Organic Gardening News

In 1912, oceanfront property in Oak Bay, Victoria, was not out of reach for at least one schoolteacher’s salary. Following the municipality’s incorporation in 1906, expanded streetcar service was making it faster and easier to access downtown Victoria. And the pre-First World War building boom was turning fields and farmland into what would become an upscale, sought-after neighbourhood.

Eager to get in on the action, Edward Hamilton-Smith, a high school teacher from Scotland via Pennsylvania, took a calculated risk and snapped up six waterfront lots on an acre and a half in the Willows Beach area of Oak Bay for the grand sum of $6,900. He then commissioned architect L.W. Hargreaves to design a one-and-a-half storey, 4,163 square-foot, wood-framed Craftsman-style house on what was then called Beachway Avenue.

Hargreaves designed several Victoria buildings of note, including the Scott Building on Johnson Street, the Yen Wo Society Building on Government Street, and what is now the Hotel Rialto on Douglas Street.

For an additional $4,000, N. Benneck & Sons were contracted to build the home with features such as a side-gabled roof with smaller gabled extensions and a front dormer with a balcony above a large front porch that wraps around the ocean side of the house.

The property has since been subdivided and the home, now known as the Edward Hamilton-Smith House (or Manor), has lost much of its ocean view (although you can still glimpse it from the upper deck and primary bedroom), but it’s been meticulously preserved and cared for. It’s one of only two houses on what’s now called Cavendish Avenue that have retained their original finishes and exterior detailing: cladding of narrow siding on the main floor and shingle cladding on the second floor and basement levels; wide trim boards and heavy brackets supporting bargeboards; upper balcony above the front door with beams, brackets and porch railings; wraparound porch on the north and east facades with Classical columns and four shingle and clad columns.

What’s inside

The interior of the designated heritage home maintains many of the original finishes, fireplaces and floor plan, with the exception of the kitchen and bathrooms, which the current owners upgraded in 2010, along with the ductwork, heating and electrical system.

“They hired John Graham, an architect and member of the Oak Bay Heritage Foundation, who sourced original, reclaimed materials for the bathroom fixtures,” says listing agent Lee Chambers of Victoria-based Pemberton Holmes Ltd. “They also renovated the entire basement in 2014, when they added the back deck.”

Three wood-burning fireplaces, including a large brick- and fir-framed one in the dining area off the kitchen, were converted to gas during the 2010 renovation. Original fir flooring spans the main and upper storeys of the home, while the kitchen is laid with stone and ceramic tile. From the entryway, French doors lead into a formal living room with a brick-encased fireplace. A separate office, den, bedroom and full bathroom complete the main floor. Period windows and lighting, as well as some authentic brass doorknobs and push-button light switches, remain intact from over 100 years ago.

The freshly painted kitchen features plenty of windows, an oversized, six-burner Viking gas range, a Sub-Zero fridge, an additional beverage fridge in an island with added drawers for storage and double-thick granite countertops.

 

The open staircase with preserved woodwork leads to the upper floor, which features two bedrooms, including the primary bedroom, a library, study, and bathroom with double sinks, a soaker tub, and full-body shower with multiple jets. “The interlacing tiles in the upstairs bathroom have an iridescent quality that’s quite hypnotizing,” says Chambers. He adds that the two stained glass windows in the main floor and upper floor bathrooms were brought from the current owners’ previous home, which they framed and hung over the windows for a touch of colour.

The fully finished basement features a family room, a laundry room, full bathroom and two more bedrooms, which could be used as flex space for a games room or gym, along with tons of storage cabinetry.

Double doors lead off the kitchen onto a back patio and down the stairs into an expansive lawn filled with mature trees, perennial shrubbery and tall cedar hedge for privacy. “It’s as easy care as it can be, but if someone wanted a veggie garden, they could (certainly add one),” says Chambers.

 

He says that when he shows the home, “The word ‘family’ is always used, whether it’s a young family or a multi-generational family that needs a lot of space. Consistently, people come through and are surprised by the spaciousness of it.”

