“My parents gave me the art problem, by the way,” laughs Annaliesse Kelly. For the founder and principal of AK Design , collecting art has never been about matching trends. It’s about choosing what you love and letting the rest fall into place.

It’s the same philosophy that guided a recent loft renovation in Yaletown for clients who didn’t want a cookie-cutter condo. The clients, a professional couple new to the city, were looking to transform their 1,479-square-foot home into something that highlighted their extensive art collection and clean esthetic with hints of mid-century modern and European influence. Despite character features like an exposed brick wall and a glass garage-style window, the unit’s long, narrow layout and early-2000s finishes no longer suited their lifestyle or tastes. So, drawing on her art “problem,” Kelly and her team redesigned the main living spaces to feel more airy, functional and cohesive.

Starting with the kitchen, the team opened up the space by eliminating impractical upper storage, updating lighting and adding light oak cabinetry and gas burners integrated into the countertop. The original design, with dark wood tones and a smaller island, wasn’t functional for their client who loves to cook. The new five-foot island includes built-in shelving and rows of drawers. “There’s a lot more clearly defined storage for specific things where you need them,” says Kelly. And though it might seem counterintuitive, enlarging the island made the room feel more spacious. “By putting in a large island, you show the amount of space you actually have,” she explains.

Still, it’s the island’s green-toned countertop with subtle red veining that stands out most. “They have a beautiful collection of art,” says Kelly. “So [the client] always wanted some coloured stone.” After reviewing several options, the team chose Esmeralda quartzite for its translucent finish and how it plays off the home’s exposed brick. “The rust and the Esmeralda quartzite look so beautiful together because they bring out each other’s colours,” she says.

While the green stone ties into artwork throughout the home, the decision was ultimately personal. “She fell in love with it,” says Kelly. “They have quite a few landscape pieces of art that had some beautiful greens in it, but it was more about her emotional reaction.”

The quartzite also wraps down to the island’s drawer faces, adding weight and presence. “It was a beautiful way to carry it down and give the island some substance,” says Kelly. To balance the richer stone, wood and brick textures, the team opted for epoxy concrete floors. “If it was all Esmeralda, it would be too much,” she adds. The grout-free concrete forms a seamless, neutral base that draws the eye upward. “We wanted a smooth foundation for everything else to shine,” says Kelly.

In the living and dining areas, Kelly’s team carried through that same eye for balance — this time blending cherished furniture with contemporary touches. The dining nook was originally sketched with a banquette before the clients found a set of vintage rosewood chairs. “They bought these chairs, and they’re so gorgeous,” says Kelly. “So we worked around the chairs.”

The team reshaped the space around them, layering in a Lock & Mortice dining table, antique mirror and a ceiling painted in the same green as the quartzite.

Tucked beside the garage-style window, the nook is built for entertaining, sunlight and flexibility. “There’s room to add more pieces and furniture if they want,” says Kelly. “The dining room is really about lack of clutter, giving them that space to grow over time.”

In the adjacent living room, heirloom pieces — an Eames chair, leather sofa and vintage lounge chair — are paired with sheer drapery and Flos suspended pendant lamps. “We brought the sheers in to soften light,” says Kelly. “The sofa, chair and armchair were all pieces that [the clients] had before, so [it was about making] that eclectic vibe fit with the new kitchen.”

Along the brick wall, custom oak millwork conceals the original fireplace while providing storage and a ledge for art. On display is a new piece: a painting by Rowan Paton, acquired by the couple during the renovation. Its green tones echo the kitchen and dining area, but Kelly notes that wasn’t the point: “Art is, more than anything else in your home, about triggering an emotional response.”

When it comes to incorporating art, Kelly says there’s no need to overthink it. “Trust your gut and buy what you want,” she says. “Then it’s easy for it to be cohesive because you have a specific taste.” Even if those tastes evolve over time.

“The things you love are generally always going to work together,” she explains. “Who cares if other people like it?” She gestures to her own collection. “They’re all about how they make you feel. They don’t match. One’s very traditional, one’s modern. But they go together because they are me.”

Interior design: AK Design

Contractor: Woodvalley Projects Inc.

Vancouver industrial designer Annaka Hoelk, of Annaka Hoelk Studio , has clarity on what she wants to do — make products people want to have around them. Her work is contemporary, architectural and grounded in an understanding of how people actually live with objects.

Starting small, thinking big

Graduating from Emily Carr University in 2023, Hoelk says she always knew she wanted to have her own company designing furniture and home goods and decided to give it a go while she was young.

“There’s a great quote from Jim Carrey that goes something like ‘you can fail at something you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love’,” she says.

Her earliest work focused on larger furniture pieces, but the realities of starting a small business quickly shaped her direction. She shifted her focus to smaller home goods, finding them as creatively fulfilling as larger work, and as a small business, easier to produce.

“I would describe my work as a contemporary and efficient take on classic goods,” says Hoelk. “I like to work with simple, architectural shapes, referencing modernist design history, while reimagining the basic building blocks of everyday objects.”

Her first product, the Nook vase, launched in October last year and sells through her website, Provide Home and Walrus Home. At first glance, people might not realise it’s a flower vase, but it achieves the function of a vase far better than your typical big box retailer vase does, she says.

“It’s designed to hold flowers upright, help the user make a dynamic composition, create visual interest with its frosted material, and most importantly, celebrate and frame the flower.”

The Nook vase asks people to slow down, notice proportion, light and placement, and to interact rather than simply fill it, says Hoelk.

Creativity in her blood

For Hoelk, design is a continuation of her upbringing:

“I come from a very creative and entrepreneurial family. My grandparents were an architect and interior designer, they founded Burgers Architecture . My mum is artist Bobbie Burgers, my sister went into fashion and just founded her brand Leny, out of London.”

That environment made a creative career feel not only possible, but necessary. “It didn’t really occur to me that I could be fulfilled by a non-creative pursuit.”

Industrial design, specifically, appealed to both her temperament and her thinking, she says. Knowing herself to have a “very structured brain,” and be something of an A-type personality.

“I liked the scale of industrial design. Architecture felt too large and abstract, and is actually 90 per cent about bylaws and building codes,” she says. “I like that products and furniture are things people interact at a very human scale, they have a direct correlation to the body.”

The constraints and opportunities of being based in Vancouver

There are some very cool design companies based in Vancouver, but it’s a small industry overall, she says. Distance from global design centres can make visibility harder, which pushed her toward self-production and self-marketing early on.

“I love this city and I truly believe we have the ability to become a relevant design hub if we foster this industry,” says Hoelk. “We already have a lot of the building blocks: a well-regarded design school creating new talent, key companies that have become internationally recognized, a city people want to live in with a unique blend of outdoor and city influences.”

This passion for both design and Vancouver took form last year through Obj: Obj, a group exhibition Hoelk co-curated with designer and artist Nolan Talbot-Kelly.

“We presented a cross-section of the city’s contemporary furniture, lighting and objects, unified under the curatorial question of how an idea becomes a final design,” she says.

Designers paired finished works with the objects or concepts that inspired them, revealing process as much as product. A chair inspired by a dried squid, for example, a vase by a sake bottle.

“The Vancouver design scene was hungry for something like this. The exhibition returns this year from Sept. 25 to 27 and will be open to the public at no cost.”

Looking ahead

Hoelk is candid about the challenges of pricing, manufacturing and scale, but she frames them as creative constraints rather than barriers. She is preparing to launch two new products this spring and has collaborations underway, including one with local brand Homecoming Candles .

“I definitely want Annaka Hoelk Studio to grow into the type of brand that feels directed but also dynamic,” says Hoelk. “Collaborations and cross-pollination with other creatives are the type of projects that keep things new and most importantly, fun.”

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Thinking of opening up your home for short-term rental during the FIFA World Cup 2026? Here’s what to consider before you do.

With one of the biggest sporting events coming to the city , Vancouver is sure to see a surge of visitors in June. Balance that with the shortage of accommodations available, and there seems to be an obvious opportunity for homeowners. Many Vancouverites are considering skipping town during the event, freeing up their homes for income-earning opportunities, but are the pitfalls worth the potential payoff?

If you’ve never rented out your home before, the World Cup definitely presents a tempting opportunity, but rookie mistakes can cost you. As a first-time host, here’s what you’ll want to consider before listing your home for short-term rental during this global event.

Rules and regulations: What you need to know before you list

Unfortunately in Vancouver, short-term rentals are no longer as easy as click to list. Instead, a time-consuming, two-tiered approach has been enforced. Hosts must now comply with both City of Vancouver bylaws, and B.C.’s provincial short-term rental legislation, which now includes an annual registration with the B.C. Short-Term Rental Registry — yes, even if you only plan to list once.

There are also Vancouver-specific limitations on what can be legally listed. The space for rent must be your principal residence — the one where you live, pay bills and receive mail. Homeowners and tenants (with the landlord’s permission) may rent out an entire home or a room in the principal residence for stays for less than 90 consecutive days at a time, but vacant investment properties, secondary suites and laneway homes are not allowed to be rented out on a short-term basis, unless the host lives in that unit. Strata residents must also have approval from their strata.

Licensing costs and considerations

Licensing is required, but it comes at a cost. A City of Vancouver short-term rental business licence is required, which includes a $77 one-time application fee, plus a pro-rated annual fee of $1,108 — a fee which was recently increased to support the operating costs of the City’s short-term rental program. Additional revenues above program costs contributes to the City’s general operating budget to help balance the budget and fund City services that benefit businesses.

If you’re thinking of skirting these tight laws, you may want to think again. In 2025, around 150 violation tickets were issued for not holding a proper licence in Vancouver, and 271 licences were suspended due to non-compliance. Operating without a valid licence or renting a space that isn’t your principal residence can result in city fines of up to $1,000 (per offense) and can also result in the listing being removed from online platforms. Continued non-compliance may result in the matter being referred to the City Prosecutor. Monetary penalties under the provincial legislation can be significantly higher, with fines of up to $500 to $10,000 per day, depending on the rule broken.

While the combined City and provincial licensing fees can add up to roughly $1,200, the potential earnings during the World Cup could far outweigh the costs. Premium downtown rentals are currently averaging around $1,000 per night, meaning even a few nights booked could cover your fees and then some. Setting up your listing may take some effort, but for first-time hosts, the payoff could make it well worth your time.

A step-by-step guide for first-time hosting

If you’re still interested in hosting short-term rentals in your home, here’s a step-by-step guide on what you need to do. First, check to make sure you meet all of the eligibility requirements: If you’re the homeowner, make sure the space you’re looking to rent out is in your primary residence, and if you’re a long-term tenant, ensure you have a signed letter from your landlord to confirm their approval. Review this list to ensure you meet all safety and compliance standards. Then, apply online for your rental licence, and pay the required fees.

