heat and cool it and provide domestic hot water.

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â– LUXURY CUSTOM BUILD

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TIMELESS & INVITING THIS CUSTOM HOME EMBRACES TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY ELEMENTS TO ACHIEVE ITS WELCOMING ESTHETIC.

BY LINDA BARNARD

PHOTOS BY VINCE KLASSEN

erhaps the most important built-in feature in Jackie and Kerry Rudd’s custom Uplands home is something guests sense rather than see: calm.

Victoria architect Brian Morris designed the house around the ordered elegance of transitional style.

Everything is in balance, set across an axis that meets in the kitchen-living area, the heart of the home.

“What I find, architecturally, is that when you have this underlying sense of order, [it not only] makes the house cohesive, it also helps the brain to relax in a subconscious way,” says Morris. “What I try to do is create a house where your mind can relax.”

What’s transitional style? Think of it as a harmonious marriage of contemporary and traditional design. Clean lines, white walls and light-filled open spaces pair with well-loved classic elements like warm wood, crown moulding and defined rooms.

The Rudds were initially looking to buy a home in Victoria, but couldn’t find their ideal. Their real estate agent suggested they build their dream home.

They hired Morris, who says his architecture commissions begin with multiple conversations. He gets a sense of what clients want, from exterior and interior design to structural elements.

Not everyone is good at communicating these wish lists, he says, but the Rudds were.

Sophisticated, well-travelled and knowledgeable about design — Jackie had worked as an interior designer at Harrods department store in London — they also knew what they didn’t want. That’s another big plus, says Morris.

No show-home look for Jackie, or anything resembling a hotel for Kerry, the retired CEO of an engineering firm.

They wanted their house to be timeless and inviting, a place that conveyed permanence. It had to be low maintenance, allowing them to age in place. It also had to fit in well with the neighbourhood. They wanted traditional, coupled with lots of space and light and enough room to accommodate their three adult children when they came to visit. A fantastic cook’s kitchen and expansive outdoor space, including a terrace and gardens, were crucial for Jackie.

Morris took them on neighbourhood tours, including some of the many homes he had designed over his 26 years working in Victoria, to get an idea of both what they liked and didn’t for their 5,500-square-foot home.

The Rudds hired builder Mike Griffin of Griffin Properties, who had teamed with Morris on several houses. They later brought in Vancouver-based interior designer Shelley Scales, who had worked on a previous project on the couple’s Delta, B.C., home.

The Rudds wanted an interesting roofline, so Morris designed one with steep pitches, hipped corners and dormers. The house is clad in stucco, which is typical of Victoria, but the dramatic dark paint called Witching Hour (from Benjamin Moore) makes it unique. White trim and a custom-cut stone base with narrow masonry seams completes the exterior.

Jackie and Kerry Rudd’s custom Uplands home was designed by Victoria architect Brian Morris, who worked with his clients to create an elegant transitional-style dwelling, complete with their desired dramatic roofline.

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INTERIOR ELEMENTS The foyer is one of few areas in the home that’s not painted white. It’s done in cheery butter yellow by British paint maker Farrow & Ball. A direct sightline leads to the central kitchen, living area and outside to the terrace.

The fireplace and kitchen line up in one direction. The other axis leads from the foyer to a large terrace and down to a garden and a horizontal water feature, inspired by the Rudds’ visit to Marrakesh.

Tall doors and high ceilings add elegance and a feeling of spaciousness. Morris designed the square coffered ceilings that carry throughout the home. Griffin, an expert cabinetmaker whose finishes are seen throughout the home, designed and built custom ceiling trim and crown moulding. The repeating geometric patterns on the ceiling coffers add a relaxing element while concealing structural beams.

When everything aligns, the brain feels a sense of calm, Morris says. He also believes in providing an interior view from different points inside a house, like the hand-painted wallpaper art panels Jackie chose for the top of the wide stairs.

Jackie was devoted to the home’s design. From 2015 to its completion in summer 2017, working on the house was her full-time job. She chose every interior element — from drawer pulls and bespoke fabrics for the chairs, to wallpaper in the bathrooms and the various shades of white paint throughout the house.

Scales’s connections in the interior design world helped Jackie source the finishes and pieces she wanted, like the flooring for her office and the pantry off the kitchen, inspired by slate tiles the Rudds had seen in a French house. Griffin built the satin-finish, custom millwork that provides plenty of storage and a cozy alcove with a bench for removing boots and shoes.

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The family room has a gas fireplace with a customcast surround in Old World by Richmond-based DreamCast Design and Production. The spacious cook’s kitchen has counter seating, plenty of storage and dramatic tile work from ANN SACKS, with water-cut Cosmati Petite Crete Collection marble from Michael S. Smith and handmade white moulding tiles. The Calactta-marble countertop has a two-inch mitered edge, bookmatched to ensure the grain meets at the centre of the sink, like a tip of an arrow.

Brian Morris’s architectural drawing shows how the 5,500-square-foot home is situated on the Uplands lot.

Bedroom Terrace

Living

Bedroom

Office

Eating Area Kitchen

Bath

Dining

Pantry

Entry

Powder Room

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The second floor can be accessed by a staircase or a compact elevator — part of the Rudds’ desire to have a house for aging in place.

