We take a tour of a loft-style space at the BC Home and Garden show from Vancouver designer Jamie Banfield.

When home shows roll into town, I always make a beeline for the real-life house displays. The Power Smart home in particular is a fun feature to walk through because BC Hydro teams up with a local designer who gets to put a chic spin on smart, energy-efficient design (using all the latest appliances and gadgets).At this past weekend’s BC Home and Garden Show, Vancouver designer Jamie Banfield kitted out a loft-inspired space with creative wall treatments, mod urban furnishings, and tons of unique DIY touches—and we got a peek inside! 

Vancouver designer Jamie Banfield created a loft-inspired space at the BC Home and Garden Show to show off Power Smart tips alongside chic design. (Photo: Courtesy Jamie Banfield.)

Here in the main living room, Banfield fashioned a faux fireplace out of baseboards, a slab of quartz and a metal box. This injects that cozy fire factor with just a small setup of candles€”charming and energy efficient! We also like the West Coast-style speaker and how Banfield added mouldings to the wall for a touch of sophistication. (Photo: Courtesy Jamie Banfield.)

The designer says he hunted through BC Hydro's salvage yard to find these spools! His team cut them in half and stacked them to make a fun storage and display area for treasures and knickknacks. (Photo: Courtesy Jamie Banfield.)

The white and grey palette pairs nicely with this DIY headboard made from wooden slats. Flanking the bed you can see a faux window detail from local photographer Jenn Chan (created by IFresco Canada). (Photo: Courtesy Jamie Banfield.)

In the loft's bathroom space sits a furniture-style vanity€”something we€™re seeing designers use more and more!€”complete with plenty of storage. One of the stand-out features is the bathroom's wall of grey 3-D Wow tiles from Julian Tile. The Kohler Veil smart toilet (which could almost be mistaken for a sleek modern garbage bin), is a compact one-piece with a tankless design. Click here to check out Wow Tiles

In this tucked away home office nook you€™ll find fun details like the Scotty magazine holder, on-trend felt stool and mid-century modern desk. This is a very on-trend office nook! Here you can see the reclaimed and new mixed-wood wide-plank flooring, black metal details and a soft grey felt stool tucked under a mid-century modern white desk. (Photo: Julia Dilworth.)

Banfield created a compact kitchen with a 24-inch cooktop, 24-inch wall oven and 24-inch fridge, outfitted with his personal line of The Banfield cabinets. Even in a more compact space his team installed a large sink that comes with a ton of practical gadgets. (Photo: Courtesy Jamie Banfield.)

According to the designer, the kitchen sink is THE most complained about choice after a renovation because people buy on looks or price and then aren€™t satisfied with how it functions on a daily basis. Instead, Banfield recommends going for what's practical, paying special attention to the faucet. €œThe most used piece in the kitchen is the faucet and the least amount of time is spent on selecting the correct faucet,€ says Banfield.

Julia Dilworth

Julia Dilworth