Byron Tokarchuk and Anja Henche weren’t planning to buy a house. But then they saw it. “We made the mistake of coming here,” Tokarchuk jokes.

It was 2018, and the property in question — a boxy, cliffside structure perched on slim columns and wrapped in coastal forest — had popped up in a Lions Bay real estate listing.

Designed by architect Peter Cardew in 1980, the 2,800-square-foot home hadn’t been on the market in decades. It was Cardew’s first residential project and was inspired by Richard Meier’s Douglas House, a modernist home in Harbor Springs, Mich., famed for its geometric profile and steep setting.

The two were smitten. “It’s not very often you find this kind of house on the North Shore. Usually they’re pretty cookie-cutter,” says interior designer Henche, who describes feeling emotional on her first visit.

“It just felt like an exceptionally good place,” adds Tokarchuk, principal of West Vancouver’s TOK Design Studio.

The structure’s steel bones were in solid shape, but the envelope was failing, with rotting wood, disintegrating caulking and windows flexing in the wind.

Interior spaces were cramped and dated, and the whole place was layered in white carpet. “Everything was of a different time,” Tokarchuk recalls.

The home’s views also weren’t as visible as they could be from the inside, and the main-floor deck wasn’t usable — almost criminal for a home with unimpeded ocean frontage.

Post-purchase, the couple thought about expanding the home’s footprint. But a contractor’s quote brought them back to reality, and they decided to focus on quality instead, Tokarchuk says.

“We decided we’d really like to spend money and time on the quality and the way things are put together, instead of spreading ourselves too thin,” he says.

One of their best investments was rebuilding the view wall. Replacing a scattering of smaller windows, a curtain-wall glazing system and massive sliding doors now run nearly the full length of the main floor, allowing half the facade to open.

“In the summertime, in the morning, you’re throwing the entire wall open,” Tokarchuk says. “We hear the birds. The swallows are flying through.”

Inside, Tokarchuk and Henche opened up spaces and prioritized sightlines. The kitchen, once a closed-off galley, now opens to the view. Outfitted with Miele appliances and Bulthaup cabinetry, the space centres around a long island and table customized to fit the narrow footprint.

Quartzite with bold veining carries over the backsplash and counters. “The greys and rusts are a reflection of what’s out there,” Henche says. “The water, the rocks, the forest.”

Upstairs, all spaces face oceanward, even the primary bath. A walk-in glass shower now offers nearly 140 degrees of view, and the bathroom mirror reflects sky and water. Geometric porcelain tile adds texture without distracting from the vista.

An open mezzanine over the interior stairs became Henche’s home office, a vantage point Tokarchuk calls “one of the best spots in the house,” (with the caveat that he rarely gets the seat).

The couple also spent time updating the home’s mechanical systems and functional backbone, adding radiant flooring and storage throughout. On the lower level, they carved out space for a laundry room, two bedrooms, a shared bath and much-needed storage.

Exterior shading helps manage heat and light without detracting from glassy drama. “By controlling it outside the window wall, you don’t get the crazy thermal gain,” says Tokarchuk. “Yet you’re still enjoying the view.”

Below the home’s lower level, a small room drops down, housing a cedar-lined Finnish sauna with its own deck. Shaded in summer and protected in winter, it feels tucked away and elemental. “It’s a pretty magical space down there,” Tokarchuk says.

Despite its character, the home manages to feels comfortably calm and down to earth. Its main floor sits level with the street, avoiding the steep, switchback driveways common to Lions Bay. A covered bridge leads from a carport into the front entry.

“You essentially have a bridge from the parking area across a gap to the front door. Then when you enter the front door, you cross another bridge to the view,” Tokarchuk says. “That was intriguing to me.”

Inside, windows draw the eye to views of Howe Sound, Gambier Island and Sunshine Coast mountains. Light pours in so generously that the couple rarely turn on lights during the day.

Outside, eagles alight in the trees. Humpbacks feed offshore. “You’re very connected to nature here,” says Tokarchuk, noting that while it’s a short drive from West Vancouver, North Vancouver and downtown, “you really feel like you’re away.”

Tokarchuk and Henche moved into the renovated home in 2024. But today they’re looking ahead to their next project: renovating another oceanfront home in Pender Harbour. And they’ve put their Lions Bay labour of love on the market , hoping someone else will feel the same pull.

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Weekly roundup of three properties that recently sold in Metro Vancouver.

5164 Central Ave., Ladner

Type: Three-bedroom, two-bathroom detached

Size: 1,709 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,376,600

Listed for: $1,329,900

Sold for: $1,300,000

Sold on: Oct. 21

Days on market in this listing: Eight

Listing agent: Aileen Noguer PREC at ReMax Westcoast

Buyers agent: Renee Gomes and Jennifer West PREC at Macdonald Realty

The big sell: This updated three-bedroom house was built in 1971 in Ladner’s Hawthorne district on a sizable lot that boasts a 74-foot frontage separated from the road by high privacy hedging. It offers plenty of flexible storage options with a 12-by-10-foot finished workshop with electricity, as well as a double garage. There are gleaming hardwood floors inside the home, a newly-renovated galley-style kitchen with flat-panelled white cabinets, modern countertops, and stainless-steel appliances, a wood-burning fireplace and bay window in the living room, and barn doors that separate the dining area from the kitchen. All three bedrooms are found upstairs served by a family bathroom, as well as a 19-foot-long games room that lends itself to multiple uses. The south-facing rear garden contains a patio and a large deck with views across the well-tended English-style garden.

