Western Living May/June 2026

CONTENTS

HOMES + DESIGN

p. 09 One to Watch

Calgary artist Simone Elizabeth Saunders transforms the craft of punch-needling into lush, large-scale portraiture that asks viewers to look up.

p. 12 Shopping + The Directory

Fresh finds, standout staples and a few smart must-know new shops across the West.

p. 14 Trade Secrets

A once-tricky top floor gets dealt a winning hand with custom storage, soft seating and game-night-ready vibes.

p. 16 The Room

Mud room, cat corner, marble moment: these laundry spaces make utility look unusually chic.

THE GOOD LIFE

p. 62 Place Setting

At Vancouver’s Kavita, bold regional Indian cooking meets a soft-spoken room designed to let the food lead.

p. 64 No Glut, All Glory

In her debut cookbook, Jannell Lo reworks beloved East and Southeast Asian recipes without losing an ounce of comfort or kick.

p. 69 Getaway Guide

Three restorative escapes, from Mayne Island’s gentle pace to Sooke’s quiet luxury and the Sunshine Coast’s creative pull.

PLUS

p. 82 In Living Colour

HOME TOURS

p. 20 Small Space, Big Vision

Twobytwo Architecture Studio proves that even a rental can feel deeply personal with custom details, sharp colour and room to gather.

p. 24 The Little House Redux

A forgotten mid-century house in South V ancouver gets a luminous second act, complete with pool, pool house and plenty of soul.

p. 36 Play House

A crumbling East Vancouver heritage house is reinvented as bright and playful, with bold colour and pink shingles out back.

p. 48 Into the Woods

Cool, calm and quietly striking, glacier blue brings a fresh hit of colour to everything from tile to textiles. B.C. + ALBERTA » VOLUME 54 » NUMBER 3

OMB brings light, function and calm to a ’60s North Shore home perched deep in the trees.

Renovations and Reconnections

IT’S NOT OFTEN that I get to personally spend an evening in one of the homes we feature in Western Living—though, when I come across a space I’m particularly charmed with, it’s certainly something I picture myself doing. But, luckily for me, the lovely rental reno we have in this issue is an exception.

This past fall, I was catching up with a friend at IDS Vancouver, and he let me know about an architecture group that wasn’t yet on my radar. So, I hopped onto Twobytwo Architecture Studio’s Instagram and, after spotting a few photos I immediately loved, I dropped them a line: would they be game for us to run the lovely apartment renovation they were profiling?

They were, but it wasn’t until writer Vivian Chong filed her story that I realized the client was an old friend of mine. It was a clear sign that we were overdue for catch up, so we reconnected over cocktails at his new madeto-measure home—a space that’s 100-percent him, from the cheery floral wallpaper that

greets you in the entrance to the custom millwork in the living area that perfectly fits both his vinyl collection and his family heirlooms.

It’s a very personal space (read more about it on page 20)—and a perfect illustration of how thoughtful design can take a home from good to great. You’ll find other inspiring and special spaces in this issue, too, with renovations that range from a boldly colourful update (with salmon-pink shingles!) on a turnof-the century home in Vancouver’s Strathcona neighbourhood to two mid-century homes that beautifully rescue West Coast modernism history.

I don’t expect I’ll get the opportunity to have cocktails and conversation in all the spaces we’ve featured in this issue, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be weaving inspiration from these clever renovations into my own home over the months to come. Meanwhile, I hope you find plenty of ideas here to bookmark for your own future dream reno— with luck, maybe I’ll catch it on Instagram one day soon.

Anicka Quin, Editor-in-Chief

Follow Anicka on Instagram @aniqua

PORT COQUITLAM

Spotlighting the best of architecture and design in Western Canada

HOMES & DESIGN

ONE TO WATCH Tuft Love

Calgary textile artist

Simone Elizabeth Saunders turns a so-called “domestic craft” into velvet-rich portraiture that asks for reverence, eye contact and a little neck tilt.

By Kerri Donaldson

for you to meet her work: chin up.

When her large-scale portraits go on the wall, she asks curators to hang them above eye level so “the viewer has to slightly look up in honour of the figures I frame as ancestors,” says Saunders. It’s a tiny adjustment that changes the relationship. You’re not drifting past. You’re looking up.

That posture cue is also a revolt against the origin story of her medium. Punch needle, Saunders notes, “was designed in the early 1920s for housewives in America to make little area rugs or seat cushions or pillowcases.” In other words, things meant to be stepped on. Saunders takes that underfoot craft and lifts it to gallery height, where it demands notice.

Her portraits feel staged in the best way. Before fibre, Saunders earned a BFA in performance at the University of Alberta and co-founded Ellipsis Tree Collective, an Afrocentric theatre company in Calgary. “The stage and script writing and directing and building character... influence the work that I create,” says Saunders. You can see it in the composition and the gaze. These aren’t passive muses. They’re leads.

Eventually, Saunders sought out a different kind of expression. “I really wanted the autonomy of exploring just my voice and my history and my Caribbean and my African diaspora,” she says. She enrolled at Alberta University of the Arts, graduated with a BFA in fibre with distinction in 2020, and found a medium that rewards obsession.

Fibre suits her brain. “I’m a very detail-oriented person,” she says. Textile is a medium that demands exactness. Yarn doesn’t blend like paint, so if she wants colours to sing together in a duality, she builds that loop by loop. “It’s really synchronizing the vibration of two colours together,” she explains.

“Colour is also a big focus in my day-to-day,” says Saunders. “There isn’t a colour that isn’t used. Which colour connects with which... it’s a big meditation.”

BLACK NOUVEAU

Inspired by Art Nouveau and the Renaissance, Saunders re-centres Black women within iconography that historically excludes them.

The material carries its own metaphor. “The yarn is so soft and malleable,” says Saunders. “If you snag it, [it] can unravel. Yet the content is rooted in... uplifting Black womanhood.” Make no mistake, the softness here isn’t fragility—it’s strategy. Her Four Queens series, for example, inspired by Alphonse Mucha’s Precious Stones, is re-centred with Black women and bold typography: black power, black love, black magic and black dreams. The words land fast, but the making of them doesn’t: Saunders’s oversized pieces can take anywhere from two to four months to create.

In 2021, Contemporary Calgary presented her solo exhibition u.n.i.t.y, which later travelled to the Textile Museum of Canada. Seeing it in person is the point. “Textiles... are so tactile,” says Saunders. Velvet threads catch light, sparkly yarn flashes like jewellery and colour seems to hum. Saunders knows a camera will flatten that.

Next up, Saunders is designing for the theatre and the home: she recently created a commemorative chair for Calgary’s Grand Theatre honouring Charles Daniels, a Black Canadian who in 1914 was asked to move from floor seats to the balcony during King Lear Ahead of its February 3 unveiling, the project has “really inspired and struck a chord” says Saunders, including sparking new home-decor designs and early collaborations alongside her studio practice.

The timing feels uncanny as she enters her final trimester: she’s expecting her first child, a girl. “It’s as though the stars aligned... my work is so maternal and so much anchored in the feminine divine,” says Saunders. Ask what she hopes young Black and brown girls take from her work and Saunders keeps it blunt: “You are your own biggest advocate. Don’t wait for other people to boost you up,” she says.

It’s advice that matches the practice: take what was meant to live quietly in the background, pull it up onto the wall, and make people look up.

Follow her at @simoneelizabethsaunders

NEED A NEW RECIPE?

En Plein Air

Emberhaus’s outdoor Fire oven (from $14,750) is a shockingly stylish handcrafted charcoal oven made from marine-grade stainless steel, ready to grill, roast, smoke or bake, whatever the weather. livingspace.com

Top Table

The Peggy table ($3,436)— designed by Designers of the Year judge Nicole Marion for Canadian design collective Ourse—nods to nostalgia with its humble shape, but exaggerated dimensions give it a winky modern charm. ourse.ca

Spinning Out

The recycled polyethylene shade of the Rificolona hanging light ($1,759) dangles and rotates delicately overhead, like an ethereal, floating top. omggingerjar.com

Laidback Living

The plush Plus sofa (from $12,500) projects a casual spirit with its wide, soft backrests and elegantly shrugging arms. resourcefurniture.ca

Noteworthy New in stores across the West.

