Organic Gardening News

At home in the sky

Stunning penthouse condos are not uncommon in Vancouver, but how many come with a glass elevator that whisks you up three floors to your private glass-bottomed swimming pool that floats above the living room below?

“At twilight the ripple of the water in the pool casts a sparkly, rippley effect on the walls. It’s really cool,” says Will McKitka who, with partner Kevin Hardy, of Sotheby’s International Realty, are the realtors for the listing.

The best of the rest

Of the three penthouses atop the 43-storey tower, McKitka says it has the best views, spanning north, south and west. “The views are panoramic of everything from the North Shore mountains, Burrard Inlet, sweeping around to Lost Lagoon, Stanley Park and south to the Gulf Islands, UBC and English Bay.”

The posh penthouse was custom designed and curated by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who also designed Japan’s Suntory Museum of Art and the Japan National Stadium, built for Tokyo’s 2020 Summer Olympics.

Glass, steel, stone and suede

Feeling energetic? Skip the elevator and jog up the bleached white oak stairs of the steel and glass staircase, which connects all three floors. Wide-plank white oak flooring with ultra-matte finish covers all living areas and bedrooms. Soaring 20-foot ceilings with oversized skylight cap the wide-open living area.

The primary bedroom is encased in soft suede premium wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries. Unique pendant lighting, hand-blown by local artists at design studio Bocci, casts a warm glow over the room.

The ensuite features custom vanities with state-of-the-art integrated mirror television and polished stone countertop extensions that fold into troughs. Opt for the drop-in tub with steam shower or, for al fresco bathing, sink into the Japanese soaker tub on the terrace.

What’s Cooking in the Kitchen

Polished quartzite countertops, called “Laguna Bay”, were quarried in Brazil. The kitchen’s island is illuminated with handcrafted pendant lighting designed by boutique Studio D’Armes in Quebec.

High-end appliances include a 36-inch Miele electric 5-zone cooktop with touch controls and auto heat-up; 36-inch Miele fully integrated fridge; full-height Miele wine fridge, and, for white and sparkling, a 24-inch sub-zero under-counter wine fridge. If that’s not enough room, you can purchase four more glassed wine lockers on the concierge level, temperature controlled for red and white, of course.

The building also features a communal pool, gym and a dedicated listening room to immerse yourself in your favourite music or podcast. The lobby is staffed by 24/7 concierge and security. Park your rides in two side-by-side private double garages with EV hookups.

Once ensconced on the other side of your overheight honeycomb core travertine door, gaze through large panel windows with minimal frames for those uninterrupted views.

In the Neighbourhood

This hideaway in the sky is within walking distance of Denman and Robson Streets, but it’s Alberni that is the Rodeo Drive of Vancouver. “Alberni is known for being the shopping destination,” says Hardy. “The most expensive stores in Vancouver are on Alberni.”

He says everything from the dramatic views, unique amenities, and walkable neighbourhood make for a highly coveted living space. “This [penthouse] is a trophy showpiece to Vancouver, there’s no doubt about it.”

Location:  1568 Alberni Street PH1, Vancouver

Listed for: $16,900,000

Year built: 2023

Type: Three bedrooms, four full and one partial bathroom, penthouse

Size: 4,346 sq ft. The main floor spans 2,028 sq ft, the upper floor 1,682 sq ft, capped by the top floor at 636 sq ft for a total of 4,346 sq ft of living space. The main floor terrace is 401 sq ft, the upper floor terrace is 486 sq ft and the top floor terrace is 1,396 sq ft (2,283 sq ft of outdoor space)

Realtors: Will McKitka, Kevin Hardy, Sotheby’s International Realty

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Before she passed away in 2020 at the age of 91, Kathleen Cooper had lived her whole life on her family’s Abbotsford dairy farm. In fact, following her retirement as an educator, she continued to manage the historic farm, supported by her loyal workers who were as close as family. Even her 100 milking cows, each of whom she named personally, were like family. So too were her faithful German shepherds, who trotted alongside her quad as she motored around her fields and up mountain trails where she would sit and admire her bright red barn and peaceful pastures.

Now, starting this fall, Kathleen’s beloved farmland will be home to many more families in a new community developed by Polygon Homes and Morningstar Homes, called Cooper Meadows .

“We knew that honouring the legacy of Miss Kathleen Cooper and the history of her dairy farm was important to the family and the surrounding neighbourhood,” says Goldie Alam, senior vice-president, marketing, at Polygon Realty Ltd.

“As a result, we included details such as Cooper Hill Park and streets named after Miss Cooper’s beloved cows.”

The development’s first phase, East Ridge, is a collection of three- and four-bedroom, 1,500-1,800 square foot modern, farmhouse-inspired townhomes featuring pitched roofs, decorative shutters, a mix of shingle and lap siding, and select stone details. Private decks, patios or fenced yards are primed for outdoor activities and entertaining.

The main floors and primary bedrooms are capped by overheight ceilings, while durable wood-like laminate flooring covers the main and lower levels. Plush carpeting blankets the bedrooms, stairways and closets, while plenty of storage space is spread among the three floors’ closets.

Open-concept kitchens feature stainless steel appliances and are decked out in modern two-toned cabinetry and soft-close drawers with matte black hardware. Engineered stone countertops and full-height ceramic tile backsplash are set off by an expansive kitchen island with built-in storage for casual dining and food prep. The undermount stainless steel sink is accented with a single-lever matte black faucet as well as pullout vegetable spray for convenient prep and clean. There are also rollout recycling bins under the kitchen sink for easy organizing of compost and recyclables.

The openness of the kitchen into the living room particularly appealed to one new buyer, who’s transitioning out of a rental into his first new home.

“I plan to throw on the Canucks game and watch it while I’m cooking,” he says. In fact, the entire space “felt like a nice open concept that flowed well out into the backyard. It didn’t feel like I was cramped like a lot of (townhomes) that are long and skinny.”

He’s also looking forward to the primary bedroom’s ensuite, which features a spa-inspired shower, integrated bench seating and rain shower head with wand.

Secondary bathrooms include soaker tubs with porcelain double sinks, engineered stone countertops and sleek pot lights, dual-flush toilets and custom flat-panel cabinetry with decorative matte black pulls. The main floor powder room has porcelain tile flooring and, in most homes, a floating cabinet.

Overheight double-car garages accommodate side-by-side parking with plenty of extra room to store bikes, tools or sports gear. A heat pump system infuses the entire home with a comfy temperature year-round. As for colour schemes, buyers can choose from either a ‘forest’ palette with light grey cabinets and lighter coloured wood or ‘meadow’ with white cabinets and darker wood.

All homes are wired for technology, including high-speed internet, hardwired smoke detectors and carbon monoxide monitors, as well as flood detectors around the washer and dryer. As a Polygon Telus Residential Smart Community, homes include keyless entry, smart home automation, and a three-year Telus SmartHome security monitoring package.

For the ultimate in entertaining and activity, the 10,000 sq. ft. residents-only Cooper Club, constructed in red brick in tribute to Kathleen’s bright red barn, features an outdoor pool, hot tub, and lounge with fire pit. Inside the multi-purpose clubhouse there’s a fitness studio and fireside lounge where residents can play board games, curl up with a good book, socialize with friends, host birthday parties or club meetings. There’s even a dog wash station to rinse down Rover after a romp around the many nearby parks and pathways.

Those clubhouse amenities were a big draw for the new buyer. In fact, the whole property “felt like a modern living opportunity in Abbotsford that you don’t see all the time,” he says. “It’s like a fresh take on living in Abbotsford.”

Alam, who notes the development is just a five-minute drive to schools, shops, services and restaurants in downtown Abbotsford, says clubhouse activities and events help “foster a community spirit where neighbours become friends. From yoga classes and parent and tot playtimes to wine and cheese events and book club discussions, the clubhouse usually becomes the heart of these new communities.”

East Ridge at Cooper Meadows

Project address: 3025 McMillan Road, Abbotsford

Developers: Polygon

Architect: Formwerks Architectural

Interior design: Polygon

Project size: 191 woodframe townhomes

Residence size: 1,500 to 1,800 sq. ft., 3 and 4 bedrooms

Price: Starting at $779,900

Contact: 604-607-7801

Website: polyhomes.com/community/east-ridge/

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So you’ve decided to renovate a kitchen or ensuite bathroom or do a complete remodel of the common living space in your home. Where to start? Perusing design magazines and scrolling through social media posts is fun and offers a plethora of ideas and design visions to transform your home. But before getting caught in dreams of marble-topped counters and appliance garages, there are a few things to consider before launching into a major renovation.

Step one is to establish a budget which will determine exactly what can and cannot be achieved.

“Make sure you know what your capacity to spend is,” advises Kevin Hatch, owner of Twin Lions Contracting, HAVAN’s 2025 Residential Renovator of the Year award-winner.

And make sure you’re transparent about that number with your contractor, Hatch adds. “So many times people will come to us and want to keep their budget close to their chest because they’re afraid the contractor will spend all their money. The reality is we can’t adequately give them advice if we don’t know what their want is to spend.”

The next step is to determine if the homeowners’ wish list aligns with their budget. For that to happen there needs to be a conceptual plan either from a designer or architect for a builder to assess. To create an accurate estimate for the builder, the contractor needs specifics.

“The more information the people have; the more accurate the estimate can be,” says Jim Smith, owner of Smithwood Builders, a 2025 HAVAN multi-award winner. “[Having] the idea of doing an addition, I say ‘how many square feet is it?’ If I have to guess at a lot of stuff, it’s not a very accurate number.”

Assembling a team of a designer or architect along with a builder right from the start is key.

“People will often go to a designer and get all designed up and we’ll price it and it’s way out of their budget,” Hatch says. “Or they don’t get a proper design, and they get a contractor to put some anecdotal pricing together and they don’t get exactly what they want.”

Interviewing a few contractors and designers will help homeowners decide who is the best fit for them and their project. Hatch suggests finding the contractor first because as typically it’s the largest part of the renovation where the most money will be spent. He adds they often can connect homeowners with designers. “We can pair them up with a designer that works really well for a project of their type and also respect the budget,” he adds.

Doing some research on their own will help homeowners understand the cost of materials and finishes and help them make decisions as the project progresses and keep it on schedule. Although not all design details are confirmed before construction starts — like a bathroom accent tile — a client’s indecisiveness can slow things down because ordering is involved and the time on that can affect the budget. You might not know what accent tile you want to use in the shower niche, but you do need to decide in a timely manner as the project moves ahead. “Time is cost,” explains Smith. “It’s also little things to consider— [like] temporary fencing. We’re doing a project where we need to fence off a property, so people aren’t walking into the job site. That fence rental costs — for every extra month of rental it goes up.”

