The first, most striking feature of the property at 800 Taylor Road on Bowen Island is its sky-high peaked timber frame roof that sits atop 5,349 square feet of custom-built oceanview luxury.

The second-most impressive elements are the 2,400 square feet of covered decks and patios sprawled over two levels. The main floor’s expansive deck with built-in fireplace and two Bromic built-in heaters, built-in barbecue, bar fridge, counter space and cupboards allow for year-round outdoor entertaining.

The third-most striking feature is the 180-degree view over Howe Sound, coastal mountains, and the mainland. The current owners say they often spot surfacing whales and seals, as well as eagles soaring by at eye level.

And then there are the deer who pick their way down from the mountainside behind to nibble the green grass of the property’s front lawn.

What’s inside

The home’s accordion-type door opens up to create a smooth flow from the kitchen and dining room straight out onto the spacious porcelain-tile deck for indoor-outdoor entertaining.

Kitchen amenities include custom cabinetry, quartz countertops, Thermador appliances, a Wolf built-in espresso/coffee unit, a wine fridge and an attached, reclaimed fir six-seat dining table that stays with the house. Another larger dining table made of live edge monkeypod/raintree/suar wood can be negotiated as part of a furniture package.

Spread out over the engineered hickory flooring with radiant heating throughout are four bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, and a living room with floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace that extends horizontally to accommodate a built-in TV.

The oceanview primary bedroom with patio has a propane fireplace with built-in TV, bright spacious primary ensuite with a large shower, soaker tub, double sinks and, in behind, a roomy walk-in closet.

The main floor powder room, says listing agent Barry Thomas of West Vancouver’s Macdonald Realty, grabs a lot of attention from potential buyers. “There’s a copper sink and a full, floor-to-ceiling slate wall, which is reversed on the other side going up the stairwell to the loft area, which also features a bedroom and three-piece bathroom.”

Downstairs, two brick walls flank the games room, one surrounding a wood-burning fireplace (the fireplaces in the primary, living room and outdoor entertainment deck are all propane, says Thomas, as Bowen Island doesn’t have natural gas). Both the games room, which features a wet bar, and a bedroom lead out onto the covered flagstone patio where there’s a hot tub and fire pit.

“This home is a vertical two acres on a slope,” says Thomas explaining the lack of a large yard. “It’s primarily about the living space and the outdoor decks and patios. There’s a bit of a grassy area and the flat area of the driveway (with a three-car garage). It’s really about scaling back the gardening component of the lifestyle and having flowerpots and box gardens and really enjoying the entertaining versus becoming a slave to your property. That’s why it’s appealing to empty nesters in particular — they’ve already paid their dues with gardening and landscaping. They like the idea of low maintenance.”

He says what struck him overall about the home is its “sheer magnificence. It’s quite grand. It’s 5,349 square feet with soaring 24-foot timber frame cathedral ceilings, but when you’re in the home it doesn’t feel oversized. It’s quite warm and cosy and has a really lovely feel about it.”

He says that, in addition to interest from empty nesters who value the lower-level guest rooms for visiting family, he’s getting calls from Canadians living in the U.S. who are contemplating a return. “They want to be close to an international airport without necessarily living in Vancouver.”

In the neighbourhood

Built in 2017, the home is in the prestigious Queen Charlotte Heights subdivision, a quiet, scenic hillside above the main harbour on the east side of Bowen Island. It’s a quick 20-minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver.

Amenities such as grocery stores, restaurants, pharmacy, a new medical centre, and community centre are all in Snug Cove, less than a five-minute drive away.

Private and public schools are nearby, as are a marina and the Bowen Island Golf Club. Plenty of parks, including Crippen Regional Park, Cates Hill Nature Park, and Singing Woods Nature Reserve are a short drive away.

Since Bowen is an island just 12 km long and six km wide with 37 km of coastline, there are, of course, many beaches within a short drive, including Sandy Beach and Pebbly Beach near Snug Cove. September Morn Beach, a popular spot for swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding, is just a 20-minute walk away from the property.

Location: 800 Taylor Road, Bowen Island

Listed for: $3,195,000

Year built: 2017

Type: Four bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms

Size: 5,349 square feet

Realtor: Listed by Barry Thomas, Macdonald Realty, West Vancouver

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In Vancouver’s Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood, just off Commercial Drive, a striking new residential building now stands where an older apartment block was destroyed by fire in 2017. The earlier building burned down around Christmas, displacing dozens of families and leaving many without their possessions. What has risen in its place is not just larger and newer, but more thoughtful in every way. The Chief Leonard George Building is a nine-storey project designed as Canada’s first mixed-use, tall mass-timber passive house building.

Designed for comfort

Achim Charisius, associate principal at GBL Architects and lead designer on the project, has been involved from rezoning to occupancy. From day one, the intention was not simply to replace what had been lost but to create a culturally meaningful building.