By Stacey McLachlan

On a Barrel Roll

Made from brushed solid ash, the barrel-shaped Porada Bold coffee tables (from $3,010 each) feature a sleek cut-out for storage: a design that feels weighty and light simultaneously. annestarr.ca

Turn It Around

A swivel armchair is the best armchair: all the better if it comes in punchy shades like kelly green or denim blue, like these elegant, compact Fold chairs ($3,500) from Vancouver furniture design studio Edits. vanspecial.com

Lounge Lizard

The elegant, limited-edition cobalt-blue Cassina 4 lounger ($13,800)—a re-release of a Le Corbusier design—is a classic, no matter the colour. lightform.ca

Static Electricity

How fun is the speckled, TV-static-esque fabric that upholsters this Moroso Prodotti Sedona bedframe ($12,416)? inform.ca

THE DIRECTORY

For Palm Springs-Inspired Accessories

MCM Avenue

The quirky gift shop brings Palm Springs kitsch and mid-century style to Tsawwassen, B.C., with a smartly curated collection of vintage-inspired cocktail glasses, colourful Kit-Cat Klocks, gorgeous coffee table books and (our favourite) tissue boxes shaped to look like 1950s California ranchers. 1131 56 St., Tsawwassen, B.C., mcmavenue.com

Give ’Em the Slip The Canadiandesigned Frida house shoes ($235) from Mave and Chez are cushy but arch-supporting and come in chic hues like olive velvet, with sophisticated details like leather tassels. @westerlystudioshop

Mighty Oak Crate and Barrel’s Esselen media console ($4,399) is a textural treasure, faced with waves of white oak. crateandbarrel.ca

Must-know resources for outfitting your home right.

For a Sharp Selection of Knives Ai and Om

Upgrade your own knifeblock or source a housewarming gift for the home cook in your life at this specialty shop in Vancouver’s Chinatown, which stocks beautifully crafted Japanese knives (and other blade-adjacent tools, like kitchen shears and artisanal graters) at a variety of price points. 129 E Pender St., Vancouver, aiandomknives.com

For More Marimekko Urbanity

South Granville’s beloved Goodge Place recently closed its doors, but don’t shed too many tears: owner Emily McLean is bringing her great taste across the street to clothing boutique Urbanity, which will now stock home goods. Of special note is the latest collection from Marimekko: find both home and fashion picks here. 2412 Granville St., Vancouver, urbanity.ca

THE LOOK Game On

DESIGNER

Jeffrey Liu , Jeffrey Liu Studio, Vancouver

Though now this games room is the perfect spot to sort through a 1,000-piece jigsaw, the space was a bit of a puzzle itself for the homeowners when they first moved into their three-storey townhouse: how could the wideopen top floor be transformed into a cozy gathering place for game nights? Designer Jeffrey Liu held the winning hand with a design that defined two distinct zones: on one side, a cozy library and reading area; on the other, a lounge with ample seating that invites players to gather around and roll the dice. Custom storage built by Construct by Nuthatch helps define said zones, and provides plenty of cabinetry to stow away the Monopoly board at the end of the night.

Best Dressed

These laundry rooms are designed to do the dirty work in style.

By Anicka Quin

THE ROOM

Moody Blues

If there’s a common theme to each of these laundry rooms, it’s this: beautiful and practical makes for a great space to get the heavy lifting done. This home from designer Randall Boisvert of Covet Interiors sits on the shores of Kootenay Lake in Nelson, B.C.: it was created for a homeowner whose laidback lifestyle doesn’t diminish his love for a welldesigned space, as boldly illustrated in this duo laundry and mud room (also a finalist for our 2026 Western Living Design 25 Awards). The room serves as the practical drop zone/ entry that keeps the main entrance clear of visual clutter, with custom red oak millwork from Forest Designs that incorporates integrated hooks to quickly hang towels or anything else at hand. Lake-inspired blue zellige tile brings a watery glitter to the backsplash, echoing the shifting tones of the nearby lake. And sturdy Dekton counters in Laos—a rich and muddled dark grey—offer the perfect balance to the polished concrete floors.

Spin Cycle

You know it’s a smart design when a basement laundry room manages to feel as bright and airy as this one (even more so when you learn this fact: the ceilings are just seven feet!). The space from Vancouver’s Measured Architecture was formerly a mechanical room, and now serves both as a workhorse of a laundry room (the homeowner is an avid cyclist, and can enter straight from a ride through a back door to discard muddy gear right into the washer) and a tucked-away spot for the family cats’ litter box (hidden behind a pretty cutout in the cabinetry). Millwork of Douglas fir plywood has been whitewashed to keep the space bright, as have the original brick walls. Drying racks from Pulley Maid mounted to the wall offer a space-saving alternative to bulky stand-up models, and a pretty and durable Corian counter (in soothing Seagrass) brings just enough soft colour to the space to make laundry day a lovely one.

COOL CORNER

“We

Pretty Practical

Don’t let the elegant, thoughtful materials fool you: this laundry room is ready to work. “We wanted you to walk into a space that felt very layered and warm and offered texture,” says designer Rosemary Cappellano of Winnipeg’s Dlux Design and Co., who worked on the space with fellow designer Alexandria Lee. “And then when you dove into what was happening, there was a reason for all of things we incorporated in the room.”

The room is enveloped— millwork and ceiling too—in a warm green (Sherwin-Williams’s Link Gray), which is paired with leathered Arabescato marble counters. On the walls, there’s more warmth: a creamy woven wallpaper that would feel just as at home in a bedroom. And functionality is all within reach: hanging rods and a pull-down drying rack accommodate everyday garments, while mesh linear drawers provide the perfect drying option for delicate items. Roll-out hampers streamline sorting, a deep sink is perfect for pre-soaking clothing and additional pull-outs neatly organize detergents and laundry care essentials. “Our goal was for it to function in a high capacity in terms of its function,” says Cappellano, “but when you walk in, you can still have a very lovely experience.”

PROPER PLACEMENT

This laundry room sits adjacent to the bedrooms on the main floor. “Given that 85 percent of laundry is coming from beds and clothing, when we have the opportunity, it’s more convenient near the bedrooms,” says designer Rosemary Cappellano.

DAVID TYL AND JENNY BASSETT thought they were only going to select some furniture. But what began as a simple procurement job quickly grew into a year-long redesign for the founding partners of Twobytwo Architecture Studio.

Their client, Brian Sullivan, a retired university vice-president and “septuagenarian aesthete,” had recently downsized into a 600-square-foot Vancouver apartment overlooking Stanley Park and English Bay. Though the apartment is rented, he knew he was here to stay. He had originally planned just a few new pieces for his one-bedroom West End apartment—a sofa here, a desk there—but when the Twobytwo team suggested built-ins, a new vision started to emerge. The work was initially expected to take only a few months, but as the vision grew, so did the scope. “The timeline was a bit unexpected,” says Bassett, “but it ended up being a really important project for us, because of the nature of it being a rental and customized to a certain degree.”

Made to Measure

Guided by their client’s personal style and a few treasured pieces, Tyl and Bassett layered in custom furniture, reupholstered heirlooms, clever millwork and bold patterns.

“I was inspired by the way that Brian would dress and mix patterns,” says Bassett. “That brought a lot of design consideration into the space.” The result is a home that fits the client’s personality as precisely as the shelves built to his record collection’s exact dimensions.

SMALL SPACE, BIG VISION

Twobytwo Architecture Studio transforms a compact West End rental in Vancouver with bold colours, custom millwork and curated heirlooms—proving that good design isn’t just for homeowners.

By Vivian Chong | Photos by Jarusha Brown

Form and Function

The living room creates zones for work, relaxation and entertaining with a cozy Article sectional, custom-coloured coffee

Personal Touches

The team reupholstered an heirloom chair in Svenskt Tenn fabric while new wall moulding frames the bed and art. A custom-cut yellow felt top on the Kartell Componibili side table is changed seasonally to match bedding. In the entrance (left), floral wallpaper from

Entering the home, you’re greeted with a burst of tulips, crocuses, dandelions and forget-me-nots. The dark floral wallpaper from Swedish interior design brand Svenskt Tenn was a collaborative pick by the design team, Sullivan and his daughter, landscape architect Amelia Sullivan from Landscape Landscape, who also worked extensively on the project.

“I think the wallpaper is such a great conversation point,” says Bassett. “When you step into this space, you’re greeted with the personality of Brian and what you’re going to encounter throughout.”

Turning the corner into the living space, the palette shifts to shades of blue that seem to reflect the views outside the windows and the distant mountains. “We were really inspired by looking out to Stanley Park,” says Bassett. “In the background, there’s this really nice dark blue.”

The designers introduced dusty navy hues with an Article sectional, millwork accents, parlour walls and a coffee table topped with a custom tray, repainted from black to match the new aesthetic. Pops of sharp yellow and deep greens balance the moody scheme.

The deep blue carries into the bedroom (Benjamin Moore’s Kensington Blue), accented with pattern-mixed bedding inspired by Sullivan’s fashion-forward outfits. “Here we were really into the idea of colour drenching,” says Bassett. “Trying to match hues throughout the

whole space and then to complement those hues with the textile on the chair.”

