- Words by Angela Cowan Photographs by Lia Crowe
On a quiet street just beyond the end of Oak Bay Avenue, a newly designated heritage home stands tall amid wild drifts of autumn leaves, its full-bodied rain-cloud-grey finish contrasting the oranges and reds. Lush swaths of salvia still in violet bloom stretch from one side of the gardens to the other among rhododendrons and sprawling ferns.
And except for a thin strip of grass parallel to the sidewalk, the front yard is dedicated to a thick and green rain garden, over which stretches a cobbled bridge leading to the home香蕉视频直播檚 curving porch.
First built in 1911, the two-and-a-half-storey house is an attractive example of Dutch Colonial Revival style. The gambrel roof is reminiscent of traditional barn silhouettes, with a bell-cast flare at the eaves adding character, but there is also a sense of contemporary comfort, a balance between the old and the new that was very much intentional.
香蕉视频直播淲e felt the inside had to respect the heritage on the outside, and at the end of the day, we really needed it to respect the house,香蕉视频直播� says homeowner Charlotte Bowman, who undertook a truly monumental transformation of the house several years ago.
Charlotte joined forces with the talent at Zebra Group, enlisting owner and principal designer Rus Collins to completely overhaul the interior layout. And he香蕉视频直播檚 also the reason the house is now a heritage spot.
香蕉视频直播淭he house was a legal non-conforming duplex, but 40 years or more ago a third suite was added in the attic,香蕉视频直播� he explains. 香蕉视频直播淚 suggested to Charlotte that we apply to Oak Bay Council to enter into a Heritage Revitalization Agreement to allow us to legalize the third suite, and in exchange Charlotte would formally designate the house as heritage.香蕉视频直播�
It was a huge undertaking, and listening to Charlotte and Martin Whitehead香蕉视频直播攈ead of construction at Zebra香蕉视频直播攖he enormity of the work quickly becomes clear.
香蕉视频直播淚t was stripped to the studs,香蕉视频直播� says Martin. 香蕉视频直播淭he exterior was about 80 per cent intact, but a lot of additions had been done over the years. The overall design had turned into a bit of a mash-up of architectural styles over the decades, and some of the elements hadn香蕉视频直播檛 held up very well.香蕉视频直播�
He adds: 香蕉视频直播淥nce we stripped it out we could see what was here, and we took it right back to the 1911 design.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭he goal was to emulate and highlight classical elements of the home香蕉视频直播檚 original architecture, but to stay away from fussy, ornate details so that the space didn香蕉视频直播檛 feel stuffy or overworked,香蕉视频直播� explains Lorin Turner, who leads the interior design arm of Zebra. 香蕉视频直播淲e wanted the space to be airy and to open each space as much was architecturally feasible.香蕉视频直播�
To that end, early 1900s-style features香蕉视频直播攕uch as the glassed-in library just off the front entrance, the two tiled fireplaces, the windows and the built-in window seats香蕉视频直播攚ere balanced by the open-concept living room and spacious kitchen.
A neutral palette of whites and greys runs through the house as well as a continuous wide-plank oak floor, creating an easy flow through the main floor. White subway tiles create a consistent backdrop through the kitchen and both bathrooms for the striking open shelving with its industrial-leaning pipe brackets.White cabinetry with black hardware and hinges invoke a farmhouse feel.
There is also a wonderful array of textures that keep the newness of the renovation from overwhelming its character, with the gorgeous black soapstone countertop perhaps my favourite.
The kitchen, while as open and spacious as any modern design, also preserves a timeless, early century feeling, and it香蕉视频直播檚 difficult at first to pin down why. But looking around, it hits me.
The refrigerator, freezer and dishwasher are all hidden behind panelled cabinet doors and drawers, leaving only one visible appliance: an exquisite Lacanche oven, enamelled in a deep, serene blue that immediately brings to mind an oversized French estate香蕉视频直播檚 kitchen.
