west 17th street
Spoken by a member of the homeowner's family as we walked through their newly renovated home for the first time, the sentiment embodies the goal of this project from the very start. Significant thought and meticulous planning went into designing a fresh, clean space, yet being mindful that the details felt original.
"It seems as this home could have not been renovated. The finished work plays so strongly on the original details, the original feeling of the home, that it almost feels as though it is all original."
West 17th began in January when the client first reached out to me. Construction began later that year, in September, and was completed the following January, with the construction phase lasting about 15 months.
It’s a beautiful 1920s, craftsman-style home in a Vancouver neighborhood called Mount Pleasant. The architect we enlisted put an extension on the house, adding roughly 500 square feet, which we turned into a south facing principal bedroom en suite. It also created space for an open concept kitchen and family room leading to the backyard. The house was a true "gut job," because everything came out of the home and an extension was added to the back.
curious to see the "befores"
The ability to be nimble and pivot with a design is essential to a successful project. We nail 80% of a design with detailed 2D and 3D renderings, leaving the last 20% to be a little more fluid. It sets things up for success by opening the door for collaboration with contractors, tradesmen, and the client. On an actual job site during construction we have to be open to making decisions that may not have been mapped out on paper, or making small adjustments based on new information learned once the actual framing is uncovered.
behind the design