That blue floral-patterned side chair is among several meaningful family heirlooms, including vintage club chairs, a vide poche (a small catch-all bowl for keys and pocket items) and the top of an antique hutch. One of Sullivan’s first requests to the designers was to incorporate these heirlooms, along with pieces from his art collection. The vintage chairs, worn over time, were reupholstered in bold red and blue fabrics from the same design house as the wallpaper, tying them back to the entrance and reflecting Sullivan’s evolving contemporary tastes.

Many of his existing art and heirloom pieces featured warm wood tones, which informed newer elements like the cherry millwork shelving built to fit below a living room bulkhead. Blending old and new gave the apartment a harmonious feel while tailoring it to Sullivan’s love of music, reading and art.

Working with Caliper, Tyl and Bassett designed custom shelving and closed storage to house Sullivan’s photo albums and extensive record collection, measuring all of his audio equipment for a perfect fit. From there, the millwork transitions into a recessed art wall, designed to display his collection while opening up the entryway and living space.

Tight Spaces, Big Impact

But most of all, the redesign was about creating a home where Sullivan, a proud grandfather, could gather with family despite the compact footprint. “We wanted to create a very calming, relaxing area where Brian could either read his daily paper or host his family,” explains Bassett. But the tiny parlour nook’s awkward angles meant off-the-shelf furniture would leave little seating—and some scuffed walls.

“It really led us to think about how we can create the most amount of seating in the most efficient way. So that was when this bench came into play,” says Bassett, nodding to the built-in banquette, another collaboration with Caliper. The pill-shaped dining table, in the same bluetinged grey as the banquette (Benjamin Moore’s Brewster Gray), was also designed by Tyl and Bassett, constructed from wood using a CNC machine. Its cambered legs were shaped to maximize seating in the

room’s tricky angles while providing enough weight to prevent tipping. Above the banquette, a wooden shelf provides more space for family heirlooms and photographs.

And while most people wouldn’t invest this level of redesign in a rental, Bassett says it paid off—proving that self-expression through design doesn’t require home ownership. “Often, we’ll just live with a typical Vancouver layout, the typical Vancouver finishes. But as a person who wanted this to be a reflection of who he was and his identity, I think it was important for him to do all these interventions.”

Scott and Scott resurrects a Ron Thom mid-century gem in the unlikeliest of spots.

THE LITTLE HOUSE REDUX

By Neal McLennan | Photos by Ema Peter

Open Air

Material World

Flash Back

IfAN

ARCHITECT HAD penned the classic children’s book The Little House, it would read much like the story of this abode. Constructed in the early 1950s by the legendary architect Ron Thom as a compact one-and-a-halfstorey, this wooden Little House shone as an ode to mid-century design on its large South Vancouver lot. But as the years went by, all the Little House’s neighbours were torn down, replaced with large two-storey mansions built to the maximum allowable square footage (and frequently with a minimum nod to aesthetics). Soon, its thoughtful facade fell into disrepair and dense foliage obscured it from the street, such that a passerby might not even know that the Little House was still there.

Green Screen

The towering trees surrounding the house likely kept it from being spotted by real estate speculators over the years, and would have made it challenging to tear down.

But three heroes—the owner, the architects and the contractor—worked together to bring the house back to its former glory. That owner is Ken Wai, a developer and occasional restaurateur (he founded the luminous Lumière with Rob Feenie back in the 1990s). Wai was living in a fourplex he had built near the water in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood, but the space was proving too compact and he was looking for a property with a bit more breathing room. He’d been aware of this home for ages—he had seen it years before buying it, and while he was intrigued, the combination of pricing and timing wasn’t right. But the Little House—and its endless potential—stuck in his builder’s mind (he had a high school friend who lived in a Ron Thom house) and he eventually pulled the trigger on what he knew was going to be a multi-year restoration. All in the middle of the pandemic.

Luckily, with his background, Wai had no illusions about a reno of an important house being a cost saver. “There’s no doubt building from scratch would have been cheaper,” he says—but, having been living in a very modern concrete and glass home, he was entranced by the home’s warm, mid-century patina. All he needed were the right partners to help him on his journey. His friend, the gallerist Monte Clark, recommended architects David and Susan Scott of Scott and Scott. Wai recognized them from their extensive restaurant work (Torafuku, Mak N Ming, Kin Kao)—and they hit it off right away.

The wish list was clear: Wai wanted to take advantage of the huge lot by adding a pool and a pool house that would mirror the main building. Everyone on the team agreed that the structure would need major work just to get it up to code and that the marching order would be to preserve the essence of the building without being slavishly devoted to every tiny decision: “The overriding ethos was respect not reverence,” recalls Susan. “Our job was to weigh what made this house special and then figure out a way to emphasize it.”

BEFORE

Sorry State

When Wai came across the house it was in sad repair, with debris littering the backyard and almost no maintenance being done.

Velvet Touch

The custom green velvet and concrete sectional (left) pairs with designer Jorge Zalszupin’s Petalas coffee table and Dinamarquesa armchairs, original designs from the late ’50s and early ’60s.

And, finally, the contractor. Stephen Nestmann of Nestworks construction was able to synthesize the wants and logistics even when the bulk of the work was during Covid. The hallmark of all this design work is that it’s now nearly impossible to tell what was original and what has been reconstructed so precisely as to look original. Take, for example, the stunning brickwork: it flows from the living area to the pool deck, just like Thom imagined, right? Er, not exactly. Yes, Thom had used large, six-by-six terracotta tiles, but the new look emerged from Wai taking that idea and scouring the internet for brick inspiration—and then the Scotts finding a way to take that idea and make a striking large-scale adaptation out of it. When everyone agreed the periodperfect timbers had to be preserved, Nestmann somehow sourced three-by-six ceiling timbers, which would channel the original design while also being seismically sufficient for 2025.

But of course, there were changes. The pool, for example: while it looks like it’s been there from the beginning, it’s new, as is the visual boomerang of a pool house. The Scotts also relocated Thom’s original staircase for a more clean and bright visual connection from front to

Susan and David’s LOCAL FAVOURITES

FOR COFFEE

Liberty Bakery in Vancouver has amazing staff, delicious coffee and scrumptious baked goods—and it’s three blocks from our house.

FOR LUNCH

Coco et Olive has amazing staff, delicious coffee, scrumptious baked goods—and sandwiches—and it’s also three blocks from our house.

FOR DINNER

Kin Kao Song: fresh delicious food, friendly staff and it’s 10 blocks from our house.

FOR SHOPPING LOCAL

Welks on Main Street has everything you need and everything you want— and it’s just a block from our house.

FOR A FAVOURITE “UNDISCOVERED” SPOT

Acadia and Tower Beaches: they’re wilderness right in the city and you can bring your dog in the winter. It’s 20 minutes from our house.

FOR A BOUTIQUE HOTEL

Seine Boat Inn in Alert Bay: sleeping overtop of the ocean, wonderful views, incredibly clean sheets, hikes, museums and whales! It’s seven hours from our house.

back inside the house. The result is a space that has much more light, allowing for a deeply levelled, period-specific approach to furnishing and colour: a showstopping cantilevered concrete sofa softened with rich green velour cushions, for example. That deep green—playing off the lush evergreen surroundings of the lot—shows up again in the green glazed porcelain tile that covers the back wall of the clean, minimal kitchen. And the stunning combination of the deep green, red brick and deep cedar, equal parts warm and striking, may be the second most successful collaboration in this job

Wai couldn’t be more happy with the result. He’s living in a piece of our architectural history, but has modern conveniences surrounding him. He has an indoor-outdoor oasis that feels like it’s located deep in the forest, but is in fact in the middle of the city. But as much as the home is a showpiece, it’s the team who got it to this place that he reserves his highest praise for: “Scott and Scott were the easiest collaborators of any architects that I’ve had the pleasure of working with... I couldn’t be more grateful for having had the opportunity to resurrect this house with them.”

And the Little House lived happily ever after.

Colour confident

PLAYHOUSE

A Vancouver heritage home renovation by Hidden Studio invites guests to expect the unexpected.

By Alyssa Hirose | Photos by Ema Peter

TTHE STORY OF MOST HERITAGE HOME renovations reads like a fairy tale. Homeowners fall in love with a charming abode from a bygone era, an enchanting chaperone (read: architect) guides them through a fantastical transformation and, in the end, everyone lives happily ever after knowing the real magic was inside all along.

