This laneway house was a dream to design, and a challenge to build.
The clients wanted a laneway house that hearkened to the midcentury charm of the neighborhood, while maintaining an understated authenticity. So we trended towards elegance, refraining from plastering the the home with shag carpet, teak and tacky lighting. The result is something that would be well suited to a low key bond villain; there is a little bit of bling below the surface – literally. The walnut accents throughout the home are all solid, including the bench seating in the living area, and all door and window trim.
The kitchen sports some italian upgrades in the cooking department, and some bold avocado cabinetry with gold jewelry.
The layout favours gatherings, with both bedrooms appointed with “just enough” space and connected by a Jack and Jill bathroom. This saves precious square footage for long table dinners in the living area (should it be furnished for just such an occasion).
There is a seamless connection to the large exterior living area, with an eclipse door system from our friends at Westeck, which should allow you to move the gathering outdoors in groups of three abreast. Finger jointed cedar clads the house in west coast warmth, with charming chain link downspouts to help the guide the rain. One last noteworthy item is the placement of the windows in the centre of the wall assembly, minimizing the cedar trim on the exterior of the windows, and firmly cementing this home as a well executed modern laneway home.
