This project was a labour of both love and fury; all of us Chicks (and a few extra, very helpful hands) certainly left some blood, sweat and tears on the floor of this space! Our clients purchased the unit in close to it’s original 1910 condition and wanted to create a modern-meets-warm-eclectic family space in which they could grow and nurture their young family. During the course of the renovations and designing, we spent many hours with them discussing ideas, both for the little details and for the overall feel. Ultimately, we blended sleek, modern hard finishes with industrial and vintage soft finishes all set against gallery white walls to achieve the look.
To add some depth and character against the whitewash walls, we chose a gold-on-white cork print paper for the main entrance and opted for a bold graphic floral in warm tangerine and grey for the living room (papers both from Anne Starr). To complete the backdrop for the rest of our work, we moved onto the lighting: we of course went vintage for most of it (yay for ReFind and Space Lab) and added in a few more modern and architectural pieces from CB2. We played with a blend of new and vintage furnishings for the larger statement pieces – many vintage treasures were found at Filmgo, Union Wood Co and The Found and The Freed, while fab new finds were scouted out from CB2, EQ3 and we even repurposed and refinished some of the clients’ own items to fit the feel. Creative selections for storage, like using the vintage swimming pool locker as toy storage in the living room, really set the stage for the feel we were trying to create. We chose to include many textiles (throws, soft pillows and flowy curtains) to soften the stark walls and industrial elements, and that also allowed the space to be functional for a family with a curious and active toddler… lots of soft places to fall and snuggle! This family also wanted to be able to use their space to relax, read and reflect – we decided to use their extensive library as a decor feature, rather than tucking all the books away; a simple yet statement way to display them is colour blocked, as shown on the vintage green shelving in the living room.

We also (once again) looked to our creative roster of craftsmen to include a few custom pieces for these clients: the desk in the office was handmade by Clint Moroz of Space Lab (originally an old school maple table found on craigslist, it was planed and stained and used atop custom welded legs to achieve the end result); the stellar reclaimed wood/ industrial piping shelves in the kitchen really stand out against the all-white tile and cabinetry, and were designed and created by the rad boys at Welcome To East Van.

In the end, we had a blast collaborating, creating and completing this space… check out the images (courtesy of Tracey Ayton Photography) and let us know what you think!