Homes

Inside This Modern West Vancouver Waterfront Home

This renovated 1988 Russell Hollingsworth home will have you dreaming of a beach getaway. See it for yourself at this year's West Coast Modern Home Tour.

By Ames Bordeau / July 6, 2016

This renovated 1988 Russell Hollingsworth home will have you dreaming of a beach getaway. See it for yourself at this year’s West Coast Modern Home Tour.

For homeowner Jennifer Webb, a home on the beach didn’t quite cut it: Webb wanted the beach in her home too.After buying a West Vancouver beachfront property in 2008, the house went uninhabited for over a year while she and her partner John renovated. Being one of the few (if not the only) units that had been left untouched since its inception in 1988, Webb was looking to modernize. “We basically signed a covenant when we purchased the place saying we wouldn’t change the exterior,” says Webb. “But the inside, of course, we wanted to have fun with.”With the help of Paul Butler from Paul Butler Home Design (an engineer by trade) and their contractor Rudy Bergmann, the couple stripped down the house, removing walls, false ceilings, bathrooms, hanging cabinetry, and anything that obstructed their view of the water. In turn, they rebuilt only what they found to be a necessity. This meant adding a floating staircase and raising the basement ceiling to make it a livable space.See it for yourself during this year’s West Coast Modern Home Tour, happening July 9 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.The duplex, shared with another couple, is covered in windows on both the south side and the east side, leaving little room for artwork but plenty of options for water-gazing. Hoping to bring a beach vibe into her Scandinavian-inspired home, Webb installed oiled-oak floors, taupe-coloured cabinetry, and walnut-coloured hand railings on her floating staircase. She opted for more beach-coloured touches (the walls are a cream colour, the sofas charcoal, and their dining room table a light oak) and certain red accents to break up the neutral palette.The couple took and minimalistic approach, letting the house speak for itself. The property, with its small courtyard out front, has a small lawn and the rest is greenery: Webb’s garden is green and white with some seasonal red accents and an ornamented maple. “I like a monochromatic environment,” says Webb, whose unit has a staircase leading directly to the seawall.