Charisius says the aim was for the building to feel safe, grounded and welcoming for the people returning to the site. This idea is carried by the building’s passive house design.

“Passive House (certification) originally was a comfort standard. It’s a very, very high air quality,” he says.

This is part of what makes this project so appealing. The building feels calm and pleasant to live in.

“It’s amazing when you’re in a passive house, because you hardly know just the city around you,” he says.

A facade with meaning

The building’s facade is inspired by Coast Salish woven basketry, one of the oldest art forms on the Northwest Coast. It is an image with beauty and emotional weight.

“For generations, these cedar baskets have carried food, medicines and children. This building follows that teaching as a contemporary basket that holds families, culture and community in an urban setting,” says Charisius.

In total, this building provides 81 homes, including studio apartments and several three and four-bedroom units, a rarity in a city where family-sized apartments can be hard to find. There is a child care centre on the ground floor, a generous shared amenity space and views to the North Shore mountains and Vancouver Harbour. The architecture feels considered without ever feeling cold.

Shaped around family life

Brenda Knights is CEO of BC Indigenous Housing Society (BCIHS) and worked with GBL Architects to bring this building to life.

She recalls when the fire at this site happened and how difficult it was for many of the tenants. The holiday season is already a tricky time for a lot of people, but added to this, families had to evacuate, scramble to find housing in an already punishing market and deal with the loss of belongings.

“We’ve had the first tenants return to the building. They’re just so excited,” says Knights.

“We often use the basket as a metaphor for the weaving of generations in our families. The basket is also a metaphor for how we used to live together. Its symbolism is meaningful to our organization as we seek to bring back traditional ways of living together,” she says. That idea runs through the whole project, from the larger family units to the child care and shared spaces for cultural programming.

Knights feels there is real strength in having grandparents involved in raising grandkids, as it was for her own children.

“I just can’t say enough about that intergenerational living and how it sets kids up for success,” she says.

From loss to renewal

Knights gives the best plain-spoken endorsement of the building’s energy-smart design. “When I walked through the building now, it’s such a comfortable temperature, I’ve never felt too hot or too cold,” she says.

“We are pleased the architects were able to bring back a wonderful sense of community for tenants, and where families can thrive in a positive environment.”

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Space is at a premium in many Canadian households, and my home is certainly no exception.

What started with a treadmill in the garage had slowly expanded to include a stationary bike, a power tower, free weights, and other assorted workout accoutrements. My home gym was steadily taking over an area where space was already in short supply.

And something had to change.

After searching for ‘home gym solutions’ online, I stumbled upon an interesting idea: the gym shed.

The project proposed the creation of a functional workout space on a budget, in a relatively contained structure, that doesn’t require any city permits. Check, check and check.

While we often look to outdoor sheds as a hideaway spot for patio furniture or garden supplies, the small structures are increasingly being reimagined as creative extensions of our main living spaces.

“We’re seeing Canadians rethink how they use their outdoor space, with sheds becoming a natural extension of the home,” says Jennifer Tang, online merchant, seasonal at The Home Depot Canada. “What started as ‘she sheds’ and backyard offices has evolved into wellness-focused spaces like home gyms, yoga studios and meditation spaces, reflecting a growing focus on convenience and multi-functional living.”

Rather than a repository for old outdoor gear or the lawn mower, I imagined a curated workout space that would offer privacy, as well as a reprieve from my current garage clutter.

Checking on building size limitations for my area, I knew the gym shed could have maximum dimensions of 10×10 feet or 8×12 feet. Leaning toward a structure that was easy to assemble (read: didn’t take too much skill with power tools) and also had water-resistant capabilities, I selected the Keter Resin Outdoor Storage shed . Billed as a medium-sized structure, the model measures a sensible 9×7 feet.

Made from the company’s composite material, which features a 10-year limited warranty and will not peel or rot, the stylish shed features functional details such as a steel-reinforced roof that can withstand a snow load of up to 50 kg/sqm, upper windows for natural light, a locking double door that opens wide for added ventilation and more.

“Shed kits like the Keter model are designed with ease-of-use in mind,” says Tang. “The panels are designed to snap and lock together intuitively using the innovative groove‑and‑lock system. Once the main structure clicks into place, you just secure it with screws. This makes for a reliable and low-stress experience for customers who want to take on a backyard project without needing advanced construction skills.”

Beginning my shed on a pre-existing concrete slab (as with any structural project, an even and flat base is essential), I kicked off my gym shed project around 9 a.m. on a Sunday and was finished about six hours later.

“It’s manageable enough to complete in half a day, and many people turn it into a shared project with family or friends,” says Tang of the design.

Once the structure was completed — and suitably admired — I put down interlocking rubber mats. I chose an option that was both durable and lightweight . It was easy to find a layout that provided ample coverage while also adding comfort for mat-based workouts such as Pilates or yoga.

