Words by Adrienne Dyer. Photos by Jacob McNeil.
When Kevin and Vanessa Parker of Designated Developments set out to build their own family home, Vanessa collaborated with WA Architects to bring her vision to life. Her aim was to design a dwelling with a generous floor plan that would provide plenty of space for their family of five, yet still sit quietly on the lot.
Situated at the end of the road overlooking a treed valley in Goldstream Park, the contemporary masterpiece inspires awe with a design concept that centres around extensive glazing front and back, plus a gallery-style entry hallway that circles the main floor. With two Gold Care Awards and six Silver, the home is a study in creative carte blanche that hits all the right notes for a family home designed for the way they live.
“We wanted an eclectic look that incorporates a fusion of modern, traditional, and Scandanavian elements,” says Vanessa, who designed the monochromatic exterior clad in Hardi- shakes and board-and-batten colour matched to the metal roof, with stonework framing the grand entrance.
For the living area, Vanessa sourced rich yellow cedar milled in her hometown on northern Vancouver Island. Providing protective cover for the hot tub area and rustic outdoor living room, the beams also support the shiplap ceiling 23 feet above the sunken living room inside.
Here, inky velvet sofas and black-framed window mullions pair with a soaring jet-black fireplace cladding to ground the space and offer a nod to the exterior colour palette.
Throughout the home, a bold mix of patterns in varying textures and warm tones of natural wood create design cohesion and interest in the neutral backdrop.
The kitchen’s matte white and wood millwork extends into a butler’s pantry while grey-veined quartz counters and backsplash are bright and reflective. Open shelves display a curated collection of objet d’art, with plenty of storage in the floor-to-ceiling pantry shelves.
The master bedroom remains open and light, with a brick and shiplap TV partition separating the sleeping area from the ensuite bath.
A freestanding tub invites views of the golf course opposite an elegantly tiled shower with a clever built-in shaving sink for convenience.
By contrast, the office exudes a bold European feel with dramatic navy walls while the powder room’s moody cloud patterned wallpaper reflects the changeable weather outside.
Upstairs in the children’s bedrooms, striking architectural angles and wood beams create cozy nooks for reading.
“Being your own client can be a challenge,” says the designer, who adds that the outdoor space was the easiest area to design. “We knew exactly what we wanted — an intimate room we could use year-round as a sort of retreat. It actually feels like we’re sitting in the trees. It has become our family’s special place where we can be together and our busy life feels like it slows right down.”