The master bedroom has a tree-top view. The spacious master bathroom features a steam shower with glass-like finish Micro Crystal Series tile from Olympia Tile and a Kallista soaker tub. The floor has a dramatic Michael S. Smith basket-weave mosaic mesh design in marble.

Jackie Rudd collaborated with architect Brian Morris on the design of the spacious closet/dressing room.

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The main-floor powder room is another Scales-Griffin collaboration, completed with Jackie’s considerable input. Griffin built the replica antique French dresser washstand, and Scales picked an ultra-modern Kohler Leaf vessel sink and contemporary Purist faucet. She also suggested the curved framing above the sink. The result is a fine example of transitional style.

As guests walk toward the kitchen, they pass lighted shelves facing the dining room, displaying Jackie’s collection of colourful, early 20thcentury Moorcroft art pottery.

The open kitchen is a showstopper, with a French country feel and contemporary lines. To create privacy for the terrace, Morris designed a window-filled bump-out breakfast area off the kitchen.

Morris brought light into central rooms with skylights, including one over the kitchen that’s placed close to a white wall to act as a reflecting surface.

The Rudds are delighted with their home. Jackie says she cried when she first walked into the completed house.

Kerry pays the Morris team the ultimate compliment. “We will never build again. But should we, we’d go see Brian and Mike.”

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Above: The room off the kitchen serves as both an office space for homeowner Jackie Rudd, and a pantry, with its oversized fridge and extra storage. It also acts as the entry into the house from the garage, and a cozy alcove and bench provide space for removing shoes.

Below: Homeowner Jackie Rudd collaborated with Vancouver-based interior designer Shelley Scales throughout, including on this charming main-floor powder room. A Kohler Leaf vessel sink and contemporary Purist faucet complete the replica antique French dresser washstand, which was built by Mike Griffin.

RESOURCE LIST ARCHITECT: Brian T.W. Morris INTERIOR DESIGNER: Shelley Scales Design

Associates

BUILDER/CONTRACTOR:

Griffin Properties (Mike Griffin) COUNTERS: Colonial Countertops FLOORS: Decora Ceramic Tile and Natural Stone and The Finishing Store & Millworks LIGHT FIXTURES: McLaren Lighting MILLWORK: Griffin Properties FIREPLACE: Majestic Mechanical FIREPLACE FACING: DreamCast Design and

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HARDWARE: Victoria Speciality Hardware & Plumbing DOORS (INTERIOR): The Finishing Store & Millworks WINDOWS/DOORS (EXTERIOR):

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PAINTING: Haynes Painting Company and Calico Painting Company LANDSCAPING: Terra Pacifica Landscape Services STONEWORK: Heritage Masonry STUCCO: Specific Stucco PLUMBING FIXTURES: Victoria Speciality

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■ MODERN HOME RENOVATION

AT HOME ON THE BEACH A DETAILED KITCHEN RENOVATION TURNS THIS BEACH HOUSE INTO A FUNCTIONAL FAMILY DREAM HOME.

BY DANIELLE POPE

T

PHOTOS BY JOSHUA LAWRENCE

wo summers ago, Kim* and her family were on the quest for their coastal dream home. They had become accustomed to the beautiful views of their old house, but it was time for a style change and to find a space that would accommodate growing teens. When they discovered a beachfront property listed along Cordova Bay, they were intrigued — the panoramic ocean views and beachfront access were remarkable — but the property’s style didn’t match what the family was after.

“We realized the only way to improve the view we already had was to literally be on the beach, and this home offered that,” says Kim. “The house had been built in 2015, so it was relatively new, but, style-wise, it was completely different from what we wanted.”

Thanks to Kim’s passion for design and the support she enlisted, a quick close on the purchase turned into a rapid new beginning — with only six weeks until move in — that would give Kim just enough time to start transforming this home into a modern gem.

The bones of the 2,700-square-foot house were solid, and the four bedrooms, three bathrooms and lower level media room offered the space the family was seeking, but Kim knew she’d have to cosmetically “gut” the home. Her goal: turning the overstated crystals and heavy textures of “beach glam” into a natural, modern and minimalist West Coast motif that welcomed the warmth of family life.

With only two weeks to go after taking possession of the home, Kim wasted no time removing the faux wood tile, heavy laminate and fluffy white carpet, and replacing it all with rift-cut white oak hardwood floors throughout. She then turned her focus to the bathrooms, stylizing each one with simple beach themes while removing pressboard cabinets and replacing vanities with durable materials, fine hardware and subtle tilings that modernized each space. *Last name withheld for privacy.

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With unparalleled views of the sea, this beach home evolved into the owner’s dream home with a renovation that traded faux wood tile and fluffy white carpet for a sleeker, modern look. The open-concept space was designed with function in mind, while statement pieces like the Foscarini Spokes chandelier from Inform Interiors bring an airy, modern twist to the beach vibe.

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The kitchen was renovated through careful testing for maximum efficiency. The polished Cambria quartz perimeter counters offer durable beauty, while maple dovetail-jointed drawers provide a sturdy modern appearance. Hidden inserts elevate the functionality of the space — from cutlery holders and recycling/garbage pullouts to tray dividers and a secret spice rack. Black pulls from Atlas Homewares, the Blanco Silgranit sink and Tom Dixon Beat pendant lamps add pops of contrast, while the Kanso Mosaic backsplash from ANN SACKS brings an artistic flare. Fox, a painting by Jennifer Sparacino, rests in one corner, while the nearby bar nook features a custom-built liquor cabinet, along with a white oak diagonal wine rack and cooling fridge.