In the preplanning stages of my gym shed, I’d measured the workout machines and gear that I already had, so that I was sure the shed I’d selected would provide enough space to fit everything inside. After a bit of playing around with the arrangement, I was able to fit my folding treadmill, stationary bike, power tower, and small collection of free weights inside with enough room to still have space (when the treadmill is in its stored position) to workout on the mat.

Electricity is essential in a gym shed, unless you’re going to just do mat-based or weight training workouts. Knowing I also wanted to add a small light source in my gym shed so that I could work out after hours, I purchased a heavy-duty, multi-prong outdoor extension cord that I could run from the side of the house to the shed. An easy solution for an electricity source, I like that I can also easily store the cord inside the shed when not in use.

As with any do-it-yourself project, there’s some room for personalization in a gym shed space. Upping the style factor of my project, I added a plug-in pendant light with a geometric metal design . I even added a small faux plant and a decorative storage basket to keep my yoga mat, resistance bands and bike shoes inside the shed.

Who says gym sheds can’t also be a little bit glam?

“With the right decor and storage, from gym flooring to mirrors and shelving, small touches can turn them into a functional, well-designed retreat,” says Tang.

While a workout space might not be everyone’s version of the ideal shed project, the flexibility afforded by different sizes and prices permit the freedom to create a flex space at home via a shed that can suit a variety of different needs and properties.

“As long as you consider safety precautions, weight limitations and community bylaws, you can let your imagination take over and use the shed in a way that uniquely works for your home,” says Tang. “It could be a meditation space for one, a crafting studio with a painting setup, or even a quiet book nook.”

Aharris@postmedia.com

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If you’re like me, the recent warm weather has spiked the immediacy of getting my food garden underway. It’s mid-April, daytime temperatures are in the teens, and hopefully, we’re past those sneaky night frosts.

I’m choosing the sunniest spots in our garden and using raised beds and containers for extra warmth in the soil so I can include a wider variety of cool-loving, early plants. My goal is to enjoy the earliest crops possible, as well as spacing out subsequent plantings for continuous harvesting, so I can still harvest late vegetables for Thanksgiving and beyond.

I will plant early seeds like radishes, peas, onion sets, and early potatoes now but mostly rely on pre-started transplants for other varieties, which will save me waiting weeks and months for harvest times.

I love pre-started lettuce and other salad greens because they grow so quickly this time of year. Butterhead and other Bibb lettuces like Buttercrunch are favourites, both for flavour and ease of harvest. Red leaf lettuce is perfect for adding colour to salads and sandwiches and Romaine varieties, like Green Towers, are the heart and soul of Ceasar salads. I’m also a fan of the blended lettuce mixtures like City Garden Mix, which has a good range of flavours and continues to produce all summer long.

It’s important to get greens like arugula started early as they will tend to bolt or go to seed when we get those sudden bursts of hot weather. The same is true of all those remarkable Asian greens and mustard greens. If you can find them already started in a four-inch pot, they will likely be ready to harvest just a few weeks after being transplanted.

Speaking of bolting, spinach is another crop that needs to be set out early. Fortunately, spinach varieties are all fast cropping, maturing anywhere from 30 to 45 days from transplanting started plants. The old standby is Bloomsdale Savoy, but there are many other varieties available today. It’s ideal to harvest as soon as the leaves begin to size up, because long days with higher heat will spark the bolting process.

Although not a true spinach, the well-known New Zealand Spinach or tetragonia tetragonioides, is a heat lover. It takes longer to produce, often taking up to 60 days, but will produce soft, tender spinach-like leaves all summer long.

Swiss chard is one of my favourite greens, not only for longevity in the garden and for the beautifully coloured foliage but also for the wonderful flavour. Both Celebration and Bright Lights are blends of red, yellow, pink and white stems, making them a garden showpiece.

Of all the brassicas, broccoli has always been a favourite. Purple-headed broccolis, like Summer Purple, are nice to spice up your salad plates. Most broccoli varieties will produce smaller side shoots if you cut out the central head when it’s young, providing a longer harvest. Now, the mini-head varieties like Aspabroc and Artwork, commonly called broccolini, have really become very popular.

Kale is still a hit in our younger gardening community. Not only are they the hardiest brassica, but they also perform well in hot summer. I love the Bor series, like Redbor, Winterbor and Darkibor. The latest trend is to let them grow large as garden specimens, which are especially attractive in fall and winter, while remaining edible.

Pure white cauliflower is a prized culinary specimen, and by making sure you have self-wrapping varieties you’ll be sure to achieve this. They also now come in vibrant purple, green and gold heads to add flair and flavour to any charcuterie board or veggie tray.

Cabbage is still popular, with smaller heads and faster harvesting varieties, like Fast Vantage, available today. Savoy types, with their wonderful, ruffled leaves, are the go-to favourite for cabbage rolls, and red cabbage is perfect for slaws, pickling and mixed salad plates.