If you reside outside of the City of Vancouver, check websites for other Metro Vancouver municipalities for each area’s eligibility and licensing requirements.

Once those steps are complete, be sure to also register provincially as a host . A fee of $100 per year for a short-term rental in which the host lives, and $450 per year if the host doesn’t reside in the space, such as a secondary suite or laneway home, will be applied for approval. Once you’re ready to list, be sure to include your licence numbers in the listing, and post a paper copy in the rental unit. While it’s not mandatory, you may also want to consider securing adequate business insurance for your property.

Is there time to list a short-term rental for World Cup 2026?

Listing your property during the World Cup is still possible, but you’ll need to move fast. Start the application process at least four to eight weeks before you want your listing live, and aim to have everything ready by early May 2026. With B.C. Place and downtown hot spots expecting a flood of fans, getting your property listed by then is your best shot at turning the event into a profitable hosting opportunity.

When Lorne Segal was developing the 12-storey Kingswood residential tower in the heart of South Granville 25 years ago, he never imagined his parents, billionaire businessman and philanthropist Joe and his wife Rosalie, would ultimately call one of the best of the building’s 18 units, the West Estate , home. Having sold their five-bedroom, 12-bathroom, 22,000-square-foot Point Grey house for $42 million in 2021, the couple wanted luxury on a smaller scale, but not condo-small.

“My parents were certain they would never live in a typical highrise,” says Segal, president of Kingswood Properties Ltd. “What they valued most about the Kingswood was that it was conceived not as a conventional condominium, but as a limited-edition residential work — closer in spirit to a private estate than to typical multi-family housing. It preserved the essence of their former home: privacy, dignity and beauty, but in a more manageable form.”

Derek Grech, founder of West Vancouver realtors The Partners and listing agent for the unit, says, “As they were aging, (the Segals) were looking for something that was lock-up-and-go and had an elevator. They bought it for around $5 million and spent almost the same amount renovating the entire 4,100 square feet, from the sinks to the chandeliers. The building itself is such a beautiful structure — every trade that was involved in building the Kingswood has used it as a portfolio highlight on how to properly build a building in the city.”

While studying law at Oxford, Segal says he was influenced by England’s traditional architecture and later by then Prince Charles’ book A Vision of Britain, which, he says, “articulated principles I found myself instinctively agreeing with — human scale, proportion, craftsmanship, and a belief that buildings should age gracefully and enrich daily life.”

Years after completing the Kingswood, he met Prince Charles in Vancouver, who was flattered that Segal had read his book and that it had influenced the building. Segal, in turn, sent the Prince his own book about the building, called The Kingswood, which prompted an invitation to dine with the Prince at Buckingham Palace, where they talked “about architecture and the responsibility of the built environment,” says Segal. “While the Kingswood was never ‘endorsed’ (by King Charles) in a formal sense, it was profoundly meaningful to see the ideas that shaped it recognized in such a personal way.”

What’s inside

Occupying one of only two main-floor units, Joe and Rosalie, who lived in the Kingswood for a relatively short period before Joe died in 2022 and Rosalie a year later, had the option of entering the home through intricately carved gates and past a 24-hour concierge in the lobby, or through their private, three-car lower-level garage.

The elegant main living area is awash in natural light thanks to tinted curved windows that stretch up to the 18- foot high ceiling — the largest curved glass job in North America at the time. A black Italian marble fireplace mantel, designed by local stone specialists Marble Art, warms the bright, expansive room. The antique European chandelier was purchased in 2015 for US$135,000. In fact, all the unit’s light fixtures are custom-made from Italy.

In the dining room, a hand-painted ceiling and wall treatment in metallic background depicts fruit trees and floral vines, designed by decorative art specialists at Gorman Studios in Vancouver to resemble silk crépon. Double doors open from the dining room onto a 5,500-square-foot outdoor patio and green space filled with flowering trees and shrubbery, ideal for outdoor entertaining and gardening.

“The garden was central to their daily life,” says Segal. “From the moment one entered the residence, the view opened to a private, expansive garden roughly the size of a city lot. Wherever they sat — living room, dining area, or kitchen — they were visually connected to greenery. It became the emotional centre of the home.”

A library/sitting room that could also double as an office or den features custom-designed, built-in cabinetry by North Vancouver’s Ernest Collins Architect, which pays homage to legendary furniture designer Chippendale. The Georgian-style oval medallions in the panels are made from rare woods, including ebony.

The kitchen features granite countertops and appliances by Wolf, including the microwave oven and a six-burner stove with griddle. The 48-inch wide side-by-side refrigerator-freezer and wine cooler were made by Sub-Zero, as was a 150-200 bottle wine cooler in the basement. The high-end steel dishwasher is by Swedish company ASKO Appliances. Cabinetry comes courtesy of V6B design group in Vancouver, and the herringbone floor pattern is made of solid oak parquet.

A separate restaurant-style chef’s prep kitchen with commercial walk-in fridge and freezer in the basement “allowed for catered events to occur discreetly without intruding on the main living spaces,” says Segal. However, he says, by the time his parents moved in, entertaining was no longer to the extent it was when they hosted larger functions for fundraising and other social events from their earlier years.

The renovations, which spanned two years, also reconfigured the original four-bedroom layout into three bedrooms to create a larger primary suite. “Finishes were refined, details sharpened, and materials upgraded, but always in keeping with the original architectural language of the building,” says Segal.

The primary bedroom features two separate dressing rooms and en suites with 24-karat gold-plated fixtures by Phylrich in California, as well as a custom-etched sink design with double glass and gold leaf underlay. A wall covering with a metallic silver background and hand-painted trees with flowers was designed by Gorman Studios. Shower walls are made of marble and glass tiles with gold leaf backing. Mirror artwork on the suite’s two bathrooms features the ancient decorative art of reverse glass painting called eglomise, designed by Gorman Studios.

Carpeting throughout the home is designed and custom-made of 50/50 wool and silk, with the exception of the primary bedroom’s wall-to-wall, which is 25/75 wool and silk.

The bronze-accented staircase leads to an upper balcony with gold-plated baluster and railings custom-designed by Ernest Collins Architect. The private elevator, whose doors feature chinoiserie, the European imitation of Chinese artistry, a combination of traditional and contemporary Chinese and Japanese design lacquer work, also by Gorman Studios, connects the two floors as well as the garage.

During renovations, Grech says, the Segals added “several Tesla generating panels in the garage, so if the block lost power their unit would still be self-sufficient.”

Segal says that when he first conceived the Kingswood, even though he never thought his parents would someday call it home, he did have people like them in mind. “People who cared deeply about privacy, proportion, craftsmanship and permanence, and who were unwilling to compromise on those values. Over the years, many others chose the Kingswood for precisely those reasons. But when my parents ultimately chose it as their final home — decades after the idea first took shape — it carried a meaning that was entirely personal. It wasn’t about validation; it was about seeing the Kingswood through the eyes of the most discerning people I knew. In that moment, it felt like a long and demanding journey had come full circle.”

In the neighbourhood

“It’s a quiet South Granville neighbourhood with a bit of liveliness to it,” says Grech, with coffee shops, banks and grocery stores in nearby Granville Street and Kitsilano. “Across the street is the Vancouver Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club. Some people like the fact that Vancouver General Hospital is close, and the airport is close.”

And while there are many schools nearby, Grech says, “I don’t think it (would appeal to) a family with young children, they would want a (bigger) home, unless it was a family from New York or L.A. used to living in condos. The people we’ve shown it to have been 60-year-old couples downsizing from their bigger houses. People who want to sell their house in Shaughnessy but still feel like they’re living in Shaughnessy but with an easier lock-up-and-go approach.”

Location: 1b — 1596 W. 14th Avenue, Vancouver

Listed for: $9,800,000

Year built: 2001

Type: Three bedrooms, six bathrooms

Size: 4,181 sq ft townhouse

Realtor: Listed by Derek Grech, The Partners Real Estate

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In a world where we are seeing more anxiety and loneliness, a small gift of flowers really lifts spirits and can brighten someone’s day. With Valentine’s Day just a week away now, it is a golden opportunity to share a little love and thoughtfulness within our circle of family, friends and even acquaintances.

Flowers, either as cut bouquets or potted plants, bring colour, fragrance and the promise of the season to come. There are so many options from which to choose right now that your biggest challenge will be finding the one that will resonate most with those closest to you.

Over the past few years, we have seen a shift in folks looking to add more colour and vibrance to their gardens, and it’s understandable why. Colour is uplifting, energetic and positive, so why not incorporate this trend into your Valentine’s gift? Cut tulips are the No. 1 cut flower in Canada and are especially popular this time of year. They come in an array of colours, from pink to orange and white to purple. When mixed with fragrant hyacinths, iris and daffodils, they are hard to beat as a symbol of spring and their riot of colour will surely generate a smile.  

We are fortunate to have a number of B.C. growers producing world-class cut flowers, both for our local markets and for export. Roses, gerberas, orchid stems, lisianthus, snapdragons, chrysanthemums, oriental and Asiatic lilies, alstroemeria, tulips, daffodils, iris, stocks and more are all produced in the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley and on Vancouver Island. Should your Valentine appreciate shopping local, it will be easy to gift them with something grown nearby.  

Is your Valentine’s happy place their garden? The selection of growing gifts, which gardeners love to receive, is truly amazing right now, and it’s incredibly diverse.  

Spring bulbs usually top the list of favourites because of the sense of promise they bring. I love mixed pots of daffodils, tulips, iris, and hyacinths: They are the essence of spring.

Cool outdoor flowering plants are prized as well, to be enjoyed on the patio for long periods. Primula bowls, with all their vibrant new colours, are fun and the yellow varieties will also add a welcome perfume.

Miniature roses are typically bred for indoor enjoyment, but as temperatures warm up, they are quite at home on a sunny porch or in a garden bed all summer long. They come in a wide range of colours and are probably the least expensive roses you can buy to enjoy this time of year.  

Many camellias are already in bloom in our gardens. They have spectacular flowers over a long blooming period and will thrive in the garden for many years.  

Pussy willows have really jumped in popularity, especially because of the new pink Japanese variety, salix gracilistyla, Mt. Aso. They can be enjoyed in your garden every year if they are root pruned to keep them a reasonable size, plus they come in grafted tree forms for something a little different. They are also one of the world’s best pollinator plants once the catkins are finished and the blooms open.  