And given that, as Hatch says, costs have risen significantly on everything construction related in the past four years, every way to save helps stretch the budget.

It’s also recommended that people find an alternate place to live during the renovation and to plan this well in advance of the construction start. While it may seem like a way to save money, Hatch says it can end up costing more because having to work around residents can mean “phasing” the project. That requires trades returning multiple times to finish their work instead of once. He uses the example of drywallers needing 10 days to complete the project versus having to return to do different rooms and the days possibly doubling. He notes that the noise can have an impact on the clients.

“While the money may be a wash to save the mental energy may be a win to move out,” he says.

Before committing to a contract, it’s advised that you get recent references on projects similar to what you’re wanting to do. “There are some contractors who just rely on the same three people to give them references year over year over year,” Hatch says.

A final caveat: communication is crucial, Smith says. “Keep the whole team apprised of everything. The more you have as a team talking all the time the better off you’ll be.”

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What does it mean to work well? Is it about productivity, paycheques, or purpose? A new exhibition opening Sept. 18 at 828 East Hastings in Strathcona asks this question of exhibitors and visitors alike.

Titled Is This Working? This show focuses less on the grind and more on the gaps — the pauses, the unexpected moments and the creative ways we measure value.

This exhibition runs for a week and is the brainchild of three longtime contributors to Vancouver’s design and culture scene: Laura Melling, Renske Werner and Jody Phillips. Together they’ve assembled a multidisciplinary lineup that covers design, art, music, performance and wellness. The result is an off-site counterpoint to IDS Vancouver .

Curators with lived experience

For Phillips, who formerly ran IDS Vancouver and now works in arts and culture with the Naut’sa mawt Resources Group, this project has personal resonance.

She has certainly reached moments in her demanding career when she realized “this isn’t working.” Her energy felt depleted rather than renewed and a reset was needed.

That reset came through a shift toward community, arts and culture. She discovered real fulfilment working alongside Coast Salish communities to build an Indigenous art collection and lending program.

Bringing that spirit of collaboration into Is This Working? has been essential, says Phillips.

A warehouse becomes a playground

The show takes place in a soaring warehouse owned by Low Tide Properties in Vancouver’s Strathcona neighbourhood. Recently renovated, it now offers a blank slate with vaulted ceilings, ripe for reinvention, says Phillips.

In this space, Is This Working? introduces a series of pods and activations. Expect a central coworking installation, long-table meals, workshops and an opening night party with proceeds supporting the Eastside Neighbourhood House.

“It just felt tone-deaf not to do that,” Phillips said.

An installation of light and care

Among the standout contributions to this exhibit is Soft Threshold , a joint installation by artists Minahil Bukhari and Mustaali Raj. Together they reimagine the contemporary workspace not as a site of relentless productivity but as what they describe as “a responsive ecosystem.”

Drawing inspiration from philosopher Gernot Böhme’s writings on atmosphere, the pair use dappled light as both metaphor and material. The softened glow and transient shadows act as quiet prompts to slow down, to breathe, and to relate more attentively to the space and those within it. In their vision, light becomes an ethical encounter, transforming the workplace into a site of care rather than control.

Bukhari, a Pakistani-Canadian artist whose work grapples with displacement and loss, often through what she calls “political minimalism,” brings an emotional and textural depth.

Raj, an award-winning designer and visual artist, brings a global lens shaped by his “third culture kid” upbringing. “I am a circle, living in a square, drawing triangles,” he explains. His practice reinterprets traditional motifs in contemporary forms, always with an eye to social good and community building.

Beyond productivity

The exhibition’s title nods to Dolly Parton’s line: “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”

That sentiment runs throughout the show, whether in architecture firms rethinking space, artists weaving personal histories into material form, or illustrators layering narratives into murals. Some works will take the prompt literally. Others will approach it obliquely, exploring themes of time, value, and care.

For Phillips, a Dutch Design Week project she saw some years ago remains a touchstone for her — a room filled with shredded paper, a clock running backwards, and a giant pencil scribbling nonsense across the floor.

“It struck a chord with me. It was anxiety-inducing, but it also made me think deeply about our obsession with productivity,” she said.

A different kind of party

Phillips admits she’s wary of the glossy, highbrow openings that design shows can sometimes default to. This one will be different, she says.

Tickets are $20, with half the proceeds going directly to the neighbourhood house next door.

“This is a community effort. Nobody’s here to make money. We’re here to reflect, to gather, to ask the question together,” says Phillips.

In a city where the cost of living often dictates the pace of life, Is This Working? offers a rare invitation to pause. Whether you arrive as a designer, an artist, or simply someone wondering about your own work-life balance, the hope is that you’ll leave not with answers, but with better questions.

Exhibition info:

Sept. 18 to 24, 2025

828 East Hastings Street, Strathcona, Vancouver, BC

The exhibition is free, and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with additional events and activations throughout

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If you have ever seen an ikebana art piece, the artistry of the floral design must have amazed you. Ikebana is a Japanese art form that has evolved over centuries and embodies so many disciplines and philosophies.

Beginning in the sixth century in Japan, when flowers were first offered in Buddhist temples to honour Buddha, the monks elevated these floral gifts into a more sophisticated art form. Aristocrats of the day began to adopt this artistic form of floral design, as did the samurai and eventually the wider population.

Traditional ikebana schools developed precise styles and strict rules, as well as a narrow philosophy. The practice of ikebana is rooted in discipline, harmony and respect for nature. Today, there are many ikebana schools in Japan — many with their own unique philosophy and design styles.

In 1927, the Sogetsu School of Ikebana was founded by Sofu Teshigahara, a visionary who wanted to free ikebana from its rigid traditions. Unlike most schools that followed a strict classical ideology, Teshigahara thought ikebana should be a more creative art form. He also thought that it could be practised “any time, anywhere, by anyone, with any material.”

He believed that individuality and self-expression should be at the heart of this ancient practice. He encouraged the use of unconventional materials, like glass, metal and wood. Even large sculptures were in the realm of Sogetsu style ikebanas. Because of his approach, Sogetsu is considered a more modern form of ikebana and is now recognized as one of three major ikebana schools in Japan.

Kiyoko Boycott founded the Vancouver branch of Sogetsu, and today, at the age of 95, she is still a director and active ikebana instructor. Thanks to her passion for ikebana and her dedication, the local ikebana school now enjoys a membership of nearly 100 enthusiasts.

Boycott has an interesting history. Born in northern Japan in 1930, she began studying ikebana when she was 11 years old. In 1950, she studied under Kosaka Hakuu. With her husband, Norman, and her children, she moved to Canada in 1959 and four years later started teaching ikebana to more than 70 students at the Buddhist Temple in Richmond. In 1964, she started the first Sogetsu study group and co-founded the Vancouver Ikebana Association a year later. In 1985, the Sogetsu Vancouver Branch was officially recognized by Sogetsu Japan. Boycott was the branch director.

Boycott holds the highest teaching degree in Sogetsu and has received many significant awards in both Canada and Japan, such as the Mohan-Sho Certificate of Exemplary Achievements in 1974; the Sofu-Sho Special Prize in 1978; a certificate of merit from Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1988; the Eiyo-Sho Certificate of Meritorious Achievements in 1997 and 2007; the Sogetus Overseas Grand Prize in 2017, and the Sogetsu Sunlight Award in 2021.

I recently spoke with Tazuko Tsai, deputy director of the Sogetsu Vancouver Branch, who sent me some excellent background information about ikebana. As with all arts and cultural groups, it is important to always be growing to maintain relevance in Canadian society. Tsai assured me that the interest in ikebana is growing not only in B.C. but across Canada. This growth is particularly strong among the diverse groups of new Canadians. There are five schools in the Vancouver area, and their new members represent a younger demographic with most being in their 20s and 30s.

With most art disciplines, judging events are often held and various awards presented. Tsai explained that this was not the case with Sogetsu ikebana. She said this is a very personal art practice that she finds quite spiritual. It’s about the individual’s understanding and respect for the harmony of nature.

The Vancouver branch is very active in the arts and culture community. They participate in the Powell Street Festival, the Steveston Salmon Festival and the Sakura Days Japan Fair. They also take part in the Federation of Artists Bloom event, an annual spring exhibition on Granville Island.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Vancouver’s Sogetsu School of Ikebana, and in celebration there will be displays of stunning ikebana arrangements and demonstrations at VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Floral Hall on Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Demonstrations are scheduled for 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. This is a chance to enjoy a unique art form and some incredible ikebana beauty.

For more information, visit: sogetsuvancouver.com .

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Design rules when it comes to making new condo developments comfortable and livable — and one of the main components is creating outdoor spaces that are attractive, functional and sustainable.

Landscape architects approach design much like any other design professional, says Mark van der Zalm, principal architect with Van Der Zalm + Associates (VDZ+A).

“Landscape architecture is a profession that blends artfulness with science and seeks to provide places of enjoyment that are resilient and functional as well as beautiful,” says Van der Zalm.

Assessing the physical aspects of the site such as soil, shade and soundscape, with the cultural aspect — sense of place, local vernacular and architectural style — reflects how landscape architects balance overlapping influences, says Alyssa Semczyszyn, principal at Prospect & Refuge Landscape Architects (PRLA).

“For example, if we have a site that is in the trees and quite shady, and it is a West Coast Modern style building, we will focus on enhancing that foresty feeling with mass plantings of ferns and Indigenous understory trees like Vine Maples. If a site is in Ladner and has a full sun rooftop, we would focus more on beachy grasses that enhance the idea of a seaside town, and a less formal planting plan that more relaxed and laid back,” she says.

Van der Zalm agrees and says there are also important considerations for tactile surfaces, textures, and accessibility requirements.

“Where possible, we look to provide universal accessibility so that people of all ages and abilities can use the same spaces unhindered by obstacles, grade changes, or surfaces that are more difficult to negotiate for physically and visually impaired residents or guests,” he adds.

For the planted spaces, the goal is to bring seasonal interest throughout the year, whilst achieving a strong and dependable baseline for evergreen structural planting.

“We look to support pollinators through careful consideration of bloom times. This is a win for birds, insects and people,” says Van der Zalm.