Many growers are now starting beets, carrots and other root crops for transplanting. Beets produce wonderful greens for early harvesting, and as they are a fast crop, you can lift the younger “baby beets” to enjoy both the foliage and the smaller roots.

Onions are an early must-have. Multiplier sets will produce green onions only weeks after planting, and then all summer long. Although not huge, Dutch sets will produce medium-sized onions in early summer, so they’re great for a wide range of recipes.

If it’s the giant sweet Spanish onions you’re after, setting out transplants that have likely been started in January will be the fastest and best way to enjoy those spectacular giants in late August. Walla Walla is an all time favourite, but probably the best is a variety called Riverside Sweet Spanish. They are the most productive and have the best keeping quality of all the varieties. If you would like to show off just a little, then try either Ailsa Craig, or the biggest giant of them all, Kelsae. Not only are they sweet and wonderful, but they can reach the size of a soccer ball. In fact, Kelsae, which was developed in Scotland, holds the Guiness World Record for the largest onion — weighing in at 6.8 kg.

Don’t forget potatoes: Early varieties like Norland, Warba and Caribe can go in now for you to enjoy those fabulous nuggets in late June.

We’ll have to hold off until mid-to-late May to plant our warm-weather loving veggies, meanwhile it’s exciting to see the wide variety of cool, early vegetables we can safely get underway now. It’s a promise of some wonderful flavours, and somehow, when we’ve grown them ourselves, they always taste better.

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When Lauren Webb and Josephina Serra toured a Yaletown condo created by merging two apartments, there were still obvious traces of the divide.

“When we did the walk-through, it was very obvious that it had been two units,” says Webb of the now-2,575-square-foot home.

One side felt under-planned; rushed through design and staging for sale. The other was a bit higher-end. But both lacked cohesion and character.

The new owners had hired Vancouver interior design studio Form Collective to pull the mismatched halves into alignment, redecorate and notch up the style — with touches inspired Las Vegas, where they have another residence.

Principals Webb and Serra realized quickly the place needed more than decor. The project grew into a deeper renovation, reworking parts of the floor plan while unifying the space in function and feel.

The owners’ first big ask was a backlit stone backsplash inspired by their Nevada home — rendered in translucent Cristallo Quartzite for “really wild pop factor.” Web says: “We were worried it would be too in-your-face, but we actually love it.”

For a secondary visual anchor, Webb and Serra extended an existing island with matching stone, adding a curved detail on one end to mimic curved lines of the condo’s outer wall. “We wanted it to be a statement piece and really welcoming to stand around it as well,” says Webb.

Overhead, a dropped wood ceiling panel with a backlit plate sets off a glittering linear light fixture. Stained shinnoki white oak millwork adds sleek storage and houses appliances.

Off to one side, a Samsung Frame TV poses as a painting when not entertaining the cook. This placement eliminated the need for a TV over a nearby fireplace, which backs onto windows.

Around the fireplace, they carved out a small family room. Working with bespoke furnituremaker WD Western Designers, they created a custom curved sofa. To maximize seating and sightlines without overwhelming the space, the company created a template on-site prior to fabrication.

Over the sofa, a print by photographer Gillian Lindsay grounds the space — a slightly gritty and less “Vegas” choice Serra fought for and the homeowner now loves, she says.

Throughout the home, original art and prints layer on character absent in the home’s past life, giving the feel of a collection gathered over time, adds Serra. One standout piece is “Generations” by Victor Goertz, an original acrylic depicting the mossy trunk of an evergreen tree in greens and pinks, hung between the entryway and kitchen. Another striking piece, “City in Pink and Green,” a print by David Tycho, picks up the same colour scheme the end of the main hall.

The homeowner had one other Vegas-inspired request: a home bar. “He kept joking that he wanted to charge cover like a nightclub,” says Webb.

By subsuming the footprint of a former home office, Webb and Serra obliged. The result feels like an intimate speakeasy, layered in leather-textured Black Negresco veined quartzite, against tan velvet stools and gold hardware. One unexpected detail here: millwork doors conceal two 24-inch-wide under-counter freezers where the homeowner, a sport fisherman, stores his catches.

The moody glam esthetic of the bar carries to an adjacent sitting area with leather loungers, and the home’s formal dining area around the corner.

Here, Art Deco-style bench seating complements an oval table and nature-inspired chandelier. The dining area opens to the home’s main living room, set into a corner of wall-to-wall windows. A custom metal fireplace by Vancouver’s New Format Studio adds a flash of brushed gold, against velvet and leather seating.

 

The home’s bedrooms each have their own spin on the Vegas theme. A guest room reserved for the wife’s mother channels a light motif, with a vibrant wall tapestry complementing colourful artwork. Another brings visual drama with a ceiling-high headboard in upholstered black Vant Panels, and punchy black-and-white bedside lamps from CB2. The primary bedroom veers mid-century, with a towering velvet-green headboard against dark metallic wallpaper. Burl nightstands, gold-disc light fixtures and a vintage Otto Bettmann photo of Tropicana showgirls round it out.