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Given the rushed timeframe, Kim took on much of the initial renovation work herself, but relied on the teams at Splashes Bath & Kitchen for support with plumbing, as well as Inform Interiors in Vancouver for a hand with lighting fixtures. Those features, like the Moooi Random stairwell pendant and the Foscarini Spokes dining chandelier act as subtle centrepieces of the home.

BRINGING IN THE EXPERTS

For the larger kitchen project, Kim worked with Atarah Humphreys, designer at Urbana Kitchens, to redefine the kitchen and customize the space for how the family would use it — from cooking together to entertaining others.

Humphreys says situations like this can be especially tricky for renovation, because the home is already in good shape and customized — but for someone else. Her goal was to bring this into alignment for Kim. To do this, Humphreys and Kim spent time going over the flow of the kitchen to understand how the family would move within the space and what equipment would be relied upon. New appliances included a Wolf double oven and range top and a hidden stainless-steel Miele built-in hood fan.

“Because Kim was undergoing a style change too, she wanted to move away from the French country look of her last kitchen and create something that reflected the modern environment she was going for now,” says Humphreys. “But it still had to be warm and welcoming.”

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To soften the look, Humphreys brought in natural materials like Cambria quartz in White Cliff for the perimeter counters, paired with stone Super White quartzite for the island. Birch cabinetry boxes and solid maple drawer inserts contrast the white matte cabinetry finish, and the kitchen tile backsplash in Kanso Mosaic from ANN SACKS adds modern flare.

Humphreys designed an oak frame around the kitchen and island to draw the eye from floor to ceiling. That oak framing appears again in the hidden pantry-turnedcoffee-nook to elegantly outline storage cabinetry, then snakes down to add visual interest with a floating mug shelf. An oak statement wine rack was custom-designed for the dining area, which nestles into a standing bar feature. Humphreys was also integral in customizing the lower level’s Murphy bed and “hidden bedroom” for one of the college-age children, along with the media room retreat: a refuge for teens.

The master bedroom on the second level offers some of the home’s finest views, with a window wall looking out to the sea. Renovations in the master only included flooring, lighting and hardware, yet the natural rift-cut white oak hardwood floors transformed this space from shaggy glam to a modern beach feel.

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Extend your family time

Extend your family time

Extend your quiet time With private steps leading down to the ocean, Kim knew she couldn’t get closer to her beachfront dream. Landscaping for the gradient patio was kept simple by JoyGardens Landscaping Collective, utilizing a mix of sea grasses and coastal shrubs that blend this property into its natural surroundings.

“Our goal was to enhance the functionality of the home,” says Humphreys. “The layout was well done, but we needed to make adjustments to create a more contemporary space and add special areas — like the coffee nook — that Kim and her family could look forward to using.”

Those spaces have become priceless to the entire family.

“Most Sundays, we have about 14 family members show up, and this house accommodates that beautifully,” says Kim. “The renovation process can feel quite big while you’re going through it, but, after it’s finished, it’s so worth it. This has really become our home.”

Extend your social time

Extend your social time

Extend your quiet time

RESOURCE LIST KITCHEN DESIGNER: Atarah Humphreys, Urbana Kitchens KITCHEN/BATHROOM & CUSTOM MILLWORK: Urbana Kitchens PLUMBER: West Bay Mechanical PLUMBING FIXTURES IN BATHROOMS AND KITCHEN: Andrew Sheret, Splashes Bath & Kitchen ELECTRICIAN: Alliance Electric LIGHTING: Inform Interiors, Vancouver

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â– EXTREME CONDO RENO

RECREATING A CLASSIC HOW DO YOU TRANSLATE AN UPLANDS ESTATE INTO A 1,000-SQUARE-FOOT WATERFRONT CONDO? WITH METICULOUS PLANNING.

BY JULIA DILWORTH

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PHOTOS BY JOSHUA LAWRENCE

W

hen homeowner Val Pattee lost his wife Joan last spring, his 4,000-square-foot home felt like too much. “I had long ago decided that if I was ever on my own, I would have a smaller condo, and I wanted it to be on the water,” says the former Canadian Armed Forces major-general.

The two-bedroom apartment his real estate agent soon found in James Bay had the coveted oceanfront view and was in the perfect location. Pattee loved that he could walk along waterfront paths for miles east and west, but the condo itself would need serious work.

“It was a shambles,” says Val, of the dated finishings, cramped space and 1970s-era wood cabinets. The closed-in pocket kitchen was blocked off from the ocean view, and an awkwardly converted solarium carved out a whole corner of the living area.

Even still, it took Val exactly 10 seconds to make an offer on the unit (he knew there was a lineup of people behind him to look at it), and then he made two calls — the first, to his longtime contractor Tim Agar at Horizon Pacific Contracting, to see if he could squeeze him in, and the second, to local millwork guru David Sheridan at Splinters Millworks.