He says that, although there are technically six bedrooms, other rooms currently used as study, den and flex room could be converted to bedrooms, bringing the total to nine bedrooms for a large family.

“It’s a classic; 114 years old but in ‘loved’ condition,” says Chambers of the historic home. “The current owners walked a fine line, keeping all the best character features, while updating everything that’s important to today’s homeowner.”

No doubt Edward Hamilton-Smith would give his legacy an A+.

In the neighbourhood

The home is the second-to-last house on a street that ends at Willow’s Beach — 75 adult steps away, says Cavendish — with views of Mt. Baker and nearby islands. “The Oak Bay neighbourhood is consistently voted among the most livable in Canada. The tree-lined streets are walkable and rideable. It’s near some of the best public and private schools in B.C., and only 10 minutes from the University of Victoria.”

He notes also that it’s a few kilometres to the Oak Bay Marina, the Greater Victoria Yacht Club, Uplands Golf Course, the Royal Victoria Golf Course, Oak Bay Village, Estevan Village, a rec centre, and hospital.

“A comparable neighbourhood on the mainland would be West Point Grey, Kerrisdale, and Kits beach, as far as the activity and desirability of being in proximity to a beach.”

Location: 2753 Cavendish Avenue, Oak Bay

Listed for: $3,475,000

Year built: 1912

Type: Six bedrooms, three bathrooms

Size: 4,163 square feet

Realtor: Listed by Lee Chambers, Pemberton Holmes Ltd.

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If there is one thing Chantel and Ryan Ness of Supermarket Studio and Andrea Ewanchyna of Andrea Jae Studio have in common, it’s the belief that collaboration makes design stronger. Both studios are rooted in craft and process. Both are attentive to material, structure and the lived experience of a space, and both approach design as a dialogue rather than a solo act.

This mindset is what brought them together to design a custom stair runner for a residential project. Ewanchyna conceived a runner that would become the visual anchor of the home.

“We collaborated with Supermarket Studio to make it happen,” she says.

The stair runner design drew from Bauhaus textiles and architectural lines, resulting in a bold geometric pattern that honoured structure.

“That project was really rooted in design for purpose rather than design for esthetics, which is how Bauhaus came into the mix because ‘form follows function’ is their M.O.,” says Ewanchyna.

As Ewanchyna and Supermarket Studio refined the design, they realized it resonated beyond the client’s home. “We’d have random strangers coming up to us asking where they could purchase that rug,” says Ewanchyna.

Supermarket Studio received similar inquiries after posting progress images. The response led to the creation of the Loom x Andrea Jae Studio capsule collection.

The Loom collection

At the heart of the collection is a shared respect for textile history.

“Andrea and I were thinking a lot about weaving as a female-led tradition. Heritage and tradition have been carried forward through knowledge, repetition and making,” says Chantel Ness.

The influence of Bauhaus textile artist Anni Albers was intentional.

“We were inspired by Anni Albers’ idea of textiles as a dialogue between maker and material, which encouraged us to work with restraint and rhythm rather than decoration,” says Ness.

Bauhaus was a German design movement focused on function, geometry and the union of art and craft. In the Loom collection, Ewanchyna and Ness reflect that ethos by prioritizing structure and material over ornament, using disciplined geometry and the loom’s warp as a starting point to create purposeful, tactile rugs.

Colour, personality and comfort

The Loom collection features three distinct colourways, says Ness.

“‘Espresso’ is intentionally neutral and easy to live with, ‘Coast’ is a bit more fun, and ‘Plum’ nods to the colour-drenching trend happening in interiors right now. It was really about seeing how far the same design could stretch just through colour,” she says.

Developing those palettes required experimentation, says Ewanchyna. Supermarket Studio have hundreds of colours in their studio to select from.

What you think might work doesn’t necessarily translate, so the colour pompoms Supermarket Studio uses have become critical to the design process, says Ewanchyna. Their studio also helps with decisions on pile height, density and yarn spin so the rugs feel as good as they look.

