Joane and Tony Moran鈥檚 home is truly a faceted jewel in a tranquil garden setting. Instead of the usual right angles and square rooms, the main rooms are hexagonal. And just like a beautiful gem, they are full of reflected light.
The Morans are opening part of their home and Joane鈥檚 studio for the upcoming Visions Art Tour in the Cowichan Valley, an annual opportunity for the public to interact with artists and gain some insight into the creative process. (Read more about it here.)
When the couple moved from West Vancouver to the Cowichan Valley 15 years ago, they were looking for a space with privacy and a place to be creative. 鈥淲e were semi-retired when we moved here, and I wanted to get back into art,鈥� said Joane. 鈥淲hen you raise a family you haven鈥檛 got the time.鈥� They chose the Cobble Hill house with the honeycomb rooms because of the mature landscaping that shields the back garden from view.
Joane was also sold on the glass solarium on the side of the house, a space she has claimed as her studio. Best of all, the other interior spaces are flooded with light through the ample skylights in each room.
They liked the indoor-outdoor feel of the one-level home with its several pairs of sliding glass doors and skylights everywhere. 鈥淚 like the flow and the openness,鈥� said Joane. 鈥淓ven in the winter it is always bright.鈥�
The approach to the main entrance gives the impression of modern lines with pared down details. But once inside, the layout is more complex as rooms angle off the central vestibule. Given all of Joane鈥檚 paintings on the walls, a walk through the three-bedroom, four-bathroom house is a pleasant meander.
In the last 15 years, Joane has paid more attention to developing her own artistic style. Eventually she set herself a challenging goal - to attain her signature status membership in the Federation of Canadian Artists an achievement that took her five years. Her work is part of many private and corporate collections. Her subjects range from giant florals and pet portraits to scenes from her travels and, of course, images of the grandchildren.
Like many creative artists and interior designers who may work with colour but prefer to come home to something easier on the eyes, Joane chose a neutral palette of greys and beige for the interior as a suitable backdrop for her large-sized, vivid oil paintings. For example, her painting of white peonies against the grey walls and next to charcoal grey built-in china cabinets gives the dining room some punch. Her blueberry painting occupies one wall of the living room as does another garden scene canvas. By contrast, the decorating is subdued, with the neutral-toned damask drapes framing the daylight and off-white sofas adding a pop of colour with their Moroccan patterned blue throw cushions.
Mixing and matching antique oak pieces from Joane鈥檚 family with modern upholstered pieces and slip-covering sleight-of-hand creates a calm but interesting interior. What pulls it all together are the hardwood floors in the main areas.
Beyond the main living area is what Joane calls their snug, a cosy den. Here the colours are dark and warm. Leather club chairs are ready for a movie night or a TV binge. An unusual feature, probably original to the 1991 house, is the gas fireplace with a surround made from a tinted mirror.
The kitchen - with more skylights - continues the look of elegant simplicity. The long kitchen island is angled like a boomerang and features a new countertop of white quartz.
The rear garden, with its graceful kidney-shaped pool, is both a private and tranquil place and a focus for entertaining with its easy access to the house off the patio. A lush garden continues the hexagonal theme from the garden bed to the gazebo. The half-acre property has a border with a variegated maple, Japanese maples and showy weigela shrubs as well as perennials.
With the simple one-level design, the house is an ideal retirement haven for the Moran, and a bright haven for their creative spirits.
Cowichan Valley art tour features 22 area artists
Visions Art Tour is on July 6,7 and 8 in the Cowichan Valley. The self-guided studio tour features 22 artists whose work ranges from painting and photography to glassblowing, pottery, woodturning and jewellery making. The studios are conveniently clustered on the driving route: a few in Mill Bay/Shawnigan, some in Arbutus Ridge/Cobble Hill, and more in Duncan, Maple Bay, Cowichan Bay, Lake Cowichan and Crofton. In addition to Moran, some of the award-winning veteran artists on the tour include painters Susan Collacott, Bev Robertson, Catherine Fraser, and Sue Coleman and others. The studios are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the three days. For more information consult the website at