Before

After removing the final remnants of an old patio, the team added 186 square feet to the living area and was able to seamlessly conceal window blinds behind crown moulding. The room’s feature fireplace was cast in concrete to replicate a more traditional fireplace, like the one the homeowner had in his previous house.

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LO C A L LY H A N D C R A F T E D D E S I G N E R K I TC H E N S

B U I LT F O R L I F E

DREAM KITCHENS REALLY DO COME TRUE

Val’s late wife Joan was a very well-known artist and had a great eye for design and colour.

She had designed their previous Uplands homes and had picked out everything down to the colour palette, and so Val’s directive for the renovation was clear: take the condo back to the studs and recreate a smaller version of the Uplands home he loved so much.

Custom Jason Good kitchens and bathrooms are built for

TRADITIONAL CHARACTER

inspired living. From initial sketch to final installation, we

“We analyzed every single light fixture, furnishing, fireplace and we dressed the new space with the furnishings that were nearest and dearest to Val before we even began to design the new condominium space,” says Agar. He brought in interior designer Jenny Martin who then measured and catalogued every item to help translate the warm, traditional character of the old house into a new and functional homey space that wouldn’t feel too cluttered.

“All of the furnishings, floor coverings and artwork were preplanned and built into the millwork, the cove ceilings and the wall spaces we had available to us,” says Agar.

transform design dreams into functional masterpieces.

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Before

Moving from a house to an apartment, one of the challenges was to trick the eye and make the condo appear larger. Creating a new ceiling height with a coffered ceiling (photo at right) added visual space and created yet another classic detail that ties back to the owner’s old house.

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Before

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Frequent family visits made a guest bedroom essential, and so the team built a Murphy bed right into a stately wall of millwork to allow the office to convert quickly into a guest suite. One of Joan’s paintings even crowns the wall system perfectly.

Val had even held onto his old paint cans from their former house, and so custom blends of warm camel brown and muted blue made their way onto his new walls.

The team opened up the kitchen so it would now face the ocean views, complete with a generous island, a feature hood fan, marble backsplash and extensive bespoke millwork that conceals appliances and storage behind painted Shaker cabinets — important details Martin wanted to carry through from the old house. The expanse of rich cathedralgrain walnut floors throughout continued the home’s story and complemented the vibrant antique furnishings Val and Joan had collected abroad.

FUNCTIONAL STYLE “We spent a lot of time in Europe, I was in the Royal Canadian Air Force in NATO and Europe for quite a few years,” explains Val. “So most of the furniture is from auctions in Europe — some in Paris, some in Belgium.”

A number of colourful floor rugs from their travels to Turkey, Damascus, Germany and Syria found their way into the James Bay condo too. The fireplace in the living room was cast in concrete to replicate their traditional stone fireplace, and the ornate coffered detailing overhead is not only beautiful, but an ingenious way to get more height out of the condo’s original seven-foot, eight-inch ceilings.

Hosting family and friends was another priority for Val, so Agar’s team designed a removable wall-bed unit that allows the office to convert quickly and easily into a guest suite.

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In the master ensuite, a mix of Bianco Carrara tile in hexagons and planks creates a restful and inviting bathroom. Subtle details, like the chair rail and the deeper Bardiglio marble mosaic, connect the traditional theme found throughout.

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“We integrated all of that into custom millwork, so it’s completely hidden,” says Agar.

Shaker-style cabinets, brass lighting fixtures and shelves even frame a mounted painting of Joan’s—the end result couldn’t be farther from a boxy Murphy bed folded up against the wall.

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MAKING SPACE As with many condo buildings in the 70s and 80s, the solarium had been poorly converted into a sunroom. “Its doors had been removed, but all the remnants were hanging down from the ceiling. The old exterior wall was sticking up through the floor,” explains Agar. “And so we removed all that and truly integrated the exterior deck space” — a move that would pick up another 186 square feet of living room and better incorporate the ocean views.

“When you step into this waterfront condominium, it feels like you’re stepping into a Belgian manor, because everything is specifically designed to mimic the comfort of Val’s past homes and the things that are important to him that he’s acquired over the years,” says Agar.

Val had to think twice about living in less than 1,000 square feet.

“But if I was standing in my living room, I would say it’s my favourite; if I’m standing in the bedroom, I would say it’s my favourite; if I’m standing in my little den, I would say it’s my favourite — I’m more than happy. I’m thrilled.”

ANDREW MAXWELL Victoria Real Estate Professional

RESOURCE LIST BUILDER/CONTRACTOR: Horizon Pacific Contracting HOME AND INTERIOR DESIGNER: Jenny Martin Design MILLWORK: Splinters Millworks COUNTERS: TK’s Granite FLOORS: Hourigan’s Flooring

Buying or selling, I am dedicated to providing my clients with exceptional service, sound negotiating techniques and constant communication through the process.

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Call today to find out how Andrew can assist you with your real estate needs.

APPLIANCES: Trail Appliances LIGHT FIXTURES: Amped Electrical WINDOW COVERINGS: Sun Shade Films Systems FIREPLACE: Good Grade Plumbing & Gas Co HARDWARE: Splinters Millworks, Home Hardware and Jenny Martin Design DOORS: Home Lumber & Building Supplies SHOWER DOOR: Builder’s Choice Shower Door ELECTRICAL: Amped Electrical Contracting

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PAINTING: Amira’s Painting SPRUCE | SUMMER 2020

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A PLACE TO PLAY THIS ULTIMATE BACKYARD IS THE PERFECT PLACE TO GATHER, COOK AND HAVE FUN, WITH ITS OUTDOOR KITCHEN AND POOL — THERE’S EVEN A PUTTING GREEN.