There are many other winter flowers that bloom early to mid-February, but perhaps one of the most interesting is the Chinese flowering apricot, prunus mume, with its rich red, fragrant flowers. The nicest feature is that they will bloom each year at Valentine’s in your garden.  

Many of our best memories are triggered by fragrance, so consider creating a lovely new memory for them with a highly perfumed plant. Larger pots of narcissus, like the Bridal Crown, can fill your home with a beautiful aroma. Outdoors, fragrant Chinese witch hazels are still in flower for a unique winter-flowering gift.  

For those who love the coziness of their own homes, make it even more lush for them with the addition of a new houseplant. Indoor flowering plants are nice to enjoy over several weeks or even longer. The beautiful, tropical, anthuriums are available in a range of colours, and are among the longest to bloom.

Orchids, especially the phalaenopsis or Butterfly orchids, have become so popular because they are elegant, easy to care for, last for months and are usually available in a range of pot sizes. Ease up on the watering but mist the leaves often for their ideal care. Elegant Peace lilies, or spathiphyllums, with their rich green foliage, have new varieties which rebloom more frequently. They are quite stunning when combined in larger containers along with other durable tropical plants like philodendrons Birkin, White Wizard, and Pink Princess. Black Raven ZZ, or zamioculcas zamifolia plants, and unique hoyas are among the more treasured.

Independent research reveals that a gift of flowers resonates with people in many different ways. It’s the kind of present anyone would appreciate receiving, perhaps more than you can imagine, and Valentine’s is a wonderful opportunity to lift those spirits and brighten someone’s day. Think about which attribute they would appreciate the most, be it colour, fragrance, the vivacity of spring or the comfort of home, and the gift you give will show how much you really care.  

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Byron Tokarchuk and Anja Henche weren’t planning to buy a house. But then they saw it. “We made the mistake of coming here,” Tokarchuk jokes.

It was 2018, and the property in question — a boxy, cliffside structure perched on slim columns and wrapped in coastal forest — had popped up in a Lions Bay real estate listing.

Designed by architect Peter Cardew in 1980, the 2,800-square-foot home hadn’t been on the market in decades. It was Cardew’s first residential project and was inspired by Richard Meier’s Douglas House, a modernist home in Harbor Springs, Mich., famed for its geometric profile and steep setting.

The two were smitten. “It’s not very often you find this kind of house on the North Shore. Usually they’re pretty cookie-cutter,” says interior designer Henche, who describes feeling emotional on her first visit.

“It just felt like an exceptionally good place,” adds Tokarchuk, principal of West Vancouver’s TOK Design Studio.

The structure’s steel bones were in solid shape, but the envelope was failing, with rotting wood, disintegrating caulking and windows flexing in the wind.

Interior spaces were cramped and dated, and the whole place was layered in white carpet. “Everything was of a different time,” Tokarchuk recalls.

The home’s views also weren’t as visible as they could be from the inside, and the main-floor deck wasn’t usable — almost criminal for a home with unimpeded ocean frontage.

Post-purchase, the couple thought about expanding the home’s footprint. But a contractor’s quote brought them back to reality, and they decided to focus on quality instead, Tokarchuk says.

“We decided we’d really like to spend money and time on the quality and the way things are put together, instead of spreading ourselves too thin,” he says.

One of their best investments was rebuilding the view wall. Replacing a scattering of smaller windows, a curtain-wall glazing system and massive sliding doors now run nearly the full length of the main floor, allowing half the facade to open.

“In the summertime, in the morning, you’re throwing the entire wall open,” Tokarchuk says. “We hear the birds. The swallows are flying through.”

Inside, Tokarchuk and Henche opened up spaces and prioritized sightlines. The kitchen, once a closed-off galley, now opens to the view. Outfitted with Miele appliances and Bulthaup cabinetry, the space centres around a long island and table customized to fit the narrow footprint.

Quartzite with bold veining carries over the backsplash and counters. “The greys and rusts are a reflection of what’s out there,” Henche says. “The water, the rocks, the forest.”

Upstairs, all spaces face oceanward, even the primary bath. A walk-in glass shower now offers nearly 140 degrees of view, and the bathroom mirror reflects sky and water. Geometric porcelain tile adds texture without distracting from the vista.

An open mezzanine over the interior stairs became Henche’s home office, a vantage point Tokarchuk calls “one of the best spots in the house,” (with the caveat that he rarely gets the seat).

The couple also spent time updating the home’s mechanical systems and functional backbone, adding radiant flooring and storage throughout. On the lower level, they carved out space for a laundry room, two bedrooms, a shared bath and much-needed storage.

Exterior shading helps manage heat and light without detracting from glassy drama. “By controlling it outside the window wall, you don’t get the crazy thermal gain,” says Tokarchuk. “Yet you’re still enjoying the view.”

Below the home’s lower level, a small room drops down, housing a cedar-lined Finnish sauna with its own deck. Shaded in summer and protected in winter, it feels tucked away and elemental. “It’s a pretty magical space down there,” Tokarchuk says.

Despite its character, the home manages to feels comfortably calm and down to earth. Its main floor sits level with the street, avoiding the steep, switchback driveways common to Lions Bay. A covered bridge leads from a carport into the front entry.

“You essentially have a bridge from the parking area across a gap to the front door. Then when you enter the front door, you cross another bridge to the view,” Tokarchuk says. “That was intriguing to me.”

Inside, windows draw the eye to views of Howe Sound, Gambier Island and Sunshine Coast mountains. Light pours in so generously that the couple rarely turn on lights during the day.

Outside, eagles alight in the trees. Humpbacks feed offshore. “You’re very connected to nature here,” says Tokarchuk, noting that while it’s a short drive from West Vancouver, North Vancouver and downtown, “you really feel like you’re away.”

Tokarchuk and Henche moved into the renovated home in 2024. But today they’re looking ahead to their next project: renovating another oceanfront home in Pender Harbour. And they’ve put their Lions Bay labour of love on the market , hoping someone else will feel the same pull.

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Weekly roundup of three properties that recently sold in Metro Vancouver.

5164 Central Ave., Ladner

Type: Three-bedroom, two-bathroom detached

Size: 1,709 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,376,600

Listed for: $1,329,900

Sold for: $1,300,000

Sold on: Oct. 21

Days on market in this listing: Eight

Listing agent: Aileen Noguer PREC at ReMax Westcoast

Buyers agent: Renee Gomes and Jennifer West PREC at Macdonald Realty

The big sell: This updated three-bedroom house was built in 1971 in Ladner’s Hawthorne district on a sizable lot that boasts a 74-foot frontage separated from the road by high privacy hedging. It offers plenty of flexible storage options with a 12-by-10-foot finished workshop with electricity, as well as a double garage. There are gleaming hardwood floors inside the home, a newly-renovated galley-style kitchen with flat-panelled white cabinets, modern countertops, and stainless-steel appliances, a wood-burning fireplace and bay window in the living room, and barn doors that separate the dining area from the kitchen. All three bedrooms are found upstairs served by a family bathroom, as well as a 19-foot-long games room that lends itself to multiple uses. The south-facing rear garden contains a patio and a large deck with views across the well-tended English-style garden.

1170 Kendal Pl., North Vancouver

Type: Four-bedroom, three-bathroom detached

Size: 3,338 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $2,539,000

Listed for: $2,498,800

Sold for: $2,350,000

Sold on: Nov. 4

Days on market in this listing: 67

Listing agent: Brian Rybchinsky PREC at Virani Real Estate Advisors

Buyers agent: Colin Thornton PREC at Royal LePage Elite West

The big sell: A cul-de-sac location is one of the highlights of this four-bedroom family home in North Vancouver’s Edgemont subdivision. There are a number of schools nearby including its catchment schools of Cleveland Elementary and Handsworth Secondary, as well as parks and the amenities that comprise Edgemont Village. Built in 1968 and renovated in 2007, the two-level layout features the principal reception rooms on the upper floor alongside two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and an additional couple of bedrooms on the lower floor next to a recreation room, laundry, storage, and an attached double garage. There are hardwood floors that flow through the open-concept living area that takes in entertaining spaces in the form of both a family room and a living room, three fireplaces, and a 1,000-square-foot sundeck with views across the partly-treed rear garden.

108 — 2288 Pine St., Vancouver

Type: Three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse

Size: 1,569 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,508,000

Listed for: $1,650,000

Sold for: $1,552,500

Sold on: Nov. 12

Days on market in this listing: 178

Listing agent: Eric Wu PREC at Oakwyn Realty

Buyers agent: Adam Chahl PREC at Oakwyn Realty

The big sell: This three-bedroom townhome went through some price iterations before hitting the sweet spot and landing a buyer back in November. It forms part of The Fairview, an 11-storey concrete building located at the corner of West 6th Avenue and Pine Street just across from the Arbutus Greenway and close to the shops, cafés and galleries of South Granville, as well as Kitsilano and Granville Island attractions. This two-level end-unit home has a private street entrance, 11-foot-high ceilings on the main floor, and expansive west-facing windows that fill the home with natural light. With a floor plan of almost 1,600 square feet, there are generous-sized rooms including a 16-foot-long primary bedroom, a den/study, and a laundry room. The unit comes with two underground parking stalls, a storage locker, and a monthly maintenance fee of $820.25. Residents can enjoy an indoor swimming pool, exercise centre, and hot tub.

These transactions were compiled by Nicola Way of BestHomesBC.com.

Realtors — send your recent sales to nicola@besthomesbc.com

Related

• Sold (Bought): Massive Yaletown condo boasts a layout larger than many detached homes
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In winter, we naturally turn inward. Spending more time at home, seeking out comfort, and noticing our surroundings a little more. Colour is one of the simplest ways to shift the mood of a space, says expressive arts therapist Georgia Fullerton. Here, she discusses how to use colour to feel better during these darker, colder months.

Colours influence us on both a conscious and subconscious level, says Fullerton. When a colour surrounds us on walls, furniture, or accents, it interacts with feelings, perception and our overall mindset .

For example, greens are linked to balance and renewal. A deep green like BeautiTone’s 2026 colour of the year, Muse, can create a sense of calm and stability. Over time, these subtle cues shape mood, energy, and even how restorative a space feels, she says.

Unlike furniture or décor, paint is immersive. It sits in the background of daily life, shaping how light moves through a room and how the body responds to that space over time, she says.

During winter, when natural light drops and time outdoors is limited, certain colours tend to feel especially grounding.