West Coast modern esthetic

The Loom collection reflects a West Coast modern sensibility, says Ewanchyna.

“In terms of design, West Coast modern means framing views of the natural world around us, whether that is through a vista in a window or creating a mood through layering of materials. There are lichens out there in our rainforest in these tones that we can tend to forget about,” she says.

Ultimately, she says, it’s about how these rugs make a space feel: “I want people to feel underfoot comfort! That’s the whole point of an area rug, isn’t it?! I also want them to feel like it’s a piece of art, but on the floor. I want them to know that each one of these rugs is handmade and therefore one of a kind.”

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Sam Curleigh and his wife, Samantha Croll, spent eight months looking for “the perfect family-size townhome” to accommodate their growing family and two large dogs.

“We visited several projects, but there was always something missing,” says Curleigh. “When we visited Terrain, it ticked off all our boxes.”

Croll, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, agreed. “We love the spacious yard and the location, which backs onto the longest trail system in Squamish. We really did our research, and we are excited to move into a three-bedroom townhome with great views of the Tantalis Mountain range this October.”

Located at the confluence of the mountains and the sea, Polygon Homes’ Terrain has been carefully integrated into the hillside in the Garibaldi Springs neighbourhood, creating a subtle transition between urban and rural landscapes.

As one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada, Squamish’s reputation as a world-class tourist destination has made this town a desirable place to live, work and play. Known as the “outdoor recreational capital of Canada,” many people from across the Lower Mainland are moving here for the outdoor lifestyle.

“Squamish is a very desirable location in the Lower Mainland, and we are seeing this area appeal to a wide range of buyers. Terrain itself is adjacent to over 90 acres of parkland with views of the breathtaking surroundings and just steps from Squamish’s extensive trail network, so it’s highly attractive to outdoor lovers and adventurers,” says Goldie Alam, senior vice-president of marketing at Polygon Homes, adding that during its opening day on Jan. 31, 2026, Polygon sold 22 homes.

Since Terrain’s opening, the response has been overwhelmingly positive — everyone from downsizers to young couples who are expanding their families and needing more space.

“We also saw a lot of parents coming with their kids and grandchildren to provide both emotional and financial support to assist the next generation of their families as they enter or move up in the market,” says Alam. “One of our floor plans features a secondary suite and some families are buying this type of home to have multiple generations living together.”

Overlooking the Squamish Valley, within Polygon’s master planned community of Garibaldi Springs, Terrain is a collection of 127 three and four-bedroom contemporary townhomes, ranging from 1,480 to 2,232 square feet. Each home comes with large decks or patios, fenced-in backyards, and side-by-side oversized garages that are insulated and heated with EV rough-ins and plenty of storage for outdoor toys. When complete, Garibaldi Springs will comprise 314 townhomes.

Designed by Ekistics, the homes’ architecture blends well with the mountain setting with sharply pitched roof lines, black-framed windows and vertical siding.

“The homes on the higher elevation have better views of the mountains, but each home has some kind of view,” says Alam.

Curated by Polygon Interior Design, each townhome is comfortably designed for today, with over-height ceilings, expansive windows flooding the homes with natural light, contemporary cabinetry with matte black steel hardware, and a Samsung appliance package including an induction cooktop with oven, and in some plans integrated refrigerators and dishwashers.

Spacious, these larger homes’ interiors reflect a blend of modern design and urban flair, with generous open-plan layouts perfect for entertaining family and friends.

Alam went on to say that the three-bedroom homes have been selling extremely well.

“The smaller townhomes have been very popular with first-time homebuyers. … They are obviously at a lower price point, starting at just over a million,” she says. “Upstairs, there are little den areas adjacent to the kitchen. Some buyers are creating coffee bars, while others have made them into little play areas or dens.”

Another big draw for young families is Terrain’s proximity to a great school system and daycares, as well as the community’s three-acre Hub Park, with ponds that connect to the existing trail system.

Project: Terrain

Project address: 41159 Garibaldi Springs Way, Squamish

Developer: Polygon Terrain Homes Ltd.