Recalling work on two recent Northstar Developments’ condo projects in Port Coquitlam — Livy and Porthaven — where the public interface at street level is intended to be vibrant, welcoming, and flexible, VDZ+A designed the spaces to support a variety of events or purposes.

“In the case of Livy [102 condos], we have a very open and inviting commercial base with lots of room for pedestrians, shoppers and residents to mingle in and around the building. Consideration for planter locations and alignment is key to ensure that pedestrians can move through these spaces without obstruction,” he says.

Pointing to Porthaven, a six-storey mixed-use development (108 residential units plus ground floor commercial units), Van der Zalm says the landscape design was inspired by the project’s civic context with the municipal buildings, red brick architecture, mature trees and Leigh Square.

All these external factors influenced design decisions for orientation of patios, separation of public and private spaces, views, materials and planting, he says.

At Porthaven, there is also space — or interface — between the building and its surroundings with an elevated patio that overlooks the recently revitalized Leigh Square. But Porthaven residents can enjoy a more quiet or intimate space on the private rooftop garden, says Van der Zalm.

This area is accessible to residents and their guests and offers social spaces and raised planters for residents to grow vegetables, or herbs to complement their summer cooking and to enjoy the act of gardening and growing.

Budget, of course, is always a consideration and when the development is complete, strata councils take over responsibility for the amenities and their costs, including features like gardens and outdoor spaces.

“Future maintenance costs and requirements are definitely a huge influence,” says Semczyszyn. “We are often balancing the upfront cost of a material versus its long-term cost for maintenance. For example, a wood fence is very cost-effective to install, but will require regular painting and/ or staining, or it will weather, and may give 15 to 20 years. A metal fence is more expensive up front but will last for 50-plus years and not need very much in the way of maintenance at all.”

Semczyszyn says she prefers using cost-effective and durable materials as the basic background materials and then save money for accents that are either highly usable or are going to provide a great return on investment.

An example of this strategy is the greenhouse PRLA specified for Bridge & Elliott, Headwater’s 131-home community under construction in Delta’s Ladner Village.

“It’s not a standard amenity item, but when you have people downsizing into smaller spaces, having a shared greenhouse is an amazing way to connect with neighbours who also like gardening, and to get your tomatoes started earlier (and save your windowsill from leaks),” says Semczyszyn.

She also highlights the importance of human connection.

“We have had so many reports of a loneliness epidemic in cities, and amenity spaces, if designed right, provide so many opportunities for the kind of spontaneous and repeated connections with the same people that have been shown to build friendships and relationships,” she says.

Semczyszyn likes to reference the design guidelines produced by Happy Cities in Vancouver who have done evidence-based research on what physical infrastructure helps make connections. She also enjoys the work of Project for Public Spaces, a U.S.-based non-profit that also looks at making successful spaces.

“The trick is a variety of attractants and a variety of spaces, to bring people together for shared activities, whether it’s visiting while their kids or grandkids are playing, gardening, cooking food, or enjoying a shaded area on a hot day,” she says, adding condo rooftop amenity spaces are ideal for creating this kind of opportunity.

She notes rooftop spaces are a great example of collaboration between design professionals.

“There is an incredible amount of co-ordination between consultants and the science of the materials to get a successful roof amenity,” she says. “If I am showing a planting bed, we need to talk to the structural engineer about soil weight, and the mechanical engineer about drainage and the envelope engineer about building up our soil over the waterproof membrane. It’s such a team effort, and the absolute ideal is to create something that feels like it was meant to be.”

Reflecting on his favourite features in landscape design Van der Zalm likes the interrelationship of water and artwork and in past projects the firm has enjoyed the interaction between moving water and careful placement of artwork.

“I really enjoy seeing large crowds gather at the cenotaph on Commercial Drive at Grandview Park, or the thousands that attend Fusion Festival in Surrey at Holland Park (A VDZ+A project from 2003),” he says. “I also cherish the marine theming and design of Rocky Point Park in Port Moody — a project that VDZ+A worked on to enhance the park with a new waterpark, celebration amphitheatre and significant addition of public art and lighting.”

Semczyszyn says her favourite features tend to be the selection of plants.

“I absolutely love a simple planting palette that focuses on Indigenous plants, but that looks like it was meant to be,” she says. “My absolute favourite is the combination of red flowering currant, which is Indigenous and attracts hummingbirds and can be clipped into a charming deciduous hedge if someone wants to go that route, with holly-leaved Oregon-grape, which [has] yellow flowers and is glossy and evergreen. I’m also a huge fan of swordfern in the mix for year-round seasonal interest and that feeling of connection to our local environment.”

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The Interior Design Show (IDS) Vancouver returns Sept. 25 to 28 with a packed program that is both ambitious and approachable. From bold installations to a focus on hotel design, the show promises to be a celebration of creativity and community on the West Coast.

A huge amount of effort has gone into making this a great event for the design industry, says IDS national director Will Sorrell.

“If it’s an amazing show for the design industry, then it’s going to be a good show for anyone to attend,” he says.

An installation built to last

The central bar installation at this year’s IDS Vancouver is called In/Tension, and was designed by dHKarchitects and built by AD Projects. The bar is a 40-by-50-foot structure of raw lumber held together with ratchet straps — no screws required. The concept, simple, says Sorrell, no screws, no waste. When the show ends, the entire structure can be dismantled and reused.

In/Tension is where IDS’s Opening Night Party will happen, and then offers a calming hub for visitors who want to take a break between exhibits. A salvaged tree sculpture by Vancouver’s Brent Comber will feature as an artistic focal point.

Lighting that needs to be seen

If you’ve ever shopped for lighting online and felt disappointed when the fixture arrived, you’ll appreciate Illuminate, a brand-new section at IDS Vancouver. Curated by Vancouver lighting designer Sebastien Panouille, Illuminate brings together brands such as Tom Dixon, Bover, A-N-D and Modular in a dramatic scaffold installation.

The number one thing everyone always asks to see more of is lighting, says Sorrell.

“Lighting is one of those things you need to see in person. You can’t tell the quality unless you feel the weight and see the kind of light it casts,” he says.

The raw, industrial framework at the show creates the perfect backdrop for pendants, sconces and statement pieces, making Illuminate one of the most talked-about additions this year.

Hotels reimagined

One of the show highlights this year is Night & Day, which explores the future of hotel design. Vancouver’s Twobytwo Architect Studio has rethought the arrival experience with a nature-inspired lobby designed to soothe weary travellers. Capella Interior Design is presenting a bedroom suite that is both stylish and fully accessible — something most hotels have yet to master.

“So instead of the accessible room in the hotel being the spare ground floor room when they have a bit of space left over on the floor plan, it’s intentionally setting up a perfect room that can actually be enjoyed by any guest,” says Sorrell.

This hospitality theme carries onto the keynote stage, where Toronto designer Paolo Ferrari will share insights on luxury travel, including his dramatic Desert Rock Resort project in Saudi Arabia.

A show with national ambition

Sorrell, who moved from London to Victoria just before the pandemic, has worked to bring IDS Vancouver and IDS Toronto closer together.

“I’d like to think we’re able to bring design from Toronto to Vancouver and Vancouver to Toronto. That’s really important — healthy competition and new ideas,” he says.

For visitors, this means a richer mix of voices, products and perspectives. It also underscores a bigger goal: giving Canadian design a stronger identity on the world stage.

Art, shopping and inspiration

Beyond the major features, IDS offers plenty to explore. Studio North showcases custom furniture, textiles and ceramics, while Prototype unveils fresh ideas not yet in production. The District marketplace lets visitors shop directly from makers, and Collect, a curated fine art section, connects guests with 10 contemporary artists whose works bridge the worlds of interiors and visual art.

Among the artists showing this year is Rebecca Santry, a BC-based painter whose moody, atmospheric works are inspired by the West Coast landscape.

As Sorrell puts it, “When a design community is successful, not only do the architects and graphic designers all know each other, but you’re reaching out into visual arts, fashion and the wider creative sector as well.”

Visit IDS Vancouver for show and ticket information.

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When last we looked at housing prices in the Tri-Cities, rising interest rates and pandemic-era price surges had pushed even modest condos out of reach.

Since 2023 , benchmark prices for condos have fluctuated, as in the rest of the Lower Mainland. According to Bridgewell Real Estate Groups’ Tri-Cities real estate market stats for July 2025, Coquitlam’s was at $705,400 from $747,300 in the same month two years ago. Port Coquitlam has also seen a drop, from $633,300 to $623,200. But Port Moody remains a contender, with a benchmark of $746,900 in July, an increase from the July 2023 benchmark of $716,900.

The Tri-Cities stand out for their relative resilience and appeal to first-time buyers. With strong transit links, expanding amenities, and a growing inventory of newer condo developments, the region offers more value per dollar than many other Lower Mainland regions. And while $500K won’t buy a backyard, it can still secure a private patio, storage locker and sometimes amenities like an indoor pool and fitness centre.

In the following section, we spotlight six listings — two from each city — that show what half a million dollars can still buy in the Tri-Cities.

Coquitlam

Address: 1405-3071 Glen Dr.

Listed at: $500,000

Floor-to-ceiling windows light up an open-concept floor plan with an expansive living room. The 712-square-foot one-bedroom includes a balcony and access to a gym and party room. The unit comes with a storage locker and parking and the building is pet-friendly, with restrictions. In less than 20 minutes’ walk you’re at Coquitlam Centre, with shopping, dining, cafés, and SkyTrain. You’re also steps from Town Centre Park’s lakes, trails, playgrounds, Evergreen Cultural Centre and the Coquitlam Crunch.

Address: 101-1167 Pipeline Rd., Coquitlam

Listed at: $498,800

This 838-square-foot two-bedroom comes with an inviting and spacious patio accessible from living room and primary bedroom. The latter also has a cheater ensuite. Living areas are bright and roomy. The condo is in the New Horizons neighbourhood and a 10-minute walk to SkyTrain, Douglas College, City Centre Aquatic Complex, Lafarge Lake, Coquitlam Centre, and elementary and secondary schools. Eagle Ridge Hospital is also nearby. The unit comes with a parking stall and storage locker. Pet friendly with restrictions.

Port Coquitlam

Address: 104-1990 Westminster Ave.

Listed at: $485,000

A 786-square-foot condo in Yaletown would cost between $900,000 to over $1.1M, but in Port Coquitlam you can buy breathing space for less than $500K. This ground-level corner unit has one bedroom and one bathroom and features an open-concept layout with quartz countertops, laminate flooring, and stainless-steel appliances and a large private patio. Parking stall and storage locker included. The condo is in Arden, a boutique collection of 22 homes in a quiet residential pocket of Port Coquitlam’s walkable Glenwood neighbourhood.