“Earthy tones such as deep greens, warm terracottas, and muted neutrals, tend to feel grounding because they echo nature’s palette. They create a sense of stability when the outside world feels dark and we spend an increased amount of time indoors,” says Fullerton. “Pantone’s Cloud Dancer is a soft, airy white, which offers lightness and clarity. It’s a beautiful complement to deeper hues like Muse, balancing richness with brightness for a harmonious winter palette”

Neutral palettes remain popular, but Fullerton notes that not all neutrals offer the same emotional experience.

The undertone makes all the difference, she says. Warm neutrals like BeautiTone’s Dust of Light feel inviting and comforting, while cool, grey-based neutrals can sometimes feel stark or sterile. Texture also matters. Layering fabrics, wood, and natural materials with neutrals adds depth and prevents a space from feeling lifeless.

Much of colour’s impact happens below the surface, says Fullerton. In her therapeutic work, she often sees people respond emotionally to colour before they can articulate why.

“When colour is chosen deliberately, it reflects intention — what we want to feel or communicate. Subconsciously, colour can evoke memories, emotions, and even physiological responses without us realizing it. For example, I might invite a client to notice which colour feels connected to a certain emotion or part of themselves. Perhaps a deep blue that feels protective, or a soft pink that represents vulnerability. In therapy, I often see colour act as a bridge between inner experience and external expression,” she says.

That emotional response is one reason colour can feel intimidating, says Fullerton. Many homeowners worry about making choices that are too bold or committing to something they might regret.

The trick is to start small and layer. Choose an accent wall, piece of furniture or even a piece of artwork. These can add a sense of richness without overpowering your space, and they’re easy to switch out.

Paint’s emotional impact is also tied to its consistency, she says. Unlike objects that can be moved or replaced, wall colour is always present.

“Colour envelops us, it’s the backdrop to everything we do and wall colour is constant and immersive. It sets the tone for the entire space, influencing how light behaves and how we feel in the room. That’s why a simple paint change can completely shift mood and energy.”

When working with trend-led palettes, Fullerton encourages people to think beyond what is fashionable and focus instead on how a colour fits into daily life.

Look at how the colour resonates with your lifestyle and emotional needs. Trends are exciting, but the most successful choices are personal. Consider how colour interacts with your energy, your existing décor, and the mood you want to cultivate, says Fullerton.

For those unsure where to begin, her advice is simple:

“Start with a space you use daily, like a reading nook or bedroom wall, and choose a colour that supports how you want to feel there. Adding colour to a single wall or even through accessories like cushions or artwork can create a noticeable shift without a full renovation. Small changes often have the biggest emotional impact.”

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• Pantone's colour of the year is one of infinite possibilities

Fluorescent lights, the near-constant grinding of an industrial espresso machine, and chilly coffee shop temperatures … To many remote coffee shop workers, these are fast-forgotten annoyances while typing away on their laptops. But for Vancouver resident Maryam Mobini, who has ADHD and is among millions of neurodivergent people worldwide, experiences like these can leave her so depleted she has to go home and lie down in a dark room to recuperate. And don’t mention the impact on work productivity.

Mobini, a sensory and behaviour designer who has contributed to anxiety and chronic pain research at SFU, and trained under behaviour scientist Dr. BJ Fogg and psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen, is one of a growing number of neuro-informed designers.

Drawing on research in the field and her lived experiences, Mobini explores how environments — workplace, home, public spaces — impact emotions, thoughts and behaviour. Instead of asking people to rely on constant self-control, discipline, or coping, Mobini’s design philosophy puts the onus on the space itself. “The environment is always on, influencing us every minute we’re in it, whether we’re aware of it or not,” she explains.

Through her company, the innovation and design studio to:Resonate , Mobini consults with architects and interaction designers, and works one-on-one with clients in Canada, the US and Europe. Many of her clients are highly successful but struggle with ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions. Working with the likes of Lululemon, Procter & Gamble and Thrive Global, Mobini designs sensory-informed workplaces, wellness spaces, residential homes, and public installations. By incorporating finely tuned acoustics, LED lighting and intuitive layouts, Mobini taps into frequency, light, colour, and sound to “support [nervous system] regulation rather than stimulation.”

And with “nervous system regulation” becoming somewhat of a buzzword — in 2024 the hashtag had garnered over hundreds of million views on TikTok — it’s a design consideration more and more firms are building into their ethos. “Sensory overload, attention fragmentation, and burnout are becoming mainstream,” says Mobini.

Neuroarchitecture as a field first emerged in the early 2000s when neuroscientists such as Fred Gage at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California — a centre founded in 1965 dedicated to studying how the environment influences the brain — began exploring the link between architecture and neuroplasticity. Today, researchers around the world are building on this work with initiatives such as the International Centre for Neuroarchitecture and NeuroDesign, a partnership between the Research Institute of Sweden and the University College of London which aims to explore how to make built environments more inclusive.

Here in Canada, design firms such as Mason Studio in Toronto are leading the way with sensory-informed residential and commercial projects. Stanley Sun, co-founder and creative director says one of the core principles of neuroarchitecture is the focus on function as opposed to only esthetics. “[In neuro-informed design,] materials are chosen not only for appearance but for how they perform. Textiles that absorb sound reduce mental fatigue. Surfaces with natural variation are easier for the eye and nervous system to process. Even small decisions, such as flooring transitions or door placement, influence how people move and feel at home.”

Mason Studio’s team also applies lighting strategies that calibrate to support circadian rhythms — brighter, cooler tones for morning and warmer, more diffused light for evening wind-down — for instance, which help improve sleep and energy. In a bedroom at Jing’an Residences townhouse project in Shanghai, Mason Studio’s team applied a continuous marble band along the lower part of the wall around the bed to create a sense of enclosure and security, and directed lighting upwards to create a feeling of warmth and comfort.

When considering layout, Stanley’s team aims for clear sightlines. For example, when designing a corridor at the Jing’an Residences, the team aimed to support intuitive movement throughout the space, helping reduce micro-decisions. They also added quiet zones, away from high-activity areas. “Each tactical choice works together to create a home that supports calm, clarity, and comfort without the resident having to think about it,” Sun explains.

While some may think these details are a luxury, Sun argues neuroarchitecture is an investment that will pay dividends. “In workplaces, the impact is measurable. Improved lighting and acoustic balance support concentration, reduce fatigue, and contribute to lower rates of mental health-related absenteeism.” He believes behavioural design has the potential to save time, energy, and emotional bandwidth across all aspects of life.

Mobini agrees: “When we design environments that support neurodivergent nervous systems, we create spaces that work better for everyone.”

Related

• Design experts share how to make your home feel serene and comfortable
• Expect warmer, softer and more relaxed home decor this year

Weekly roundup of three properties that recently sold in Metro Vancouver.

614 East 14th Ave., Vancouver

Type: Five-bedroom, three-bathroom detached

Size: 2,228 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,559,000

Listed for: $1,720,000

Sold for: $1,850,000

Sold on: Oct. 24

Days on market in this listing: Seven

Listing agent: Adam Pospischil at Engel & Volkers Vancouver

Buyers agent: Michele Collins at Royal LePage Sussex

The big sell: According to listing agent Adam Pospischil, ten offers were received for this fully-updated home in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant community that pushed the final sale figure to $130,000 over the asking price. He cites those recent renovations, the characterful details of the 1910 house, a family-friendly neighbourhood near Robson Park, and a smaller lot size of 2,583 square feet which, he says, put the home at a price point that brought interest from both house buyers as well as duplex buyers. Inside, the three-storey interior features new hardwood floors, upgraded windows, a modern open-plan kitchen, a skylit dining area, a tankless water heater, a heat pump for heating and cooling, and a newly-installed split-level entertainment-sized rear patio bordered by stone retaining walls. In total, there are three bedrooms divided between the main and top floors, while a separate two-bedroom suite resides in the basement.

801 — 651 Nootka Way, Port Moody

Type: Two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment

Size: 891 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $699,000

Listed for: $739,900

Sold for: $730,000

Sold on: October 20

Days on market in this listing: 58

Listing agent: Rod Bahari PREC at Sutton Group — West Coast Realty

Buyers agent: Kyle Rademaker at Royal LePage Sterling Realty

The big sell: This two-bedroom, two-bathroom Port Moody condo is located in the Sahalee development in Polygon’s master-planned Klahanie community. Constructed in 2008, the 28-floor tower comprises 176 units with access to an array of amenities including a tennis court, outdoor swimming pool, exercise centre, gym, party room, guest suite, hot tub, and steam room. This bright corner unit has scenic vistas from every room as well as separated bedrooms, an open-plan kitchen with granite counters and stainless-steel appliances including a gas range, an electric fireplace, and an oversized balcony from which to enjoy the sunsets. It comes with two parking stalls, and a strata that permits pets (two dogs or two cats), and rentals. The unit’s monthly maintenance fee is $451.03, and of note to investors, the apartment achieved approximately $2,650 per month in rent.

2525 West 7th Ave., Vancouver

Type: Three-bedroom, four-bathroom half duplex

Size: 1,531 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,818,000

Listed for: $1,725,000

Sold for: $1,855,000

Sold on: Nov. 14

Days on market in this listing: Four

Listing agent: Jessica Chen PREC at Oakwyn Realty

Buyers agent: Mike Rampf PREC and Glenn Feldstein PREC at Engel & Volkers Vancouver

The big sell: Listing agent Jessica Chen reports that this home garnered three offers within the first day of showing with the winning offer coming in subject free at $130,000 over the asking price. The property in question is the front half of a duplex complete with radiant heated hardwood floors throughout, a new boiler/heat exchanger, fresh paintwork, and an attached garage. It forms part of a three-unit pet- and rental-friendly nonconforming strata in Kitsilano near General Gordon Elementary and Kitsilano Secondary schools. The bright open layout on the main floor combines a kitchen with granite countertops and Shaker-style cabinets in a dark wood hue, with adjacent living and dining areas finished with wainscot panelling. There are two bedrooms upstairs served by two bathrooms, while the ground floor has a third bedroom, ensuite bathroom, and french doors that open to a patio garden.

These transactions were compiled by Nicola Way of BestHomesBC.com.

Realtors — send your recent sales to nicola@besthomesbc.com

For more detailed mortgage information, explore our guide to Canada’s lowest national insured and uninsured mortgage rates, updated daily. Related

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Just a few decades ago, Anmore was a remote, undeveloped, rural area somewhere around Port Moody with rough roads and no services. Today, Anmore is an incorporated village that, in fact, borders Port Moody and all that city’s services and activities.

Anmore’s roughly 3,000 residents are a diverse mix of wealthy — including the occasional celebrity and at least one famous pro wrestler — and upper middle-class folks who have found their real estate dollars go much further here than in comparable areas of North and West Vancouver.