Architect: Ekistics

Interior designer: Polygon Interior Design

Project size: 127 homes

Number of bedrooms: Three and four bedrooms wood-framed townhomes

Price: Starting from $1,068,000

Sales centre: 41159 Garibaldi Springs Way, Squamish

Centre hours: Open daily from noon to 5 p.m. (closed Fridays)

Phone: 604.757.5550

Website: polyhomes.com/community/terrain/

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Are you a garden gambler? Good gamblers usually win more than they lose, but in the garden we all take a gamble. Unforeseen bad weather, insects, disease and lack of time or attention are all risks we face every year, but good garden gamblers aren’t just lucky, they stack the odds in their favour.

As a new season begins, let’s play the odds to our advantage. First, we need to get to know Mother Nature a little better. She loves to fool us with some very nice weather early on. Sunny March days when the temperature bumps up to 15-18°C is a garden motivator like nothing else. Gardeners almost feel a little tardy in getting some early varieties going. We tend to think it’s going to be an early spring so we should take advantage of the weather and start planting.

Unfortunately, clear sunny days are followed by cold frosty nights and, with no cloud protection, white frost can appear in the early mornings, damaging some of those optimistic plantings.

We can mitigate some of the cold by using raised beds and Remay coverings to keep the soil and plants warmer, but we need to question our rationale. Every day now the sun in our Northern Hemisphere gives us about one minute more daylight, and as the sun’s angle gets higher, a little more warmth as well.

A good gambler would look at this and say, “Why not wait a little longer to do my early planting?” The bragging rights of having the earliest lettuce, spinach or peas don’t outweigh the benefits of planting a later crop with less risk and better production.

Soil preparation is another example of logic vs. luck. Heavy, wet soils are the No. 1 reason plants don’t thrive and are your biggest risk for failure. On the other hand, well-prepared soils increase your chances of success more than you can imagine. Your plants will take off more quickly, grow more vigorously, resist disease more effectively, and mature into beautiful specimens.

The practice of regenerative gardening means less digging, rototilling and, overall, less soil disturbance. To establish a “no-till” garden, seasonal additions of organic matter like mushroom compost or other more fibrous material will keep your soils more open and looser. When you’ve got the texture just right, all you need to do is rake it out and you’re ready to go.

Seeds or transplants? Which are better for you? As a rule of thumb, planting larger seeds later is a good decision. For instance, peas, beans and broad beans germinate easily and are inexpensive to grow, but they still should not be direct seeded outdoors until all danger of frost has passed and the soil has reached a consistent night temperature of 10°C.

Smaller seeds, like onions, lettuce and brassicas, are best pre-started in plug trays or small packs, and the new plantable pots. It often takes growers a month or more to produce a saleable young transplant, and when you consider the time factor, I would gamble on the pre-started plants for my garden. You are almost guaranteed success and have saved four to six weeks of time and maintenance.

Once you set plants out in your garden, you are arranging a buffet for a whole host of slugs, insects, rodents, rabbits, and yes, even our garden friendly birds.

It’s important to remember, early in the season, there is little else for wildlife to eat, and your garden is their best bet. Later in the season, as grass, weeds, leaves, and many native perennial plants begin to grow, wildlife has lots of alternatives, but meantime, be prepared.

If you’re a novice gambler, you will just leave them there and hope for the best. Garden wise gamblers will not take that chance. Setting out pet-safe slug baits and deterrents and covering your young plants with Remay or row cover materials dramatically increases your odds of a favourable outcome.

Another success factor here is observation. You need to be out there daily to check not only the condition of your plants, but also to look for signs of any small intruders. Nibbled leaves, slug slime trails, and aphid droppings are all evidence a good garden detective will quickly pick up on and remedy as quickly as possible.

Early in the season, plants grow quite slowly. When we get consistently warmer day and night temperatures, plants can grow two or three times more quickly so your chances of success are far greater.