BY DAVID LENNAM

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PHOTOS BY JODY BECK

A one-level back garden of water-guzzling, mow-it-everyweek lawn was transformed by Philco Construction and Ryan Hoyt Designs into a slick play area — as accommodating for adults as for the grandkids.

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Design

After

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SPRUCE | SUMMER 2020

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W

hat began as a simple outdoor renovation and landscaping project in Saanichton expanded into something much more grand.

And more practical.

Though a hot tub, outdoor kitchen — and even a putting green — weren’t part of the initial conversation, their inclusion turned out to be exactly what a couple with a passel of grandkids needed.

Malcolm and Tricia Banks bought into a development of nine homes north of Brentwood Bay, looking at the heavily treed enclave on a quiet, dead-end road and imagining spending their retirement in tranquil repose. There were just a couple of minor tweaks needed.

One was protection from hungry deer. An avid gardener, Tricia wanted deer control fencing to keep the buds and blooms from the

daily visits of voracious interlopers.

“The deer were decapitating anything she planted, usually overnight,” recalls her husband.

There was also a large lawn which guzzled water and fertilizer and demanded hours of mowing. So the decision was made to remove the lawn and add a pool, along with a backup generator as a remedy for frequent power outages.

That probably seemed like enough. But let the imagination soar and you’re suddenly well past a deer fence.

“It kind of grew,” notes builder Phil Wilson of Philco Construction, who worked closely on the project with Ryan Hoyt Designs. “Once we got going, (Tricia) just kept asking me what I would do. Next thing we were hot tub shopping, adding putting greens with lights in them and we kept going.”

BRINGING THE INDOORS OUT Upon completion, seven months later, the result is a spacious and sumptuous backyard, set up for playtime.

It’s hard to say whether the centrepiece is the 14- by 33-foot saltwater pool or the full outdoor kitchen snuggled up against a new

A detached garage (above right) was added to make room for pool equipment and toy storage, as well as a Ping-Pong table and an indoor/ outdoor game room.

The sloped putting green (above and right) satisfies the homeowner’s zeal for the game — a bonus perk is fallen leaves can just be blown off the synthetic, zeromaintenance turf.

The course is also lit

by LEDs for a round at night.

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detached garage, that not only acts as car storage in the winter, but as a place for all the pool toys and houses an indoor/outdoor game room with a Ping-Pong table.

That kitchen features a gorgeous White Princess quartzite countertop above weatherresistant stainless-steel Napoleon OASIS series cabinetry. A built-in gas grill and a charcoal barbecue make it difficult to decide just how to perfectly cook those steaks.

Plus a 55-inch flat-screen TV to divert attention from all that grilling.

After a meal, there are several areas to relax, each with its own distinct possibilities. The most inviting might be snuggling up around the fire-bowl, or, if the sun’s still out, poolside.

The stunning outdoor kitchen is set up for rain or shine with features like quartzite countertops, a built-in gas grill and charcoal barbecue, plus a 55-inch flatscreen.

We’re thinking of you.

We believe that in times of uncertainty we need to look after ourselves, our families, and those in the communities we live in.

Communication is key.

THE WATKINS GROUP

ScotiaMcleod,ÂŽ a division of Scotia Capital Inc. Scotia Capital Inc. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.

The Watkins Group is a personal trade name of Michael Watkins.

Suite 400 - 1803 Douglas Street 250.389.2160 | 1.800.663.1855 karen.king@scotiawealth.com www.watkinsgroup.ca

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The in-ground pool by Viking is fibreglass, optionally heated by propane or a heat pump.

An automatic retractable cover rolls open or shuts at the push of a button. And with lots of little ones about, the cover is a safety feature offering peace of mind.

The most whimsical element is the custom practice putting green, sloped for added challenge, and greenskeeper smooth with a carpet of zero-maintenance SYNLawn synthetic turf. (“Just blow the leaves off,” says Wilson.)

For a round at night, or maybe just to add to the generous landscape lighting, each of the putting green flags has an Integral LED light in its cup.

“I’m an avid golfer,” admits Malcolm, “so the putting green was my treat using what was otherwise a wasted area of the property.”

Finally, an energy-efficient Beachcomber hot tub invites grandparents worn out from a day of chasing the kids around the pool.

The entire space — ready to cook, play or just gather — is a huge patio, accentuated throughout with elegant stonework, much of it cleanly and fluidly curved.

The project was not without its challenges, however. Wilson was staring at a blank palette of level lawn when he began — no landscaping, just grass. A lot of soil was trucked out, a series of five-foot retaining walls were built and gravel was then brought in as the grade was changed and adjusted.

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Alongside the pool house/garage (above), a smooth floor of stone from Bedrock Paving conceals a myriad of water pipes, power and gas lines, while fresh towels are always on the ready for anyone fancying a dip.

