Renovations 2017 | Page 108

mind, pairing pale watery blues alongside nature-inspired accent pieces, lending freshness and brightness to the home, comparable to the shore-side itself.  When asked about the color scheme, comprised primarily of stark white and muted accent hues, Holly revealed it to be Scandinavian- inspired, a preference born from a few years the couple spent living and working in Sweden. For Steeves, the choice to go mostly white was all about making the front room brighter. “We just really wanted a lot of reflective surfaces, so the walls are light and we stuck with light colored fabric.” She adds, “The darkest fabric is on the sectional, which is for practical reasons, because it’s the most used piece.” With budget in mind, Steeves encouraged the family to incorporate some existing elements into the redesign, including the original oak floors, inset with a patterned border, characteristic of the 1920’s era, and two sentimental art pieces, passed down to the couple from their parents and grandparents. In fact, Steeves describes one of these pieces, depicting orca whales, as her jumping off point for the redesign.  The rest of the décor in the home follows suit as being organically- inclined, inspired by the family’s zeal for all-things-outdoors. “We really treasure the outdoors,” says Holly, “and we discovered we were always drawn to the more plant-based-feeling kind of pieces.” Like the knotted macramé ottoman, in the front room, which is reminiscent of fishing net, and the pattern on the drapes, meant to allude to tree branches or coral. Steeves adds, “A lot of what we do in Vancouver has very close ties to nature and this project was no different. People really feel close to nature here and we wanted to bring that indoors.” Just as an artist utilizes negative space, Steeves tactically relied on lack of color to not only enhance the existing light, but also encourage future versatility. “I like to work with a lot of color, but I’m very careful about how I use them, as colors do come and go.” She adds, “We could completely transform this scheme by changing the color of chairs, pillows, and accessories, and it would look like a completely different space.” Of course, plans of further transforming the Kitsilano property are merely hypothetical for the family of four at the present. For now, they’re enjoying their home as is, in all its breathable, beachy splendor.