I’ve learned a great deal from many seasoned gardeners. These are folks who have a passion for gardening and love to share their experiences and expertise. They seem to have one thing in common which is a strong preference for certain plant varieties and they are quite resistant to change. I’m always encouraging them to try newer, more exciting introductions, but with limited success! Their reluctance comes from experience and their own positive results with the varieties they grow. They are less willing to gamble on new plants when they have seen continued success with favourites they know and trust.

When folks share their gardening success stories, I always ask them which varieties worked the best and honestly, sometimes they forget. Keeping an ongoing garden journal for timely notes, best varieties, care, and feeding tips you’ve learned and had success with along the way takes away a lot of uncertainty out of planting year after year.

As I said, gardening is a gamble, but a good one. It teaches us so much about soils, nutrients, timing for planting and plant care, and watching weather patterns. It also makes us very aware that we need to focus on our plants and protect them as well as enjoy them.

Nature loves to play with us and at times throw a punch or two, but she is also the best teacher, if we learn to observe, listen, and learn. The more we do that, the less gardening remains a gamble and becomes more of a safe bet.

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Architects and interior designers have long enlisted tools to help them analyze design concepts and communicate their ideas. Visualizing something that doesn’t already exist — then illustrating it in a way for others to understand — is the essence of the profession.

Before digital tools became mainstream, renderers would sit down with architectural plans and hand-sketch and paint illustrations. These works were used in marketing materials, client approvals and more. Then, software like AutoCAD entered the scene, speeding up the process and shifting the skill set from hand drawing to graphic design.

Today, the profession is evolving once again with architects and designers leveraging the power of AI for renderings and real time mock-ups. Bao-Nghi Nhan, partner and director of architecture at Vancouver’s McKinley Studios, whose team has already integrated a number of AI tools into its processes, believes that accepting and embracing the technology will put firms ahead of the competition. “Early adopters will likely be in demand,” she says.

In creating the client-facing renderings for a waterfront Chesterman Beach home in Tofino, which at press time was under construction, McKinley Studios used AI tools for concepts, to accentuate fine details in renderings, and for client presentations.

During the early exploration phase of the firm’s prefabricated Commonplace homes project, McKinley used AI scripts to mock up a variety of design options, and to analyze how the homes would potentially sit on different land sites. “We were able to site test and review multiple options in a [much shorter] time period,” says Nhan. Once the renderings were finalized, the team also used AI to refine the visuals. Nhan credits AI for streamlining internal processes at the beginning of the project, improving client communication, and boosting client buy-in in the early design phases.

AI tools can be impressively speedy and create sleek outputs, but Nhan says they can’t replace human ideation and intuition; designers and architects need to maintain their role as curators and thinkers to avoid generic results. “All tools, whether they be 3D modelling, drafting, BIM or AI tools should be used with intention, and grounded by the author’s conceptual framework,” she says.

Like McKinley Studios, Jamie Banfield Design has also integrated AI software into their design workflow for interior and architectural design. They use AI image-generation tools Midjourney, DALL·E, and Stable Diffusion to brainstorm concepts, develop mood boards, and explore different design directions. “This allows us to quickly explore the form and function of a space, helping to avoid expensive on-site errors or late-stage changes of direction before committing to detailed modelling,” says Banfield.

When it comes to reviewing, co-ordinating, and editing design PDFs, and communicating across consultants, trades, and permitting authorities, Banfield draws on AI design collaboration tool Bluebeam Revu. “AI helps us pressure-test ideas,” he explains, enabling his team to make better-informed decisions. “[This elevates] the quality of our work and strengthens collaboration.”

So are design professionals concerned about AI’s impact on the job market? Banfield believes the AI evolution will change designers’ roles — but could actually make their work even more interesting. He sees video communication, avatars, and AI-assisted visualization replacing the need for hand-sketching and streamlining communication. “[With AI] information can be shared more clearly and consistently across teams and time zones, reducing bias, misinterpretation, and reliance on static drawings alone.”

