Thomas and Birch boutique designer Jason Rolstone tackled an out-of-date Yaletown condo on the 30th floor and gave it a sleek renovation, featuring custom Cabico cabinetry. All meticulously and artisanally installed by Jonathan Poppitt, the owner of Thomas and Birch, this project was carefully designed and executed to create a harmonious aesthetic for the homeowners. With 2,000-square-feet of living space, plus a sunroom with bird’s-eye city views of Vancouver, the condo perfectly captures the homeowners’ masculine tastes with a blend of finishing materials, creating both sophistication and warmth.
“As the only Cabico boutique in BC, we design with Cabico custom cabinetry exclusively,” says Rolstone, who used a variety of cabinetry finishes from the Elmwood and Unique lines to achieve what he describes as a tactile, three-dimensional effect in the kitchen.
Grain-matched black walnut cabinetry with long vertical handles creates a wall of wood that conceals a single and a double pantry, with a matching built-in fridge beside a concrete column that Rolstone says was a “surprise treasure,” hidden beneath the home’s original framing and drywall.
“Whenever I find concrete during a renovation demo, I am inclined to incorporate it into the design,” Rolstone says. Here, he paired the column’s texture and colour with an ultra-soft, velvet finish on the lower cabinets, something exclusive to the Elmwood series. The Calacatta Oro quartz countertops with subtle gold swirls pair beautifully with the walnut.
Other gold touches—from the faucet, the bar stool legs, and the trim on the living room lights and the mirror—add “a little bit of pretty to grab your eye,” Rolstone says.
The suspension S-Light, made from handcrafted bent walnut with tiny embedded LED lights, by Mike Randall of Kurva Design, hangs delicately over the dining table.
This touch of pure artistry pairs with another exquisite kitchen feature: the stove hood cabinet, which mimics timeworn cast iron but is actually a faux-metal finish by Nobel Artisans. Their finish technicians are highly trained in the art and understanding of details, markings, and imperfections to successfully replicate actual metals. The Vintage Faux Metal Copper Cast Iron finish involves a 38-step layered paint process to create the rusted patina of weathered metals. Together with the concrete, marble, walnut, and soft velvet finishes, the kitchen design is tactile and balanced, with as few lines as possible to achieve a seamless look.
“In the master bath, we chose grain-matched walnut on the vanity to warm up the space,” says Rolstone, who added subtle, palpable touches, such as textured pulls on the drawers. Black quartz from India connects the wood vanity into an otherwise black-and-white themed space. Three-by-three foot porcelain tiles on the walls and the floor complete the luxurious room, while the views from the tub and the shower allow the homeowners to feel as though they are floating above the city.
A balanced blend of textures and materials take the design of this condo into that three-dimensional world of form and function. Rolstone says this is a signature of Thomas and Birch designers; they are always pushing the envelope with one overarching goal: to make their clients’ dreams come true.