With the pool, and concerns like bearing capacity and the burying of pipes, plus power and gas lines, there were geotechnical considerations and engineers on site.

“There’s definitely a lot of pre-thought when you’re burying all these pipes for pool pumps and stuff like that,” explains Wilson. “There’s a lot going on underground there.”

Ultimately, he says, the client wanted the best, “and it was a lot of fun.”

Malcolm says the new outdoor facilities have received rave reviews from the couple’s grandkids.

“We enjoy entertaining, love barbecuing, love our grandchildren, and this new facility allows us to enjoy the outdoors in spring, summer and fall,” he says. “It’s a long way from the simple lawn it replaced.”

RESOURCE LIST BUILDER: Phil Wilson, Philco Construction DESIGNER: Ryan Hoyt Designs INTERLOCKING PAVING: Brad Lewis, Bedrock Paving SWIMMING POOL: CA Pools

The centrepiece of the project is the 14- by 33-foot Viking in-ground saltwater pool, with a deep end measuring seven feet. The fibreglass pool is heated by either propane or a heat pump, allowing the homeowners to swim during the winter. And to warm up even more during a Christmas plunge, there’s an energy-efficient Beachcomber hot tub and a comfortable sit-around fire bowl area. Cook, play, gather … it’s all possible in the backyard.

HOT TUB: Wildwood Outdoor Living Centre QUARTZ COUNTERTOP: Stone Trends Marble & Granite LIGHTING: McLaren Lighting ROCK WALLS: Heritage Masonry ARTIFICIAL TURF: SYNLawn PAVING MATERIAL: Slegg Building Materials

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Exterior Matters AN EXPERTLY PAINTED EXTERIOR IS CRITICAL TO A HOME’S CURB APPEAL, BUT THERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN DECIDING ON WHEN AND HOW TO REPAINT YOUR HOUSE.

BY SUSAN HOLLIS

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t some point, most owners will face the necessary task of painting the exterior of their house. It is an expensive endeavour and can be arduous to tackle oneself — even with endless buckets of enthusiasm and elbow grease.

The result of a job well-done, however, can have a positive impact on the integrity of your home, as well as on your bottom line. According to Consumer Reports, a freshly painted exterior can increase your home’s value up to five per cent — all the while acting as a shield against the elements. Plus, there’s the personal satisfaction of coming home to a place that looks and feels cared for — it may be hard to quantify those warm and fuzzies, but they are there and very real.

COLOUR ME HAPPY

Like the fashion industry, the commercial paint world experiences shifts in popular colour choices, but when it comes to exterior colours, clients have tried-and-true favourites.

According to Benjamin Moore colour and design spokesperson Sharon Grech, neutral, sophisticated tones tend to dominate when it comes to outside colour.

PREP IT RIGHT

OXFORD GRAY 2128-40

THUNDER AF-685

KENDALL CHARCOAL HC-166

“Overall, for exterior cladding, grey, black and white remain the most popular colour choices,” she says. “Metropolitan AF-690, on the paler side, and Kendall Charcoal HC-166, a little deeper, have been popular for several years in both urban areas and even cottage country.”

METROPOLITAN AF-690

Do-it-yourselfers eager to save on costs will often rely on a power washer to clean their home’s exterior before painting.

While a clean finish is key to a long-lasting paint job, experts warn that the powerful spray can push water deep into crevasses that don’t quickly dry out, which can compromise any subsequent paint application.

“It’s very important for the house to be clean, and that means power washing; or you could do a less aggressive wash with a hose and a stiff brush — you need to get the dust and cobwebs and algae and mildew cleaned off before you paint,” WHEN IT COMES says Terri Heal, manager of the Pacific Paint Centre TO EXTERIOR on Keating Cross Road.

PAINT PROJECTS, “A normal rainfall would never push water as deep PROSPECTIVE as a power washer, so you CUSTOMERS have to let the water get out, because if there is moisture SHOULD START trapped under the surface PLANNING IN THE and then you paint it, then it sits in the sun and it WINTER FOR A gets all steamy. It messes LATE SPRING OR everything up. Your paint SUMMER JOB. ends up forming bubbles and blisters.”

As a properly prepped and painted exterior can last more than a decade, most exterior painting companies offer some kind of inclusionary prep service; either in-house or through partner contractors who can handle the cleaning, plus the carpentry for dry rot, stucco patching, shingle replacement and other imperfections that occur in siding.

David Smith of Kingfisher Painting, says when it comes to exterior paint projects, prospective customers should start planning in the winter for a late spring or summer job. Checking references and getting a number of detailed quotes — detailed enough to allow owners to cross-check that all the prep and painting details are included in the final numbers — will ensure the project is done right.

As the process of cleaning, prepping and painting a house can be extremely messy, any painting company worth its salt will carefully drape any shrubbery, grass, and garden beds that could be damaged by falling paint or debris. Plants that grow too close to the house can erode paint over time, so it’s important to clip

Also popular from the Benjamin Moore colour trends 2020 collection is Thunder AF685 — a classic warm grey that coordinates well with exterior stone landscaping and both black and white trim. Oxford Gray 2128-40 provides a much cooler blue undertone, while First Light 2102-70’s blush pink will make a fresh, fashion-forward statement on the front door of a house, especially with pale grey or white cladding.