Designers will then have bandwidth to focus more on higher level strategy. “This shift allows designers to sit more confidently in the problem-solving and strategic seat, guiding outcomes rather than simply producing documents.”

But Banfield says he’s not worried AI will replace the need for human designers and architects. “AI doesn’t replace authorship, judgment, or responsibility, it amplifies them. When used thoughtfully, these tools allow us to design more responsibly, communicate more clearly, and spend more time on the parts of our work that truly matter: understanding people, responding to context, and shaping meaningful spaces.”

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

535 Gower Point Rd., Gibsons

Type: Two-bedroom, two-bathroom detached

Size: 1,173 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $843,000

Listed for: $1,388,000

Sold for: $1,360,000

Sold on: Nov. 28

Days on market in this listing: 21

Listing agent: Leslee Cooper at ReMax Select Properties

Buyers agent: Melissa Grant at ReMax City Realty

The big sell: With a name that conjures up sweetness and charm, Magnolia Cottage is a two-bedroom one-level cottage that oozes appeal and modern comforts thanks to a comprehensive renovation. The front door opens to a skylit hallway with exposed beams and engineered hardwood floors. There are new vinyl windows, Hardie board siding and fresh exterior paintwork, remote control window coverings, black Riobel fixtures, a linear gas fireplace with a wooden mantel, Shaker-style cabinets, quartz countertops, and integrated stainless-steel appliances including a wine fridge. Outside, the updates continue with Duradek front and back decks, a covered pergola with overhead heaters, a gas firepit, and enough space for long-table dinners with family and friends. The property is situated in Lower Gibsons with shops, restaurants, the public market, marina and sandy beaches all within walking distance, plus it receives Gibsons’ Aquifer water.

2 — 365 East 33rd Ave., Vancouver

Type: Three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse

Size: 1,323 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,453,000

Listed for: $1,399,000

Sold for: $1,399,000

Sold on: Dec. 12

Days on market in this listing: 44

Listing agent: Jessica Chen PREC at Oakwyn Realty

Buyers agent: Lara Davis PREC at Oakwyn Realty Northwest

The big sell: This two-level townhome forms part of Ello, a 12-unit boutique development designed by Vandwell Developments in east Vancouver’s Riley Park neighbourhood close to the amenities that line Main Street. The recently-completed home has stylish touches throughout with a Dekton backsplash, Silestone countertops, brushed gunmetal plumbing fixtures, wide-plank engineered floors, designer lighting, large-format matte textured tiles, and white oak millwork accents. All three bedrooms are on the upper floor alongside walk-in closets, two bathrooms, and laundry. The main floor has been thoughtfully configured with dimensions that cover more than 600 square feet with a kitchen island, ample counter and storage space, designated dining and living room areas, and oversized Westeck sliding glass doors that open to a private patio complete with outdoor fireplace.

412 — 1216 Homer St., Vancouver

Type: Zero-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment

Size: 469 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $453,000

Listed for: $550,000

Sold for: $510,000

Sold on: Nov. 24

Days on market in this listing: 109

Listing agent: Nickola Dawn and Clarence Lowe PREC at Dexter Realty

Buyers agent: Adam Chahl PREC at Oakwyn Realty

The big sell: Yaletown’s Murchies Building at the corner of Homer and Davie streets was originally built in 1912 as a warehouse for the Murchie’s Tea and Coffee company before being converted into 59 loft-style residences in the late 1990s. On the fourth floor of the building is this studio with nine-foot-high ceilings, exposed concrete beams and brickwork, reclaimed fir floors, and a noteworthy Suquet stone fireplace. A custom built-in Murphy bed optimizes space while a sleek kitchen showcases quartz waterfall counters and stainless-steel appliances, and the bathroom is resplendent with elegant tiling and extra storage. The unit comes with a large external storage locker and a monthly maintenance fee of $293.20. The six-storey heritage building offers a common rooftop patio with panoramic city views for residents .

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

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

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Open floor plans and more informal lifestyles have seen dining rooms go the way of the dodo in past decades, says architect, author and cook, John Ota. They’re seen as too fussy, too formal and a luxury in terms of space.