For Aleksandra Popovska and her family, however, the story wasn’t quite so formulaic. The architect (yes, she is her own fairy godmother) and her husband, Daniel Penn, had high hopes for preserving all that they could of the 1912 Edwardian home in East Vancouver. “Unfortunately, as we started the renovation, we found that there really was almost nothing that was salvageable just due to how deteriorated it was,” she explains. There was fire damage. There was asbestos. There were careless renovations that had sectioned the home into a series of small, cramped units. “We thought we’d keep more of it,” Penn confirms, “and when we couldn’t, we had to take that all down and rebuild it.”

grand entrance

The ceiling drop between the foyer and the kitchen is purposely cozy (note the pink door to the left, above). “It feels like a portal,” Popovska says, adding that it’s easy to miss the doors to the basement and powder room.

room for play

BEFORE

compact living

This living room/kitchen space (top left) is now the kids’ bedroom and home office.

open up

soaring ceilings

“My favourite part of the bedroom is the volume,” says Popovska. The primary bedroom is part of an addition to the home, which was taken down and reimagined. The pendant light is from Stuff by Andrew Neyer.

BEFORe

stair master

bigger and better

A

cool and comfortable

So, instead of a fairy tale, this renovation became a mystery. The couple, along with Popovska’s team at Hidden Studio and Terris and Co. General Contractors, worked to uncover the home’s original spirit using clues from both inside and outside the property. Boarded-up windows were stripped, and the frames were restored. The outside staircase, obviously altered at some point in the last hundred-plus years, was moved back to its likely original position. The home’s two front doors (another old reno to accommodate more tenants) were scrapped in favour of a single entry. When an investigation of the framing didn’t yield enough information, the team looked elsewhere. “We took hints from neighbouring homes and tried to recreate that in a way that fit the character and the style of the house,” Popovska says.

This time, it was personal: Popovska had designed homes for plenty of clients, and was determined to create the perfect functional abode for her own family. The unique opportunity led to choices that some might call risky—the home’s rear facade is decked out in salmon-pink (Benjamin Moore’s Smoked Salmon) fish-scale shingles, and the front entryway is a striking royal blue. “Wherever we wanted, we could just experiment and play with it,” the architect says. “It was fine if it was a bit of a mix of different styles and different colours; we could just have it all in there.” The bold blue foyer is a stunning example of blending traditional and contemporary, with herringbone porcelain tile and whimsical Muuto wall hooks. Unlike in many modern, open-concept homes, this space makes every entry an event.

The kitchen, in contrast, is bright, with expansive glazing and a gorgeous view of the backyard. The green-grey cabinetry, painted in Benjamin Moore’s Rainy Afternoon, appears to change colour as the day goes by, reflecting light differently as the sky varies. Modern pendants (an asymmetrical tubular LED from Spain’s Marset) add another dimension of interest to this high-traffic space.

Pretty in pink

The girls’ bedroom is all whimsy with animal-print linens and bird decals on the peach-coloured walls (which echo the salmon exterior). Opposite page: Penn calls the added powder room “Toronto-sized”—Vancouver builders were surprised at the family’s request to insert a bathroom so small, but without this addition the main floor would be toilet-less. “It’s one of the best decisions we made,” Penn says.

Aleksandra’s LOCAL FAVOURITES

FOR LUNCH

Anh and Chi has been a staple for my husband and I since we moved to Vancouver in 2016. The consistently great food and welcoming atmosphere keep us coming back.

FOR DINNER

Kin Kao is my neighbourhood go-to for comfort food. I can always count on a cozy, flavourful meal that never disappoints, and I love chatting with the friendly staff.

FOR COFFEE

Nemesis on Great Northern Way sits in one of the most interesting buildings in Vancouver—a red flower-shaped pavilion with textile petals draped from the ceiling—and serves exceptional coffee and pastries. I always recommend it to friends visiting the city.

FOR COCKTAILS

I’m currently loving Nomo Nomo, a new spot in my neighbourhood with a relaxed atmosphere and a distinctive design. It has superb cocktails and food.

FOR DESIGN SHOPPING

Vancouver Special has been a favourite of mine for years thanks to its well-curated selection of housewares, furniture and books.

FOR SUPPORTING LOCAL

I recently discovered Iron Dog Books—a small, welcoming bookstore with a standout selection.

FOR A GETAWAY

My family has vacationed on Galiano Island since my kids were born. It’s easygoing, it has great coffee and beautiful, secluded beaches and I love how dog-friendly it is. Morning Beach is sheltered and shallow, with soft grey sand, warm water and endless tide pools to explore.

EXTRA SPACE

Unlike the home’s previous partitioning, the renovated basement is fully functional with a kitchenette and space to store bikes, jackets and other outdoor necessities.

When Popovska and Penn purchased the home, it had not one but two impractical additions. The first extended the primary bedroom but created a tiny six-foot room at the back (“a useless, bizarre space,” the architect says) and the second was done without proper permitting and made the home’s footprint larger than the city allows. Both additions were taken down and reimagined. The second addition became a (legal) back deck, and the first was rebuilt with a vaulted ceiling that mimics the silhouette of the original roof. That’s where the primary bedroom is. “My favourite part of the bedroom is the volume,” says Popovska. The room is relatively small, but the high ceilings make it feel airy.

Little details throughout this home build a strong case for pattern play: the girls’ bedroom is dotted with bird decals by artist Charley Harper; the primary ensuite features a pale green Japanese pencil tile from Creekside Tile. The whimsy continues outside, where the family lounges, dines and gardens on sunny days. Concrete pavers create a meandering path to edible berry bushes and lush flowerbeds. “It feels like a little microenvironment,” Popovska says.

The renovation is complete, but this home continues to reveal secrets and surprises (pairing a historic front side with a salmon-pink back will do that). First-time guests feel like they’re solving a mystery of their own. “I’m surprised by how many people say, ‘Oh, you live in the house with the pink shingles on the back,” Penn says with a laugh. “They love that because it’s just so different.”

working it

What is now the office (below) was once a narrow galley kitchen.

INTO THE

WOODS

OMB transforms a ’60s retreat into a functional, bright home fit for a busy family.

By Alyssa Hirose | Photos by Janis Nicolay

Home Work

The couple often works remotely, and their home office’s large built-in desk faces the forest for ultimate nature-fuelled productivity. There’s a door directly to one of the outdoor decks, too.

In the Ruff

LIVING IN A CONVERTED car garage had its perks: Michelle Wilson and her family loved the high ceilings, brick walls and glorious industrial aesthetic of their downtown Toronto commercial-property-turned-townhouse. But cars don’t exactly care about sunshine. “It was amazing, but it was tucked in the back,” Wilson explains, “so we didn’t get a ton of natural light in our main living area— it could, at times, feel a little bit dark.”

When the time came to head west to live closer to relatives, the Wilsons set out to embrace the light that their Toronto space lacked... and shift away from the industrial toward a design ethos more focused on the natural, the organic and the wild.

BEFORE

back to basics

The lower level games area (above) is now a hang-out area for the kids, including plenty of bookshelves.

forest retreat

The original cantilevered deck was part of the appeal of purchasing this mid-century modern home in the woods (below).

Look Down

They settled on a 1961 Peter Kaffka-designed home on Vancouver’s North Shore that was built on a steep slope and surrounded by forest. “When you walked in, even on the lower level, you were still in the trees,” Wilson recalls of her first visit. The home had expansive windows, but also featured some overly funky ’60s materials (read: a turquoise tub and sink) and a few charming but impractical design elements (read: a spiral staircase that wasn’t quite up to modern safety standards).

The dated space called for a renovation, and the Wilson family brought on the architect and design team of OMB (Office of McFarlane Biggar Architects and Designers) and contractor West Coast Turn Key to update the interior while maintaining the home’s connection to nature. “It had an incredible sense of place, like it was floating in the forest,” says designer Michelle Biggar, principal of OMB. “It’s really important

This Little Light

The light in the stairwell is from Toronto’s Mjölk. Wilson points out that, with the wood panelling, herringbone tile and brick fireplace, there’s a lot going on in the space, so this modest pendant is perfect. The wood panelling is from Sage Cabinetry.

Room to Grow

The colourful terrazzo floor in the downstairs bathroom was chosen for the couple’s children, but the pattern will be trendy into their teens and beyond. “Everything is timeless enough that it will age with the kids,” says Wilson.

Recharge for Play

The kids’ bedrooms are just large enough to comfortably accommodate beds and closets, fostering a calm, restful environment.

Michelle Biggar’s LOCAL FAVOURITES

FOR BREAKFAST

Blvd Bistro is a great little spot tucked away in North Vancouver’s tiny Queensbury Village area. It has a delicious brunch menu, or grab a sandwich next door at their sister company, S’wich.