As the renovated space came together, a new duality took shape, says Webb. The kitchen side of the space reads “daytime” — light and airy — while a darker, nighttime vibe takes over on the bar-dining side.

Yet the whole space feels unified. “Anybody who walks in there now would never guess that it used to be two units, whereas when we first started, it was very obvious,” says Webb. “When the owner first saw it, she teared up, and that’s always a great feeling. She was so happy.”

So happy, in fact, that the homeowners rehired the duo to fly to Las Vegas for a week and decorate their home there — which they’d previously considered finished. Says Webb: “They didn’t realize what was missing until they saw how layered their space could really be.”

Project design: Form Collective

Project construction: Headland Construction

Project millwork: Sofo Kitchens

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

9231 Parksville Dr., Richmond

Type: Five-bedroom, three-bathroom detached

Size: 2,000 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,493,600

Listed for: $1,399,000

Sold for: $1,422,000

Sold on: March 2

Days on market in this listing: Seven

Listing agent: Adam Pospischil and Alex Wong at Engel & Volkers Vancouver

Buyers agent: Tracy Hu PREC at LeHomes Realty Premier

The big sell: Richmond’s Boyd Park is the venue for this five-bedroom family home that offers a number of reasons that attracted multiple offers when it was listed for sale. Namely, an air-conditioned interior that provides year-round comfort with a newly-installed heat pump, a floor plan that offers four bedrooms upstairs and a fifth on the main level for guests, elderly relatives, or home office use, 200 square feet of internal storage space, and upgrades that include hardwood floors, stainless-steel appliances, stone counters, and two gas fireplaces. The outside holds its own with a west-facing rear garden that backs directly onto the West Richmond Pitch & Putt Golf Course, a location just a few blocks from Hugh Boyd Secondary School and the West Richmond Community Centre, and covered parking as well as additional space on the driveway for larger vehicles.

2 — 275 West 17th Ave., Vancouver

Type: Four-bedroom, five-bathroom half duplex

Size: 1,969 square feet

B.C. Assessment: N/A

Listed for: $2,680,000

Sold for: $2,680,000

Sold on: Jan. 8

Days on market in this listing: 38

Listing agent: Jessica Chen PREC at Oakwyn Realty

Buyers agent: Val Brennan at Oakwyn Realty

The big sell: This newly-finished half duplex sold for bang on the listed price and features a larger layout than many with four bedrooms, five bathrooms and almost 2,000 square feet of internal living space. It forms part of a side-by-side duplex in Cambie Village just steps to shops, parks, restaurants, schools and the Canada Line subway route that connects downtown with Vancouver’s international airport. Built by Vandwell Developments, the home features floor-to-ceiling windows, a built-in sound system, sliding glass doors, front and back patios, air conditioning, radiant heat, and a stylish kitchen with waterfall countertops and sleek cabinetry. A staircase with seamless glass railings leads upstairs where there are two further levels with two bedrooms on each. There is a heated crawl space for extra storage but the piece de resistance is a rooftop deck with panoramic mountain and city skyline views.

201 — 39771 Government Rd., Squamish

Type: Two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment

Size: 1,198 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $797,000

Listed for: $819,900

Sold for: $807,000

Sold on: Jan. 30

Days on market in this listing: 83

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

Buyers agent: Art Power at Stilhavn Real Estate Services

The big sell: Squamish is home to the five-year-old Breeze condominium complex that occupies a convenient location near the many amenities that the town offers. This particular unit is a two-level, south-facing, two-bedroom, two-bathroom end unit with the added bonus of having a 16-foot-long open loft space as well as a penthouse position. Boasting a layout close to 1,200 square feet, the interior features vaulted ceilings, a Scandinavian-inspired kitchen with a streamlined design incorporating an island, quartz countertops, stainless-steel appliances and ample cupboard space, a primary bedroom on the upper level with a custom-built walk-in closet and ensuite bathroom, and a private deck with engaging mountain and Chief views. The unit’s monthly maintenance fee is $583.09 and it comes with underground parking, and a strata that permits pets and rentals with restrictions.

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

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

Want more expert mortgage info? Robert McLister shares Canada’s best national insured and uninsured mortgage rates, updated daily.

For a long while, dream kitchens have been sleek, pale and a little bit clinical. Crisp white cabinets and not a lot of softness. This popular look, though polished, can feel a little cold. Now the mood is shifting, says Vancouver designer Jenalee Nordstrom of Schédio Spaces .

People are really wanting to feel relaxed in their homes, says Nordstrom. This has always been the case, but after years of uncertainty, inflated costs and general fatigue, people are after homes that make them feel calm, in a way that outdoes any home design trends.

Wood is an innate, primal element that people find relaxing. We’re seeing the desire for this material in kitchens, she says.