Ota is making a case for the return of the dining room, with his new book out in late March, The Dining Room, and it’s a pretty convincing one.

Dining rooms have brought people together for centuries, allowing knowledge, traditions and family values to be handed down in a significant way, he says. You don’t need a dining room to do this, but if you can swing it, it’s pretty nice.

Ota wrote first about kitchens, releasing The Kitchen: A journey through history in search of perfect design, in 2020, and then turned his attention to the room next door.

“I wanted to explore the dining room, because while I was doing the kitchen, people would say ‘the dining room is dead,’ and I thought, geez, that doesn’t sound very good to me,” he says.

Ota also had personal motivation, in that his wife had been gravely ill and recently recovered, and he wanted to celebrate this, surrounded by the people they love.

“When she had a significant birthday coming up, I knew it was time for a big celebration, a big dinner and a new dining room. Before I started to redesign, I wanted to know everything about the dining room.”

Visiting famous dining rooms around the world

Ota travelled widely for his research, visiting the dining rooms of Jackie Kennedy, Claude Monet, Frida Kahlo and Martin Luther King Jr., among others.

Dining rooms are where people gather to talk, and great things have come from these conversations, he says.

In Monet’s home in Giverny, France, the dining room walls are painted a glowing yellow. Ota believes that colour was deliberate, even if Monet never formally explained it.

“For the impressionists, yellow was more than just a pretty colour. It was a connection to nature, light and the sun,” he says.

In Atlanta, at the childhood home of Martin Luther King Jr, the dining room played a profound role. It was at the dining table that King’s parents first explained racial prejudice to him after he was forbidden from visiting a friend, says Ota. The dining room is where King first developed his ideas and thoughts.

One of the most fascinating things Ota observed in historic dining rooms was the importance of light. Before electricity, rooms were designed to respond to candlelight. Gold edging on china, gold flocked wallpaper, and even gold leaf ceilings were there to catch the flicker.

“I think one of the things we might have lost is that love of the candlelight,” he says.

It’s such a simple idea. You don’t need a stately home, you can simply dim the lights, light a candle and soften the mood. The glow flatters everyone and slows the pace.

“It’s not about the perfect dish, it’s not about the perfect chair or the perfect clothing. It’s really about getting together.”

In a world obsessed with perfect kitchens and matching chairs, perhaps the more radical act is simply to invite people over.

A separate dining room is not that common in most homes today, says Ota. Instead, we have open-plan spaces where kitchen, living and dining areas flow together. He sees this as part of a broader shift toward informality:

“The separate, stand-alone dining room is less common and harder to find now in the 21st century.”

Ota doesn’t see this as a loss, but rather an evolution. His friends have a space in their home they call ‘the great room’ where they often host their friends and family, and people love to go there, he says.

In great rooms, chairs do not need to match, dishes can be eclectic, and the mood can be easy.

If anything, that informality may encourage more frequent gatherings. You don’t need to stage a banquet. A long Sunday lunch with mismatched plates can be just as meaningful, says Ota.

Small gestures, big impact

During his dining room research, Ota learned that Martha Washington was known for greeting her guests at the door with lemonade sprinkled with cinnamon. Edith Wharton welcomed visitors with champagne.

No butler or silver tray required, says Ota. But he picked up some simple tips for good hosting: Keep sparkling water chilled. Set up a simple drinks station near the entry and offer your guests something refreshing as soon as they arrive, as it sets a nice tone.

Ota also believes the buffet is the way forward in our era of dietary preferences and restrictions. It removes pressure and lets guests choose what works for them. It feels generous and relaxed.

After his wife Franny recovered from a serious stroke, Ota did renovate their dining room and host a large birthday celebration for her. It was not about the table settings, but gratitude, he says.

“We know we’re lucky.”

John Ota’s new book, The Dining Room: Exploring the design of twelve iconic rooms in search of the perfect dining experience, is available March 24. There will be a Vancouver book launch at Inform Interiors on April 7 .

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