Overlooking a sparkling expanse of the ocean just a few minutes south of Sidney-by-the-Sea sits a breathtaking three-level home that evokes the feeling of a luxurious seaside resort in nearly every facet of its design.
Moving past the street-level garage and attached art studio, a long staircase descends into a sheltered courtyard surrounded by terraced garden beds, creating the perfect hideaway vibe. The home rises up against the seaside backdrop with shingle siding, dormer windows and thick columns bracketing the front entrance. The expansive windows reveal what promises to be an utterly spectacular view of the ocean through the back of the house, and even before stepping inside, everything feels breezy and calm and elegant, with abundant light colour tones and gently weathered textures.
“I chose to ground the house in a traditional style, providing it with the staying power it would need to last the test of time,” says interior designer Kimberly Lewis-Manning. “The overall look remained young and current by layering in textures and interesting palettes, while trending details were left for the finishing touches that could easily be swapped out as desired.”
Kim helmed the design process with the homeowners, seamlessly melding classic foundations with fun elements as they collaborated on everything from the overall layout to the finest details.
“Kim was amazing in terms of making everything super functional and beautiful,” says the homeowner. “And GT Mann made it all happen. Graeme and his team did a previous house for us as well – a big renovation – and we had such a great experience with them the first time around that we knew we wanted to work with them again.”
Once inside, the cathedral ceiling, panelled walls up the stairs and exposed balcony ringing the top floor make the front entrance feel grand and spacious, while the deep green of the family office just behind glass doors grounds the eye.
Straight ahead, a grand double arch, accented with tongue-in-groove slats, creates the sense of walking through a portal into a serene and welcoming space as you enter the main living area, where the wall-to-wall view is enough to stop anyone in their tracks. Just outside, sandstone porcelain pavers brighten the deck, and a gleaming pool several steps down shimmers with shards of sunlight as a salt breeze flows in from the beach. If the essence of summer could be encapsulated in one place and one moment, it would be here.
But as captivating as the view is, the house itself is a wonder to behold. Subtle visual cues delineate the different spaces, retaining the high-ceilinged and breezy vibe, while keeping it homey. White oak engineered floors are done in a herringbone pattern leading from the front door, under the dining room table and through to the patio, while more traditional horizontal slats lead off into the kitchen and main living areas.
Above, the tongue-in-groove ceiling is accented with exposed beams to create a coffered look over the living room and kitchen, separated by a narrow x-pattern over the table. Tucked around the corner in the living room is what’s been affectionately named the “celebration room,” where the owners can celebrate all life’s great moments together. (Particularly fun in here are the snakeskin-inspired cabinet fronts!)
The kitchen is replete with fantastic details that evoke that elegant beach house feel, and for good reason.
“Our kitchen actually started from a piece of driftwood we found on the beach,” explains the homeowner. “We pulled all our tones and textures from it.”
There’s Venetian plaster on the wall above the stovetop, white oak cabinetry with a gently ridged grain and quartzite countertops done in a leather finish.
Another archway leads off the kitchen into a spacious pantry backed with gorgeous sea-toned subway tiles, and further into a mudroom accented with porcelain floor tiles (installed in herringbone pattern) and tall closets (and the ceiling!) painted in Benjamin Moore’s Wolf Grey. It’s a space that sees daily use from the family, explains the homeowner.
“These tiles are virtually indestructible,” the homeowner adds, with a laugh. “And it’s so nice to be able to have everything tucked away.”
“The layout of a home is intentionally planned to work with the way the homeowners want to live their lives,” says Kim. “So, flow was made to match the way the family entered, took off outer layers, dropped bags and groceries and then gathered. And of course, we were always moving toward the view as well.”
Upstairs, enormous thought was put into the layout and usability of the space. As the homeowners planned this house to be their forever home, the children’s bedrooms were designed to be adaptable as the family grew older, with large closet spaces and shower en suites to allow for increasing independence as the years go by.
Stepping into the primary suite, it would be easy to mistake the space for that of an exclusive island resort. Huge, panelled windows showcase an unbroken sea of blue, and soak the bedroom in natural light. The en suite boasts a serene soaker tub, and a rainfall shower is glassed in behind another arched doorway. And everywhere it’s bright and smooth and luxurious.
Down on the lowest floor, the media room is set up with a chic integrated bar and extra games table, and just beyond is a separate gym space. The “bunk room” is easily set up for slumber parties or out-of-town guests, and there’s a full bathroom down here as well for convenience. And then down the back hallway to a side door that leads up to the pool deck is what the homeowner refers to jokingly as their “pool house.” The floor is laid with the same porcelain tiles as the upstairs mudroom, a fully tiled bathroom stands ready to wash off sunscreen and sand from the beach, and an extra stacker washer and dryer takes care of all the bathing suits and towels.
Having lived here for nearly two years now, the homeowner says the house has been a dream come true.
“I really love the layout. It works perfectly for our family,” they say. “The collective team was so thoughtful about all the fine details. It has been a truly great experience designing and building with both Graeme and Kim.”
QUICK FACTS:
Square Feet: 5,960
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 6
Street-level garage and attached art room
Multi-tiered deck with pool
SUPPLIER LIST:
Designer: Hoyt Design Co.
General Contractor: GT Mann Contracting Ltd.
Interior Designer: Kimberly Lewis-Manning Design
Structural Engineer: Farhill Engineering Ltd.
Environmental: Corvidae Environmental Consulting, Inc.
Site Excavation & Seawall: Don Mann Excavating Ltd.
Plumbing and Gas: Specialized Plumbing & Gasworks Ltd.
Electrical: Citadel Electrical Systems
Cabinetry and Millwork: South Shore Cabinetry Ltd.
Finishing Carpentry: Ground Up Custom Carpentry Ltd.
Home Automation: Wired Up Technologies Inc.
Plumbing Fixtures: Bartle & Gibson Co. Ltd.
Hard Surfaces: Colonial Countertops
Flooring Supply: Percy John Flooring
Tile Supply: Pacific Coast Floors
Tile Install: Mark’s Quality Tiling
Tempered Glass / Exterior Railings / Ornamental Fencing: Royal Oak Glass Ltd.
Interior Railings: Westshore Welding & Fabricating Ltd.
Lighting: Mclaren Lighting
Appliances: Trail Appliances
Doors: Slegg Building Materials / Calibre Doors & Millwork
Fireplaces: Enviro Fireplaces / InFlame Heating & Mechanical
Exterior Siding Supply: Jain Building Products
Exterior Siding Install: Island Villas
Concrete Finishing and Retaining Walls: Pacific Shore Builders
Hardscaping: Alliston Stoneworks
Landscaping: Listco Landscape & Irrigation / SYNLawn Vancouver Island
Pool: Kilo Pools
Site Acquisition: Dane Kingsbury Real Estate
This story appeared in the August 2024 edition of Boulevard Victoria.