“Last year’s stats showed about a four to five per cent decrease in values in most of the main municipalities in the Lower Mainland — Burnaby, North Van, West Van — and this year, Anmore bucked the trend and went up four per cent,” says Glen Bohnet, realtor for the listing at 184 Kinsey Drive .

“People move here to get away from the congestion and high crime rates [of bigger cities],” says Bohnet, who also lives in Anmore. “People want a place where their kids can play on the streets, where there are hiking trails and walkways, and they particularly want the bigger lots without the bigger cost. Anmore is still way undervalued, and more specific to the house we’re talking about.”

The house we’re talking about is a five-bedroom, eight-bathroom, 8,434-square-foot contemporary estate on a one-acre lot surrounded by mature trees that is listed for just over $7 million. “That would be very difficult to find in other areas at that size and price point with that land component,” says Bohnet.

What’s inside

The front pivot door by Nordica Aluminum with European windows by Open Windows, both Richmond-based companies, opens into an expansive, airy main living room with 20-foot ceilings that extend up two floors. The tiled flooring, as well as the handcrafted cabinetry throughout the home, was made by Future Living, imported from Italy and assembled on site.

All kitchen appliances, including the steam oven, are made by Miele, and the eight-burner stove by Viking. “It’s an oversized chef’s kitchen made for entertaining,” says Bohnet. “It’s one of the biggest I’ve ever seen.”

Rather than being tucked away in the basement, a large glass-enclosed wine wall is incorporated into the main living space off the dining room.

The striking, snowflake-inspired Crown Summa chandelier by Italian company Nemo Lighting floats above the living room, while Navada pendant lighting by Richmond Hill, Ont. company Eurofase illuminates the dining room. The sleek kitchen pendant lighting is by Tech Lighting, now part of Visual Comfort & Co.

The bathroom off the primary bedroom features a marble wall and countertops, and the other seven have stone finishings. A separate one-bedroom, self-contained suite with kitchen, bathroom and sitting room could be used as either a nanny or in-law suite.

Bohnet says that, as the house was being built, the owners noticed that the ceilings were going to be quite high. “So they had the builders create loft areas in both the kids’ bedrooms, which was a fun and unique thing to do.”

A dedicated home office sits next door to a gym for an impromptu workout break. A games room, home theatre with a professional sound system, a custom-made stainless steel bar area complete the downstairs. An elevator connects all three floors of the “smart” home — automation controls blinds, music, temperature, etc.

A glass overhead walkway leads to an upper deck with forest views and an entertaining area with one of two fire pits, an infinity pool and hot tub that extend over the garage at the far end. Another hot tub sits at the back of the house in a kids’ recreation area with a trampoline.

For comfort, the home is air-conditioned for summer, while two gas fireplaces and radiant heat keep it cosy in winter.

Outside, the professionally landscaped yard is flush with greenery and mature trees. “That’s also the beauty of Anmore,” says Bohnet. “It feels very rural. You don’t feel like you’re in a city environment; it’s much greener and people like the privacy.”

In the neighbourhood

Bohnet says good schools are all within walking distance. “The elementary school is renowned for exceptional education, and Port Moody Middle School and High School are both ranked highly in school ratings.”

Grocery stores, shops, and restaurants are about a seven-minute drive away in Port Moody, where you can also hop aboard the SkyTrain or West Coast Express to downtown Vancouver. Coquitlam Centre Mall is a 10- to 15-minute drive, while Sasamat Lake, Buntzen Lake, White Pine Beach and the numerous hiking trails of Belcarra Regional Park, as well as the boating, beaches and fishing on Indian Arm, are about 10 minutes away.

“We have a tight-knit community,” says Bohnet. “Everyone looks out for each other.”

Location: 184 Kinsey Drive, Anmore

Listed for: $7,299,000

Year built: 2022

Type: Five bedrooms, eight bathrooms

Size: 8,434 sq ft

Realtor: Listed by Glen Bohnet, Team Bold, Royal LePage West

Learn more about the latest mortgage rates and explore our guide to Canada’s lowest national insured and uninsured mortgage rates, updated daily. Related

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As we finally take down and pack away all our Christmas decor, we find it does leave a bit of emptiness in our homes.

One of the best things we can do to add fresh life and lift our spirits is to add some new plants to our houseplant collections. By new plants, I mean the fun, interesting ones that have added buzz to the world of indoor tropicals and have also proven to be solid performers.

It is important to remember that our winter indoor growing conditions are not the best for all plants, but keeping them near windows for increased light, running our homes just a little cooler, and providing a bit of extra care, they will be fine, especially if you choose the more resilient varieties.

My first choice for colour this time of year is anthuriums. They are remarkably tough, with their thick, dark green leaves, and beautiful heart-shaped flowers in vibrant reds, pinks, orange, purple and white. Their colour just keeps coming all year round. They are also available in smaller four-inch pot sizes, ideal for windowsills and tabletops. By themselves, or combined with other tropicals in an attractive, low planter, they top my list of beautiful, easy-to-care-for plants.

This is also the time of year we can find some of the best selections of bromeliads. The range of sizes and brilliant coloration is amazing. They are among the easiest of all plants to care for: All you need to do is keep the soil moist and add a little bit of warm water into the centre of the plant, allowing them to absorb the water as they need it.

Their vibrant colours and unique flower forms are truly spectacular and they last for weeks. Related to pineapples, bromeliads are something you can really have fun with.

The ZZ plant, or Zamioculcas, is not new, but the pure black variety Black Raven is one I never get tired of observing. Since there is no green in mature leaves, the plant must be set in a higher light area to go through its photosynthetic process. They are great by themselves but combine them with silver aglaonemas, or multicolored calatheas, and you have pure magic.

Philodendrons are always on the “easy-care” list, but a newer variety, Pink Princess, is something else. With dark burgundy leaves splashed with bright pink, it will truly pop in your display. Though it is not a trailer, it has a vining habit, so you can creatively train it onto a shaped frame for an even more impressive look.

Its cousin, White Wizard, is a green philodendron with unique white blotches and flecks across its foliage. It, too, is versatile and can be trained into unique shapes and forms. Both are eye catchers.

Philodendron Birkin may be small but it offers big interest. A compact plant with green leaves striped with white, it makes a statement by itself or in combination with any plant with contrasting dark foliage.

Versatile pothos make wonderful indoor hanging basket plants. They are very easy to take care of, are among the best-selling varieties and usually come in a range of pot sizes. The colour explosion of new varieties has further enhanced their appeal. Pothos epipremnum Happy Leaves is an introduction featuring rich cream and green foliage. The new variety called Cebu Blue boasts deeply toned bluish leaves, which is a novelty in tropical plants. Pearls and Jade is an interesting white and green bicolour, so keep an eye out for that one, too. When it comes to variegated foliage, pothos certainly lead the pack and I love how easy they are to have in your home.

The old-fashioned rubber plant, ficus elastica, has changed dramatically in its colour range. Their familiar dark green leaves have “evolved” into burgundy-black, as well as tricoloured cream, green and coral-pinks of varieties like Belize, Tineke and Ruby. They are striking and can enhance a room all by themselves. I’m really impressed by the foliage of a new multicoloured variety called ficus Shivereana. It has sophisticated, tan-coloured leaves with unique green speckled markings.

Rubber plants are among the most user friendly, but when the older green leafed varieties are replaced by newer colour blends, the plants will need far more light. Another secret with rubber plants is proper pruning. During the active growing season, pinch out the tips of the existing branches, which will force the plant to send out more branches along the stem, never leaving a gangly plant with a bare stem on the bottom.

The hoya family has exploded into so many unique leaf colour combinations, and it will be fun to see what comes next. They will all flower once they mature, but the secret is to put them in a very cool east or north window where, if you can slightly open the window to get the temperature below 8ºC (50ºF), it can help with bud set.

Spider plants, chlorophytum comosum, have always been an indoor garden staple, with lots of new plants developing on the tips of shoots which come from the centre of the plant. Curly Sue has a “swirled” habit, which makes it that much more interesting.

Just before Christmas, a good local grower reintroduced ardisias, sometimes called the “Christmas Berry” plant, back into our tropical market. It’s a green plant, much like a coffee plant, but with temperature variation treatment they can produce stunning red, coral or white berries which last for months. I think they are just spectacular.

If you have a cool windowsill near your kitchen sink, you may want to try some of the “string” series of plants. From String of Dolphins, Frogs, Turtles, Spades and Pearls, they are all fun plants and look surprisingly like each of the animals/objects for which they are named. They make great gifts for kids.

These are just a few of the many plants which can transform an empty-feeling room into a happy, uplifting and welcoming environment, which is especially valuable during the darker days of winter.

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Weekly roundup of three properties that recently sold in Metro Vancouver.

2002 – 1515 Homer Mews, Vancouver

Type: Three-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment

Size: 2,673 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $5,420,000

Listed for: $5,988,000

Sold for: $5,888,000

Sold on: Oct. 21

Days on market in this listing: 23

Listing agent: Karim Virani at Virani Real Estate Advisors

Buyers agent: Deanna Lawrence PREC at Oakwyn Realty

The big sell: With an internal floor plan in excess of 2,600 square feet plus nearly 500 square feet of terraces with marina, city skyline and mountain views, this three-bedroom condo not only boasts a layout larger than many detached homes, but a sub-penthouse position to boot in Yaletown’s prestigious King’s Landing tower. Inside, highlights abound with marble-accent bathrooms, an impressive primary bedroom wing, hardwood floors throughout, Kohler and Grohe fixtures, high-end appliances including a Viking gas range, a separate pantry, a marble gas fireplace, 10-foot-high ceilings, wraparound windows, and walk-in closets outfitted with bespoke organizers. A private two-car garage and storage room are also included. Residents enjoy resort-style amenities with a gym, swimming pool, sauna, billiard room, theatre, and guest suites. The unit’s monthly maintenance fee is $3,156.24.