This porch uses Benjamin Moore Storm AF700 Low Lustre as its primary colour; Benjamin Moore Gray Owl OC-52 Semi-Gloss for the trim; Benjamin Moore Witching Hour 2120-30 Satin for the doors; and Benjamin Moore Marblehead Gold HC-11 Satin for the porch ceiling.

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any branches that may brush up against the siding and create wear and tear through the storm season.

“When winter comes along, a twig can scratch the hell out of your paint,” says Heal.

EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS Even with an expert job, expect aspects of your paint job to age differently, depending on its exposure to the elements.

“The outdoors and nature is a laboratory that we don’t control — the factors and all the variables that can occur when paint is applied in terms of temperature and moisture can affect the life of the paint,” Smith says. “On the sides where you’re not getting the sun beating down, you can see 10 to 20 years on those sides, easily. On the sides that are getting a lot of weather, you could see deterioration as soon as three or five years.”

Accordingly, warranties vary from company to company, averaging from three to 10 years, but expect horizontal surface areas like stairs, windowsills and railings to degrade more rapidly than vertical surfaces, no matter how well done. In Victoria, south- and west-facing exposed surfaces will show more wear and tear than those facing north and east, due to increased sun and rain exposure.

new

“ON THE SIDES [OF YOUR HOUSE] THAT ARE GETTING A LOT OF WEATHER, YOU COULD SEE DETERIORATION AS SOON AS THREE OR FIVE YEARS.” Behr Slate Rock N460-5

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FINDING THE PERFECT FINISH

Above: Behr Classic Gold PPU6-17 gives this house its warm tones, and is complemented by Nugget Gold S260-7 on the trim, and Smooth Sil YL-W7 around the front door windows.

Right: This soft grey palette uses Benjamin Moore Moonshine 214060 on the siding, Wolf Gray 212740 on the door and a pop of White Opulence 06-69 on the trim.

The esthetic movement toward natural finishes means there has been an uptick in semi-transparent exterior stains in recent years. While the application of these stains can bring out a range of appealing qualities in a wood siding, it also means more work.

“They need to be maintained regularly ... like a two or three year cycle at the most,” says Smith. “It’s not a lot of maintenance; you don’t have to do much to them, but if you just leave it they will deteriorate, and then you have a big project versus just staying on top of it.”

Smith says while most clients have a good idea of what colour they’d like to give their homes, some have a hard time expressing exactly what they’re looking for. One former customer in search of the perfect colour repeatedly turned down every brick-like colour Smith showed her.

“Then one day I went over there and she had a colour chip out, and she had some rose-coloured glasses and she told me to look at the colour chip through the rose-coloured glasses,” he says with a laugh.

“The colour she ended up going with was basically orange.”

When deciding on a colour, experts agree that going a shade deeper can help reach a suitable finish. Critical to getting your exterior colours right is coordinating with the home’s assets that won’t be painted — namely, the shades found in roof, stone and brick components.

“Outside, things tend to go paler than you expect, so you need to go a little darker or a little grayer than you think you might need,” says Heal. “One of the best analogies I can come up with is how stage actors have to wear dark makeup to show up under the stage lights, so even on a cloudy day it’s really bright ... So what you think is a medium-toned colour is quite weak as soon as you put daylight on it.”

As noted, the benefits of a paint job go much deeper than the pleasing esthetics of that fresh colour — exterior paint is an investment that ups your home’s value and protects it from the elements. Consider the pleasing esthetic a bonus.

Stains need more frequent applications than paint but take less work to maintain their appearance.

They fade slowly, and you can refresh by simply washing the siding and applying a new coat.

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REAL ESTATE

BY SHANNON MONEO

The Role of a Real Estate Lawyer SPRUCE EXPLORES WHY YOU NEED A LEGAL PROFESSIONAL ON YOUR REAL ESTATE TEAM.

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BELLE WHITE/SPRUCE MAGAZINE

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s Andrew Maxwell knows, buying a home is often the biggest purchase in someone’s life. “If you’re spending $1-million on a house, you’re crazy not to spend $2,000 for legal advice,” says the Sotheby’s International Realty Canada agent.

While realtors like him prepare offers to purchase and can offer general advice, they are not legal experts, and, as in all matters where money changes hands, it’s buyer beware. “Getting a lawyer is essential,” Maxwell advises. “Strata laws are mindboggling, very complicated. And tax laws are always changing.”

B.C., in particular, has had a flurry of new regulations around real estate, including the Speculation and Vacancy Tax and the Land Owner Transparency Act. Throw in the Strata Property Act, Homeowner Protection Act and changes to the Property Transfer Tax, and the necessity for a legal professional is driven home, Maxwell says.

To keep reputations and skills top-notch, reputable lawyers and notaries constantly upgrade their knowledge around provincial and federal tax laws, acts and standards.

The Victoria Real Estate Board’s 2020 president says it’s rare for someone to forgo professional legal services. “In all my years, I’ve never had anybody not use a lawyer or notary,” says Sandi-Jo Ayers, a realtor

“STRATA LAWS ARE MINDBOGGLING ...

AND TAX LAWS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING.” Andrew Maxwell, Sotheby’s International Realty Canada

THE LEGAL CHECKLIST

Buying or selling a home?

Here’s how a lawyer or notary can assist.