This doesn’t mean a return to the fussy, orange-toned kitchens with ornate detailing and heavy upper cabinets.

“It’s not the heavy wood cabinetry of our parents’ generation,” she says, describing instead a new wave of kitchens that feel modern and contemporary, while also delivering warmth and ease.

This is not a passing whim, but part of a bigger design swing away from sterile to grounded.

Younger homeowners, especially millennials, are settling into longer-term homes and are investing in kitchens they want to live with for years, not just photograph for a season, says Nordstrom. Wood has moved from being a niche choice to a lasting one.

Light, warm and contemporary

To avoid the dark, cavelike wooden kitchens of yesteryear, choose your materials carefully, says Nordstrom. Tone, grain and contrast matter, as does restraint.

For homeowners who want a safe, soothing look, she likes keeping wood in the same colour family as the floor — not matchy-matchy, but harmonious.

For those willing to push things a little further, mixing tones can be beautiful. A cooler floor with warmer cabinetry, or a darker floor with lighter cabinets, gives the room more depth and personality. This approach can make a kitchen feel less staged and more lived in.

Nordstrom also distinguishes between sleeker grain patterns and more expressive ones. A subtler grain works well when paired with dramatic stone, because it lets the marble or quartz do the talking. A stronger, more visible grain brings more pattern and softness, which can be especially effective with simpler counters and backsplashes. In other words, wood can whisper or sing, so you want to really consider the design of the other materials you’re using.

For anyone nervous about committing, Nordstrom says:

“Use wood on the lower cabinet and keep the upper cabinet in a lighter tone.”

This way, your room gets warmth where it needs grounding, but the eye still reads the kitchen as open and airy. She has used darker walnut below with painted uppers, and the effect is rich without feeling weighty.

Flat-front doors keep things light, says Nordstrom. Wood already brings movement and interest, so it doesn’t need a lot of trim, fluting or fuss piled on top.

Veneer, solid wood and a new contender

Veneer is often the more affordable route, says Nordstrom. It gives you the look of timber without the same degree of seasonal movement, because the wood layer sits on a stable substrate. It is also useful for larger panels. The drawback with veneer can be durability. It can be harder to repair if it gets gouged or dented badly. Once damaged, you may need to replace a door rather than simply sanding it back.

Solid wood has a different appeal, she says. It’s durable, tactile and repairable. It can be sanded, refinished and restained later if tastes change. It also allows for carved detail such as fluting or reeding, but solid wood can be very expensive, depending on what you go with, and in climates like B.C., it does expand and contract.

“In humid winters and dry summers, doors can shift, seams can tighten or widen, and panels may need adjustment over time,” she says.

Nordstrom says she’s very excited about a new Cosentino product out called Amazonik , which gives the visual warmth of wood with the performance of Dekton. For busy kitchens, this is a great choice, she says. It can be used on fronts, counters and backsplashes, and avoids many of the headaches that come with real timber in wet or hardworking zones. It’s a game-changer for anyone who loves the look of wood but worries about movement, staining or hygiene.

Get your lighting right

Even the best wood kitchen can fall flat under the wrong lighting, says Nordstrom. For wood in the kitchen, she prefers lower-sheen finishes to let the grain read naturally, rather than glossy coatings that tip wood into something artificial and overly slick. A softer finish keeps the material looking honest and warm.

Your light bulbs really matter, she says. The colour of your lighting is going to change the colour of the wood.

“I really encourage people to use a slightly warmer interior light when they’re using wood if they want that relaxed finish. 2700 or 3000 Kelvin is the whitest that they should go.”

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For many generations, the advent of spring has meant saying goodbye to winter by doing a deep, thorough clean of their homes. Over the chilly season, when hunkering down, it’s not surprising that we overlook certain household tasks, and ignoring clutter would certainly fall into the category. A springtime cleanup is an opportune time to tackle the buildup.

Over time clutter can become almost invisible or just part of the furniture. How it gets to that point comes down to simply having too many things and no system in place for storing or organizing them, says author Laura Wittmann, a self-described organizing junkie.

“It all comes down to systems and stuff in general,” Wittmann explains. “Often, we just have a stuff problem, and it becomes clutter because we don’t have specific spots to put it. It just piles and clutter attracts clutter. Before you know it, all your surfaces are covered — your counters, dresser tops, any surface is fair game. It just seems to collect and before you know it, you can’t find anything you need to access because it’s buried.”

In her book Clutter rehab: 101 tips & tricks to declutter your home and organize your space, Wittmann offers simple, easy-to-implement methods to claw back the clutter that can overwhelm a living space. The easiest one to put into action, she says, is creating a “donation station” — a name which describes its specific function. Wittmann, uses this method herself and has placed a laundry basket in her linen closet where she just tosses items in when she notices that they’re no longer functional for her home.