FOR LUNCH

I love The Shed—a pop up in Cypress Village. It’s casual and fun, with great wood-fired pizzas you can enjoy on the outdoor patio or picnic-style on the big grassy field. It’s my go-to spot to take visitors as the view of Vancouver is amazing and it has a great North Shore vibe.

FOR BEER OR A COCKTAIL

There are so many great breweries and cocktail spots in North Vancouver, so I recommend a bike crawl along Esplanade. Start at Wildeye for craft beer, then hit Sons of Vancouver Distillery and Beere Brewing Company. Stop at Copper Penny for a gin cocktail and finish the evening with tacos at La Cerveceria Astilleros

FOR DESIGN SHOPPING

The Polygon Shop is full of designforward finds that are a mixture of international brands and local makers and collectives. I like to pair it with a wander around the Shipyards as there is always something happening: the night market in summer and the Christmas market in winter, with views across the water to the city.

FOR AN “UNDISCOVERED” SPOT

Sisu Swim Sauna in Deep Cove is a must-do experience. It’s a private boat rental with a floating sauna for up to 11 people for three hours. I booked it for my husband’s birthday in January, and the cold ocean plunges between sauna sessions were amazing.

Simple Plan

The primary bedroom’s original ensuite became a walk-in closet (and a new ensuite was created in place of a secondary bathroom on the floor), and this new powder room was puzzled into the reno. It’s a minimal, seamless space thanks to a sink and vanity built from the same stone.

to us that homes like that—which are really a part of Canada’s West Coast design heritage—are preserved and honoured when making them more relevant for a contemporary family.”

In the spirit of preservation, the home’s light-drenched main living space was hardly altered (besides upgrading the windows for energy efficiency). The design team replaced a standard-sized patio door with massive four-panel sliding glass doors and extended the outside deck. “They cantilevered it,” Wilson explains, “so it just kind of hangs out into nature.” Mid-century modern furnishings, like an antique console from Fullhouse Modern and a Mario Bellini-inspired sofa, are a nod to the home’s ’60s roots. The original fireplace stayed, too.

The kitchen, however, required some major functional changes. A “weird triangular part” (Biggar’s words) became a powerhouse of a pantry, and OMB added an oversized island that doubles as an informal seating area. As an avid home cook, Wilson requested a kitchen rail to hang her collection of vintage brass cookware. “They wanted clean and modern, but with elements that harken back to the true purpose of the kitchen,” says Biggar. A terracotta-toned herringbone tile adds texture and interest to the floor.

What a night! On February 25th, we packed Livingspace in the Armoury District to the rafters to reveal the winners of our 2026 Western Living Design 25 awards and the room was fired up! From the moment guests arrived, the design community came out in force to celebrate, with sparkling toasts flowing and the kind of buzzy, inspired energy that only happens when creative people gather in a beautiful space.

The highlight, of course, came when we announced this year’s 25 winners— the designers, makers and visionaries pushing Western Canadian design forward. Watching finalists, winners and their supporters come together under one roof— fuelled by Hello Nori sushi, wood-fired pizza and a roving cannoli maker—reminded us exactly why we do this. The best part isn’t publishing the list: it’s celebrating these remarkable talents in person.

Now in our third year, the WL Design 25 continues to grow into something truly special. Our 2026 honourees represent the full breadth of what makes Western Canada’s design community so vital—from bold interiors to boundary-pushing architecture to inspired craft. The cheers, the speeches and the standout looks all reinforced what we already know: this community is something worth celebrating.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this unforgettable evening, and congratulations again to all our 2026 Western Living Design 25 winners. THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS

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Be Our Guest

The guest suite was kept light and bright for a hotel-room feel, but warmer elements (like oversized textile art and a vintage French pottery vase) keep it cozy.

The spiral staircase was replaced with a much sturdier wood-panelled stairwell, but the backside of the fireplace—which extends all the way down to the lower level—was kept in sight. While the home’s main living space is minimal, clean-lined and airy, the downstairs living area is soft, cozy and full of smart storage—including bookshelves for the kids. Their smaller bedrooms are perfect for sleeping and relaxing, and the extra space is used to its full potential in the living area. “The kids have their own floor, really,” Wilson says—the downstairs bathroom’s terrazzo floor and oval-shaped mirror were chosen for their playfulness.

As it was family that prompted the Wilsons to move across Canada, it’s only fitting that the home has a beautiful guest suite. The design and architectural team added a new gas fireplace and upgraded the bathroom, with Nordic decor inspired by the Fogo Island Inn, one of the homeowners’ favourite maritime vacation spots. “We wanted to make it feel a bit like a hotel room,” says Wilson. In fact, it may be hard to convince guests to leave—especially since the renovation included refurbishing the sauna (and the spa-like outdoor shower). “It’s so nice, especially living somewhere where it can be cool and damp,” says Wilson. “It’s highly used by us and our extended family.”

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Your guide to living luxe

the good life

wild coastlines

We find our tempo in nature’s rhythm in three coastal B.C. communities: Vancouver Island’s Sooke, the Sunshine Coast and Mayne Island (page 69). PLUS : must-try gluten-free ribs and a trio of wines to complement them (page 64).

Poetry in Motion

Kavita goes bold in flavour but subdued in design to let the chef’s craft shine.

By Alyssa Hirose

by Lawrence Lu

CHEF TUSHAR TONDVALKAR points out that basmati is the go-to rice at most local Indian restaurants. “Everyone thinks that’s the only rice we eat back home,” he says with a laugh. In reality, of course, Indian cuisine is far more diverse, with different communities swearing by different kinds of rice, bread and spices. “Food changes from region to region—like every hundred kilometres,” says Tondvalkar.

At his new Vancouver restaurant, Kavita, the chef aims to stay true to the unique roots of his food. The Keralastyle duck, a dry-aged Fraser Valley duck with Kerala curry, for example, is served with organic Sri Lankan heirloom rice, the kind traditionally eaten in that region. The Mangalorean chicken, a coconut curry dish, is named after and inspired by a Sunday-night staple at his childhood friend’s house. Even the restaurant’s name is close to home: Kavita translates to poetry, but it’s also the name of Tondvalkar’s mother.

The honesty and transparency built into the menu is reflected in the restaurant’s open-concept design, which presented a welcome challenge for Ruth M’rav-Jankelowitz, founder and principal designer of Janks Design Group. (Having the kitchen team exposed to diners can be wonderful for forming connections, but tricky when it comes to the inevitable cooking mess.) “We wanted to make sure that the acoustics and the visual clutter were managed within the space,” says M’rav-Jankelowitz.

To achieve this, the design team used a combination of glazing screens and strategic lighting. The fluorescents essential for kitchen work are muted by opaque glass, allowing the moodier pendant lighting to set the vibe for diners at the chef’s table. Felted ceiling panels control the ambient noise; they also match the curves in the oak millwork that give the cozy space an easygoing flow.

TO INFINITY

Details like the mirrored ceiling above the bar give the illusion of expanse in the 1,500-square-foot restaurant.

“It’s not a huge space, but we wanted to make it feel roomy and comfortable and open,” says M’rav-Jankelowitz.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

The design team sectioned off the kitchen, bar, dining room and vestibule using curved millwork and glass, without any solid walls that would make the space feel cramped.

“A lot of Indian restaurants have bold colours and rich finishes,” says M’rav-Jankelowitz, “but we wanted a more soft, neutral, contemporary palette reflecting on the dishes served.” Pops of turquoise in the bar tiles and banquette seating punch up the otherwise wood-and-concrete restaurant, and mirrors placed along the walls and above the bar make the space feel roomier. Some materials are in disguise: while the curved arch is real oak, the matching wall is actually a wood-like tile and the matching pendant lights are made with wood and natural concrete. It’s a sneaky way to incorporate more durable materials without introducing visual distractions.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Jank Design Group’s approach gives patrons the option to sit right in front of the chef, or to take a banquette seat for a more classic experience. “The energy of the kitchen is there, but it’s not overpowering,” says M’rav-Jankelowitz.

The restaurant’s design necessitates perfection from the kitchen team (the chef admits there’s no room for mistakes when you’re cooking with an audience). “I feel that, at a chef-driven restaurant, it’s nice for the chef to be exposed to the guests,” he explains. Plus, he has a frontrow seat to Vancouverites testing out—and falling in love with—his favourite dishes.

ON THE Menu

Photos by Aditya Pawar

Jumbo Prawn Recheado

This prawn dish from Goa, a state on the southwestern coast of India, uses a paste made from red chili, coconut vinegar and jaggery (a natural sweetener). It’s a dish you’re not likely to find in other Indian restaurants, or even outside of Goa: “It’s really unique to that region,” says Tondvalkar.

