Condos/Apartments
April 29, 2024
A Vancouver Pied-À-Terre Is Dressed To The Nines By Design Firm Falken Reynolds
Imagine a ferry terminal at your doorstep, where one stop on the Aquabus brings you across False Creek to Granville Island for fresh produce, followed by a stroll to Fisherman’s Wharf for the morning’s catch of the day. Weekends are spent wandering the seawall and relaxing at Sunset Beach before heading up more than 20 storeys to watch the sun sink into the ocean. This is Vancouver living at its best, and the reason why these owners, a couple who work in import-export and media, respectively, bought a 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath condo at 888 Beach. “In so many ways, it’s the essence of downtown Vancouver,” says designer Chad Falkenberg of the building’s prime location.
Chad, along with partner Kelly Reynolds, are the principals of Falken Reynolds, the firm hired to completely redesign the couple’s Beach District suite. “Our friends at Inform Interiors referred us to the owners in 2018, and together we embarked on a complete gut renovation of their space,” says Kelly. The designers spent a year creating a design plan that would suit their clients’ needs. “Our clients loved the design process, considering options and bouncing ideas back and forth,” says Chad. “They wanted to invest time into exploration.” The creative brief was clear: it would be an artistically designed apartment that would serve as their clients’ Canadian retreat. This translated into a playful mix of asymmetrical forms, a rich layering of materials such as stone, metal and leather, bold lighting and space to display their art collection. “We aimed for sophisticated and cosmopolitan,” says Kelly.
Scroll down for a look inside this contemporary condo in Vancouver!
The living room offers a panoramic view of the Burrard Street Bridge and English Bay beyond. An ombré-effect rug brings in the blue, green and gold hues of the outdoors.
To maintain a serene atmosphere, the palette is neutral, with walls painted a custom color to match the Grigio Efeso–hued Fenix laminate used for the kitchen millwork. Drama is injected via 11 varieties of natural stone, including a heavily leathered Invisible White marble on the kitchen backsplash. A brass-clad vent hood almost seems to float in front of the backsplash.
Sculptural lighting adds even more layers. “We took one of the owners to Bocci’s glassblowing studio, and she fell in love with the fixtures,” says Chad. “Each installation has different flush- or ghost-mounted canopies to make them as discrete as possible,” adds Kelly.
The owners asked for a pocket door between the principal bedroom and living area so that, when recessed, they’d be able to see the North Shore Mountains, English Bay and Granville Island from bed. “We had to carefully measure the elevator and corridors to make sure the pocket door would fit in the building,” says Chad with a laugh. Because it’s an older development, the designers also had to manage existing plumbing, electrical and structural elements that couldn’t be relocated.
The dramatic ensuite features a bold Avocatus quartzite vanity and sink, walls clad in Graphite marble tile and a striking lighting arrangement. A tub sits just outside the ensuite to allow a sunset view while bathing. “We treated the tub as a piece of furniture — a bit like how you would in a French palace 200 years ago,” says Chad. “The marble has the most subtle cloud-like veining, and the Bocci 84 pendants with their glass-encased copper create a warm, glowing reflection that feels like candlelight,” adds Kelly. The result is a beguiling mix of art gallery vibes and luxe cozy retreat.
The dressing room has a sofa bed and doubles as a guest suite. A gallery wall is packed with the clients’ art.
Why They Chose This Condo:
The Golden Hour: “With walls of windows, the space is bathed in a beautiful, golden glow at sunset,” says Chad.
The Views: “Design decisions were centered on maximizing the incredible views,” says Kelly.
The Location: “The building is well-suited to our clients’ lifestyle,” says Chad. “They love cycling along the seawall and making daily trips to Granville Island for fresh groceries.”
The Convenience: “Because they split their time between Asia and Vancouver, the owners liked the idea of having a place they could easily lock up and leave,” says Kelly
Ema Peter
House & Home
Chad Falkenberg and Kelly Reynolds