Western Living Magazine
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It's too hot to renovate... but not too hot to dream.
Though spending your summer sweating through demolition or tile installation is no one’s idea of a good time, it’s absolutely the season for dreaming about a home renovation. Flipping through decor mags on the beach, bookmarking inspo images over coffee on the patio: these hazy days are ideal for leisurely scheming. To help fuel those visions of future home improvement projects, we’ve compiled 10 jaw-dropping transformations here—before and after stories that’ll have you itching for fall (the official Season of the Renovation) to get here.
When it came time to redesign this dated White Rock home, designer Andrea McLean listened closely to the homeowners’ non-negotiables—a view from their bed, for instance, and flexibility for their furniture placement. She then got to work creating an open-concept plan that would reflect the geography outside the windows. Read more about this modern makeover here.
Interior designer Annaliesse Kelly of AK Design embraces her wildest design dreams with her most personal project yet: her own newly renovated 1,800-square-foot Squamish, B.C., duplex that she shares with partner Warren Barrow. While it’s not the first home she’s designed for herself, it’s absolutely the most “Annaliesse” one so far.“I’m learning every day in my work, and my personal aesthetic has evolved over the years,” says Kelly. “I’m able to be more brave. I want to do all the things. I want florals, I want Laura Ashley to come back, I want some big crazy colours.” See more of Kelly’s Squamish home here.
When Adrian and Jennie Kwok took over Adrian’s childhood home (a classic “Richmond Special”), Joy Chao of JHA Architecture and Interiors had a challenge on her hands. But with her eyes on a modern, open-concept design, she and her team handily transformed the 90s-era house into a contemporary oasis. Explore this custom Richmond dream home here.
When Phyllis Lui, principal of Kalu Interiors, stepped into this two-storey, 2,400-square-foot home in Burnaby, B.C., she found herself in the middle of a veritable time capsule. “The house was built in the 70s and felt like some of the spaces had never been touched,” says the designer. The kitchen was closed off from the rest of the house; dated carpet and orange-hued ceiling panelling ran throughout. To function for the new homeowners—a young family of three; both parents work in finance—Lui reconfigured the floor plan and brought in a fresh material palette. Explore the full home renovation here.
Vancouver’s Waterfall building (designed by the great Arthur Erickson) became an instant icon when it was built in 2001. The interiors of the lofts, however, have not weathered the passage of time quite so well. Still, when healthcare professionals Frank and Alicia saw the high ceilings and concrete walls of their 1,189-square-foot unit, they saw beyond the impersonal feel, and knew the loft could become the cozy home of their dreams. And so, the couple reached out to Jeffrey Liu, founder of Jeffrey Liu Studio, to help the space reach its full potential. See the full loft makeover here.
The thing about a home with a bad layout is that you appreciate a renovation all the more when it’s done.“We took out pretty much all the walls on the main floor,” laughs Katie Maudsley, principal of Vancouver’s Mave Interior Design Studio. The homeowners had been living in the basement suite of their Coquitlam home for seven years, hiding from the mess of a layout that was the main floor. With Maye’s help, they’re hiding no more. See the transformation here.
A warning: this Vancouver mansion is not for the faint of heart. With more than 7,300 square feet of living space, this six-bedroom, eight-bathroom masterpiece is—scientifically speaking—a whole lot of house. (And we didn’t even mention the wet bar, wine cellar, rec room, home spa and personal gym.) Talk about a flex. Get the full home tour of this luxe dream house here.
The homeowners of this Abbotsford house could only describe the space as “discombobulated” before their renovation. Refined Interiors and Co. stepped in to transform it into something serene and functional to come home to. See the full renovation here.
While it’s likely hard to picture it now, this 2,100-square-foot Kerrisdale home was once a ’70s-inspired sea of pink bathrooms, worn linoleum flooring and dated wall-to-wall beige carpeting. Now, the lovely renovation from Annaliesse Kelly of AK Design is elegant and sophisticated, but it also packs a colourful modern punch. See the full before and after story here.
When our editor-at-large Stacey McLachlan walked into this Kitsilano condo, she saw nicotine-stained walls, a horrific carpet and tons of potential. With the help of PlaidFox Studio’s Ben Leavitt, she uncovered the gem hiding beneath the filth. Read the full recap of this editor’s renovation here.
The editorial team at Western Living loves nothing more than a perfectly designed space, place or thing: and we’re here to tell you about it. Email us your pitches at [email protected].
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