6311 Coltsfoot Dr., Richmond

Type: Five-bedroom, six-bathroom detached

Size: 3,242 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $3,042,000

Listed for: $3,688,000

Sold for: $3,428,000

Sold on: Oct. 3

Days on market in this listing: 57

Listing agent: Shafik Ladha PREC and Winnie Chen at ReMax Westcoast

Buyers agent: Sam Chen PREC and Benny Wong at Nu Stream Realty

The big sell: This 2021 custom-built residence sits on a 6,600-square-foot corner lot in Richmond’s Riverdale district within walking distance to parks, schools and shopping. It showcases premium materials and craftsmanship with a pillared entryway, soaring 16-foot-high ceilings complemented by double-height windows, an Italian marble-clad fireplace, a chef’s kitchen with integrated premium appliances including a wine fridge, marble countertops, and a well-equipped wok kitchen, a luxury media room, and bi-fold doors that open to a covered patio complete with an outdoor kitchen, and an adjacent putting green. The attention to detail continues upstairs with skylights, and four ensuited bedrooms including a primary bedroom with a sundeck, and a spa-like ensuite bathroom with a steam/rain shower. A legal one-bedroom suite, and a three-car garage with an electric vehicle plug-in complete the picture.

473 Carlsen Pl., Port Moody

Type: Three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse

Size: 1,790 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $920,000

Listed for: $895,000

Sold for: $885,000

Sold on: Nov. 7

Days on market in this listing: 15

Listing agent: Ali Kaywan PREC at Oakwyn Realty

Buyers agent: Caylee Gaylard and Adam Chahl PREC at Oakwyn Realty

The big sell: This renovated townhome is located in Port Moody’s North Shore district and forms part of the city’s Eagle Point complex. Built in 1979, the townhouse community features an outdoor swimming pool, a sauna/steam room, a garden, and a club house for residents’ use. This three-level home has had new floors, baseboards, windows and doors installed, as well as fresh paintwork with neutral colour tones, and updated bathrooms and kitchen countertops. All three bedrooms are located on the top floor and the listing agent reports that there is the potential to use the recreation room on the ground floor as a fourth bedroom. A single-car garage also resides on the lower floor and owners have the ability to park an additional vehicle in stalls allocated throughout the complex. This unit’s monthly maintenance fee is $561.06, and pets and rentals are permitted.

These transactions were compiled by Nicola Way of BestHomesBC.com.

Realtors – send your recent sales to nicola@besthomesbc.com

Learn more about the latest mortgage rates and explore our guide to Canada’s lowest national insured and uninsured mortgage rates, updated daily. Related

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A change is occurring in home decor, and it shows an increasing desire for spaces that feel more layered, unique and personal, says Jennifer Scott, of A Good Chick to Know . She really is when it comes to vintage finds for your home.

There is increasing movement away from showroom-perfect homes, towards those that tell stories. Homes that have vintage decor but don’t seem pinned to one decade or look.

“While people often refer to ‘vintage’ as something from a specific decade, I think the term has grown to include pieces that are pre-loved or sourced second hand, regardless of their origin era,” says Scott.

For her, ‘vintage’ signifies something that has a past and a story to tell … a piece that has seen a life before it found its way to her.

Go for story over style rules

Younger homeowners and renters are leaning into vintage with real enthusiasm, says Scott.

“Especially with younger clients, the opportunity for authentic expression is paramount,” she says. “We’ve seen previous generations tend to value and commit to a specific esthetic or style as a whole within their decor, but the approach for the next generation is all about connecting to the pieces they choose and using the unique elements of a vintage find to tell their own style story.”

Rather than building a room around a prescribed look, Scott describes her role as that of a curator.

Being an esthetic storyteller is about achieving beauty through blending materials and styles to create a unique space that is reflective of and driven by each client’s personality, says Scott.

The rise of vintage is tied to values For Gen Z in particular, second-hand culture feels both ethical and expressive.

“The social and economic tendencies of Gen Z are definitely a driving factor in their affinity for vintage interiors. As a generation that values sustainability and financial stability, alongside diversity and individuality in their self-expression, they naturally lean into more unique spaces within which to spend their time,” she says.

“The value they place on second-hand pieces has allowed a shift toward interesting, curated vintage-forward interiors becoming celebrated and more mainstream.”

Keeping it fresh at home

One of the biggest fears homeowners have is that vintage items will make their homes feel a bit kitsch. Scott’s advice is practical and reassuring.

“When working with residential spaces, I usually tend to use contemporary pieces for the larger purchases, like the sofa, and layer in vintage treasures within the accessories and smaller furnishings,” she says.

Rugs, lighting, artwork and chairs are favourite entry points.

“Opting for smaller ways to bring in pre-loved pieces allows the space to remain feeling fresh and modern, but still dance with the idea of eclectic.”

If there is one rule Scott returns to, it is variety.

“The key factor to successfully curating vintage pieces cohesively into a space is to maintain diversity within the eras introduced,” she says. “Don’t get stuck within just one esthetic.”

She encourages homeowners to trust their instincts.

“The magic is in the mix: lean in to pieces that make you feel something. Don’t be afraid to introduce a variety of styles … your home is an extension of you and should tell a story of who you are and what you love,” she says.

There are clear differences in how vintage is used privately versus publicly. “Lifestyle spaces often have a greater creative freedom to take risks and make bold statements because pieces commonly are present in public spaces for a set term,” Scott explains.

Scale also plays a role, with hospitality spaces better suited to large statement pieces.

“Styling with vintage in dwelling spaces becomes less about an initial wow-factor type of statement, and more about decor that offers a lasting impression for people who experience the space daily,” she says.

How to hunt for vintage pieces and where to start

Finding the right piece takes patience, says Scott. There is no one ‘go-to’ that guarantees a treasure, she says.

Her sourcing spans online dealers, specialty boutiques, thrift stores, flea markets and Marketplace, but estate sales top her list.

“The absolute gems that can be found are unparalleled.”

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Lakefront living is not rare in B.C. There are numerous neighbourhoods scattered around lakes in places like the Okanagan, Fraser Valley, the Shuswap and Vancouver Island. But while those homeowners enjoy the views and activities on those lakes, they don’t actually own them. In an exclusive area of Langley they do, which is rare.

“Murchie Lake is private,” says Jonathan Turner, one of the realtors representing the listing in the Campbell Valley district of the city. “Six houses along the lakefront own everything in front of them: the portion that they can see, which extends beyond the lake on the other side, the shoreline around the other side of the lake and into the forest.”

At over 8,000 square feet, this house is the biggest and comes with the largest piece of the lake, he says.

And because the lake is private, there are no rules or restrictions — other than courtesy to your neighbours — around boating or jet skiing. So, you can buzz the waters in a motorboat or hoist a sail and float in solitude on a warm summer day. Come winter, if it’s cold enough, homeowners strap on their skates and glide around their own private rink. Some pack their sticks for a rousing game of ice hockey.

Besides the lake, this is Langley, which means horse country. “All the neighbours have horses,” says Turner. This home’s owners do not currently keep them but there’s a barn at the back of the six-acre property with two stalls to house them, along with a chicken coop. A raised veggie garden is primed to round out your meals. “There’s also a pretty good-sized pond in the backyard which could be home for koi fish,” says co-realtor Natalie Sheck.

What’s inside

Floor-to-ceiling windows capture panoramic views of the lake from every floor, and just about every room. Six bedrooms and six bathrooms sprawl over the 8,072 square feet, including a luxurious ensuite spa with soaker tub and extra-large rain shower in the main-floor primary bedroom.

The open floor plan’s hardwood flooring extends to the vaulted ceilings over the main living area and dining room, which melds with the wood beams and stonework pillars in the gourmet chef’s kitchen. Granite countertops, Thermador Professional Series 6 gas range, integrated Thermador refrigerator, as well as a separate spice kitchen with Samsung gas range and Bosch dishwasher complete the cook rooms.

The lower floor encompasses a gym, infrared sauna, games room, wet bar, as well as a stone and brick wine cellar.

Expansive patios, a barbecue terrace and a large rooftop deck are perfect for lakeside entertaining and al fresco dining.

The home is heated via four fireplaces — three natural gas and one wood-burning — geothermal and forced air. Some rooms have radiant heating. There’s even a small gas fireplace tucked into the shelving of the executive office to add warmth and coziness.

A detached 2,200 square-foot, two-storey coach house features two bedrooms and two bathrooms as well as kitchen on the upper floor, while the main floor features a large living space, kitchen, bathroom and laundry room. “The downstairs part could be used as a workshop or a studio. It could also be rented out, used as an in-law suite or a guest house,” says Sheck.

In the neighbourhood

In addition to the lake, the property and neighbourhood are surrounded by mature trees and lush gardens. Nearby Campbell Valley Regional Park encompasses a vast network of trails for walking, birdwatching and horseback riding, as well as a huge equestrian centre and speedway.

Hazelmere Golf & Tennis Club is also nearby, as are elementary and secondary schools, public and private. The area is also renowned for its wineries, many of them with their own boutique bistros.

The realtors note that while there is nothing within walking distance, grocery stores, restaurants and shops are a 10-minute drive away, and White Rock is 20 minutes away. “You feel like you’re in the suburbs but you’re not really that far away from the city,” says Turner.

Location: 23455 8th Avenue, Langley

Listed for: $4,200,000

Year built: 2008

Type: Six bedrooms, six bathrooms

Size: 8,072 sq ft

Realtor: Listed by Jonathan Turner and Natalie Sheck, RE/MAX Crest Realty

Stay up to date on Canada’s best mortgage rates with our guide to the lowest national insured and uninsured mortgage rates, updated daily. Related

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When it comes to paint, white is rarely just white. Anyone who has stood in a paint store staring at sample cards knows this. Some whites glow, others feel cold and clinical, and some seem buttery soft and warm.

Pantone’s colour of the year for 2026, Cloud Dancer, is a shade of white that invites us to slow down. An interesting approach given it’s the beginning of a new year.

Like a blank canvas, Cloud Dancer signifies our desire for a fresh start, says Laurie Pressman, Pantone Color Institute vice-president.

“Peeling away layers of outmoded thinking, we open the door to new approaches,” she says.

After years of maximalism, statement colours and visual noise in home decor, Cloud Dancer suggests a quieter confidence and invitation to rest, says Pressman.

For interior designer Jocelyn Ross, of JRstudioworks , white is not a trend but a foundation.

She says she always starts with white because it offers the perfect backdrop for layered interiors and the art on the walls. Ross tends towards warmer whites, not yellow, but never stark.

Cloud Dancer sits slightly outside her personal comfort zone, being very clean and crisp, but she can see why it works in certain settings.

“If I were starting with Cloud Dancer, I would soften it with woods and textiles,” says Ross.

Choosing white as a defining colour surprised some in the design world.

“Committing to a white is a bold move. Interestingly, I often have to convince clients to go all white because their initial reaction is that it will feel cold or sterile.”

That fear often fades once the space comes together, she says. “When white is done properly with the right tone, texture and layering, it feels calm, intentional and anything but cold. While Cloud Dancer is not the white I would typically reach for, the thinking behind the choice makes sense. It reflects a desire for clarity and restraint rather than a big statement.”