Address: 409-2465 Wilson Ave.

Listed at: $479,000

This 524-square-foot one-bedroom unit backs directly onto Coquitlam River and PoCo Trail, and is near Gates Park, sports fields, Riverside Secondary, and Port Coquitlam Community Centre. It’s in Orchid II, a condominium complex of 185 units in two six-storey buildings, with amenities such as green space, walkways, and a meditation garden. The shops, cafés, and restaurants of downtown PoCo are within walking distance. Coquitlam Centre, Costco, transit, and highways are easily accessed. The condo comes with two parking stalls, a storage locker and a bike locker.

Port Moody

Address: 106-3240 St. Johns St.

Listed at: $499,000

This 640-square-foot one-bedroom has an open-plan layout, nine-foot-high ceilings, large windows, laminate floors, granite countertops, a gas fireplace, in-suite laundry, and a cheater ensuite. Rentals and pets are allowed (two pets with no size restrictions). One parking spot and one large storage locker are included. Perhaps the crowning feature is a 200-square-foot private garden patio. It’s in The Square, whose amenities include a gym, hot tub, library and outdoor pool and is two blocks from the Inlet Centre SkyTrain station and minutes from downtown via the West Coast Express.

Address: 425-3122 St. Johns St.

Listed at: $499,900

The other Port Moody St. Johns listing is a 654-square-foot one-bedroom with a den on the top floor of a four-storey building. Features include an open kitchen, gas fireplace and private deck. Amenities include a pool, hot tub, and gym.

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You’ve followed your calling to the hallowed halls of higher education. Your courses are chosen, your books are ordered, your residence is set, and now it’s move-in day. Whether you have your own room or you’re bunking with others, it helps to do your homework on how to decorate your dorm for form and function.

Classes of haves and have nots

Most university dorms are furnished with the basics, including bed, desk, shelving, dresser, closet and sometimes a mini-fridge. Larger residences come with kitchens and are equipped with refrigerators, stoves, microwaves, dishwashers, etc. Students are required to bring everything else — within limits — including cutlery, dishes, pots and pans for those with kitchens.

Even before students set foot on campus, universities send them a list of what to leave in and what to leave out of their moving boxes. SFU’s packing tips encourage students to bring bedding, desk lamp, laptop, extension cord and power bar, toiletries and cleaning supplies. Verboten are personal modems, Wi-Fi printers, smart home devices, air conditioners, amplifiers and subwoofers.

UBC’s packing list includes pretty much the same, as well as suggested clothing for a rainy day. Kawa Ada, associate director on the Residence Life team at UBC Student Housing and Community Services, says, “We encourage students to bring what they absolutely need, particularly because of the space limitations, but also because of sustainability objectives.”

About 14,000 students live on campus at UBC which, he says, generates a lot of waste. Everything you pack in (and accumulate during the year) you need to pack out when you leave, or donate, sell or recycle.

The art of decorating

Over and above the essentials to outfit your room, adding a touch of home can make the transition easier, especially for students who are away from home for the first time.

“Students find ways to make the space their own, things that remind them of home,” says Zoe Woods, director, Residence and Housing, at SFU. “It could be a bed kit that you regularly use or a new one your parents gifted you when you moved out.”

Even a teddy bear? “Stuffed animals may remind students of home and make them feel settled in a space,” she acknowledges.

Eighteen-year-old Sienna Walker, who’s entering her second year at UBC majoring in English Literature and Languages, says, “I brought a lot of books to fill my shelves as well as photos of family and friends for a photo wall. I brought a lot of pillows, comforters and blankets to decorate my bed and give it a homey feel. I also had posters for the walls.”

While students are free to deck their walls with pretty much anything, there are a few rules. Posters and pictures must be hung using poster putty, painter’s tape or command strips so as not to peel the paint.

“If the room is altered in any way, students need to ensure it’s back to its original condition when they depart or they are responsible,” says Woods.

Wallpaper, even the temporary kind, may take some effort to remove, unless it instantly peels off without damaging the paint.

Rooms, which, at SFU range between 120 to 150 square feet, also include window coverings such as blinds, but if a student is really attached to their own drapes, Woods says they could use tension or pressure rods to hang them.

Ali Udaipurwala, 22, who is in his fourth year majoring in Business Administration at SFU, says he brought a rug from home as well as family photos to make his space cosy and comfy. But he says his best buys were organizer-type boxes to store stuff in and avoid clutter.

“I also brought LED lights that are controlled with a remote,” he says. “You can set them for mood.”

Woods agrees that throw rugs can make a space feel more homey and they can also help muffle noise.

Crystal Moon, principal and creative director at Vancouver’s Crystal Moon Design, says, “Having a rug that’s a bit bigger gives layers to the space, and adds coziness. It also can keep you warm in the cold rainy months if the place is a bit drafty.”

For arty decor, Ada says UBC offers crafts and materials to newly arriving students to personalize their space through programs like plant potting, designing your own T-shirts or tote bags, and door decoration. “The residence room is an expression of who they are, their past lived experiences and their memories,” he notes. “Through the year they often find that room becomes a place to call home, so we absolutely encourage students to bring things that are tied to their identity.”

Space savers

Ada says dorm beds can be lifted with risers to allow for a couple of extra feet of storage underneath. “Some students put their dresser drawers under their beds to optimize their space. Most of the furniture we have is quite modular for those kinds of customizations.” He says some students push their bed against a wall and line up a row of pillows so it doubles as a day bed or sofa.

Moon, who specializes in designing and decorating small spaces, says, “Wall space is so underrated. You can get shallow wall cabinets that come in a range of depths and sizes to use for functional storage as well as a place to put photos or a piece of art.”

She says using a small dresser instead of a nightstand does double duty for more storage. “There are also ottomans that fold out so if students have guests staying over,” it can convert to a bed. “You can even get sideboards that fold out into double beds now.”

Udaipurwala, who has his own room, says he stores his skin care products, books, and gym equipment on his shelving units, and photos of family and close friends on his study desk.

Walker says UBC rooms have an abundance of shelving space, much of which she filled with photos and trinkets from home. Last year she had a roommate, and the two repositioned the beds, desk and wardrobe to maximize and delineate their space. “The school has the furniture all placed the same way so if you move it, you have to put it back in the exact same way the school left it,” she notes.

Co-operating and co-ordinating

Nearly all new students who share a dorm will not have met their roommate ahead of time, so Woods suggests they reach out to each other before they move in to ensure they’re on the same page in terms of expectations. “We have had students with very different styles but are comfortable learning about each other and sharing that space well,” she says.

Walker advises being mindful of your space and the other people who live in it, noting there are floor advisers who routinely check that students are following room restrictions as well as proper etiquette such as noise, cleanliness, etc.

“My roommate and I made a list of things we were comfortable with,” she says, “which included how late we wanted to stay up or how early we would head to class, if we wanted to bring friends into our rooms or not, who did cleaning duty certain weeks, etc.

“All in all, first-year dorm experience is a great way to adjust to university life. If you prefer your space 24/7 then a shared dorm might not be for you. But it’s a great way to meet new people you wouldn’t have otherwise.”

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Purpose-built rental buildings have become increasingly popular in Vancouver. For good reason.

Vancouver’s housing market is out of reach for many people. Of course, today’s renter is also looking for contemporary features and finishes, a plethora of amenities, and convenient locations.

Located a short walk from Sunnyside Park, along one of east Vancouver’s most vibrant neighbourhoods, Peterson’s newest purpose-built mixed-use concrete rental building, Revolve, checks off a lot of those boxes.

Barrett Sprowson, senior vice-president at Peterson, understands that with Vancouver’s ever-evolving skyline, renters look for thoughtfully designed interiors and buildings that provide a connected lifestyle experience.

“We really spend time thinking about the end-user and what they truly need to enhance their lifestyle,” says Sprowson. “Revolve suites are functional and beautiful, because we refuse to compromise on the esthetics. I think we lived up to our commitment of providing great finishes so our tenants have a nice space to live in, and amenities that offer residents dedicated spaces for wellness, working, entertaining and connecting.”

Peterson currently has 1,200 purpose-built rental buildings, including Vancouver’s Langara Gardens and Camilla in Richmond, to name just a couple.

“Right now, we have many more slated for redevelopment,” says Srownson. “Peterson has always been a believer in the rental market; it’s part of our balanced approach to development.”

Opened in April, Revolve is a 14-storey mixed-use concrete building presenting a collection of 139 homes, featuring a mix of studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom suites, some with two full bathrooms, ranging from 333 to 1,039 square feet.

Curated by award-winning Ste Marie Studio, Revolve’s suites are bright and airy, and come with six appliances (refrigerator, wall oven, microwave, dishwasher, washer and dryer), individual thermostats, air conditioning, quartz countertops, vinyl plank floors, and a contemporary neutral palette.

But there’s more. Every home comes with a storage room and leak detectors that will identify a leak and immediately shut off the valves.

Yasaman Azodifar recently immigrated to Canada and has lived at Revolve for a few months and loves it. After looking at several rental buildings, Azodifar said that as soon as she entered the building, she knew she had found her new home.

“I searched for quite a while for a place that was easily accessible to downtown Vancouver, near great restaurants and was quiet and functional,” says the Iranian-born Azodifar. “As soon as I walked into Revolve, I loved everything about it. I’m in design, and I was attracted to the architecture and how well designed the building is.”

Although Azodifar says her second-floor studio is small, it is “cleverly laid out.”

“Peterson used the space so efficiently. I have a separate place to sleep and another to relax … in fact, I have room enough for a sofa and dining room table,” she says, adding her patio is large enough to accommodate four people.

Finally, Azodifar makes use of the co-working space on a regular basis, saying it is “quiet, super clean and more comfortable than most offices.”

The building amenities are designed to take urban apartment living to the next level. At street level, Revolve has signed on commercial leases, including Kumon, a Club Pilates, and Trout Lake Animal Hospital.

In addition, Revolve has an on-site resident manager who can assist with maintenance and repair issues, tenant relations and property upkeep, as well as ample parking, secured bike lockers and a dog wash.

Revolve’s array of indoor and outdoor amenities is designed to suit every preference while encouraging a sense of community. They include a well-appointed shared kitchen and lounge, an outdoor yoga and stretch area, a fully equipped fitness centre with Technogym machines, and an innovative co-work lounge with meeting rooms that open up to the outdoor patio.