• Gather information about what’s on the property’s title, i.e., name of spouse/partner.

• Obtain specific documents for strata-titled properties, such as the strata corporation’s Certificate of Insurance.

• Conduct a title search to determine if anyone other than the seller has legal rights to the home and to see if registered easements or restrictive covenants exist.

of Adjustments. For purchasers with tenants, they can prepare new leases or tenancy agreements.

Urmas Anniko has been practising law for over 35 years, and estimates between onethird to one-half of his business involves real estate transactions. In most cases, the seller is waiting to get paid, so their needs are not overly demanding. It’s the buyer who needs timely assistance. “I encourage people to talk to a lawyer before they write the deal,” Anniko says. “The purchaser is taking all the risk. You have to make sure all the concerns and risks are dealt with.”

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

Anniko cites a property title that had 12 charges on it, which included easements, covenants and rights of way. Other snafus can • Ensure that the seller’s old mortgage has include purchasers who want to back out of a been properly discharged and confirm that all deal, such as when they find problems like water payments for which the seller is responsible ingress. Usually such problems can be solved have been paid. without resorting to the courts, the lawyer • Prepare documents to transfer ownership says, noting that 98 percent of sales go through from seller to buyer, including the Property smoothly. Which is why he acknowledges that Transfer Tax return, title transfer, mortgage. for basic deals, there isn’t a lot of difference in using a lawyer or notary. Yet if something goes • Ensure that the buyer has a legal right to sideways, such as adding changes to the title or extras offered by a developer, such as an the buyer wants to renege on the deal, a lawyer is additional parking spot. better positioned to handle emerging problems.

Perhaps as a testament to the infrequency of • Prepare a Statement of Adjustments, outlining all monies the buyer must pay. obstacles, a majority of real estate transactions in B.C. are handled by about 400 notaries in the • Deliver the final amount due to the seller province, says Morrie Baillie. A Victoria notary and ensure the buyer is registered as the since 2013, Baillie explains that more than half of owner at the Land Title and Survey Authority the Society of Notaries Public of B.C. members of B.C. have completed the Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies course through Simon Fraser University, making them experts in real estate, which is where much of Baillie’s work lies. since 1990. “Over the last 30 years, real estate “I live and breathe this every day and purchases have become more complex. People am aware of all the pitfalls,” she says. “I do need to be fully aware of everything from mobile all the tax implications,” homes to multi-million she stresses. dollar homes and strata “ ... REAL ESTATE EYE FOR DETAIL duplexes. I’m very handsPURCHASES HAVE on, approachable.”

So while there’s no BECOME MORE Like Anniko’s disagreement that a legal experiences, problematic professional is practically COMPLEX. PEOPLE deals are rare. In one case mandatory, buyers and NEED TO BE FULLY a marriage was dissolving, sellers can choose whether AWARE OF ALL THE which made for messy to use a lawyer or notary. work. Another time there “It honestly depends,” says TAX IMPLICATIONS.” was a holdback in funds Ayers, who’s partial to until a roof was repaired. lawyers. “The cost can be Sandi-Jo Ayers, President Other delays can include the same.” of Victoria Real Estate Board whether the buyer can get Whether the legal a mortgage or if power professional charges by the of attorney comes into play for a seller, says hour or a flat rate with extras added, à la carte, Baillie. their duties demand accuracy, research and While Victoria’s real estate market may have thoroughness, all with an eye to deadlines. cooled by a few degrees, all sides usually want Crucial, says Ayers, is checking at the Land the deal to close fast, Ayers says. “You need a Title and Survey Authority of B.C. to ensure legal professional to have a smooth transaction in no one other than the seller has legal rights to a timely fashion.” the property and to see if there are registered Anniko adds, “The contract [of purchase and easements or restrictive covenants. As well, sale] is the linchpin. The most important thing is the professional can review the appraisal and to have a sober second look at the contract.” building inspection and prepare the Statement

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FINISHING TOUCH

Soft, soothing tones — including a pop of blush pink — low-sheen Shaker-style cabinetry and champagne bronze hardware helps transform a dated 1950s kitchen into a warm, inviting and elegant space.

DASHA ARMSTRONG

Colour in the Kitchen

Renovating older homes always has its challenges, and this Oak Bay project was no exception.

“We were constrained by the fact there was not enough wall space,” says Jonathan Poppitt, owner of Thomas and Birch, who installed the kitchen in this renovation by hansenbuilt, a design and build firm. “We customized the depths of the cabinets and made them shallower so they didn’t stick out into the doorway. The countertop does like a little jog around the range — and the pantry sticks out. Typically, this is a no-no in the design world. It was tricky from that perspective.”

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Add plenty of workspace, the oversized island features standard-depth cabinets on the sink side, with a dishwasher and a microwave, while the back has a run of 12-inch-deep cabinets for extra storage. The expanse of Caesarstone Fresh Concrete complements the palette of the colour-matched Benjamin Moore Philipsburg Blue on the maple Shaker-style Cabico Custom Cabinetry.

“The top drawers are all slab, and we positioned the handles at the top instead of in the center to give it more transitional feel,” Poppitt says. “The crown moldings are straight flush scribes to the ceiling, for something between modern and traditional, and not overly fussy.”

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