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LIVING ROOM: A Moooi horse lamp adds a little humour to the room; the view to the rocky ground in
behind creates a sense of connection.
In modern design, there’s a fine line between embracing transparency and preserving privacy. (It’s said that even Edith Farnsworth, who commissioned Mies van der Rohe to design her famous glass house, eventually grew tired of being on display.) Only the boldest accept a loo with a view when the view also includes the neighbours.
The trick, of course, is to find that perfect piece of property in the city that allows for glass walls and unobstructed views. The biggest challenge on this particular property-a steep slope that made it a classic West Vancouver problem site-became its greatest asset. Views to the Burrard Inlet weren’t realized until designer Lisa Bovell of McLeod Bovell brought the existing home down to its foundations and rebuilt from the ground up. That included the ground itself-the previous owners had dealt with the slope problem by infilling with garbage. "When I say garbage, I mean tires, umbrellas, rubber boots," says Bovell. "It was a big spongy mess." Rather than replacing the fill, Bovell designed the home to perch over a rocky outcrop, with nearly all rooms wrapping around a central pool, revealing a view to the ocean that hadn’t been possible in the old space.
The floor plan sees the home laid out in two wings. On one side, the master bedroom gains privacy, separated from the rest of the house by a more formal living and dining area. On the other, the kitchen and family room are closely connected with the kids’ rooms.
The pool deck was once chipped terra cotta tile; it’s now covered in the same concrete coating
that runs inside the home-uniting indoors and out.
While the new owners loved the way the previous home was all on one level, it had been carved up into cavernous hallways and rooms with small windows. The new home is open concept, embracing the views to the water, but also to the craggy rock formations around the home-enhancing that feeling of privacy. The living room, for example, has window walls on both sides, making the home feel like a glass jewel box. "The dominant mode of building in this area, when the view is constantly one way, is to stick the building out and you’re done," says Matt McLeod, the other half of McLeod Bovell. By providing views to the rocky outcrop and forested property at the back of the house, he says, those inside the home feel connected to the surrounding space.
The finishes within the home increase that connection. The rock surrounding is mirrored in the concrete-like "skim coat" that covers the floors and several accent walls-an effect that continues out on the pool deck, which was once covered in cracked terra cotta tiles.
While Bovell kept a neutral colour palette throughout-whites and charcoal greys-there are playful accents for levity. In the kitchen, the homeowner’s favourite shade of pink adorns the upper cabinets. In the media room downstairs, a boldly patterned Mah Jong sofa from Roche Bobois is perfect for teen lounging. Even the supposedly formal dining and living area isn’t all that serious: one of Moooi’s horse lamps towers over a Smoke chair, its frame scorched.
The kids’ bedrooms are also filled with thoughtful detail: both have tiny lofts, built into pockets just below the ceiling. The son’s walk-in closet means he can toss his clothes behind a closed door and the room will feel tidy. And though the daughter got the room with a view, he can control the lighting designs and waterfalls in the ponds around the autocourt just outside his bedroom window.
Like many new builds, there are still some works in progress-a room in the basement will be a wine cellar some day, and the teen lounge on the lower level is destined to become more of a hangout once the kids get older. For now, the kids are content to hang with their folks in the family room upstairs. It’s the sign of a well-designed home: the family needed an accessible space that they could grow old in and Bovell delivered a home that changes and morphs in sync with the family’s needs. WL
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