Vancouver Dec. 2014

“We’ve gotten used to people standing on
the driveway or sidewalk and looking at our
house,” says Mom in this family with three
young boys. “Recently there was someone taking
pictures of our chimney.” Her husband, a
high-tech exec, adds “it’s so well appointed
and designed; extremely sophisticated, yet
an understated type of architecture. We aren’t
showy. This place has high-end design and
construction but feels welcoming.”
The 6,500 sq.-ft. new build was carefully executed
over a five-year period by noted West
Coast architect Peter Rose, who explained that
his clients didn’t give him magazine tears or
photos of their dream home. “Instead they said
they wanted something modern on the interior,
but very traditional on the exterior,” notes Rose.
“Although this property doesn’t have an ocean
view, it definitely makes the most of the forested
area and overlooks a spectacular garden.”
That is one of the triumphs of Rose’s design.
The hearty stone and shingle exterior,
with its swooping “eyebrow” rooflines over the
entrance and windows, is a classic facade that
you would easily find in the northeastern U.S.,
particularly around Nantucket. It references
the low-slung Prairie Style as well. But instead
of cramped, boxy bungalow rooms, there are
high barrel-vaulted ceilings which stretch up
to the second storey. Transom windows above
every door are a gateway to the sun, and openconcept
spaces perfectly mirror how contemporary
families gather and interact.
“Every sightline was carefully calibrated,”
Rose remarks. The rooms not only flow easily
from one to another, they tend to frame
a special view.” Rose kept the use of natural
materials consistent throughout to maximize
a sense of warmth. Walnut flooring finished in
tung oil has a soft lustre, while limestone tiles
Opposite page: Reedcovered
chairs, granite
backsplash and countertops
and a live-oak
dining table are naturalistic
touches in the eat-in
kitchen. Below: Connecting
window edges in
the family room create a
continuous, transparent
corner that appears to
wrap the room in trees.
The barrel-vaulted ceiling
lends grandeur.