It takes two weeks of in-house drying to prepare this duck—the dish originates from Kerala, a southern coastal part of India. Its spice level is mild but it’s packed with flavour, making it the most popular dish at Kavita.

of choice. It’s traditionally made with potato, but his version uses sunchokes from

NO GLUT, ALL GLORY

Food writer and recipe developer Jannell Lo gives new life to beloved East and Southeast Asian dishes with her debut cookbook My Best Friend Is Gluten-Free: 100+ Asian-Inspired Recipes for Bringing People Together. She overcomes the hurdle of hidden gluten in the cuisine’s staples, like soy sauce, gochujang, noodles and dumplings (and delivers a recipe for our new favourite dish: chili crisp honey ribs).

Recipes by Jannell Lo | Photo by Jessica Kalman

Chili Crisp Honey Ribs

I don’t believe that pork ribs have to be falling off the bone to be considered good. These ribs strike the perfect balance—tender with a satisfying bite. They combine the homey flavours of Chinese BBQ pork and cha siu (which is rarely gluten-free) with the savoury kick of chili crisp and the brightness of lime. It’s an ideal dish for hosting friends and family, especially when served with a side of veg, like Sichuan-style charred broccoli, and some steamed rice.

3 racks baby back ribs (about 5 lb)

Rub

2 tsp kosher salt

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tbsp garlic powder

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp mild paprika

1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder, or ½ tsp ground cinnamon

+ ½ tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

Glaze

¼ cup liquid honey

1 tbsp rice vinegar

½ tbsp GF soy sauce or tamari

½ tbsp chili crisp

¼ tsp cayenne

Garnish (optional)

Fresh cilantro and/or scallions, chopped

1 lime, cut into wedges

Preheat the grill or oven to 275°F. Line one baking sheet with foil. If using the oven, set aside a second baking sheet, leaving it unlined.

To remove the tough membrane from the ribs, lay a rack curved side up and slide a butter knife under the layer of white tissue between the first two bones. Wiggle the knife until the membrane becomes loose. Using a sheet of paper towel, grab the membrane and steadily peel it away from the ribs until the entire piece comes off. Discard and repeat with the other racks.

 MAKE THE RUB: In a small bowl, combine the salt, brown sugar, garlic powder, coriander, paprika, five-spice and ginger.

Generously rub the spice mixture on all sides of the ribs. Wrap each rack completely in foil.

If grilling, place the foil-wrapped ribs on the top rack of the grill or over an unlit burner with the other burners on. If roasting, place on the unlined pan on the middle oven rack. Grill, covered, or roast for 2 to 2½ hours, until the meat is tender and juicy.

 MAKE THE GLAZE: In another small bowl, combine the honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce and chili crisp and unwrap the ribs.

If roasting, transfer them to the lined baking sheet, or if grilling, make sure it’s clean and place directly onto the grid. Bump the oven or grill temperature up to 400°F. Brush the glaze on the ribs, reserving 2 tablespoons. Roast for 30 minutes. If grilling, flip frequently until nicely browned. Transfer the racks to a cutting board and slice into individual ribs.

In a large bowl, toss the ribs with the remaining glaze. Transfer to a platter and, if using, serve garnished with cilantro, with lime wedges on the side.

TASTING NOTE

Toasting whole coriander and grinding it yourself will result in more flavourful ribs than using pre-ground coriander.

Excerpted from My Best Friend Is Gluten-Free: 100+ Asian-Inspired Recipes for Bringing People Together by Jannell Lo. Copyright © 2025 Jannell Lo. Photographs by Jessica Kalman. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

BB-curious

By Neal McLennan

By summer, people start talking about “barbecue wines,” which always puzzles me, as you can put pretty much anything on a barbecue. So, pairing wines to your barbecue meal is pretty ingredient dependant. Take these amazing ribs— spicy, a little saucy, fairly bold flavours. In times past, the rote choice would have been a fruit forward, low-tannin wine like zinfandel or Aussie shiraz, but, to be honest, I’ve never loved those particular unions of big food and big wine. A dancer can be more powerful than a linebacker in the right circumstance.

JL Chave

Mon Coeur 2023

$34

If you want to go bigger, then how about this entry-level bottling of syrah and grenache from the legendary winemaker Jean-Louis Chave?

(His Hermitage is available for $462, if you’d prefer.) It has ample dark fruit like a zin would have, but also some nice smoky and peppery notes that would play well with the chili crisp and the sweeter honey notes. It packs a quiet wallop at 15 percent, too, so be careful throwing back too many at the cookout.

Domaine Baron de L’Ecluse

Côte-de-Brouilly 2020

$43

So many people still associate Beaujolais with light and fruity, but bottles from one of the area’s 10 Cru-designated areas frequently have the acidity and heft to stand up to all comers. This bottle benefits from a bit of age—a bonus at this price—so it’s showing nice subtle earthiness and a licorice-tinged finish.

Pamplemousse Jus Leon

Millot Pet Nat 2025

$34

Natural wine, often overflowing with personality, can be tricky to pair, but when you take a bottle like this quirky light red sparkler made with the hybrid grape Leon Millet, it has the acidity, juiciness and crunchy red-fruit power to cut through most grilled offerings—but it’s still friendly enough to sip as an aperitif.

If we don’t take responsibility for our health, who will?

At Illumi Health, we believe that every person deserves access to trustworthy, practical guidance for staying well. The reality is simple: if we don’t take responsibility for our health, who will? This idea is not new. For nearly a century, health experts have emphasized the importance of prevention, education, and proactive care. Illumi exists to bring that wisdom forward – clearly, compassionately, and free of bias. Illumi is free of charge, with no advertising, commercial sponsors, or brand promotions.

“Every bite of food regulates your gene expression, hormones, immune system, brain chemistry, and even your microbiome. What you eat programs your body with messages of health or illness. This is what I mean by food is medicine!”

– Mark Hyman, MD

“Lifestyle isn’t just an add-on to the treatment – it is the treatment. It’s the real treatment. Why aren’t we doing that first? Why aren’t we making that a formalized part of our healthcare system? It needs to be. The problem is that doctors ought to be in the business of teaching people how to live right. That should be part of the central theme of what we do. I believe in preventive medicine.”

– Michael R. Lyon, MD

“Physical health takes consistent effort and daily practice over a long time, including eating right, smart supplementation, exercising, managing stress, and making many, many more good decisions than bad ones.”

– Daniel G.

Amen, MD

Change Your Brain Every Day: Simple Daily Practices to Strengthen Your Mind, Memory, Moods, Focus, Energy, Habits, and Relationships

“If disease is like a car speeding toward a cliff, today’s medicine waits until after the crash and the car goes off the edge, and we build a hospital at the bottom. That’s not prevention, that’s treating the patient after the scan already shows cancer. True prevention is different. It builds a tunnel through the mountain, so you can avoid the cliff altogether. That’s how we can prevent 80% of diseases.”

– Gaetano Morello, ND

Find out how to prevent diseases. Remember, prevention is the cure.

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Mayne The Event

Slow down on one of the most charming Southern Gulf Islands.

By Darcy Matheson

PLANNING FOR A LAIDBACK LONG WEEKEND

at a friend’s mid-century cabin on Mayne Island is a strange exercise in time management. There are great places to eat and shop and explore on this sleepy-yet-scenic Gulf Island, but thanks to what locals refer to as “island time,” you’ve got an extremely limited window in which to visit or you’re simply out of luck.

That’s how I find myself on a Saturday morning racing from the Village Bay ferry dock to the famed Mayne Island Thrift Store and “Store Next Door.” Open just three hours once a week, it’s totally worth planning a visit to the volunteer-run shop for its crammed aisles of vintage finds, including housewares, clothes, books and puzzles (a must-have for this slowmo island visit). I pick up a few vintage board games for $1 each and wolf plates so gloriously weird they simply cannot be left behind (and are a steal at $2).

Just across the street, we duck into the Saturday market to browse artisanal gifts and pick up freshly baked cookies on the recommendation of one of the makers. And then one last stop: the Farm Gate Store, where lunch practically assembles itself. We grab veggie sandwiches on house-baked wholegrain bread with organic grilled peppers and Salt Spring Island Romelia cheese, topped with local shoots.

Back at the cabin—in all its cedar and glass and preserved1960s glory—we settle into what a slow island weekend demands: staring dreamily at the Strait of Georgia, picking away at a 1,000-piece puzzle, and daily trips to the waterfront barrel sauna, pausing only to take reviving cold plunges into the Pacific.

shore thing

With a population of only around 1,300 year-round residents, Mayne Island offers the kind of magic that is increasingly rare in travel: an experience that has not been smoothed for the benefit of tourists. Considered quiet even in comparison to its Southern Gulf Island neighbours, there’s no pressure to hit everything on a bucket list. Because there isn’t one.

