Kitchens

This Light-Filled Victoria Kitchen Used to Be a Bedroom

Hansenbuilt Design moved the kitchen across a 1911 Fairfield home, pairing heritage details with clever hidden storage and striking Italian marble.

By Alyssa Hirose /
Dasha Armstrong

Designer: Hansenbuilt Design
Location: Victoria, B.C

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, this 1911 character home in Victoria’s Fairfield neighbourhood needed a transplant, STAT. Designer Sarah Donald—brought on by the young family of four to redesign the space—explains that the original kitchen didn’t get much natural light… but there was a bedroom that did. “We relocated the kitchen from one side of the house to the other,” explains the principal designer of Victoria-based Hansenbuilt Design. By moving the home’s heart, Donald and her team created an airy oasis nestled in a tiered wraparound deck. The indoor and outdoor spaces blend seamlessly, allowing the family and their guests to spill out into the backyard on clear days.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Don’t let the beauty fool you: this is not just a show kitchen. The homeowners are avid cooks, and the space is full of hardworking, but hidden, storage. Bench seating lifts up to reveal space for kitchen linens; a built-in vented produce drawer stores potatoes and garlic; kick-out step-stools slide out to help reach the top shelves. A garage-door style cover descends to conceal the microwave. “We really wanted to maximize functionality,” says Donald. Photo by Dasha Armstrong.
Photo by Dasha Armstrong.

A palette of rich neutrals reflects the home’s history, with warm whites, unlacquered brass and a mix of dark and light wood tones. Then there’s the wow-factor: the countertop and backsplash are a stunning Italian marble that buzzes with blues, browns and creams. “We had a tough time finding it… we wanted something that had a lot of movement,” says Donald. Meticulous storage quietly tucks away clutter to let the countertop material shine, and allows room for the kitchen’s dedicated juice bar/pantry and intimate built-in dining nook.

POCKETFUL OF SUNSHINE: Like a secret after-hours lounge, the cozy dining nook can be completely sealed off from the kitchen using the handcrafted glazed oak sliding doors. “The husband and wife can sit in the evening, have a drink and close the doors… it’s a bit of an adult sanctuary,” says Donald. The pocket doors were made by Kris Hansen, Donald’s husband and the head of Hansenbuilt Construction (the construction counterpart of Hansenbuilt Design). The doors are solid and extremely heavy, but thanks to soft-close tech, you’d never know it. Photo by Dasha Armstrong.
Photo by Dasha Armstrong.

Secret Ingredients

1. Oxford stone (cabinets), farrow-ball.com

2. Perrin and Rowe Georgian Era Bridge kitchen faucet in unlacquered brass, splashes.com

3. Corchia Picasso marble, rock-solid-countertops.ca

4. Maritime White (walls), benjaminmoore.ca

5. Glazed solid oak pocket doors, hansenbuilt.com

6. Dark-stained oak island cabinetry, woodshop506.com

Alyssa Hirose

Alyssa Hirose

Alyssa Hirose is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, illustrator and comic artist. Her work has been featured in Vancouver magazine, Western Living, BCBusiness, Avenue, Serviette, Geist, BCLiving, Nuvo, Montecristo, The Georgia Straight and more. Her beats are food, travel, arts and culture, style, interior design and anything dog-related. She publishes a daily autobiographical comic on Instagram at @hialyssacomics.