Decorating & Design
August 23, 2021
Visit A Waterfront Home With Breezy Indoor-Outdoor Style
It was over a decade ago when Ami McKay of Pure Design Inc. first arrived at her friend Kirsten Reid’s house for a party. “Wait a minute!” she gasped as she walked through the front door. “I’ve been here before — I almost put an offer in on this house!” Though Ami didn’t end up with the perfectly perched cottage-style home in Lions Bay, British Columbia, a community near West Vancouver, she met its owner, Kirsten, years later and they had bonded over their shared love of the little house. Not only that, Ami had played matchmaker — she helped introduce Kirsten and Todd Woodward, who happened to be the best friend of Ami’s husband, Don Thomas.
So, in 2018, when Kirsten was planning the renovation of the circa-1965 house — it was short on space but long on vintage charm — she knew Ami and Don (Pure Design Inc.’s construction manager) were the right couple for the job. It was finally time for Ami to put her stamp on the house.
With four kids between Kirsten and Todd — two in high school and two taking online university classes — the couple needed a home that could accommodate the hustle and bustle of their blended family.
First, the floor plan needed to be addressed. “The insanely small kitchen didn’t work and impeded the view — it was silly,” says Ami. She moved the kitchen to the other side of the main floor, where a garage turned flex space sat, and removed a wall and added beams to support the newly carved-out room. It might have been easier just to rip out the cottage’s original shiplap walls when adding new insulation, but Ami was adamant that this period detail be preserved, and Kirsten loved the rustic element, too.
Now properly warm, cozy and authentic, the property has a relaxed coastal style with a soothing palette of white, blue and wood tones that doesn’t feel like a formulaic nautical scheme.
Scroll down to escape to this dreamy waterfront home!
“Ami nailed it,” says Kirsten (left), pictured here with Todd (seated), Don and Ami. “I just love our home — I wanted a calm, warm, welcoming feeling, and our home has exactly that!”
In lieu of the old cramped cooking quarters is the new dining area, with only a wall of glass separating it from the deck, which is where family and friends enjoy the ocean, mountain and forest backdrop. The textural elements — by way of a jute rug, wooden table and wicker pendants — create an inviting place to gather.
“The only thing I asked Ami not to change was the feeling in the living room,” says Kirsten. “It has a real cabin vibe, and I wanted it to have that laid-back beachy feel.” So here, Ami’s touch was light: she added lighting, changed the furniture layout, toned down the yellow of the fireplace stone and installed a concrete bench under the TV. “Kirsten has been throwing parties here for years, but we always needed more places to sit!” says Ami with a laugh.
“My old kitchen wasn’t usable,” says Kirsten. “This one is beautiful, open and bright, with tiles that shimmer like seashells.” The island’s clay tile is a vibrant focal point, with its watery hues and crackled finish. One side of the kitchen now offers unobstructed ocean vistas, while the sink wall boasts peekaboo views from a newly installed window.
Handmade zellige backsplash tile grouted in calming blue adds earthiness and a relaxed vibe.
A wall of blue floor-to-ceiling cabinets provides great pantry storage.
The original kitchen sink plumbing was kept intact for the wet bar, with new lower cabinets painted a deep blue to evoke the ocean and flat-panel uppers in rustic white oak bringing modern beachy style.
White-painted shiplap and botanical prints bring a cottage vibe to the principal bedroom.
The principal bathroom offers spa-like relaxation.
The vanity is made of reclaimed floor joists from the former Nelson Brothers Fisheries gill-netter sheds.
Janis Nicolay
House & Home July/August 2021
Ami McKay, Pure Design Inc.