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Stephanie Brown brings casual elegance to renovated Vancouver Home
CategoriesInterior Design

Stephanie Brown brings casual elegance to renovated Vancouver Home

By Zarkon Group,

Large family get-togethers are enjoyed in the open-concept living spaces at this house in Vancouver, which interior designer Stephanie Brown has overhauled with entertaining in mind.

The home is situated in a quiet, upscale neighborhood in the Canadian city. Built in 1991, it originally featured a postmodern aesthetic, while subsequent renovations favoured the craftsmen style.

Foyer
The layout of the home was reorganised to create a double-height foyer

Its latest iteration was devised by local studio Stephanie Brown, who was asked to design the interiors by homeowners Joanne and Alan.

The couple has a blended family with six grown-up children, and while only one still lives at home, the others return often for dinners together.

Kitchen
Small rooms were opened up to create larger spaces for entertaining

Alterations to the plan of the house were therefore required to allow it to comfortably accommodate so many people in the evenings, but still feel cosy during the day.

“Prior to the renovation, the layout featured very formal, separated rooms,” said Brown. “We re-worked the layout of the main floor to create a more open-concept space, which would provide better flow for modern family gatherings and fewer formalised spaces.”

Living room
Jewel tones and feminine hues add variation to the predominantly white colour scheme

An enlarged family room is now adjacent to the kitchen, which includes a generous island with a teal-coloured base for preparing meals and eating breakfast.

The same teal shade, chosen for Joanne’s “love for moody jewel tones” continues in the pantry, while more feminine pinks and purples are introduced in other spaces through furniture fabrics.

Den
Smaller rooms like this office space feature darker colours

In the dining room, a large black table is positioned beneath a grid of mid-toned oak beams and a Shape-Up chandelier by Ladies and Gentlemen Studio.

Oak is also applied as parquet flooring, adding visual interest and bringing warmth to the predominantly white palette throughout the home.

Darker colours are used in the smaller spaces, including a new mudroom with grey-and-white-patterned cement floor tiles, and a wallpapered powder room.

By also rearranging the first-floor layout, a bright two-storey entrance foyer was created, featuring black and unpolished brass details.

Mud room
A mud room with patterned ceramic tiles was created during the renovation

Artwork and decorative furniture pieces are dispersed throughout the home, intended to convey a relaxed atmosphere more akin to a city loft.

“We drew inspiration from New York and European apartments, which feature unique collections of art, furnishings and decor set against elegant details,” said Brown.

“We opted for a casual take on those interiors, but one where the play between classic and modern would still feel fresh and unique.”

Powder room
A powder room is lined with dark wallpaper

Vancouver is regularly ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world and has a wealth of notable residential architecture and interiors.

Other projects recently completed there include RSAAW’s renovation of a mid-century residence to include a double-height library and a house by D’Arcy Jones Architects designed to mesh with its neighbours.

Reference

Leckie Studio designs penthouse inside BIG’s Vancouver skyscraper
CategoriesInterior Design

Leckie Studio designs penthouse inside BIG’s Vancouver skyscraper

By Zarkon Group,

A rainforest-style atrium with a cedar tree lies within a two-storey unit designed by Leckie Studio, located inside the new Vancouver House tower.


The penthouse is found within the sculptural, 59-storey tower that rises up from a triangular site in downtown Vancouver, near Granville Bridge. The building was designed by architecture firm BIG and was completed last year.

Leckie Studio designed the project
A rainforest-style atrium sits at the heart of the penthouse

The two-level apartment is on the northwest side of the skyscraper, where it is afforded views of English Bay and the North Shore Mountains.

The unit’s owner desired an inviting atmosphere and spaces to accommodate natural artefacts and artwork from her travels. She turned to local firm Leckie Studio to oversee the design.

The penthouse is located in Vancouver House tower
The apartment has views far-reaching views of Vancouver and beyond

The team set out to create a layered environment that looked both inward and outward, and was infused with organic elements.

“Through an iterative design process, the studio and client arrived at a highly bespoke, biophilic design that is attuned to the passage of time,” the team said.

Leckie Studio inserted a kitchen into the lower level
A kitchen on the lower level features a giant island

The unit is divided into public and private areas. On the bottom level, one finds a living room, dining area, kitchen and an office. A half-turn stair leads to the upper level, which holds two bedrooms.

There also is a 167-square-metre roof deck that is accessed via a private elevator.

“The experience of the penthouse is quite varied, depending on the time of day and which space is being occupied,” said architect Michael Leckie.

The unit’s focal point is a tall, glazed atrium filled with lush vegetation.

The atrium has vegetation
The atrium runs alongside the stairwell leading to bedrooms

Acting as the “spine” for the penthouse, the atrium runs alongside the stairwell and extends from the unit’s bottom level all the way to its roof terrace. At the top, it is open to the sky.

“Conceived as a microcosm of the Pacific Northwest rainforest, its centrepiece is a full-size, red cedar tree that lends a contemplative and grounding element to the onlooking interiors,” the team said.

Leckie Studio used American black walnut for the woodwork
Finishes and fixtures are kept minimal in the bathroom

“The ecosystem surrounding this tree will be sustained long term by a ‘nurse’ log, which replenishes the space with nutrients from decay.”

Beyond the atrium, earthy elements are found throughout the dwelling and form a rich backdrop for the client’s belongings.

Travertine was used for custom-milled bathroom sinks
Marble lines the walls of the powder room

American black walnut makes up the woodwork in the living room, kitchen and bathing areas. The high-quality wood was also used for the stair treads.

Travertine was used for flooring and custom-milled bathroom sinks. Smokey grey marble lines the walls in a powder room.

Leckie Studio used black accents in the project
Blackened-steel accents can be found throughout the apartment

Blackened-steel accents run throughout the unit and act as a counterpoint to the natural materials.

The penthouse’s sparse furnishings include an oak-topped dining table with a cast-bronze base, and a low-lying, multidirectional sofa that support various postures and orientations.

A lighting installation floats in the stairwell
A lighting installation from Bocci illuminates the stairwell

Floating in the stairwell is a lighting installation from Bocci that evokes a cluster of sparkling fireflies. The piece is made of copper and 122 glass luminaires.

The rooftop terrace is meant to serve as an extension of the living space. It is fitted with a stainless-steel jacuzzi, an outdoor shower, a kitchenette and plenty of seating.

Leckie Studio was founded in 2015
The lighting installation is made from copper and glass

Founded by Michael Leckie in 2015, Leckie Studio has designed a number of residential projects, including mirrored cabins that blend into the forest. The firm also designed Slack’s Vancouver office, located within a repurposed industrial building.

Photography is by Conrad Brown.

Reference