The shared terrace, with its unobstructed views of the cityscape and mountain range, includes several garden plots, three barbecues, and a space to connect with friends and family while little ones explore the kids’ play area.

The building is located on Kingsway and Glen, closely connected to Mount Pleasant, the Fraser Triangle, Burnaby’s Trout Lake, and the emerging Norquay Village, known for its great restaurants, and Norquay Park, a two-block popular recreational destination. And it’s central to Commercial Drive and Metrotown.

Project: Revolve

Project address: 3572 Glen Dr., Vancouver

Developer: Peterson

Architect: Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership

Interior designer: Ste Marie

Project size: 14-storey, 139 rental suites

Number of bedrooms: Studios, 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms

Price: Rent starts from $2,150

Sales centre: 3572 Glen Dr., Vancouver

Centre hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Phone: 604-424-8408

Website: revolve.petersonrentals.com

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Vancouver-based design brand Marrimor make objects — tables, rugs, sofas, cushions — that are as playful as they are practical. Founded by Tanja Breadner and Lauren Bugliarisi, the pair first met when Bugliarisi joined Breadner in her interior design company in 2017. Their first joint project, a custom table, revealed a rare creative spark.

“It became clear that when we collaborate on furniture together magic happens,” says Bugliarisi.

Later that year, over cocktails, Breadner told Bugliarisi that she wanted to start a furniture brand with her. Bugliarisi’s reply:

“I thought you’d never ask.” Marrimor was born.

Walking the line between playful and refined

The vision was ambitious from the outset. They wanted to build a global furniture brand rooted in their creative connection.

“The work we create together has always walked on a tightrope between playful and refined, as a result of the way we push and pull one another during the development process,” says Bugliarisi.

This balance has defined Marrimor’s sensibility, giving its pieces a distinctive character that is approachable, yet polished, whimsical yet enduring.

Thinking internationally from the start, the studio aimed beyond local trends, designing for a broad audience and maintaining high production standards.

Owning the process

Unlike many firms that license products or outsource production, Marrimor chose to handle the manufacturing itself.

“There’s so much power as a studio in owning your manufacturing process. It gives you room to be flexible on almost anything — you have control over not only who brings your ideas to life, but where in the world they do that. You get to decide when to accept the creative concessions you sometimes have to make to bring things to life, and also who you work with to bring your products into people’s spaces,” says Bugliarisi.

That flexibility is particularly meaningful as a Canadian brand.

“It allows us to remain a Canadian brand in more than name only, but also down to our core values,” she says.

Milan calling

If Vancouver is where Marrimor sprouted, Milan is where it bloomed. Showing at Salone del Mobile (Milan Furniture Fair) has been transformative, says Bugliarisi:

“As a brand, showing in Milan has legitimized us. It makes people take us seriously, and almost all of our big opportunities in the market have come as a result of our time in Milan.”

The fair provides both pressure and possibility. With the design world in attendance, visibility can be daunting. But it’s also the chance for a small studio to step onto the global stage.

It has also underscored the studio’s Canadian identity. Marrimor has found itself part of a growing international buzz around Canadian design, says Bugliarisi.

Balancing acts

Running a studio that spans interiors, product design and manufacturing means constant juggling. The partners divide tasks by strength and bandwidth, switching hats as needed.

“Every day there’s something new to figure out. We both thrive in that pursuit,” says Bugliarisi.

This adaptability extends to their design approach.

Marrimor’s Drape sofa can be moody and dramatic in velvet or soft or cloud-like in chenille. Clients are invited into the process through fabric and colour choices that dramatically change how a piece feels.

Who buys Marrimor? The answer is eclectic. A set of Toofs — cylindrical tables — once turned up in place of a coffee table in a loft living room. Their Draft sofa has been considered for hotel lobbies.

“The goal was always to create products that fit in a broad variety of design esthetics and spaces,” says Bugliarisi.

In Vancouver, Marrimor’s full line is available through Livingspace , and internationally through their website .

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VanDusen Gardens, the green centrepiece of Vancouver for 50 years, has become so much more than a world-class botanical garden. Recently, I had the pleasure of being there on a beautiful evening in early August, and the gardens were alive with visitors. Folks from all cultures and demographics were enjoying the beauty, the calm and the peacefulness of this great garden.

VanDusen is brilliant for its botanical collection of plants from around the world and for its overall design. Its many unique features and creative use of water really connects with people. In today’s very stressful world, it’s something that folks need in their lives.

The story of VanDusen is truly about people, starting with 89 people who, in 1966, had a vision to form the Vancouver Botanical Garden Association, which grew to a membership of 8,000 by 1984. Through the generosity of so many other folks, particularly W.J. VanDusen, who alone funded one-third of the cost, it became possible to purchase the property. These folks believed that a green space would be an important contribution to the City of Vancouver.

Many park board superintendents, beginning with S. Lefenux, established their legacy here. The overall creation and far-sighted designs — the contours, the lakes, the stonework and the essence of the land — were the concepts of deputy superintendent Bill Livingston and those who worked with him. These were the folks who envisioned the magic that we appreciate today.

The many original plantings and themes selected to enhance this beautiful landscape were assembled by Roy Forester, the first curator. He was awarded the Order of Canada for his excellent work. We must also thank the team supporting him who put the brilliant plant combinations together.

My long relationship with VanDusen, in so many different respects, has always been a positive and uplifting experience. The many folks who make the gardens function each day always seem to be the right folks for the right time. They share a sense of collaboration that is so often missing today.

I had the privilege of speaking with Andrew Fleming, the superintendent of both VanDusen and the Bloedel Conservatory. One of my first questions was what he liked most about VanDusen. He emphatically responded that the crews, who do all the planting, maintenance and garden care, top his list. He praised their skills and dedication for keeping the gardens at their prime. Seven full-time, professional gardeners and three equipment operators maintain the 55 acres. At a recent lecture series at VanDusen, I heard comments that the gardens have never looked as good as they do now — a tribute to these talented folks.

Fleming has been at VanDusen for six years, starting during the pandemic. He said it was one of the first public places to reopen, and there was an immediate rush to reconnect with nature. He mentioned that they shifted their plantings to use more colour, a decision that today’s younger visitors seem to appreciate. Overall, he said that their guests are a little less botanically inclined, being more interested in colour, vegetable displays and nature. He has also noticed that they are quite interested in their own food gardens in limited spaces. Herb and fragrance gardens are very popular with younger people.

The Festival of Lights, a truly spectacular display, has become the most popular event at VanDusen. Started in 1983, it has become a tremendous Christmas draw. From setup through to takedown, it requires about one-quarter of the year for the crew to stage this show. Fleming said they are trying to become more botanically orientated as the light show moves forward.

Fleming said he felt that attendance is growing. Last May was the busiest on record. Some of the more popular areas for today’s guests are the vegetable gardens, the maze, the waterfall in the Sino Himalayan area, the formal rose garden, the herb and fragrance garden, the backyard bird area and the floating bridge.

Education is a huge part of VanDusen’s community series. Fleming mentioned that their educational focus is mainly on schoolchildren, but the Yosef Wosk Library and Resource Centre is focused on invaluable horticultural information. Volunteers also play an important role in many aspects, particularly in conducting guided tours. In 2002, there were 1,800 active volunteers. They are well trained to handle both individual visitors and tour groups. Fleming is often asked to guide special groups, and he said that doing so gets him excited about the gardens all over again.

Many horticultural societies hold their meetings in the floral hall at VanDusen. The Vancouver Rose Society, the Orchid Society, the Alpine Club, the Sogetsu School of Ikebana and many other related clubs meet and host guest speakers year-round. Many hospitals and police groups have special award ceremonies at VanDusen.

It has also become a destination for weddings, often with five to nine booked on summer weekends, and after 38 years, VanDusen still hosts their annual car show. Another beautiful event they currently host features the stunning vignettes of Fleurs de Villes and their amazing floral mannequins.

Film companies like to make use of VanDusen’s gorgeous grounds for many different shots. The spectacular visitor’s centre opened in October 2011, providing more space for presentation venues, a gift shop and the Yosef Wosk Library and Resource Centre.

As I said, VanDusen has become so much more than a botanical garden. It offers a stunning space in which to learn and be inspired. I love Fleming’s comment about VanDusen being a place to discover nature and perhaps yourself. Thank you to all the brilliant folks who work and volunteer and to those of the past who have created something so very special.

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Think paint, think innovation. For homeowners looking to transform a space, colour typically dominates the decorating conversation, but paint companies’ research and development is focused on more than the range of hues, and technology is constantly improving safety, coverage and durability.

Over the past century, paint has evolved from decorative to dynamic, says Ashley Saltern, product director, PPC Architectural Coatings (Dulux and Sico Canada), adding the future of paint is being shaped by three key forces: performance, sustainability and user empowerment.

“Once limited in colour, durability and safety, today’s coatings are formulated for high performance and easy application,” she says, adding that the introduction of synthetic pigments and binders expanded colour range and stability, while the development of water-based and zero-volatile organic compounds (VOC) formulations greatly improved indoor air quality and environmental safety.

Kristen Gear, lead colour specialist for Home Hardware’s BeautiTone Paint and Home Products division, agrees that the industry-wide move away from VOCs is one of the most impactful changes in the paint industry in the past decade.

“While colour chips and finishes still grab the spotlight in-store, the real breakthroughs are happening inside the can,” she says. “Despite being more environmentally friendly, today’s low-VOC paints don’t sacrifice performance. In fact, they’re outperforming many of their solvent-based predecessors — thanks in part to the next-generation resins and pigments they contain.

“We really get behind the move to VOC-free paint because we want to reduce our footprint as much as possible,” says Gear, adding initiatives to reduce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — ‘forever chemicals’ — are another big focus.

Reflecting on the impact of innovation in the industry Thelma Longakit, Cloverdale Paints laboratory manager, notes the many advances since the company’s start in 1933 as a small operation serving local farmers near Cloverdale.

“Back in the ’30s, a customer might walk out with a gallon of solvent-based enamel, hand-mixed, leaded, no MSDS (material safety data sheet), no VOC talk. Today, they’re choosing between eco-certified lines, zero-VOC options or CO₂-derived resins — formulated in our lab, tinted by computer and built to meet tough environmental standards,” says Longakit.

