Custom Coastal Living

BY DAVID LENNAM | PHOTOS BY DASHA ARMSTRONG

The location couldn’t be more West Coast — perched on the tip of a rocky point in Sidney, surrounded by the comings and goings of ships on a busy little channel of the Pacific.

For Maureen and Rob (who asked that their last names not be used), leaving their ultra-modern downtown condo for that constant sea breeze and panoramic views was a smart way to shift into retirement. And this was love at first sight.

“We walked in and just fell in love with the view,” recalls Maureen.

“And the layout,” adds Rob.

That last bit is important.

Custom-built in 1978, on the bones of a structure dating back to 1949, the house is a modestly sized 2,023-square-foot, two-bed, three-bath plus den.

“For us, doing the reno, we wanted to maintain this footprint,” says Rob.

That meant not taking down walls and opening up a Pandora’s box of endless building permits. Walls and windows were kept in place and structural changes were avoided.

Even so, the reno wasn’t merely new wallpaper and some throw cushions. The interior was taken down to the studs. Everything was redrywalled and new windows went into the framed spaces of the originals. Insulation was redone, electricals rewired, plumbing replaced, new doors installed all round.

BEFORE

The original entryway is cramped, gloomy and rather pedestrian compared to the light pouring in through a new glass door and walls of fresh white. The grass-cloth wallpaper, perhaps a design flair from the 1970s, made everything feel closed in.

“It had lived a good life. But it was very dark — the walls, the doors. The home just needed to be lightened, brightened up.”

From Dark to Light

For the refresh, they called on interior designer Carly Sanderson.

“When I came in it was all the original tile, grass-cloth wallpaper. Everything was original. It just really needed a facelift.”

Sanderson refers to dated treatments like linoleum floors, mosaic tiles in the bathroom and, despite wraparound ocean views, a prevailing mid-’70s darkness.

“It’s just that everything was old and worn out. It had lived a good life. But it was very dark — the walls, the doors. The home just needed to be lightened, brightened up,” she says.

Working on the wishes of the homeowners, Sanderson opted for a beachy feel that involved bright but earthy colours and natural elements like wood and brick. There’s a sense of sand and sea at play in each room.

Maureen and Rob had purchased the house in 2021 and lived in it for a year while getting a feel for what they liked and didn’t like, and what they’d change. “Coastal West Coast” was the style they decided on.

BEFORE

The old dining room had a gloomy and drab feel despite the outstanding view. The redo almost feels like being outdoors. The curved staircase, with its butter-smooth teak handrail, seductively wraps around the lime-washed brick of the fireplace, which was formerly a natural dark red. New stain and sealer have freshened the original cathedral-style cedar ceiling.

Fortunately, elements of the original interior already informed that style — like the vaulted tongue-and-groove cedar ceilings, a curving staircase wrapping around a tall brick fireplace and a gorgeous teak handrail snaking up those stairs.

Sanderson got a fresh coat of stain and sealer on the cedar and changed the lighting from larger, outdated pot lights to discreet, compact ones. To fill the holes, after removing the larger lights, wood from the upstairs bathroom ceiling had to be cannibalized to fill in on the main floor. (Maureen refers to it as the “sacrificial ceiling.”)

“We weren’t trying to hide the age of the home, but were trying to bring it up,” says Rob.

Smart Spaces

Rob and Maureen wanted to keep the original cherry hardwood floors, which had spent years hidden under carpeting, but they added to the too-dark feel and would have cost the price of new flooring to bring back to their former glory. Instead, lighter-coloured engineered white oak floors were installed throughout, giving the home an impression of more space.

Sanderson also brightened up the living room by lime-washing the dark red brick surrounding the gas fireplace. But she went dark in the main-floor powder room. Painting the ceiling jet black has made the small space cozy and warm and somehow adds an unexpected elegance, drawing one’s eye to the Murano Collection clamshell sink by Native Trails.

One of the biggest challenges was how to max out the efficiency of the small kitchen. As the owners are avid boaters, putting a lot in a little may have held a curious appeal.

BEFORE

The original kitchen was a victim of its times. All that dark, heavy wood and dated linoleum flooring has given way to sleek shaker-style millwork, shining subway tile backsplash and a quartz countertop —  all of which lighten the room.

“We really played around with cabinetry and storage.”

A step back shows how the fridge has been concealed behind white cabinetry, giving a sense of increased roominess in what is still a relatively small kitchen space. A built-in beverage fridge is surrounded by plenty of extra storage.

“I really like the kitchen,” comments Maureen. “It’s efficient.”

Adds Rob, laughing, “… said by the woman who cooks on a sailboat.”

The first thing to go were the dark backsplash tiles and countertops, which were replaced, respectively, with Centura tile and Caesarstone quartz. The custom shaker-style millwork by Splinters is definitely modern, but as the owners requested, not contemporary modern.

All new Fisher & Paykel appliances were installed, including a built-in fridge neatly concealed behind cabinetry.

“We really played around with cabinetry and storage,” says Rob.

Future-Proofed

Sanderson’s favourite room is the generously sized upstairs primary ensuite.

The original layout was maintained with the bathtub raised up on a small platform so one could enjoy a garden view while soaking. The old tub, small and surrounded by dated tile, was switched for a new Maax Villi freestanding model, along with a custom twin-sink vanity with under-lighting that switches on automatically when you walk in on heated floors.

The spacious primary ensuite was completely redone to feature dual sinks, huge hidden medicine cabinets behind mirrors and a luxurious soaking tub that’s elevated to take in the view while bathing. In addition, it has heated floors and extensive use of quartz throughout, including in the walk-in, doorless shower.

“As minor as that is in the scheme of things, that’s probably one of the things we love the most,” admits Rob.

The bathroom finishes are an expanse of quartz with two large medicine cabinets built into the wall and hidden behind mirrors.

“Everything is so calming in there,” says Sanderson.

The ensuite is part of an entire upper floor that could be considered the primary suite. Sure, there’s a bedroom with an incredible view, but the second living room — featuring a wall-sized TV, a 74-inch-wide Napoleon Alluravision Slimline electric fireplace and more of that honey-coloured cedar ceiling — is like an extension of the couple’s bedroom.

“The whole upstairs is like our primary bedroom,” says Maureen.

There’s a deliberate future-proofing in that the two bedrooms, one up and one down, both have their own ensuites. For the owners that was essential. This is the house they intend to grow old in.

“We were thinking about aging in place,” explains Rob. “We even widened a couple of doorways. In this house we could live on one floor.”