Perched high on a steep slope overlooking the water, this elegant and energy-efficient Nanaimo home is a welcoming sight, flooded with light and replete with natural building materials.
It鈥檚 also a major award winner.
The KB Design house received a gold CARE award in 2016 for best single-family detached home over $2聽million, and this year it garnered three more top聽awards, winning gold Vancouver Island Building Excellence acclaim for聽best project of the year, best outdoor living space and best single-family home聽measuring 3,000 to 4,500 square feet.
Designed by Victoria鈥檚 Keith Baker and built by TS Williams Construction, based in Parksville and Nanaimo, the project had some challenges in the early stages.
鈥淚t overlooks a mid-Island bay and the lot was gorgeous, but the lot slopes steeply down to the sea,鈥� Baker said.
鈥淎nd there was an old house on the property that wasn鈥檛 worth fixing up because it had all kinds of faults in terms of layout and architecture.鈥�
The owners had lived in the 1957 home for seven years and were familiar with the environment and light on the property. They liked the general arrangement of rooms, so聽when designing anew, Baker mainly kept to the original footprint.
But the rest of the house changed dramatically.
In the new home, he increased ceilings heights, designed a garage with a vaulted ceiling and clerestory windows, and totally redesigned the entry.
鈥淭he biggest challenge was working out the entire arrival area, and how to get down to the front door,鈥� Baker said.
鈥淭he previous carport was quite a bit higher than the main floor, and there was a聽very narrow, steep walkway to the front door.鈥�
Baker wanted to make the transition from garage to house more accessible and attractive. He completely covered it, adding skylights, too.
鈥淎 huge part of making it function well was to build a wall and create terracing down to the entry.
鈥淭he magical part is, if you get it right, it just feels comfortable. No one says: 鈥極h that鈥檚 interesting how that slope was handled,鈥� 鈥� he said with a chuckle.
Now a visitor arrives in the expansive parking area at the bottom of the drive and strolls left, guided by a small wall and glass railing, then down some stairs and back to the right.
A stone pillar helps differentiate the pathway from the drive, a form echoed in other vertical stone columns, as well as two ladder windows by the front door.
The roofline was also redesigned, due to the property鈥檚 sharp incline.
鈥淲e created a mid-century look with a butterfly roof that drains to the centre,鈥� said Baker. The contemporary concept made sense, because the roof now tips up toward the driveway rather than down, while also tipping up on the view side, like the brim of a hat.
On the lower terrace, the owners now have extensive storage that was cleverly tucked under the upper patio, providing room for pool machinery, a bathroom, a change room and space for summer furniture and diving equipment.
A cabana designed by the owner features a barbecue, fridge, sink, small dishwasher and smaller version of the upper-level garage door.
The home鈥檚 interior used to have a narrow staircase descending to the lower level, but now boasts an attractive, open-tread staircase mounted on a single spine and outlined in glass.
The owner said she and her husband first saw the house a dozen years ago, but it wasn鈥檛 for sale.
鈥淲e were invited over for drinks 鈥� and asked if we could buy it.鈥�
The one-third-acre property and house instantly felt like home. 鈥淚t is very rare to find south-facing waterfront in the mid-Island, where we have this wonderfully warm micro climate.鈥�
The lot is 64 metres long and has a grade change of more than 20 metres between street and ocean, so it made sense to create several levels. The new 3,800-square-foot house is located a third of the way down, while the pool level is another third below, and lower still are steps to the ocean.
The owners are originally from the Prairies. 鈥淟ike many Prairie people, coming to Vancouver Island was part of our childhood holidays,鈥� said one of the owners. 鈥淭hat seed was planted at an early age 鈥� it was always an idyllic place to return to.鈥�
The two have travelled and sailed extensively around the world, 鈥渁nd we think this place is heaven. The more you travel, the older you get, the more you appreciate the kinds of things this place has to offer.鈥�
Their travels helped inspire the look of their new pool deck.
Neither she nor her husband had wanted a huge expanse of concrete, and one day they had a brainwave.
鈥淲e always liked the look of teak in Bali and decided to break up our pool deck with synthetic wood. It鈥檚 a nice visual and makes a great place for dancing. We鈥檝e already used it for a couple of big parties and a large wedding reception.鈥�
And neither is concerned about the stairs. In fact, they鈥檙e part of her fitness regime 鈥� she runs them every day.
鈥淲e are both 60 and we wanted a retirement home that would keep us busy. My husband and I love being active 鈥� boating, kayaking 鈥� and if we ever think we need an elevator, it will probably be time to leave鈥� 鈥� although she added that there is plenty of room on the stairs for a mechanical chair.
She is equally practical about indoor flooring.
鈥淚鈥檓 a pretty casual person and I don鈥檛 mind women coming in with heels. It鈥檚 part of their outfit. I had ladies at the floor store jump all around with their heels on this flooring before we bought it and there wasn鈥檛 a mark. It鈥檚 very forgiving.鈥�
A lover of natural products and colours, she chose calming colours for the interiors.
鈥淎ll the colours exactly mimic the rocks, the sky. We have no bright colours 鈥� it鈥檚 kind of holistic 鈥� easy on the eyes.鈥�
She added that they were thrilled with the work of Baker and TS Williams. 鈥淢y husband has a background in design and definitely had a vision, so he and Keith collaborated.
鈥淭his is not a technically easy property, but Keith was remarkably flexible and they worked together extremely well.鈥�
Baker agreed, adding the home is a place of relaxation and serenity.
鈥淲hen you arrive, it is very inviting and welcoming, yet a little private. It鈥檚 a nice balance between the two 鈥� and the house doesn鈥檛 block anyone鈥檚 view, as it is sunk right into the ground and barely perceptible.鈥