Love It Or List It Vancouver: Lisa & Chris

Lisa & Chris had a charming 100-year old home in a lovely neighbourhood but the home’s dysfunctions were really cramping the family’s style – 1 shower for 4 people and a powder room without a door… not to mentioned a closet-sized art studio for Chris. Jillian and the Love it Design Team were tasked with making the most of these small spaces – we knew that Todd would be showing them larger homes further away (and closer to Lisa’s beloved horse, Mike) so we knew we would have to work creatively within the room sizes to make the most of the spaces, selecting finishes and storage solutions that would win Lisa over and have her see the charm and function of her home again.

Starting from the top – the top floor that is – the powder room without a door needed to be addressed ASAP! We used the landing at the top of the stairs to enlarge the powder room and give it a shower and – wait for it… a door!!! 

It was impossible to raise the ceiling height in this space so we took cues from European bathrooms that are often small but perfectly functional and quaint. Adding a second skylight in the new shower gave it not only the lovely light but also the added headroom. The space leftover from creating the shower was smartly turned into a little added storage for a laundry basket and shelving. New marble hex tile over in-floor heating makes this once avoided, door-less bathroom, into a functional and comfortable 3 piece bathroom with European style.

As mentioned, every inch counts, so this little nook in the shower wall helps out with shampoo and soap storage.

The main floor bathroom was also in desperate need of our services: a good size room but cramped due to a giant tub a pair of pedestal sinks that offered no storage and a leaking corner shower… We brought our friends at Kohler in to this in a major way: a stunning cast iron claw-foot tub was to be the centerpiece of this new bathroom – any woman’s (or man’s!) dream…. Appropriately sized for the space – but still large enough for a decadent bubble bath after a long day on the horse trails – it suits the room perfectly.

Adding a double vanity with storage (mirrored storage cabinets too!) a sizeable glass-enclosed shower and a linen cabinet built to suit by STOR-X this bathroom is now family and storage friendly but we wouldn’t be surprised if the door gets locked out on the rest of the family while one person enjoys the luxury of the space all to themselves!

And finally, Chris’ art studio – it had been a multi-purpose room before with horse tackle storage and the microwave taking over much needed art-supply storage. We relocated the microwave in the kitchen (a new cabinet at the foot of the stairs) and knocked out a couple closet walls to give Chris as much room as possible for larger canvases. Cloverdale Paint supplied us with a stunning shade of navy for one accent wall, painting the remaining walls an off-white to allow the natural light to bounce around the room.

Fully functional thanks to STOR-X custom desk and linen cabinet (not shown), this art studio offers Chris not only an area for painting, but a warm corner for reading up on his favourite artists – a sanctuary of his own!

A big thank you as always to Janis Nicolay for the gorgeous photos!!

Visit the W Network for more on this Love It Or List It Vancouver episode! To watch the full episode, click here and for more before and after photos, as well as a full resource list please click here!!!

Francesca Albertazzi