“We all have things in our kitchen cupboards that we don’t love or need,” she notes. “In our head we’re thinking ‘I’ll have to get rid of that at some point,’ but that never comes. Just grab it and put it in the donation station right away. It’s the easiest way just having it there rather than grabbing a bag and walking around the house aimlessly.”

For Wittmann, having an organized home is all about functionality and efficiency — not making it Instagram-ready. If you get there, that’s great, she says, but don’t get caught up in colour-blocking your books or finding the trendiest storage container. Her house, where she uses mostly dollar store finds to keep items sorted, demonstrates that creating an efficient home doesn’t need to be costly. Most importantly it’s not as complicated as people envision it to be, nor does it need to be done on a large scale. She suggests taking a drawer and dumping it out and sorting through it, even while watching TV. Remove, sort and purge is the mantra she goes by.

She recommends looking for “like” items in the kitchen as a way to see what is being used and what can be purged.

“I noticed in kitchens people don’t have like with like,” she says. “They’ll have cups over here in another cupboard. I’ll suggest let’s just tackle cups. Remove all your cups and put them together… It’s way easier to purge at that point.”

To clear kitchen counters, she suggests putting everything in a box and only bringing things back as needed. Often people don’t return all the items finding that they’ve “fallen in love with the empty space.”

In Clutter Rehab, Wittmann offers an easy-to-follow approach that can be remembered with the acronym PROCESS: plan, remove, organize, evaluate, solve and simplify. The first three being the most important to achieve. The book’s information is presented in short bites, the entirety of the advice is easily digestible, and the reader can adapt it to their own needs.

“It’s a very easy read,” Wittmann says. “You don’t have to read it from cover to cover. Because it’s written as 101 tricks and tips for decluttering, you can pick and choose. There’s a list of them all and you can just jump in where you feel comfortable. It doesn’t have to be ‘do this first, do this second’ kind of thing.”

Out of all her tips for creating a more functional home, Wittmann urges people to foremost set up their house for the way that they live. “It doesn’t have to work for anyone else but you or anyone else that lives with that family. That’s all that matters.”

Though she shuttered her longtime popular blog the Organizing Junkie a few years ago and no longer works as a professional organizer due to a chronic illness, Wittmann is still in contact with readers via her Instagram account @orgjunkie. Most of her current content is in the IG stories format rather than posts.

Clutter rehab: 101 tips & tricks to declutter your home and organize your space

By Laura Wittmann | Ulysses Press, April 14, 2026, 128 pages, $19.99

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When Donna Balfour heard that the oceanfront property was hitting the market, she knew she had to act. “I knew right away it was for me,” she recalls. “It’s the perfect location on Robert’s Bay. As soon as it was listed, I bought it.”

Her quick decision wasn’t entirely impulsive. Balfour had long felt connected to Vancouver Island, from family ties in Victoria to summers spent in Oak Bay, and after settling in Sidney, she knew she wanted a home by the beach.

At first glance, the 2,667-square-foot home is a serene Scandinavian-meets-West Coast retreat, with warm wood tones, natural stone, vaulted ceilings and a generous covered deck overlooking the water. Designed by Jamie Banfield Design , The Sidney is the kind of place that invites slow mornings, cosy gatherings and evenings with a glass of wine in the tub — an interesting first impression for a home perched on a bay that doesn’t always behave so gently.

“When we got there, it was the view and [figuring out] how to capture that,” says principal designer Jamie Banfield. “There are stormy days there. There are really good sunsets and really good sunrises — there’s lots of different movement that’s happening there.”

Those movements in the landscape sparked a series of design changes. After reworking the floor plan to bring more usable living space toward the waterfront, the team also looked at how to make the home feel brighter and more open. They relocated the stairs and raised the roofline by eight feet, creating a vaulted ceiling with asymmetrical peaks that captures more light inside despite the home’s covered outdoor areas.

It was a dramatic decision, but one that paid off. “Jamie called me one day and said he wasn’t happy with the look of the outside of the house,” shares Balfour. “He asked me if I’d be willing to take the roof off to make the peak. It’s made the house so stunning from the outside and inside. The wood is gorgeous.”

The wood wrapping the ceiling continues outside, where thermally modified Lunawood cladding is paired with matte black and bronze metals for an exterior that feels both warm and durable in the coastal climate. Over time, the wood is meant to weather from a reddish brown to a silvery grey, reflecting the changing seasons. “They’re timeless,” says Banfield. “There’s no maintenance, but it’s also going to wear really well with the elements.”

Inside, the moody, nature-inspired palette layers dark walnut cabinetry, copper fixtures and blue-grey quartzite to echo the shoreline and shifting skies. “We wanted to give a nod to what we would find outside,” says Banfield.

But the design is about more than just views, light and cohesive colours. Banfield says the team thought carefully about the different “extremes” of how Balfour would use the house, from day-to-day life on her own to a full house when she’s hosting.