Taking one last beach walk before catching the ferry home after a weekend of relaxing and exploring (there are, if you’re in the mood, quite a few things to do; find them on the facing page), I feel genuinely rested, versus needing another vacation. Chalk it up to that magical island time.

The Mayne Stops

shop

The Saturday market runs May through October in the Agricultural Hall, showcasing unique housewares, pottery, handmade soaps and candles, jewellery and (seriously) exceptional baked goods. 430 Fernhill Rd.

EAT

Give Pizza Chance serves up imaginative ’zas out of a trailer in Miners Bay. Try the Elvis Lives, with smoked ham, pineapple (naturally!), banana peppers and smoky BBQ sauce. It’s open 3 to 7 p.m., Wednesdays through Saturdays. 419 Fernhill Rd.

EXPLORE

With quiet coves, sheltered beaches and uncrowded trails, Mayne is perfect for cycling, kayaking, hiking and bird watching. The 4.7-kilometre Mount Parke Loop is the most popular hike, where you’ll be rewarded at the summit with stunning panoramic views of Active Pass and the surrounding Gulf Islands.

Built in Dinner Bay Park to commemorate the early Japanese settlers who lived on the island and were interned during the Second World War,

the Japanese Memorial Garden is a beautifully manicured stroll adorned with ornamental flowers, trees and ponds.

STAY

Accommodations aren’t plentiful, so book well in advance. Mayne Island Resort (494 Arbutus Dr.) offers rooms, villas and family-friendly cottages (some that are dog-friendly) with unobstructed water views starting at $209. Tent camping is also possible during summer and short-term rentals are available through VRBO and Airbnb.

FARM STANDS

Farm stands, where local purveyors sell everything from fresh-cut flowers to preserves and produce from the end of their driveway, are a mainstay here. Many are unmanned and operate on the honour system, so bring cash. The Briary (639 Horton Bay Rd.) offers gourmet preserves that change seasonally, like rose jelly, strawberry-kiwi jam and garlic scapes infused in white balsamic vinegar.

It’s a perfect stop on your way back to the ferry for loading up on extremely charming presents. Stock up on seasonal organic veggies and local blooms at Hardscrabble Farm (45 Hardscrabble Rd ). At Silver Moon Hollow (509 Fernhill Rd.), it’s an eclectic mix of seasonal plants and planters, spice blends, art cards and hand-knit toques.

DRINK

After a day of exploring, dive into a flight of handcrafted brews and a cheeky charcuterie board at the outdoor tasting room at Mayne Island Brewing Co. (open Friday through Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.). Set in a wooded lot, the award-winning brewery (which supplies select restaurants in Vancouver and Victoria) produces seasonally crafted batches of ales and lagers. Must-tries include the Mayne Island Forager, a Belgian-style saison and the cocoa-infused Old Mayner brown lager. 490 Fernhill Rd.

GETTING HERE

BC Ferries provides year-round service to Mayne, but reservations are recommended. Seair seaplane flights from Richmond and Vancouver are available to Miners Bay.

Watching for wild

Scenic views, quiet luxury and an ensemble of hospitality pros make the newly renovated Sooke Harbour House a retreat for the senses.

By Kristi Alexandra

“I THINK I JUST SAW A WHALE!” exclaims my mom over the phone from her top-floor balcony.

The funny thing is, we’re both staring at the same patch of ocean— from separate balconies and separate rooms at the same resort—but I’ve yet to see one, as much as I’ve been yearning to spot an orca leaping out of the water.

Two days before, we’d landed at Victoria Harbour via helicopter, where a van picked us up and shuttled us over to a quieter part of the Island: Sooke, home to the legendary (and legendarily revitalized) Sooke Harbour House.

The town is a one-hour drive from downtown Vic, passing through Saanich and Langford. We asked our driver, Levi, if we could make a pit stop for a bottle of wine enroute. He asked us, casually, what we like— I’m partial to a sweet B.C. white and my mom is into a dry but juicy red— as if those notes would determine which liquor store close to Sooke we should stop at. Not so. Levi asked the question because, in addition to being our driver for that day, he is also Sooke Harbour House’s restaurant manager, and he’s got a quick line to the resort’s wine cellar.

Newly re-opened, the spot, now owned by Krystal Growth Partners and Vancouver-based Catalog Hospitality Group—the team behind Fred’s Restaurants, Sechelt Inn and Café Crema—has had a revival. It’s been open for just five months post-reno when I visit, after a nearly fiveyear closure between 2020 and 2025.

Levi and the hotel’s rooms division manager, Antoine, are both long-time employees of the luxury Pacific coastal resort—they stayed along for the ride when the property underwent a $14-million upgrade under its previous owners and then was sold to Krystal Growth Partners and Catalog.

The 28-room resort is a mansion of sorts, boasting large-format waterfront suites with decks. Winding corridors, butler’s staircases, hidden enclaves and gables that point every which way on the oceanfacing, 33,000 square-foot build remind me of what I think the house in The Secret Garden probably felt like: preserved heritage woodwork, English manor-style stacked storeys.

On the main level, just beyond the front doors, an entertaining room separates two different dining spaces: the casual Garden Café and Bar, where one can snag appies and cocktails in front of a roaring fireplace, and the more elegant Sooke Harbour House Restaurant dining room, with its heritage hardwood floors and 180-degree view of ocean and the Whiffin Spit, where locals and visitors go on nature strolls and walk their dogs. From this particular corner of Sooke, it feels like you’re at the edge of the world—nothing between your spot in the universe and infinite sea and sky.

Each of the palatial-feeling rooms is bespoke in design. The threestorey hotel boasts lofted suites on the top floor, each with their own aesthetic touches (think: stained glass, or polished branches running up the walls to mimic a tree).

Me? I’m staying in the Victor Newman Deluxe Suite on the second floor: a breezy, spacious room designed in collaboration with local Kwakwaka’wakw artist Victor Newman, featuring a double-sided fireplace (fire logs for which you can snag at the front desk) and original

GETTING HERE

VIA HELIJET

Anyone flying commercial in coach with a toddler will know all too well the specific hell of being a parent in public—but I was relieved when my four-year-old kid was lulled into quiet snores, wedged between me and my own mom as we crossed the Georgia Strait via helicopter, getting an aerial view of Stanley Park and several small, rocky islands on our way to Vancouver Island. The comfort, views and 35-minute trip from shore-to-shore is worth the ticket price (and kids under 13 fly free with the purchase of an accompanying adult ticket).

$499 from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria Harbour

Other spots in Sooke to watch for wilderness

Sooke Potholes

Provincial Park

Locals use the millions-ofyears-old cavernous polished rock pools carved into bedrock as swimming holes during summer months, but the park also boasts hiking trails along the Sooke River. Access via Sooke River Rd.

Sooke Harbour Boardwalk at Ed MacGregor Park

Walk a 1,100-foot wooden boardwalk along the Sooke shoreline with woodland walking trails, access to a public pier and oceanfront green space (the last of which is host to many of the town’s local festivals and events). 6761

Sooke Rd.

Sheringham Point

Lighthouse

It’s 100 years old, and it can be reached by a short walk from the parking lot or by strolling its 3.4-kilometre trail. 1 Sheringham Point Rd, Shirley

Mount Manuel Quimper

Catch views from this mountain in the Sooke Hills via its summit hikes (coastal panoramas come into sight once you get to the top). Trailhead at Harbourview Rd.

carvings, including a carved formline baseboard that wraps the bottom of a mirror set in place beside an oversized inset soaker tub.

That tub, by the way, faces the double sliding doors to the patio, which overlooks the Juan de Fuca Strait (where one could—allegedly—spot orcas playing in the waters).

It’s not lost on me, the quiet luxury of being able to savour a coffee while I look out the window in search of seals and loons. Other times of the year, one might watch for storms with a glass of wine in hand.

But in here, I’m not sure if the luxury comes in gazing outside at the creations of nature, or gazing inside at the creations of humans. You could spend an entire long weekend here and not have to set foot outside the property once—food, wine, scenery, nature, stargazing and local art are all part of the program at Sooke Harbour House.

Upcoming plans for the three-acre property include an outdoor spa, but, for now, the property—like most things on the Island—remains a remote-ish escape from the city. It feels like a secret I’m in on—especially given that I’ve been allowed a peek at the basement wine cellar, which doubles as a private dining area. B.C. wines (among others) line the stone walls, and I spot a couple of the bottles Levi had handpicked for my mom and me the night before.

We’re here in November, but by summer, I imagine this place will be buzzing with locals and tourists alike, people dining on the outside patios and enjoying sips of wine from their double-wide balconies overlooking the ocean, hoping to spot orcas playfully jumping across the edge of the world.