PPC’s Saltern draws attention to another area impacted by technology: durability. “Where high-gloss finishes were once required for washability, today’s super-premium paints can deliver exceptional stain resistance, scrubbability and hide in flat or low-sheen finishes — freeing homeowners to choose finishes based on design, not just durability,” she says.

Of course, technology has also had a major impact on colour. The colour spectrum available to homeowners today is the direct result of pigment and tinting innovation, says Saltern.

“Our zero-VOC, high-strength colourants used across the Dulux and Sico product lines enable a broader, more vivid palette, from deep blues and bold neutrals to historically hard-to-achieve reds and yellows. These colourants provide better hiding power, improved colour stability and support consistent performance across sheens,” she adds.

Gear agrees and recalls when she started working in the industry 23 years ago, “yellow was a horrible exterior colour.”

“It would fade fast. Same with purples. But now, with high-strength colourants, those colours stay richer for longer, even in direct sunlight.”

Cloverdale’s Longakit also recalls colour challenges in her early years in the industry.

“When I started in the paint industry nearly four decades ago, colour choice was limited — maybe a few dozen standard options, mixed from basic pigments. Today, we offer thousands of precise, reproducible colours, and it’s all thanks to advancements in pigment chemistry, dispersion technology and tinting systems,” she says.

Longakit notes that while modern high-performance organic and inorganic pigments have expanded the range of hues, brightness and durability, better grinding and dispersion methods result in clean, stable colours with less pigment.

The result? “Customers get near-unlimited colour choice — whether they’re matching a designer swatch, a historic tone or a corporate brand colour — and we can deliver it quickly, consistently and in low-VOC or specialty formulations,” she says.

But Steve Waterman, Behr Paint Company’s SVP, head of research and development, believes the biggest change in the paint aisle was a new way of thinking.

“For years, shoppers could only choose from a handful of pre-tinted colours such as Swiss Coffee or Navajo White, since stocking hundreds of shades just wasn’t practical. Behr flipped that model on its head (in 1986). Instead of premade colours, Behr introduced un-tinted bases and paired them with in-store tinting and computerized colour matching,” he says adding that overnight, shoppers had access to a full colour centre and thousands of ‘exotic’ hues on demand.

“The colours always existed. The innovation was putting the power to create them into the hands of the shoppers and The Home Depot retail associates; no warehouse required,” he says, noting that innovation didn’t just expand the palette, it reshaped how consumers think about customization in paint and set a new standard.

While colour — through initiatives such as the annual Colour of the Year campaigns promoted by most major paint companies — may grab the headlines, there are many behind-the-scenes innovations that homeowners might take for granted.

BeautiTone’s Gear says one of these is the emergence of multi-functional paints — like paint-and-primer-in-one formulas.

“They reflect real advances in how resins and pigments work together to provide stronger adhesion and hiding, even over bare drywall or previously painted surfaces,” she says.

Likewise, kitchen and bath paints are formulated to resist mildew and tackle challenges like surfactant leaching — the streaky marks that can appear in humid environments without proper ventilation, she says.

Waterman notes that for water and dirt repellency, Behr designs the dry paint film to have low surface energy, so liquids and grime don’t stick. “This is a result of specialized ingredients and tightly cross-linked polymer networks, so water beads up and stains wipe off instead of soaking in,” he says, adding outdoors, coatings are formulated to be water-repellent yet breathable, so walls can shed rain but still release trapped moisture underneath.

Getting smarter

PPC’s Saltern notes “smart” paint is a growing category of coatings designed to do more than add colour.

Waterman points out the push to lower levels of VOC and technology from every ingredient area is enabling smart paint innovation. “A smart paint is a coating that delivers value beyond colour and basic protection, healthier indoor air, longer surface life, easier cleaning and more. A smart choice is also a sustainable one,” he says.

“In the residential space, we’re already seeing smart paint in action through products engineered to solve real-life challenges,” says Saltern.

Examples include Dulux’s Clean Surface Technology (available in Dulux Diamond Distinction and SICO Clean Surface available at RONA and independent dealers).

“This innovation delivers outstanding resistance to both water and oil-based stains, excellent washability, and a long-lasting freshly painted look,” says Saltern noting that even stubborn stains like mustard, lipstick or greasy fingerprints can be wiped away without damage to sheen or colour.

Dulux Anti-Scuff — designed for high-traffic spaces — is another smart solution, set to launch this October in Dulux Paint stores across Canada.

“In the future, we anticipate coatings continuing to push beyond esthetics and protection to provide valuable added functions,” says Waterman. “A big area of focus currently is radiative cooling technology, where lighter shades in combination with the reflection of solar radiation can keep a surface cooler than an equivalent colour and, in some cases, even below the ambient temperature.”

Looking ahead, Cloverdale’s Longakit adds the next generation of smart paints includes technologies such as self-cleaning surfaces using hydrophobic or photocatalytic additives and antimicrobial finishes for health care and high-traffic areas, and thermochromic or self-healing systems, still largely in development.

“These technologies show real promise — but from a formulation and production standpoint, they still face challenges in cost, durability and scalability,” adds Longakit.

“Paint may seem simple, but behind every can is a science-backed formula built to do more — resist scuffs, fight dirt, manage moisture, stay clean longer and even help control heat. That’s how technology is quietly changing what homeowners can expect from paint,” says Waterman.

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Created as a celebration of Greg Girard’s iconic photographs, Sensitive Surface is a 200-square-foot installation by Vancouver design studio Ste Marie , developed in collaboration with AD Projects , digital artist Jonny Ostrem, and sound designers Jolin Ras Group.

Following a highly successful two-week debut at Monte Clark Gallery, which just ended, the project has attracted interest from other Canadian institutions, including Toronto’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), with plans underway for an international tour.

Presented alongside Girard’s photographic series and book,  Snack Sakura , the installation translated his images of Japanese snack bars into an environment that behaves more like memory than space.

“What immediately struck me about Greg’s photographs was their stillness. There’s this potent, cinematic quiet in them that feels more like a lingering emotion than a literal moment. That’s the energy we wanted to work with, not replicating what we saw, but responding to how it felt,” says Craig Stanghetta, founder of Ste Marie.

Japanese snack bar esthetic

The Vancouver installation was conceived as a fictional bar — enclosed, layered, and unresolved — with traces of the snack bar esthetic appearing as suggestion rather than statement.

“We weren’t aiming for cultural mimicry; the point wasn’t to build a facsimile. We approached the esthetic language like a memory of those places filtered through emotion,” says Stanghetta.

An atmospheric looseness was achieved through shifting light levels, textured surfaces, and ambient sound by Jolin Ras.

Hopefully, it lands as something quietly transportive, he says. It’s meant to hold a tension between intimacy and distance, like walking into a room where something meaningful just happened, but you’ve arrived too late.

Building for atmosphere, not function

Execution partner AD Projects faced the challenge of making this mood physically tangible. The biggest challenge was translating something so intangible into materials, construction details, and spatial sequencing, all under a very compressed schedule, says AD founder Adison Norman.

“The vision for this project was always anchored in creating a sense of place — something that gave you an immediate sense of nostalgia. Translating the emotional texture of mood, memory, and atmosphere into something physical was certainly the greatest challenge for us. None of us had ever actually been to a snack bar, so we had to rely on inspiration and intuition to construct a kind of vacuum — an immersive space that guests could step into and feel transported,” says Norman.

The build required a particular amount of restraint — nothing could be too perfect or finished.

“The compressed timeline added another layer of complexity, but we worked closely with Ste Marie’s team, often iterating on site in real time to ensure nothing felt too polished or too literal. The tension between precision and impermanence was ultimately what brought the installation to life,” he says.

This project was quite different to much of their commercial work, says Norman, working with materials that needed to feel aged, light that needed to feel cinematic and objects that needed to feel found, not placed. Restraint was key, he says:

“It pushed our team to think like storytellers, not just builders.”

A design studio pushing boundaries

Ste Marie has designed hospitality and mixed-use projects in Vancouver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Toronto. With Sensitive Surface, the studio pushed further into abstraction.

“That’s where we see design heading, into these liminal, narrative-driven experiences that move people emotionally, not just functionally. This project gave us the freedom to strip away commercial expectations and just explore what space can feel like when you treat it as a vessel for memory and emotion, rather than as a product. That’s exciting territory for us,” says Stanghetta.

A question developer Rob McGorman is repeatedly asked by prospective homebuyers about his latest project is, “Are you going to keep the trees?” The short, and welcome, answer is yes.

As part of the first residential component being developed in the long-established, championship Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, the Villas have been designed to integrate into the landscape rather than dominate. From the muted, earthy exterior colours to the West Coast style architectural design, the homes are meant to reflect an appreciation for the lush, green surroundings and stunning mountain views.

“We went with keeping all the trees,” says McGorman, founder and owner of Bayshore Construction Inc. “Every villa backs onto a forest. So what you see behind you here is exactly what every house is going to be seeing. So, no shared back fences. Instead of going with a manicured golf course (residential project), we went with what you see when you pull in — all the wildflowers. That’s all been hydroseeded that way. That stays. That’s done. It will just go in thicker.”

The plan for residences at Pheasant Glen evolved from the vision and discussion with the Dutton family who owns the golf course — something the Duttons had been pondering for a while — 17 years according to McGorman who quipped, “It didn’t happen overnight.”

Plans include two-bedroom-and-den, three-bedroom, and three-bathroom houses ranging from 1,788 to 2,200 square feet, and include both rancher and two-storey plans.

In concert with the Villas, Pheasant Glen is expanding amenities at the golf course with tennis and pickleball courts, a gym, possibly a pool, amphitheatre and a new clubhouse with a restaurant. The expansion includes future low-rise condos which will be separated from the Villas with a tree buffer. The owners at the Villas have a choice of opting into those amenities or not. What they do receive is the chance to move to the top of the waiting list for golf club membership with the initiation fee waived.

For homebuyer Gerry Scott, the Villas were a perfect mix of everything he was seeking when planning a move back to the island after leaving in 1983 and, along with wife Melissa, will make Qualicum their principal residence. Scott admits they made the decision sight unseen after a discussion with McGorman and Nicole Proch, head of sales and marketing — and there are no regrets. Things are moving ahead: the foundation has been laid and the house should be completed by early spring 2026.

“I always envisioned retirement would be the things I wanted to do as a kid,” 64-year old Scott says. “I ride my mountain a ton. So that’s No. 1 on the list. The trails are just outside the yard — golfing, pickleball, the recreation centre.”