Cloud Dancer works best as a foundational colour, says Ross: “On walls, millwork, and architectural elements where you want a clean backdrop that allows art, furniture and materials to take centre stage.”

As Cloud Dancer sits on the cooler side, it needs warmth, which Ross says she would achieve by layering wood, stone, textiles, and lighting to avoid feeling too stark.

Her advice for homeowners is simple and practical. “Whites change dramatically depending on light, and with cooler whites, the margin for error is even smaller. If it starts to feel flat or cold, it probably is.”

Property stylist Red Barrinuevo comes at Cloud Dancer from a different angle, shaped by staging homes to appeal quickly and emotionally.

“In my opinion, Cloud Dancer feels a little safe and predictable, almost like your first apartment colour,” says Barrinuevo. “It’s quite basic and not very forgiving; with the wrong finish, it can highlight wall imperfections and flaws rather than soften them.”

Still, Barrinuevo sees opportunity in its neutrality.

“I see this as an open invitation to explore and welcome a broader palette moving into 2026,” he says.

Like Ross, Barrinuevo sees Cloud Dancer working best layered with other colours, materials and textures: “As a designer who loves colours, I see it working best when it’s paired with richer, bolder colours like plum or aubergine, rather than standing on its own. Layering it with texture is key,” says Barrinuevo. “Think warm woods, tactile fabrics, stone and earthy finishes to add depth and balance.”

Neutral palettes are really resonating right now because people want their spaces to feel good, not just look good. “They create a sense of calm, balance and comfort. Something a lot of us are craving in everyday life,” he says.

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Wandering through cobbled lanes in Italian villages, getting lost in Istanbul and exploring the history of England’s manor houses are just a few of the travel experiences B.C.-based interior designers have merged with their own talents and insights to impact their creative decisions back home.

Two award-winning B.C. interior designers, Ami McKay founder of Pure Design , a business that includes a full-service interior design studio, retail shoppe and construction management firm; and Jim Toy, principal of False Creek Design Group and architecture firm Ratio , share their experiences and how encounters with different cultures, climates and colour palettes influence their work and perspectives.

Toy says travel has two major impacts on his work.

“It’s habit breaking. We’re so used to thinking a certain way and when you go to a setting that isn’t in your normal day to day experience, it will invigorate and force you to pause and rethink convention,” he says.

Secondly, the more one travels the more the topic of design becomes borderless, he adds.

“For me, it’s really about spotting universal needs. When you talk about shelter or belonging, community belonging and esthetics or beauty, it’s global. So, it’s everywhere in different iterations, but those basic human needs are pretty firmly entrenched everywhere. And once that’s in your field of thought, then the things that you spot will influence you in subtle ways as opposed to direct duplication in terms of design,” says Toy.

Travel has always been at the heart of McKay’s creative process . She says drawing inspiration from cultures, materials and lifestyles she encounters firsthand shapes her esthetic and approach to interior design and ensures she stays ahead of trends rather than follow them.

McKay recently returned from leading a design tour in the south of Italy.

“Every time I go to Italy — or anywhere in the world — I get so inspired and I bring it back,” she says adding she is always looking for unique work created by local artisans.

“I get so excited when I see somebody making something with love, seeing them put their energy and their life force into whatever it is that they’re creating. It’s pretty hard not to get excited about it,” says McKay.

During the tour, in addition to visiting many small villages in Apulia (Puglia), she explored Ostuni, the hilltop town known as ‘the White City,’ where all the buildings in the historic town centre are whitewashed.

In the Basilicata region, the group spent unforgettable days inside the ancient cave dwellings of the Sassi di Matera, one of the world’s oldest continuously occupied settlements and a UNESCO World Heritage site. McKay says the experience was a living reminder of how history and modern design can coexist in the most unexpected ways.

Travel always sharpens the senses and during this Italian journey McKay found inspiration everywhere and noted early indicators of emerging trends. In couture and homes, she spotted monochrome tones in rich layered shades of almond, oat, stone and tobacco while cashmere upholstery, Italian-made bouclé sofas, raw silk drapery and matte lime-plaster walls grabbed her attention.

“Local Italian designers are honouring place by reinventing history. Apulian stone carved into fluid sculptural tables, Sardinian textiles stretched as architectural panels and Venetian glass recast in bold, brutalist forms,” she recalls, also noting metals with depth — like pewter and smoked nickel — are seen in fashion (as accessories) and in homes paired with stone, parchment, walnut and chalky plaster.

While Spain and South America top his list of favourite destinations Toy has travelled extensively and oftentimes translates experiences into his work.

A visit to the Greek isles demonstrated just how much elements like climate, light and patterns influence design.

“Travelling to the Greek islands, you immediately see how the sun can render things so brilliantly light. And you start to think, ‘Well, how can I translate that into something in a West Coast context?’”

Getting lost in Istanbul and not being able to communicate in the local language started him thinking about design and how people move through spaces. That experience in the unfamiliar environment in Turkey’s largest city influenced his design of a wayfinding system for a large corporate office.

As part of his research for the interior design of Gryphon House , a luxury five-storey mixed-use development in Kerrisdale, Toy visited several neighbourhoods in London.

“The whole idea of a manor house was to be the beacon in a community. That was something that was subliminally captured in the design of the building and certainly it hearkened back to a time where there was a lot more elegance to interiors and I think that’s been captured in the interiors of Gryphon House,” he says.

Toy also recalls that a winery in B.C’s North Thompson Valley was influenced by visits to wine regions in Australia.

“When I realized the design of the winery was coinciding with [an already planned] trip to Australia I immediately changed the itinerary to include some of the major wine regions, particularly in South Australia,” he says. “It took me outside of the realm of design to encompass landscape and agriculture and what those two aspects could do to the winery building itself, not to mention the interior because we were inspired by the fact that the winery in B.C. was a former cattle ranch.”

Toy says he started seeing what sort of influences in Australia — related to ranching — also applied to a winery. “That turned into sheltering overhangs on the building, embracing the landscape so that the windows were oriented to everything around so that it became not an insular thing, but quite literally an object in the landscape,” he says.

Reflecting on her Italian adventure McKay says it reinforced that Europe, and Italy especially, remains a constant visual inspiration source for her and her interior-design direction .

“What always stands out for me is the deep commitment to timeless materiality, handcrafted details, and a slower, more deliberate rhythm of living, and that ethos is exactly what I’m excited to continue channelling into my designs and hopefully we will be able to add to our very own renovation in Italy,” says McKay, who hopes to one day buy a home in the country.

In addition to sourcing for her shoppe in North Vancouver where she curates finds from around the globe, unsurprisingly, Italian design has also found its way into her home.

“I already have limewashed walls, Italian plaster, an over grouted stone fireplace and layers of artisan-made decor throughout my home, so what’s next will probably be a carved limestone sink, definitely something that feels storied and grounded. I love pieces that carry a sense of place and time,” she says “I’m always scouring antique markets and shops on every trip, bringing home treasures along the way. I will always appreciate the Italian way of letting materials age beautifully.”

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In the darkest, coldest time of year, with the holidays over and the evening light displays disappearing, we can all use a little pick-me-up. For the gardening community, it’s a seed catalogue.

Paging through the vegetable sections, looking at all the new and heritage varieties of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, and thinking about where you can fit in all the new ones … going through the annuals, with so many vibrant colours, and imagining where you can fit them into your containers and baskets … is one of the most uplifting winter experiences I can think of. You can almost taste the various herbs, like thyme, sage and coriander or cilantro, as you page through the catalogue. Each section promises meaningful additions to which we can look forward.

Garden stores are already receiving racks of seeds and folks are all ready for a good, long browse. The best thing is, you can pick up your seeds now and store them until you are safe to get them started and planted out. It’s also the best time to pick up those varieties that are often in short supply, so you’ll have your favourites for your garden and containers.

The seed business, worldwide, is expanding because seeds are the least expensive way of either growing your own food or adding colour to your home garden. When you think about it, it’s pretty amazing what a tiny speck of a seed can produce in a relatively short period of time. As with all things to do with gardening, a little strategic planning in your planting, and the experience you gain, go a long way to achieving success.

I love that the garden media folks in the U.S. who track trends in gardening and have designated 2026 as “The Year of Lemonading”. They have characterized it as “transforming setbacks into opportunities through creativity, mindfulness, and a sense of joy.” It simply means turning the experience of gardening into more joyful learning and breaking free from being “wrong.” Treat gardening “fails” as experiments, laughing at it, and getting on with it in a positive frame of mind.

Learning to have success with seeds is just that. After 50-plus years of growing plants from seed, and even when everything has supposedly been done just the way it should be, somehow something messes up. Get over it, learn from it and do it again, but be more mindful of how you achieve success, in a positive way, and have a chuckle over it.

The most important lesson seeds can teach us is a sense of timing. Weather is fickle, and if you are planning for an early start, be extra cautious. It’s always better to be a bit later than too early when starting seeds. Most seed catalogues will give you approximate seeding dates, so use them.

It’s also critical to keep a diary or journal of when and how you start everything you seed. When next year comes around, it will be invaluable information, which you will constantly be updating.

Even though spring weather can be fickle, every day we get more daylight and the soil becomes warmer. The silver bullet is having a cold frame or somewhere you can place your sprouted seedlings to acclimatize them, allowing them to toughen up without stretching. Small greenhouse structures, covered with poly are ideal, even up on your decks. You will need to have a small electric heather for cool evenings, but young seedlings can stay in there for weeks until the ground is warm enough to set them out.

Onions are a prime example; large Spanish-type type onions, as well as novelty varieties, need an early start to develop their sweetness. We usually seed them in late January to have strong seedlings ready to go out early, but because February and early March weather can be very frosty and cold, we hold them in cold houses for three to four weeks after they have germinated. As a result, the plants are much stronger and are very resilient when they go out to tolerate light frosts. Early vegetables like lettuce, Swiss chard and all the early brassicas are started in late February and hardened off to go out in mid to late March.

For early colour, pansies and violas are started in early January and hardened off for setting out mid-March. This gives you a sense of timing for some of the earlier starts.

Direct seeding for bigger, cold hardy, vegetables like peas, Broad beans, and radishes can usually start when we get consistent daytime temperatures of 10°C.

Raised beds and garden areas that are more protected from cooler prevailing winds will allow you an earlier start, too, since raised beds will generally be 4-8°C warmer than garden bed soil.

As for indoor seeding, there are a few basics: Use cell packs of various sizes so you can germinate smaller numbers of seeds at a time, in relation to the size of your garden. We reuse planting trays over and over again by sterilizing with a 10 per cent bleach solution between crops.

