Modern Living on a Heritage Plot Story by Deborah Rogers | Photography by www.nuttycake.com
It's a war窶確 and sunny evening when I meet Susan and Len at their idiosyncratic North Saanich home. You could easily miss it, nestled as it is amongst the trees at the edge of the lagoon. The house is just over two years old now.
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From the outside there is a very modern feel. The exterior is a soft grey-green, quite natural against the gravel, grass and trees it sits within. It's a very approachable house, with playful angles and lots of glass. The front door is south facing and stands under a small porch with a Douglas fir pillar. Like all the doors within the house, the front door is divided into five horizontal glass panels; this transparency, with peek-through doors, windows everywhere and cut away walls, is a theme of the house. Silvia Bonet, the home's architect, explained that sun and light are hugely important to Susan and the house was built with that as a primary focus. The couple is thrilled by the fact that it is mainly heated with passive solar energy due to all the light coming into the house. As you move from the doorway you come immediately into the kitchen area. The units are all made of Douglas fir with its straight grain and clean, simple lines. The decision to site the kitchen at the centre of the house makes perfect sense once you know that Susan is a very keen cook and wine importer. There are stainless steel appliances and a long limestone countertop where I imagine much entertaining takes place. It's a simple, functional kitchen that sits unprepossessing at the centre of the house, fulfilling its role without stealing the show. It is the windows that really capture your attention walking past the kitchen. The whole back wall of the house is glass, split into large windows that follow the angle of the ceiling. Even with a warming fire at the centre, your eye is drawn to the trees beyond and the glimpses of water the glass allows. The garden feels like an extension of the room as there are no window dressings to detract from the view and the furnishings are simple and earth-toned.