Rather than organizing the kitchen around esthetics alone, the design team laid it out by functional zones. “I think that’s something people miss a lot of the time,” says Banfield. “They’ll try to design it for a pretty picture instead of how it’s actually going to function.” One side acts as a more casual drinks station, with a coffee maker and bar fridge positioned for easy access to the deck, while the island anchors the main cooking and entertaining space. A separate butler’s pantry keeps a secondary oven and freezer used for baking neatly tucked out of sight.

Balfour notes the kitchen works just as well for her daily routines as it does for guests. “Last summer I had back-to-back company and loved it,” she says. “Everyone enjoyed cooking in that kitchen. There’s room for everyone and it doesn’t feel crowded.”

Outside, a 522-square-foot heated deck expands the kitchen and living space, complete with a built-in outdoor kitchen by Outerspace and room for everything from Balfour’s book club to casual barbecues. Yet it still feels comfortable when she’s on her own, whether for a quiet coffee at sunrise or an evening by the water.

And when the weather shifts, the home adapts with it. Accordion glass doors and oversized openings frame the ocean views while allowing the main living space to feel protected from wind and rain. “I don’t think many people think about that when they think about the waterfront,” says Banfield. “Storm watching is really entertaining to see, just watching how strong the water is and what it can do.” Below the upper deck, a flagstone patio off the principal bedroom offers a second sheltered spot to take in the shoreline.

For Balfour, it’s that balance that makes the home feel right year-round. “The home is very cosy, even on the deck,” she says. “It’s fun to watch the stormy weather. The summer is amazing and outdoor living at its best.”

Architectural design, interior design and furniture selection: Jamie Banfield Design Inc.

Builder/Contractor: Top of the Line Contracting

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Improving your home’s curb appeal can sound costly. New siding, roofing, windows or landscaping, it’s easy to assume that creating a beautiful exterior for your home means a full overhaul.

To bring things down to earth, ask yourself, when someone arrives, what’s the first impression they have of your home? Your front entrance matters so much. It sets the tone before the door even opens. It can make a house feel crisp and contemporary, classic and composed, or warm and inviting.

Replacing your front door or the garage door can instantly transform the look of the facade, says Nathalie Perreault, design and colour specialist at BP Canada .

“It’s also a great opportunity to add a pop of colour, a trend that’s becoming increasingly popular. If the budget is tight, simply painting the door or adding stylish or colourful accessories can make a noticeable difference at a very low cost,” she says.

Plan your upgrades in phases

If a major update is on the horizon, Perreault recommends resisting the urge to do everything at once without a plan. You want to think long-term and break the work into manageable stages.

“First, it’s essential to prioritize exterior projects that protect the home and ensure long-term durability. If a homeowner can only afford one improvement per year, we recommend creating a long-term plan divided into realistic phases. This makes it easier to spread out the investments while keeping the final vision in mind,” says Perreault.

This kind of planning is not just practical, it also results in a more cohesive overall look. Instead of chasing one-off fixes, homeowners can make decisions that relate to the whole house, from roofline to trim colour to the tone set at the front step.

Your roof and siding are often the biggest investments, both visually and functionally, says Perreault. They protect the home, but also establish its overall personality. A soft, tonal palette can feel elegant and settled, and a higher-contrast combination can feel sharper and more architectural.

Her advice is to choose colours that will age gracefully. White, beige, grey, blue, green and black remain dependable for a reason. They sit comfortably with landscaping, brick, stone and natural light, and they don’t date a home as quickly as trend-driven choices can, she says.

The best time to install a roof is generally in late spring or fall, when weather conditions are stable and dry, says Perrault.

The mistake many homeowners make is focusing too much on what looks current, rather than what will still look good years from now, says Perreault. She warns against following trends too closely and says testing colours outside is essential. Light changes everything, as do surrounding materials.

Some of the most effective exterior upgrades are also the easiest to underestimate, says Perreault. The colour of the roof can dramatically change the overall style of a home, and gutters, too, can have more visual impact than many realize, especially when upgraded to a cleaner, more modern profile. Even refreshing window trim or standardizing mismatched frames can make a house look more polished without the cost of full replacement.

These are the details that help a home feel finished, says Perrault.

Stepping inside

Vancouver designer Maria Killam, founder and creative director of the Killam Colour System , believes many homes miss an opportunity right at the threshold.

“The best way to improve your entry is to add a table in the right size and scale with a lamp and a mirror above it… (This) goes a very long way to adding warmth and atmosphere when someone walks in the door,” she says.

It’s a lovely reminder that curb appeal does not stop at the porch. The experience of arrival continues inside, and the best homes create a sense of welcome that flows naturally from exterior to interior.

Killam also advocates for colour in spaces that are too often left flat and underwhelming.

“Hallways and entries can often feel dark and dingy, painted white or grey and will feel a lot happier in a pale blue, green or even a warm, pale beige. Beige is back, and an entry hall is the perfect place to experiment with adding a warm and welcoming feeling to your home,” she says.

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