The couple selected the Brandon model, the same design as the show home. Tweaks were made to the exterior to give the home its own unique look as the project’s esthetic plan doesn’t allow for the same style of house side-by-side through the development. Though the exterior may differentiate the Scott’s home, inside they opted for essentially what the show home offers. “I think it’s going to be very close to what the show home looks like with the big (sliding) doors. I think it’s going to be fairly similar with all the light colours,” Scott notes. They also selected the upgraded backyard landscaping installed at the show home.

While outside the homes boast a cosy, cohesive West Coast-lodge vibe, the interiors are distinctively stylish and modern — owing to the vision of John Larson of C.A. Design and Bayshore’s in-house interior designer Jordan Labas. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors are featured wherever possible on the back of the residences. In the Brandon model they stretch 20 ft across the back wall of the dining and living room areas.

There are three interior colour palettes to help buyers decide on finishes, and Labas is available to guide people through the process of selecting different colours or materials. To that end, all the homes’ interiors are custom, even if a buyer opts for one of the curated palettes — quartz countertops, engineered hardwood floors and gas fireplaces are a few of the standard features. McGorman says there are often small changes that buyers request that can be worked into the build. He mentions replacing a barn door in one house as it wasn’t to the buyer’s taste or shifting the position of a window slightly as examples where they accommodate changes. The Scotts are at design-finalization point in the process and Melissa is working with Labas to source different lighting fixtures for their home.

Scott says they made the decision to move fast on buying at Pheasant Glen because they wanted to be assured of a prime lot.

“It’s beautiful,” he enthuses. “The views, everything, it’s incredible. And of course, what they’ve got planned with the club house, etc. They’re giving it a facelift which I think is going to be incredible.

The Villas at Pheasant Glen

Project Address: 507 Hole-in-One Drive, Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island

Project Scope: A collection of custom, three-bedroom, single-family homes situated alongside the beautiful, championship Pheasant Glen golf course in quaint Qualicum Beach. Conveniently located a few minutes from walking trails and beaches, and the town’s amenities which include grocery shopping, restaurants, town hall, library, community centre, elementary schools and high school.

Developers: Bayshore Construction Inc.

Building Designer: C.A. Design, Qualicum Beach

Prices: Starting at $1,300,000

Sales centre: 507 Hole-in-One Drive, Qualicum Beach

Sales centre hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

Sales phone: 250-248-7495

Website: pheasantglen.ca/the-villas/

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Last year the quaint seaside town of Qualicum Beach lost one its most popular home decor shops when the owners relocated out of province. Before they left, they hinted that what would replace their two retail shops within the charming little plaza would not be a disappointment.

True to their word, when it was discovered that Indaba Trading bought the two spaces, there was a discernible ripple of excitement throughout the town. While perhaps not a household name, the Indaba brand, a Parksville-based decor wholesaler and online retailer, is sold all over North America and is well known to interior designers — and to those drawn to the brand’s easily recognizable, distinctive esthetic.

On a recent summer morning, Irene Held and Alison Gillespie, the mother/daughter duo behind Indaba, sat down for a chat over coffee in the sunny courtyard behind their new Indaba Shoppe. Held founded the business as a young mother having recently arrived in Canada from South Africa — hence the name’s origin — a Zulu word meaning the gathering of people. The ethos of the business is grounded in an appreciation for the skill and beauty of handcraft.

“Our interest has always been in handcraft,” Held explains. “Buying in India, it’s very much traditional handcraft. We’re obsessed with textiles and India is the mecca for textiles. What people don’t understand is what we do is not off the shelf. We don’t go to India and say we’ll buy this, this and this. Everything is custom made and goes to production.”

Even the ceramic pieces that they produce in China are handcrafted.

“The people making our product, it’s all handmade still,” Gillespie says. “People think it doesn’t meet our brand values but actually these workshops, it’s similar to the Indian product, they’ve been doing it for thousands of years. It’s handmade. You think made-in-China is made by machine but it’s not true for all types of products.”

Indaba’s signature style is a seemingly effortless, relaxed elegance — a sense of almost languid informality but with polish. The textiles in Indaba’s collections define that sensibility with the decor accessories being a logical trajectory of that esthetic.

“The subtlety and the relaxed feel — that generally is the theme of what our look is,” Held remarks. “It’s very unfussy. We do have interesting details, and we’ll throw in a punch of colour or a little bit of whimsy but primarily it’s very easy to live with. It’s very easy to integrate, and season to season the new designs follow on from where we were before.”

Having launched their online retail shop during COVID, making the leap to a bricks-and-mortar location was a natural progression but, as with most things in life, it came down to the right timing.

“We’re always just so busy but it was just in our minds,” Gillespie recalls. “I do think it was a manifestation in a sense that we were ready for the right location when it presented itself. When we saw Faire Living’s Instagram post about moving to Calgary we called and asked right away. They were selling the building, and it just happened.”

Gillespie notes that even though their products are in shops all over the U.S. and Canada, the Indaba Shoppe allows them to present the full range of the brand in one place. “A lot of stores carry our products but it’s bits and pieces,” she notes. “It’s bringing our products into their esthetic. It’s all our products together.”

To complement the Indaba brand, Held and Gillespie have opted to include some local and national makers in the shop, such as the beeswax candle maker Little Mill from Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver’s home-and-bath brand Well Kept, and candle and body oil maker Merge from Tofino.

The shop will also feature one-of-a-kind items that were developed as samples for a season’s collection that for whatever reason didn’t make it into production.

“They add a bit of an interesting touch there because you never know what’s going to be in there, and those items are not available on the website,” she says.

With the view to changing things up either seasonally or from a creative vantage, the Indaba Studio, the second space facing out to the plaza’s courtyard, will host various events and give the duo the flexibility to feature different collections.

“It leaves us free to develop the concept of how we’re going to have the two shops jive together,” Held observes.

Gillespie suggests that perhaps it will be kitchen and dining focused at times, but they have decided to launch with the Christmas collection, likely opening sometime in October.

With the two shops opening this year, the duo has plans for events in the courtyard in the future. “We have lots of ideas. It’s just a matter of getting them on a schedule and making it happen,” Gillespie says.

Stay tuned.

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Three years ago, we looked at properties in five B.C. towns where buyers could snag a single-family home and a plot of land for under half a million dollars. While the market has shifted, pockets of affordability are still out there. Here’s a snapshot of what you can buy outside the big city for the cost of the proverbial Yaletown shoebox.

Prince George

Address: 7386 Imperial Place

Listed at: $499,900

Tucked into a quiet cul-de-sac, this spacious two-storey home is ideal for families with school-age kids. Located within walking distance of both elementary and high schools, it offers 2,272 square feet of living space on a 7,315 square-foot lot. The 1974 home features updated flooring and bathroom, a garage with RV parking, a private backyard complete with a patio and there’s also a dedicated hot tub room. Perfect for unwinding after a long day of waiting for a car to go by.

Vernon

Address: 1605 15 Ave.

Listed at: $499,800

Located in the East Hill neighbourhood, close to East Hill Dog Park and Lakeview Park, this 1 996-built bungalow offers three bedrooms and two bathrooms across 1,300 square feet. Vaulted ceilings and an open-concept layout make the interior feel bright and spacious. The primary bedroom includes a walk-in closet and ensuite, while the fully fenced yard provides privacy and a landscaped outdoor retreat. You’re also just minutes from Kal Beach, Polson Park and Vernon Secondary School.

Castlegar

Address: 604 11th St.

Listed at: $499,000

Located at the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia rivers, downtown Castlegar is regarded as one of the greenest downtowns in the country, and this 2,434 square-foot, two-storey home puts you right in the thick of it. Built in 1962, the home has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a lower-level suite for rental or in-laws or for renting to your in-laws. (Use your imagination.) With the river practically in your backyard and local cafés just steps away, this home offers both serenity and convenience on a 0.34-acre lot.

Prince Rupert

Address: 1745 E. 7th Ave.

Listed at: $499,000

This corner lot home has been thoroughly updated. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home spans 1,810 square feet and includes a renovated lower level with new insulation, plumbing and electrical. From a south-facing sundeck, you can survey a kingdom that includes a fenced yard, fire pit, and upgraded drainage. Located near the Coast Guard base and scenic waterfront trails, the Prince Rupert gem offers both nature and community.

Cranbrook

Address: 1616 Mt. Proctor Place N.

Listed at: $499,900

Built in 1985, this 2.5-storey residence offers 2,121 square feet of living space with three bedrooms, three bathrooms and an office. The double garage, sauna, wood stove, and covered patio add comfort and character. Glass sliders opening to a covered patio area where you can enjoy your morning coffee in this serene space with a great sense of privacy. Located in a quiet cul-de-sac near the community forest and hiking trails, it’s a tranquil retreat in the urban centre of the East Kootenay region.

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Those beautiful white hydrangeas we see blooming out in the hot summer sun are part of a new generation that just keeps improving each year.

The old Hydrangea paniculata Grandifloras were always nice for summer colour. Hardy, even for Prairie winters, and — once established — quite heat and drought tolerant. They were bullet proof. They loved the summer sun, bloomed on new spring growth and could be used as a flowering shrub or grafted as a tree form.

Today’s hydrangea breeders are now looking for opportunities to develop many new features. They are producing new blossom colours and blossoms that change colours, as well as size variations, which can be important in many landscapes. We’re also seeing that, because of their durability and lasting quality, the blooms of these new hydrangeas are in-demand as cut flowers.

Over the past few years, Proven Winners have introduced many of the new varieties, and the gardening community has really embraced them. The leading candidate has been H.p. Bobo. Developed by the folks who produced H.p. Pinky Winky, Bobo’s claim to fame is its compact size. Growing to a mature size of about one-metre high and three to four feet (one to 1.2 metres) wide, it is one of the first varieties to bloom. Bobo also lasts well, and its blossoms mature to a subtle pink shade. Its compact size allows it to fit spaces in the landscape where other hydrangeas could not be used.

Hydrangea paniculata Fire Light and its companion, H.p. Fire Light Tidbit, have set the standard for colour change. While Fire Light grows six to eight feet tall (1.8 to 2.4 metres), Fire Light Tidbit will reach only two to three feet (0.6 to one metre) in height and three feet (one metre) in width. Their initial colour opens as a bright lime green that transitions to white, then quickly changes to a rich pink. To end the season, the blossoms turn red. Both varieties have strong stems, and Tidbit has lovely orange-red autumn foliage.

