A rustic Whistler townhome gets a modern facelift

HOMES
Then & Now
A rustic Whistler townhome gets a modern facelift
STORY & PH OTOS BY
BO N N Y M AKA RE W IC Z
48 WHISTLERTHEMAGAZINE SUMMER/FALL 2013
Feature walnut panelling frames the kitchen, dining and living room —
defining each area with an open plan. A relaxed brown-grey upholstered
Flexform Magnum sectional from Inform Interiors anchors the living
space, while providing ample space when friends gather for après,
dinners and hockey nights. The integrated fireplace surround of walnut
and stainless steel with concrete by New Lines showcases and anchors
the main living room space. Floating shelving and built-ins frame the bigscreen TV with a cantilever swivel mount allowing it to be pulled into the
room and tucked away when not in use.
WHISTLERTHEMAGAZINE SUMMER/FALL 2013
49
AFTER
The dining area is defined and
united to other spaces by a
walnut-clad bulkhead, which also
doubles as valance, washing light
over a painting of Burrard Street
Bridge by Vancouver artist David
Wilson. A Bensen Radius dining
table and bench meet Eames
black-molded plastic side chairs
with wood dowel base.
Custom flat-panel walnut
cabinets replaced the rustic
shaker look. A new quartz
countertop and raised bar
finish off the peninsula-shaped
kitchen. The bar area not only
allows for friends to gather
to chit-chat during meal
preparation, but also blocks the
kitchen prep from view.
50 WHISTLERTHEMAGAZINE SUMMER/FALL 2013
BEFORE
ANYBODY WHO GREW UP as part of a large family knows
the rule that if you announced, “No one take my chair!” before heading to the
fridge, your spot would be saved upon your return.
If the family featured in this story had the same rule, that chair would be
their classic fireside Eames chair. The walnut and leather chair and ottoman,
designed by Charles and Ray Eames for the Herman Miller furniture company
in 1956, is not only the hottest seat during Hockey Night in Canada family gatherings, but it also takes some responsibility in this mountain makeover.
When the young Vancouver family went looking for a ski pad to call their own,
they certainly didn’t have to go far. For several ski seasons, they rented the unit a
few doors down and several of their close friends already owned in the complex,
so when an end unit came on the market in the spring of 2012 they jumped at it.
They also decided to renovate before moving in, to create an inviting
Whistler home that friends and family would look forward to spending time in
for après, dinner or a weekend stay.
“We didn’t like the idea of taking it all out and putting it all back in. If we were going
to do a reno we wanted it to look different.”
As a result, the 1998 townhome went from Whistler rustic to mountain contemporary.
Recommended by friends, the couple enlisted contractor Tom McColm of
TM Builders, who in turn suggested interior designer Lynn Gentile of Cabin
Fever Interiors to design a clean yet relaxed palette.
“Clean, calming and modern was the directive. The owners loved the West
Coast modern look and the tone and sleekness of walnut,” she explains. >>
Top: The previous incarnation of the condo had a decidedly rustic feel.
Right, above: In keeping with the linear tone of the walnut, interior designer Lynn
Gentile chose vein-cut limestone Mare Bianco for its natural silvery grey tone on
the vertical surfaces in the bathrooms. “Vein cuts in stone produce a subtle, striated
appearance which lends itself to a clean modern look. Perfect for a modern ski pad,”
she says.
Right, below: Light flows throughout the upper staircase after a wall was removed and
reflective surfaces such as glass and stainless steel added. Initially not part of the
plan, the staircase was added after subtle coaxing by builder Tom McColm, and turned
out to be a welcome touch to the renovation.
HOME&BUILDING GUIDE
The following businesses
are proud to be involved
in this featured home
T604 935 3838 www.cabinfeverinteriors.com
Proud to be involved in the
home featured on these pages
Whistler, BC
604-902-5939
604-902-1972
T.M. Builders inc.
www.tmbuilders.ca
604-932-8836
UN
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DESIG N @ M
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Handsome Kitchen Design
Fine cabinetry & custom millwork
Established in Whistler since 1990
2.3 3 9 6
P. 6 0 4.9
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04
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yves@mountaindesign.ca
604-938-3222 1320 Alpha Lake Rd.
WHISTLERTHEMAGAZINE SUMMER/FALL 2013
The classic walnut and leather chair and ottoman, designed by
Charles and Ray Eames in 1956, takes some responsibility in this
mountain makeover.
Much like wedding planning, the only design request from the
male side of the family was to have the timeless Eames lounger
and ottoman fireside.
“It was the perfect tie-in to the walnut millwork,” Gentile adds.
To create the calm ambiance, Gentile used simple, natural
materials with clean transitions throughout the spaces, while
offering a punch in two strong focal points — a contemporary
fireplace surround and sleek new kitchen.
“Out with the river rock and in with the new contemporary
players,” Gentile explains of the masculine, yet soothing nontraditional fireplace design integrating walnut, concrete and
stainless steel.
“The merging of concrete, walnut and stainless steel was the
perfect formula for tying in the kitchen and grey tones elsewhere
in the home,” she says.
During the renovation the floorplan remained somewhat
intact, except for the lower bedroom being transformed into a
media room and the removal of a wall to open up the staircase
leading to the upper floor. While it was not in the initial plans, this
change means that morning and afternoon sunlight now floods
the revived space due to white walls, glass panels and stainless
steel railings.
“Now that we are living here, one of the things we love is the
open staircase,” the owner explains. “It gives the home a sense of
flow between floors and lets in a lot more light.”
In many ways the renovation reflects the style, comfort and a
timeless feel of the Eames lounger.
The vision the Eames brothers had when they designed the
iconic chair was for it to have the “warm receptive look of a wellused first baseman’s mitt.”
For this family a goalie mitt would be a suitable replacement. W
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