A good seed starting mix is also very important. You must have good drainage, but also enough moisture retention to keep the seeds viable.

More and more often, I’m finding that heat mats are almost essential to keep a consistent average temperature for even germination. You will find your percentage of germination will improve dramatically with these mats.

Watering cans with a good nozzle that will provide even watering with smaller openings for more gentle streams is critically important. Always use warm, never cold, water!

To control the height of your seedlings and stop them from stretching, overhead lighting is essential. Keep the light source close to your seeding trays for the best results and leave the lights on 24 hours a day.

Once the seeds have begun to crack and germinate, you need to check them two or three times a day to ensure they have just the right amount of moisture.

Clear plastic overhead domes or covers and important to control both heat and humidity.

Once your seeds have sprouted and true leaves begin to develop, move them to a cold frame with cooler temperatures and good light. Keep them drier with good air circulation, allowing them to toughen and strengthen up. If you see any sign of wilting or “dampening off,” use a mist of garden sulphur or an organic fungicide to protect them.

If you have challenges, re-evaluate your procedures, but don’t blame the seed. The seed we have in Canada has been tested for germination and is some of the best in the world. Most of all, have fun and celebrate your successes with seeds.

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For some people it seems effortless: a casually placed quilt softens the angles on a chair, throw pillows pick up a colour from a much-loved artwork and a layout that naturally guides movement through the space. Together these design choices create that indefinable feeling of comfort and welcome. For those still searching for the combinations to create that ambience, colour and design experts have plenty of insights to share.

Colour is an important element in interior design that can significantly impact the ambience and mood of a home. Indeed, says Langley-based colour expert Maria Killam , “it is a magical thing that can make you absolutely love your space.”

It’s all about choosing the right colour, the hue that will pull the whole room together, says Killam who runs an edesign business and has developed a colour system and neutral colour wheel to help people select the paint colour that will connect all the elements in their space.

Killam believes colour is more timeless than neutral trends, and that a space should incorporate a variety of design elements beyond paint colour, such as lighting, art and decor accessories to create a cohesive and visually appealing environment.

With a varied colour palette in her own home Killam often leans into her favourite colour — yellow — the colour science tells us stimulates the production of serotonin, the natural feel-good chemical linked to happiness and calmness.

The yellow bench and wet weather wellies in the entryway of her home are the first hint of Killam’s favourite hue — but there’s more to come. In the living room a custom yellow sofa brings an injection of the colour into the space while the citrus colour also shows up in the wallpaper, Jardin Bloom by Thibaut . In Killam’s dressing room and a vestibule leading to an office/study, Benjamin Moore’s Hannah Banana continues the colour connection.

However, Killam cautions that because paint covers so much of a room’s surface area, it’s easy to focus too intently on colour alone.

“People want paint colour to do all the heavy lifting, but in actual fact you need art, pillows, coffee table books — all those things to make your home feel alive. A paint colour isn’t enough to bring that feeling into your house,” she says.

As an example, when she moved into her house three years ago, she created a mood board for every room.

“I knew that piece of art in the living room in my last house was now going to go in my primary bedroom. That art has lavender in it. I painted the tray ceilings lavender,” she recalls.

In the living room the ceilings are painted blue.

“Even if you don’t have a lot of blue in your decorating, if you paint your ceiling a pale blue people don’t even notice because it feels like the sky. It feels natural and normal to have a blue ceiling.”

In addition to colour choices, Killam is on a mission to encourage the use of lamps rather than “overhead operating room lights.”

“Whenever I infuse a collection of six to eight lamps in anyone’s main living area, they are a convert. They never want to go back to putting on the overheads,” she says.

Kari Henshaw, principal at Vancouver-based Insight Design Group , agrees it’s hard to explain what gives a home that indefinable but special quality that makes everyone comfortable in the space.

“We’re always striving to make your house feel like a home. There’s an unexplainable thing when you walk into a space and you just automatically feel at home — or experience a sense of calmness — and it’s not necessarily that it’s your taste or your style, but there’s something about that space making you automatically feel comfortable,” she says.

Henshaw says the home’s layout can impact the senses; the scale and positioning furniture and the cohesiveness of the design all play a part.

“As you enter your home, keeping it free of clutter immediately helps with the visual flow throughout your space,” she says, adding that having flooring finishes continuous through the space helps create a seamless, cohesive look.

“Both flooring and paint being the same from one space to another (especially in a smaller home) helps keep things feeling more open and spacious,” she says.

Natural light is always a friend to opening up your space, says Henshaw.

“In addition to a focus on letting the light in, it is important not to block windows with large and bulky pieces of furniture. It’s not preferred to see the back of furniture from outside as you enter the home, or to see the backs of big pieces of furniture blocking transition within the space,” says Henshaw.

She also emphasizes the value of layering.

“For me, layering is important. Playing around with lots of different texture and patterns, adds coziness. Finding that perfect area rug helps make a grouping and pulls things together. It automatically grounds the space. And then I don’t over clutter with a lot of stuff, I pick the perfect, or almost perfect items, and put them where they belong and really help balance the space,” she says.

While many people know the “rule of three” — grouping decorative accents in groups of three, often at three different heights — there’s another important “three” in interior design, says Henshaw, noting interior designers play an integral role in the design of new buildings, such as condo developments.

“We’re brought in at the very beginning with the architect, mechanical, structural, electrical. We can look at a preliminary design and point out there’s no space for a sofa or the dining table with three feet of clearance to pull out a chair before it hits the wall,” she says adding there also needs to be at least three feet between an island and perimeter cabinetry in the kitchen.

Like Killam, Henshaw also advises creating a mood or vision board.

“Create a vision board of what you’re trying to achieve and keep it with you. If you’re out shopping for something, stay true to your vision, don’t get sidetracked. Ask yourself: ‘Is this my style? Is this the look and vibe that I’m going for. What is the colour palette I want to create? Am I going with cools? Am I going with warms?’ Know what you want before you start off,” says Henshaw.

Mitsu Dhawan, marketing director for Dulux, suggests when choosing colours to create a happy and calm setting in the home, it’s helpful to turn to colour theory and psychology.

Pure, saturated warm colours such as reds, oranges and yellows invigorate and liven up a room and can suit spaces that are open and communal, such as the living room, says Dhawan, but be sure not to overdo these colours to avoid over stimulation. The lighter pastels of these hues (think pink, pale coral and butter) still bring energy and warmth, but with a softer approach.

“Cool colours like blues, greens and purples infuse spaces with a sense of relaxation and calm, helping with concentration as well,” says Dhawan adding these hues help reduce stress and promote peace and rest.

But the most important aspect of creating a happy and comfortable home is surrounding yourself with things that you love, says Henshaw.

“In my own home we spend the most time in a small room. I know that the furniture is probably too big for the space, but I love it and it feels cosy, so I threw through my design ideals out the window. It’s a space I love, it makes me feel good.”

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Weekly roundup of three properties that recently sold in Metro Vancouver.

1201 — 3315 Cypress Pl., West Vancouver

Type: Two-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment

Size: 2,018 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $2,197,000

Listed for: $3,000,000

Sold for: $2,950,000

Sold on: Oct. 27

Days on market in this listing: 11

Listing agent: Rahim Jivraj at eXp Realty

Buyers agent: Dale Mounzer PREC at Macdonald Realty

The big sell: According to listing agent Rajim Jivraj, approximately $1.3 million had been invested in a five-year design and build of this West Vancouver condo with a full, down-to-the-studs renovation that warranted a feature in Gray magazine as the winner of a design award in 2024. The reimagined luxury home has a south-facing corner position that bathes in captivating vistas spanning the North Shore Mountains to the Gulf Islands. It resides in StoneCliff, in one of three 15-storey upscale towers that were built by Concert Properties in the district’s Cypress Park Estates. Meticulous detailing and extensive use of natural elements are showcased throughout the suite with custom millwork, a 600-pound cast-concrete bathtub with views, a $50,000 Miele appliance package, Savant home automation system, radiant heat, seven-inch wide-plank engineered hardwood floors, and a private heated two-car garage. The home’s monthly maintenance fee is $1,319.63.

22 — 7331 Heather St., Richmond

Type: Four-bedroom, four-bathroom townhouse

Size: 1,522 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,281,000

Listed for: $1,299,000

Sold for: $1,200,000

Sold on: Sept. 29

Days on market in this listing: 14

Listing agent: Candy Lou at Interlink Realty

Buyers agent: Harris First at Oakwyn Realty

The big sell: Bayberry Park is a 54-unit townhome development that was constructed by Ledingham McAllister in Richmond’s McLennan North. The 20-year-old complex has an exterior esthetic that evokes a Tudor style with steep gabled rooflines and exposed timber detailing with the properties set around an English garden courtyard. This particular home has been updated with new flooring, appliances, hot water tank, and toilets, and has a corner-unit position that allows for a triple aspect. The front door is approached via a private garden, and opens to a sizable living room that leads through to the dining room and adjacent kitchen. The top floor contains three bedrooms — all equipped with generous closet space — alongside two bathrooms, while the lowest of the three levels has a fourth bedroom and ensuite bathroom, laundry, and access to the attached side-by-side double garage. The home’s monthly maintenance fee is $308.62, and pets and rentals are permitted.

6890 Brooks St., Vancouver

Type: Five-bedroom, four-bathroom half duplex

Size: 1,765 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,961,000

Listed for: $1,799,000

Sold for: $1,795,000

Sold on: Oct. 31

Days on market in this listing: 18

Listing agent: Mark Hammer PREC at eXp Realty

Buyers agent: Peter Mai PREC at Oakwyn Realty

The big sell: This recently-completed family-sized front duplex was built by Pavarya Homes in Vancouver’s Killarney neighbourhood. It features attention to detail throughout with custom-built cabinetry, airy 10-foot-high ceilings on the main floor, oversized windows, premium finishings, bespoke millwork in the closets, Fisher & Paykel appliances, engineered hardwood floors, a heated garage at the rear of the property that could be a gym or additional storage space, and a bonus two-bedroom suite in the basement for rental income or for use as a home office. Three bedrooms are located on the upper floor, all with vaulted ceilings, and the 15-foot-long primary bedroom has been finished with an elegant ensuite bathroom with dual vanities and an oversized walk-in shower. The private yard has an eastern exposure and features a patio for entertaining, and privacy hedging that borders the fence.

These transactions were compiled by Nicola Way of BestHomesBC.com.

Realtors — send your recent sales to nicola@besthomesbc.com

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