The Quick Fire series were bred to be the earliest to bloom, while also lasting through the summer. Often blooming in early July, they will frequently begin to turn red just as other varieties are opening up. Little Quick Fire and Tiny Quick Fire grow three to five feet (one to 1.5 metres) tall, while the larger Quick Fire Fab will get up to six to eight feet (1.8 to 2.4 metres) tall and six feet (1.8 metres) wide.

The real head-turning paniculata is the vibrant Limelight series. Its bright lime flowers on strong stems eventually turn a creamy white, change to an attractive pink, then finish in fall as a rich burgundy. Limelight grows six to eight feet (1.8 to 2.4 metres), the Improved Limelight stays in the four-to-six-foot (1.2 to 1.8 metres) range, while Little Lime grows only three to five feet (one to 1.5 metres) tall. The showstopper, Little Lime Punch, takes colour changing to another level. It is the same compact size as Little Lime, but as the green flowers age, they become a unique mix of vibrant pink, green, white and hot red all at the same time. It’s quite something.

Van Belle Nursery in the Fraser Valley are introducing a number of spectacular PG hydrangeas which are uniquely different and deserve a spot in our gardens. Hydrangea paniculata Dragon Baby is certainly one to watch. Growing only two to three feet (0.6 to one metre) tall and wide, it has slightly smaller and more pointed blossoms than Bobo, and it has more of them. They open a refreshing lime and cream colour, then develop into a very rich pink as they mature. I find they have a strong, upright form.

Another star is H.p. Bouncy. Aptly named, its big, beautiful, creamy white flowers look stunning bobbing in the breeze. This four-to-five-foot (1.2 to 1.5 metres) plant has quite a manageable mounding form. Bouncy will extend your bloom season as its white flowers turn a beautiful pink and it will keep blooming well into the fall. It’s one to watch.

If you would like to keep the limey cream colour all through the season, H.P. Moonrock might be your best choice. Reaching four to six feet (1.2 to 1.8 metres) tall and wide, it has an attractive upright form that always looks substantial and strong.

Speaking of limey cream, the newest hydrangea to be introduced is Bubble Bath, a compact plant growing only two to three feet (60 to 90 cm) tall and wide. Its claim to fame is the absolutely massive, vibrant blooms it produces all summer, and it holds its crisp, fresh look even in the heat. Bubble Bath is a very appropriate name because, when fully in bloom, it looks like a ball of bubbles. Quite amazing!

Hydrangeas, especially those with large blooms, may become quite heavy after a rain, and the plant will require some staking. Compact hydrangeas tend to hold up better and are also well suited to growing in containers.

Tree forms of all these varieties might not be available, but certainly a good number are. They make an excellent small sized tree that is ideal for small gardens and patios, as well as for screening, privacy and a little height.

So, no matter the size of your garden, there is bound to be a perfect hydrangea for you.

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Kevin and Christy Young waited 10 years to renovate their home, and that was more than enough.

They didn’t want to wind up like those people who live in a house for decades and then fix it up right before selling, says Kevin. “We thought, we’re going to be in this house for at least another 10 years. So why don’t we do it now, and enjoy all that this house has to offer? Because we love where it is, and our kids love it.”

The 2003-built, 5,500-square-foot home in West Vancouver had served them and their three sons well, but it was feeling tired, too.

They got underway with a couple of smaller projects, fixing up the kitchen and a few bedrooms. But with two of the boys now in university and one finishing high school, the Youngs knew they should commit to a larger upgrade of the home’s main floor and walkout basement.

Enter Simply Home Decorating, and creative director Lori Steeves. The family conveyed their wish list and Steeves started forming a vision. “They’re a very busy bustling household, so Christy really wanted this feeling of calm in the decor,” she recalls.

Kevin is also part-owner of building-product manufacturing company — Woodtone — so Steeves decided to incorporate shiplap siding throughout. “That was my idea, not his,” she says. “But that led us to a very modern coastal esthetic, which Christy absolutely resonates with. She loves the water, and blues and greys.”

For her home office, Christy pictured this playing out as a serene retreat for her to work, relax and hang out with the family’s two golden retrievers. But the office space also got some uniquely feminine touches: “The house had a lot of angles and hard lines, and so in order to balance that in her study, we wanted to soften things a little,” says Steeves.

Bearing this in mind, Steeves paired a curved chaise longue with a custom teardrop-shaped ottoman. From there, she extended two existing storage built-ins to ceiling height, adding arches to flank a Masana stone fireplace.

A Samsung Frame TV displays artwork when not in use, positioned over the desk instead of the mantel to keep it from pulling focus. Floral drapes, cloud-patterned wallpaper on the ceiling and gold-flecked paintings by North Vancouver artist Donna Giraud enhance the feminine feel. Meanwhile, French doors create quiet and privacy, with glass allowing glimpses of action outside the room.

The heart of the home’s action is the great room, where family, kids and friend groups gather. And although the space is light-drenched and beautiful, with views of the city skyline and Lions Gate Bridge, its size and cathedral ceilings were a design challenge here, says Steeves.

“A lot of people think, oh, it’s a large room, it’s going to be so, so easy to work with — with lots of space for furniture. But the challenge in a large room is to give it a cosy and intimate feel despite its size,” she says.

To match the room’s proportions, Steeves started with a 12-by-12-foot sectional. A low-hung chandelier brings the space closer together, while a mix of wood tones, a nubby rug and a white brick fireplace create texture.

Steeves kept the home’s nearby dining room light and bright, adding a long dining table with benches at either end for extra seating when needed. Ocean and sea-urchin artwork, combined with shiplap on the lower walls, bring the coastal theme into focus here, while a natural-fibre chandelier ties in to oak flooring and furniture.

Downstairs, a walkout basement is now the ultimate hangout for the boys, with a full-sized home gym, TV lounge and bar-kitchen. “Gym equipment is not pretty, so I struggled to look for a layout that was going to give them the space that they needed,” says Steeves.

A faux concrete wall with a bank of mirrors in the back corner elegantly solves the problem, keeping the workout area visually separated from the rest of the space.

“It was a super-creative way to solve a problem of these three boys, who want to use a gym, and then incorporate that in with the TV,” says Kevin.

For the lounge zone, a comfy sectional faces an 85-inch TV, mounted on grooved black panelling to make the electronics recess visually.

At the other end of the space, a tidy modern bar replaced a ’90s Irish pub-style time capsule. Linear wood panelling overhead turns a bulkhead into a design feature, set off with nautical lights for a hint of the coastal vibe. Similar panelling on the island below takes on a rich matte black tone for contrast.

With this phase of their renovation complete, the Youngs recently embarked on yet another reno, upstairs, with Steeves again leading design. Between all the changes, they’re achieving their goal of longevity, and enjoying the home not later, but today, says Kevin.

“I don’t ever want to leave this house,” adds Christy. “[Lori] created spaces that make me really happy. Whether it’s the gym area with the TV for the boys, or the living room or the office, I walk into each space and it’s like, oh, I love it in here.”

Project management and design: Simply Home Decorating

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A striking new building is quietly taking shape in Vancouver Island’s city of Colwood, which is near Victoria. The Royal BC Museum PARC Campus (short for Provincial Archives, Research and Collections) offers a fresh take on how we preserve and share our history, says architect Michael Green of MGA, who designed this building.

PARC will house collections currently stored at the Royal BC Museum’s aging downtown Victoria site, giving much-needed room to archives, conservation labs and storage. But it’s more than a warehouse, it’s a storytelling loop, says Green. You walk through a path of time — from geology and dinosaurs to First Nations history and present-day culture, he says.

Celebrating our shared path

Every object stored or studied in the PARC campus tells a piece of the B.C. story, says Green. Researchers will be able to study species that may now be extinct and see how life has changed.

“It’s very important for scientific research. It’s very important from a historical context and from a cultural point of view, of really understanding who we are and where we came from,” says Green.

Visitors won’t just see finished exhibits. Glass-lined labs will give people a window into real-time work. You’ll see people working with bones, rare books, birds, or geological samples; doing the research that shapes how we understand the past, says Green.

Open door design

Unlike traditional archives that are hidden behind closed doors, the PARC campus is designed to draw people in.

“It’s on one level. You walk straight in. It feels human, warm and connected to nature,” says Green.

It’s also designed with all ages and abilities in mind.

“We’ve made sure there are flexible spaces for school visits and learning, indoor and outdoor garden classrooms, and the highest standards for accessibility,” says Green.

Celebrating our long history

Inside the building, 140 timber columns have been used to represent the 14,000 years First Nations have had a presence in B.C., says Green.

“We’re going to write a century — 100, 200, 300, 400, and so on — down each column, and as you look down this long corridor, and you turn and there’s another corridor, and another long corridor, and each of those columns represents a century. That’s the time the First Nations, people, the Indigenous people, have lived here, at least, maybe more, and then there’s only two columns that represent the time when settlers have been here,” he says.

They’re using building design to help convey a sense of time, scale and story, for adults and children alike, says Green.

The building will have flexible spaces, where lectures and dinners can be held, and areas where groups of schoolchildren can gather.

“There’s a whole kids’ learning area, both indoors and outdoors, and garden spaces where projects can be undertaken by kids working with the different fascinating departments,” says Green.

PARC will showcase everything from geology to literature and culture. It even has a Rolls-Royce painted by musician John Lennon — decorated, unsurprisingly, with flowers.

“For some reason, British Columbia owns it,” says Green.

Craft, care and climate

Built entirely from B.C. wood and rammed earth, PARC is the largest mass-timber cultural building in North America. If you’re designing a building that’s about the history of time, you don’t ignore the reality of our time, which means addressing climate change, says Green.

This building is designed to last for thousands of years. “All buildings last based on how they’re maintained. Concrete, steel, wood. It’s all the same, if you let the rain in, if you don’t fix the roof, if you don’t fix the windows, over time, all buildings will decay,” he explains.

Green points to the timber ceilings of European cathedrals as evidence of this. It’s not the material, but the maintenance that counts.

With the building about 70 per cent complete, opening day is expected sometime in 2026. It’s not a place that you just flip the lights on and open the door, he says. The move-in alone is like relocating a closet that’s overfull with priceless history inside.

PARC is funded by the Province of British Columbia and operated by the Royal BC Museum, a Crown corporation. It is not a replacement for the downtown museum, but an expansion, and one that gives the public a new way to see, learn and connect with our province’s history, says Green.

“I think the most important thing this building does is remind us that we come from the ground. We make things. We tell stories.”

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