For now, I’ll just enjoy the quiet beauty of this place.

THE COASTAL

“PALETTE” CLEANSE

Mushroom foraging, a region-spanning studio crawl and a harbour-view spa stay turn the Sunshine Coast into a weekend that scrubs the city life right out of your system.

By Kerri Donaldson

BY THE TIME I’M TWO CIDERS DEEP

at a picnic table in

an apple orchard that looks suspiciously like a Mumford and Sons music video, trying to keep blue cheese from sliding off my pizza while a bluegrass band covers Taylor Swift and a flock of sheep stares from next door, it hits me: this so-called “art crawl” on the Sunshine Coast has quietly turned into a full reset.

Most people come here for the scenery. The Sunshine Coast stretches roughly 180 kilometres from Howe Sound to Desolation Sound, a boat- or plane-access strip of mainland with island energy: rainforest, sculpted shoreline, mountains at every angle. It sits on the traditional territories of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw, shíshálh, Tla’amin, Klahoose and Homalco Nations, whose histories shape the land you are here to hike, paddle and, as I learn, studiohop through. The nature is a given. What this weekend reveals is the other thing the Sunshine Coast has in wild abundance: artists. The more art studios I step into, the more I start quietly auditioning myself for a different kind of life.

FOREST CRAWL: MUSHROOMS AND A QUIETER BRAIN

The trip starts in the car lineup at Horseshoe Bay. Forty minutes later the city skyline is gone and Howe Sound has taken over: green islands, low cloud and the occasional seal-shaped piece of driftwood that is never, tragically, a seal-shaped seal.

The town of Gibsons is the Sunshine Coast’s unofficial front door, a steep town pouring down to a harbour lined with cafés, taprooms, galleries and the yellow facade of Molly’s Reach (a treat for anyone, including my mother, who remembers the 1970s and ’80s CBC drama series The Beachcombers)

My first mission: meet a man named Shaggy Jack in the woods. Métis forager Jody “Shaggy Jack” Franklin teaches people how to safely identify and harvest wild mushrooms, working from knowledge passed down from his father rather than vague “forest vibes.” With a floor-dusting dreadlock and full forest-gnome beard, he looks exactly like central casting’s idea of a mushroom guide.

Soon I am in a coniferous forest near Roberts Creek, walking slower than I ever do in the city, eyes glued to moss and salal. I call out maybe-chanterelles while Shaggy Jack talks habitat, etiquette and why he shares his knowledge instead of guarding “secret spots” the way some foragers do. Turns out there are politics in mushroom hunting.

When we finally spot a lobster mushroom, it’s like finding a lastminute BC Ferries reservation on a long weekend—a small miracle. I’m not sure if the rush is from the find or from spending hours focused on one square metre of forest floor instead of my inbox. Either way, I leave with a sizeable bag of fungi, dirt under my nails and a brain that feels noticeably quieter. For the first time in a long time, my day has nothing to do with deadlines and everything to do with the forest deciding whether or not to share.

That night I carry on past Sechelt and Halfmoon Bay to Painted Boat Resort Spa and Marina in Madeira Park, where villas step down toward a quiet marina framed by Douglas fir and arbutus. Inside,

there is a full kitchen, gas fireplace, deep tub and a balcony over the harbour. Somewhere in the dark, coyotes yip and someone barbecues salmon on a neighbouring deck.

Is this my life now? With a glass of red on the balcony, I start plotting a coastal career pivot, ceramics maybe, despite never having touched a wheel. It’s the classic city fantasy: cash out of the nine-to-five, move to a small town, make beautiful things. The coastal air is intoxicating enough that it feels almost reasonable.

Dinner is at the Lagoon Restaurant on the dock, where the menu leans West Coast comfort. Pan-seared lingcod with risotto and grilled asparagus lives up to the frontdesk’s must-try hype at check-in, and a pound of mussels in curry broth with fries is exactly the kind of “I have earned this” order that pairs with a day of forest bathing and low-stakes life planning.

STUDIO CRAWL: SHEDS, KILNS AND PURPLE BANNERS

Every October, the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl turns the shoreline into one long, threeday open studio. More than 180 venues from Langdale to Earls Cove and Egmont open their doors for a self-guided tour that feels part gallery hop, part sanctioned snooping through people’s very charming sheds.

Map downloaded from the Coast Cultural Alliance, I start in Sechelt and head north: potters in Halfmoon Bay, painters in Roberts Creek, carvers and printmakers down side roads. There is no fixed route, just clusters of studios strung along Highway 101, each one a little window into how someone traded a commute for a kiln or an easel. With

creative coast

APPLE A DAY

every driveway I turn down, the fantasy in my head gets more specific: what if I wrote in the mornings, threw mugs in the afternoons and only opened my laptop to post studio hours?

In Gibsons Landing, artist Coralie Swaney welcomes visitors into her basement-level Smiling Seagull Studio, where acrylic and polymer-clay pieces mix vintage dishware, art history and her childhood pet sheep into scenes that land somewhere between storybook and fever dream. Elsewhere there are fibre artists, sculptors, photographers, Indigenous carvers and mixed-media experimenters; the Coast Cultural Alliance directory lists dozens of Purple Banner studios and galleries from Langdale and Gibsons to Powell River and Lund.

The Sunshine Coast has one of the highest per-capita populations of artists and crafters in Canada, and it shows. The Crawl feels less like a pop-up and more like a reveal of an ecosystem that was already humming along, studios tucked behind cedar hedges and down gravel driveways, work inseparable from the place it is made. The same group runs the Purple Banner Tour year-round, with each participating studio marked by a tall purple flag.

Between clusters, snack breaks are built in: farmers market lunches in Sechelt, espresso and “for later” pastries at the general store in Halfmoon Bay, then pints and deep-fried pickles on Tapworks Brewing Company’s rooftop patio in Gibsons, harbour view and DJ optional. Is this tourism, or is it a weekend of trying on other people’s lives for size?

To keep the weekend firmly in retreat territory, I spend my last morning in Painted Boat’s Spa Serenity Garden. Tucked behind fencing and trees, the outdoor hydrotherapy loop is part Scandinavian spa, part secret forest pool: hot pool with a waterfall, warm salt-water float pool, sauna, glacial rain shower and a fireside nook for herbal tea. Two hours of rotating between hot and cold and my laptop neck finally gives up. For a brief moment, the only timeline I care about is how long I can stretch this out before returning to a desk.

ORCHARD CRAWL: CIDER FLIGHTS AND FERRY CALLS

On the drive south I make one last artful detour at the Bricker Cider Company in Sechelt, a family-run cidery on a three-acre orchard. Flights of core and seasonal ciders arrive with thin-crust pizza and build-your-own charcuterie from on-site kitchen The Shed. Kids run laps, dogs flop under benches, a bluegrass band tunes up under string lights. This is the picnic-table, pizza-balancing, sheep-next-door moment; Mumford-core in the best possible way and the final nudge in the “what if I just stayed” daydream.

FERRY-DAY GIBSONS HIT LIST

The BC Ferries Langdale terminal is about a 10-minute drive from Gibsons, so, yes, you can sneak in one last lap.

Got 60 to 90 minutes?

Starlet Vintage

Curated vintage and at least one “this is either iconic or a cry for help” dress. 459 Marine Dr.

Reasons to Live Books and Records

VHS, vinyl, books and T-shirts that will emotionally blackmail you into buying them. 104–272 Molly’s Ln.

Got 30 to 60 minutes?

Lunitas

Mexican Eatery

Waterfront tacos and a salt-rimmed margarita, a.k.a. the pre-ferry reset. 645 School Rd.

Got 15 to 30 minutes?

Pick one stop. Set an alarm for “leave for Langdale.” Do not become a ferry-line sprinter.

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Glacier Blue

Long known as a psychologically serene hue, this icy blue is as timeless as Western Canada’s millennia-old glaciers. Use it to introduce subtle, sophisticated pops of colour into any space.

By Katie Nanton

1. Kink small vase by Muuto in light blue ($375), livingspace.com

2. Calema tiles by Ames Tile and Stone in sky oval gloss ($16.98 per square foot), amestile.com

3. Soy taper candle set by Tweedia ($18), thecoastgoods.ca

4. Soufflé stool by Ourse (from $1,279), ourse.ca

5. Mon-Cloud sofa by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina in cielo (from $13,730), inform.ca

6. Unikko shower curtain by Marimekko ($200), marimekko.ca

7. Field stool by Sundays in glacier ($320), sundays-company.com

8. Bliss lamp by Pierre Dubois and Aimé Cécil for Roche Bobois (from $4,290), roche-bobois.com

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