Designer Spaces

Colorful Island Cottage

While exploring Vancouver Island, a veterinary oncologist from California and her husband, a professional chef, fell in love with this gorgeous Piers Island property and purchased it for their dream vacation home. Her husband unfortunately passed before the project was complete so being able to finish this for her and complete the dream they had shared made this project even more meaningful to us.

We delve deep with our clients and get to know their style, what speaks to them, what they envision in their space instead of trying to pass on what my style may be. The clients are Californians, which we are familiar with (my partner is from California and I lived there for 5 years) but they wanted something a little more Vancouver Island. They wanted to include their collection of ingenious art work as well as other local artisans & also wanted to feel the outside while inside hence the teals and aqua colors along with the more neutral colors.

We gutted the kitchen, main bathroom/laundry & master bathroom. The main bathroom and laundry were originally reversed so  it was a very tiny awkward space.  We reversed the layout to provide a large walk in shower, ample vanity space and more cabinetry storage beside the shower. We were lucky that the house is on a large crawl/basement that is open for access to plumbing.

The deck was a big splurge. It is all new Ice wood unfinished which is a Brazilian hardwood that is mold, fire (same rating as steel and concrete), weather and pest-resistant. It resists scratches, is three time harder than cedar and is one of the densest. We offset the cost by saving on flooring as we were able to have them sanded and refinished throughout.

I love the use of color & textures in this home. In addition to teal cabinetry with an aqua backsplash that looks like waves in the kitchen, the entire master bath floor is a soft green/blue mix of pebbles that feel fantastic on your feet especially as it’s heated.

ANDI’S DESIGN TIP: Color can be scary but it can also be freeing. If you’re nervous about adding color into your home, try not to let what others think sway you. Color can bring life to a room. It can be calming, uplifting, energizing and more. If used correctly, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

TEXT | ANDI HOOK, WWW.HOOKANDHOOKDESIGNS.COM

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Canadian Home Trends magazine gives you a personal tour of the most stunning homes and condos across Canada. You'll be inspired by a selection of accessible home décor products, trend reports, simple yet stylish DIY projects, and much more. In each issue, you are given the tools to recreate designer spaces you've always dreamt of having at home, in-depth renovation and design advice, colour palette and furniture pairings, and Canada's best places to shop.

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