香蕉视频直播淚 love it!香蕉视频直播� says Charlotte, smiling. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 so fantastic. I knew I wanted a coloured enamelled stove.香蕉视频直播�
As we continue the tour, it becomes clear just how much of herself Charlotte put into the design, from the Lacanche stove to the thick padded cushions in the window seats, which she sourced through Etsy, and the incredible array of reclaimed and antique light fixtures, the swinging bookshelves that serve as the master suite香蕉视频直播檚 doors, to the most impressive of all: the tiles surrounding the living room fireplace.
Reflecting slivers of the sun just peeking into the living room, the tiles are a smooth bluey-green colour that shifts depending on the light, and each one was handmade.
香蕉视频直播淢y friend is a potter and helped me make the tiles for both fireplaces,香蕉视频直播� Charlotte explains, and then laughs at my wide-eyed expression.
香蕉视频直播淚t wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 have happened if I didn香蕉视频直播檛 have such an emotional attachment to the house, but it was well worth it,香蕉视频直播� she says of the entire renovation. 香蕉视频直播淭his is the house I was born into, and that my daughter was born into.香蕉视频直播�
Now entirely rebuilt from floors to ceiling, the home is ready to welcome generations to come, and not just for Charlotte香蕉视频直播檚 family. As well as undertaking the heritage designation, Charlotte worked with city council to legalize the second and third floor suites, renovating them with as much care as the main floor, and taking a small but significant step in an effort to provide safe and affordable rental housing for the community.
We香蕉视频直播檙e able to pop upstairs with Charlotte香蕉视频直播檚 tenant for a quick tour of the attic suite, and emerging from the stairs past the stained glass windows, it is like stepping into a New York loft. Angled ceilings, low half-moon windows, the exposed brick of the chimney香蕉视频直播攖he space is cosy and bright and feels like you香蕉视频直播檙e tucked high away in the clouds.
Coming back down, we duck around back of the house to see the landscaping, and I香蕉视频直播檓 shocked when Charlotte tells me there was nothing on the property save the two oak trees by the road.
Bordered with Killarney strawberry trees full of their brilliant red fruits, a Bodinier beautyberry tree still dripping with clusters of purple berries and so many more plants, the backyard is a green paradise, and yet another testament to the enormous amount of work that went into transforming this property into a spectacular home.
Back at the front entrance, sunlight glints through the antique leaded window set in the door, scattering rainbow fragments up the walls. Charlotte goes to the wide built-in nook at the front window, and with the view of garden beyond it香蕉视频直播檚 the perfect place for a relaxed afternoon of reading (or napping).
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 my favourite spot,香蕉视频直播� she says with a smile. 香蕉视频直播淚 sit here all the time. Lorin really hit it out of the park with this.香蕉视频直播�
SUPPLIERS
Residential Design: Zebra Design (Rus Collins)
Interior Design: Zebra Interiors (Lorin Turner)
Construction & Interior Finishing: Zebra Construction (Martin Whitehead)
Heritage Consultant: John Dam & Associates Building Conservation Engineering (John Dam)
Interior Drywall: Definitive Drywall Inc.
Painting: CanTex Painting
Cabinetry and Millwork: RG West Coast Woodwork
Ceiling Beams: Zebra Construction
Flooring: Island Floor Centre
Tiling: Island Floor Centre
Doors: Caliber Doors
Artwork: Tofino Gallery of Contemporary Art (Leah McDiarmid)
Windows: Vintage Woodworks Inc.
Lighting: Waterglass Studios; Scott Landon Antiques
Plumbing Fixtures: Oceanview Mechanical
Countertops: Vancouver Island Soapstone and
Colonial Countertops
Fireplace Hearth/Stonework: handmade tiles
by owner (Charlotte Bowman)
Appliances: Trail Appliances
Landscaping: Rusnak Gallant Ltd
Exterior Siding: Zebra Construction
Home Automation: Black Box Electric
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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