WRITER Zakiya Kassam l DESIGNER Ami McKay and the PURE team l PHOTOGRAPHY Janis Nicolay
Vancouver ' s North Shore is in the thick of epic nature . Proximity to mountains , water , and other natural attractions served to inspire the design of Wendy and Brent ’ s West Coast home . At 3,800 square feet , the home is apt for entertaining and includes four bedrooms and a suite on the lowermost floor .
40 CANADIANHOMETRENDS . COM
Wendy says that when the family moved into the home in 2009 , they weren ’ t set on the existing design . The home , built in the 1950s , was crowded by walls , obstructing the panoramic view . “ We decided to wait a few years before starting any renovations because we wanted to live here and see how we used the house .”
A flood in the kitchen was the catalyst for the homeowners to renovate , at which time they brought on designer Ami McKay to bring the space up to date . Says Wendy , “ Ami spent a lot of time asking us how we use the house , where we spend the most time and what we like to do in those spaces . To us , the windows and maximizing the view was an extremely important part of it .”
Ami ’ s first task was to convert the space to more of an open concept design . From there , she was inspired by the homeowners ’ affinity for the outdoors .
“ They love nature , they love the ocean , they love hiking , they love all things West Coast . You ’ ll see a lot of Canadiana and West Coast art in their home .”
The main floor of the home features picture windows bordered by fir trims . “ I know a lot of people would paint over the windows , but the client loved it , so I made it work and was inspired by it ,” says Ami . She used a similar wood tone for the flooring and millwork throughout the level . To break up the wood tones , she introduced a gray wood stain for the millwork in the kitchen . Says Ami , “ That to me was the anchor that grounded the rooms and pulled it all together .”
Despite the sweeping views , the focal point of the main floor is the kitchen island . “ We do breakfast there , we do lunch there . We found , it was just this gathering space where the four of us would spend a ton of time ,” says Wendy .