Mary Ellen
Mary Ellen and her late husband worked for Air Canada for many years. They traveled the world together, collecting art from nearly every continent.
When Mary Ellen made the decision to renovate her False Creek condo, these gorgeous memories had to be the focus of the design as it all came together. We chose a cool, white on grey, monochromatic backdrop in order to highlight the bright colours of her international treasures, which in turn informed the colour choices for the rest of the decor.
Mary Ellen plans to age in place in her condo, so her renovation included every aspect of the unit. Nothing was untouched!
We enlarged the living area by removing a glass block wall that originally enclosed a guest room/den. Here, we included a built-in desk and separate reading area, with a pull-out sofa for occasional visitors.
The living room was brought to life with colours drawn from Mary Ellen's various art pieces collected around the globe. We opted for an ethanol-burning fireplace, simply for some ambiance, with a custom floating hearth where she can showcase any future purchases of ceramics or sculpture.
It was important to leave room for Mary Ellen to add to her collection, as she plans to continue traveling as long as she can!
A key aspect of planning any space is making sure it's suitable to the clients' lifestyle. Mary Ellen stated early on in the project that she rarely cooks, and didn't want to create a designated dining space. She did, however, want a table for card games with friends, as she's an avid Bridge player and often hosts.
I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful view overlooking Granville Island, and create a spot for morning coffee or a light meal. We sourced a space-saving table which transforms from a square dining table to a console table, so Mary Ellen can pull it out for tournaments, but fold it away for daily life.
Although she doesn't cook, Mary Ellen wanted a show stopping kitchen, and she deserves it! The simplicity of the slab-style cabinets make the chevron mosaic stand out, and the grey-on-white scheme was the perfect backdrop to Mary Ellen's predominantly yellow kitchen decor.
We stretched and reframed a beautiful African batik from one of Mary Ellen's trips to hang above the eat-in bar, continuing the yellow-based colour theme.
The gorgeous international art that Mary Ellen has collected over a lifetime was essential to the final design of her home.
Previously, she had each piece framed individually and hung as a gallery wall in the den. We sorted them by continent or region, framing them within large white mattes, and hung them symmetrically in the newly imagined condo. This allowed each piece to speak for itself, even grouped with others.
And of course we left open areas for new pieces to join the collection!
Ageing in place is an important aspect of any design plan for retirees or the elderly who are planning a renovation. Walk-in showers, bathtubs with ample clearance for mobility devices, and grab-bars should all be considerations in a main bathroom.
Mary Ellen wanted a large walk-in shower, assuring she would be safe in her bathroom for as long as possible. Although she chose not to install grab-bars, there is plenty of wall space for adding them, if she chooses to do so in the future.
Reclaiming or repurposing a clients' favourite items is one thing, but I love the opportunity to reimagine and restore heirloom items. This chair first belonged to Mary Ellen's grandmother, and she didn't want to lose it in the contemporary redesign of her space. Neither did I! It was a privilege to seek out the perfect fabric for reupholstering this beautiful chair, and smoothing out the back.
In addition to the antique chair, we were also able to salvage and recover Mary Ellen's gorgeous 80s rattan patio set with a funky ikat-style fabric.
These chairs were built to last, and there was no reason to replace them. Updating the fabric with this fun pattern allows Mary Ellen to enjoy them for many years to come.