1170 Kendal Pl., North Vancouver

Type: Four-bedroom, three-bathroom detached

Size: 3,338 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $2,539,000

Listed for: $2,498,800

Sold for: $2,350,000

Sold on: Nov. 4

Days on market in this listing: 67

Listing agent: Brian Rybchinsky PREC at Virani Real Estate Advisors

Buyers agent: Colin Thornton PREC at Royal LePage Elite West

The big sell: A cul-de-sac location is one of the highlights of this four-bedroom family home in North Vancouver’s Edgemont subdivision. There are a number of schools nearby including its catchment schools of Cleveland Elementary and Handsworth Secondary, as well as parks and the amenities that comprise Edgemont Village. Built in 1968 and renovated in 2007, the two-level layout features the principal reception rooms on the upper floor alongside two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and an additional couple of bedrooms on the lower floor next to a recreation room, laundry, storage, and an attached double garage. There are hardwood floors that flow through the open-concept living area that takes in entertaining spaces in the form of both a family room and a living room, three fireplaces, and a 1,000-square-foot sundeck with views across the partly-treed rear garden.

108 — 2288 Pine St., Vancouver

Type: Three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse

Size: 1,569 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,508,000

Listed for: $1,650,000

Sold for: $1,552,500

Sold on: Nov. 12

Days on market in this listing: 178

Listing agent: Eric Wu PREC at Oakwyn Realty

Buyers agent: Adam Chahl PREC at Oakwyn Realty

The big sell: This three-bedroom townhome went through some price iterations before hitting the sweet spot and landing a buyer back in November. It forms part of The Fairview, an 11-storey concrete building located at the corner of West 6th Avenue and Pine Street just across from the Arbutus Greenway and close to the shops, cafés and galleries of South Granville, as well as Kitsilano and Granville Island attractions. This two-level end-unit home has a private street entrance, 11-foot-high ceilings on the main floor, and expansive west-facing windows that fill the home with natural light. With a floor plan of almost 1,600 square feet, there are generous-sized rooms including a 16-foot-long primary bedroom, a den/study, and a laundry room. The unit comes with two underground parking stalls, a storage locker, and a monthly maintenance fee of $820.25. Residents can enjoy an indoor swimming pool, exercise centre, and hot tub.

These transactions were compiled by Nicola Way of BestHomesBC.com.

Realtors — send your recent sales to nicola@besthomesbc.com

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In winter, we naturally turn inward. Spending more time at home, seeking out comfort, and noticing our surroundings a little more. Colour is one of the simplest ways to shift the mood of a space, says expressive arts therapist Georgia Fullerton. Here, she discusses how to use colour to feel better during these darker, colder months.

Colours influence us on both a conscious and subconscious level, says Fullerton. When a colour surrounds us on walls, furniture, or accents, it interacts with feelings, perception and our overall mindset .

For example, greens are linked to balance and renewal. A deep green like BeautiTone’s 2026 colour of the year, Muse, can create a sense of calm and stability. Over time, these subtle cues shape mood, energy, and even how restorative a space feels, she says.

Unlike furniture or décor, paint is immersive. It sits in the background of daily life, shaping how light moves through a room and how the body responds to that space over time, she says.

During winter, when natural light drops and time outdoors is limited, certain colours tend to feel especially grounding.

“Earthy tones such as deep greens, warm terracottas, and muted neutrals, tend to feel grounding because they echo nature’s palette. They create a sense of stability when the outside world feels dark and we spend an increased amount of time indoors,” says Fullerton. “Pantone’s Cloud Dancer is a soft, airy white, which offers lightness and clarity. It’s a beautiful complement to deeper hues like Muse, balancing richness with brightness for a harmonious winter palette”

Neutral palettes remain popular, but Fullerton notes that not all neutrals offer the same emotional experience.

The undertone makes all the difference, she says. Warm neutrals like BeautiTone’s Dust of Light feel inviting and comforting, while cool, grey-based neutrals can sometimes feel stark or sterile. Texture also matters. Layering fabrics, wood, and natural materials with neutrals adds depth and prevents a space from feeling lifeless.

Much of colour’s impact happens below the surface, says Fullerton. In her therapeutic work, she often sees people respond emotionally to colour before they can articulate why.

“When colour is chosen deliberately, it reflects intention — what we want to feel or communicate. Subconsciously, colour can evoke memories, emotions, and even physiological responses without us realizing it. For example, I might invite a client to notice which colour feels connected to a certain emotion or part of themselves. Perhaps a deep blue that feels protective, or a soft pink that represents vulnerability. In therapy, I often see colour act as a bridge between inner experience and external expression,” she says.

That emotional response is one reason colour can feel intimidating, says Fullerton. Many homeowners worry about making choices that are too bold or committing to something they might regret.

The trick is to start small and layer. Choose an accent wall, piece of furniture or even a piece of artwork. These can add a sense of richness without overpowering your space, and they’re easy to switch out.

Paint’s emotional impact is also tied to its consistency, she says. Unlike objects that can be moved or replaced, wall colour is always present.

“Colour envelops us, it’s the backdrop to everything we do and wall colour is constant and immersive. It sets the tone for the entire space, influencing how light behaves and how we feel in the room. That’s why a simple paint change can completely shift mood and energy.”

When working with trend-led palettes, Fullerton encourages people to think beyond what is fashionable and focus instead on how a colour fits into daily life.

Look at how the colour resonates with your lifestyle and emotional needs. Trends are exciting, but the most successful choices are personal. Consider how colour interacts with your energy, your existing décor, and the mood you want to cultivate, says Fullerton.

For those unsure where to begin, her advice is simple:

“Start with a space you use daily, like a reading nook or bedroom wall, and choose a colour that supports how you want to feel there. Adding colour to a single wall or even through accessories like cushions or artwork can create a noticeable shift without a full renovation. Small changes often have the biggest emotional impact.”

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