This Vancouver Yaletown Home Was Originally Two Apartments, Now It's an Industrial Loft Dream

“The owners wanted the home to be luxurious, with a New York City industrial-loft vibe,” says designer Kelly Reynolds of Vancouver’s Falken Reynolds. But the drywalled, drop-ceiling space (originally two adjacent apartments) was a far cry from that. Combining the units and gutting them revealed a design dream: original beams, bricks and concrete walls. Kelly amped up the backdrop with custom millwork to showcase the owners’ extensive art collection and layered in materials that were luxurious, yet still practical for this professional couple and their five dogs.

open loft living dining with concrete ceiling beams, wood ceiling, 5 CD player and bunny sculpture to the right

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Teak Talk

You know that design is paramount when even the ceilings are compelling points of interest. “I layered in boxes of teak on the ceiling to add warmth and help manage acoustics in the main living space,” says designer Kelly Reynolds. “The rhythm of their varied heights playfully references the clients’ love of music.” Can you spy the vintage Bang & Olufsen CD player?

open loft say with chaise and floor lamp in right foreground, fireplace and blue chair and stool at the back

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Lounge Wear

An LC4 chaise lounge by Cassina throws some curves into the space, and we love how it’s positioned away from the wall to frame the living area. The Flos floor lamp adds visual interest, while its dark palette doesn’t compete with the bright artwork.

loft dining room with exposed brick wall, table top reflecting tree painting and sculpted grey dining chairs

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Natural Warmth

The “Maples in Gatineau Park” painting by Steven Friedman seems almost colour-coordinated with the dining room’s original brick walls. The Long Island table by Rimadesio reflects its beauty. Kelly chose the upholstered Saarinen chairs for their comfort and simplicity, while the custom drapery of heathered sheer linen is from Cloth Studio. “It feels light and airy, while providing enough coverage for privacy,” says Kelly. The Agnes Chandelier is from Roll & Hill.

loft kitchen exposed brick wall white cabinets stainless steel counters hanging shelves

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A Mix of Ingredients

The kitchen’s mashup of materials defies categorization, which is precisely why it looks so fantastic. “With so many other clean and polished surfaces in the kitchen, the rough exposed brick acts as a juxtaposing texture,” says Kelly. “It grounds the space, making it feel more casual and referencing the provenance of the building’s industrial origins.”

exposed brick wall kitchen, hanging utenils, stainless steel counter tops and white lower cabinets

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On Display

The textural rough-hewn beauty of the exposed brick was not without its own challenges. Kelly says, “It’s incredibly uneven, so I formed a low backsplash in stainless steel to create a clean interface for the sink cabinets and range, and behind it I added a shelf and marble board that create functional display surfaces for Alessi small appliances and utensils.”

modern kitchen with stainless steel counters, island with stools, back big stainless steel fridge, one green plant

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Shelf Life

The kitchen’s open stainless-steel shelves display the owners’ collection of copper cookware and boast a little herb garden. “The shelves were quite complicated to install, since there is no visible connection to the ceiling,” says Kelly. “We knew the shelves would be quite full, so we wanted the connection to be as seamless as possible.” We love how they are in sync with the lines of the adjacent range hood.

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Form Meets Function

If the little details mean a lot, this cutlery drawer has significant heft. The teak in the custom divider references finishes throughout the home, for thoughtful continuity and practical design. “It showcases a set of Alessi cutlery,” says Kelly. “Since the exterior of the drawers are painted white, the teak is like a rich, warm surprise inside.”

cutlery drawer with built in walnut knife block

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The Sharpest Knife in the Drawer

The kitchen’s custom finishes continue in this ingenious feature: a compact knife block that’s housed in a drawer, so that it’s out of sight and remains free of dust.

exposed brick wall kitchen, hanging utenils, stainless steel counter tops and and island, copper pots on top shelf

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Heritage on the Side

It’s hard to believe that the kitchen’s exposed brick was once covered with drywall. “Before the reno, it was a generic cookie-cutter condo with finishes that hid the history and heritage of the building,” says Kelly.

view to kitchen, exposed brick wall on left, cement wall with painting on right, island, stainless steel fridges in back

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A Cook’s Kitchen

Knowing that the owners use the island as a giant worktop, Kelly incorporated a butcher-block portion into its centre. “It provides a durable and functional work surface amongst the stainless steel and drawer units below, which provide extra storage,” Kelly says. The comfy stools are from B&B Italia, the art is by Danny Singer and the Sub-Zero fridges are from the original apartments. “They’re in great condition, despite their age, so we kept them.”

walnut media area with tall speakers, TV, pink bunny sculpture to the left of the TV

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Underneath It All

To counter the living area’s more narrow shape, Kelly opted for a white marble coffee table that draws the eye to the centre of the space and makes it feel more open. It sits on an area rug that wasn’t part of the original plan. “Initially, the owners were hesitant about having rugs, but embraced them when they saw how they completed and defined the sitting areas,” Kelly says. “This rug has subtle geometric texture that adds a layer of warmth without overpowering the space or competing with the art, wood and stone.”

loft fireplace with grey stone facade, painting, blue chair and stool, modern yellow art sculptures

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By the Fire

“The fireplace and surround were designed to float away from the wall and make it feel like an independent unit, like the stoves that were used to heat the building a century ago – complete with a black stove pipe at the top, which covers the fireplace venting,” says Kelly. Sheer charcoal linen drapery softens the natural light during the day and complements the warmth and texture of the natural stone and wood. Custom millwork nicely showcases the artwork.

grand piano in modern loft, low slung coffee table with modern chess set and yellow nail hand sculpture

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Piano Forte

An antique Steinway piano from the 19th century feels like a work of art here, which is fitting, as the owners have an extensive collection. The painting behind the Steinway, like the others in the home, is framed by millwork specifically designed to highlight it.

custom walnut bar beside painting and grand piano

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Raise the Bar

A custom wet bar off the living area features uplit display shelves, ample storage and little luxuries like an ice machine. We like how the black framing complements the Steinway.

close up of custom bar with bottles on lower lit shelf and glasses on top shelf

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A Place for Everything

“The owners wanted the home to be luxurious, like a New York industrial warehouse loft,” says Kelly. The custom-designed bar is just one example of features that speak to the luxury element.

bathroom with raised sink, veined marble vanity, tan glass tiles on left wall

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Guest Privileges

The guest bathroom features exposed concrete, glass tiles and Bianco Pearl marble slabs. The interesting faucet is designed by Philippe Starck for AXOR.

modern home office with walnut custom cabinetry, tan leather chair in left corner, concrete beams, two paintings

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Office Space

The lower-level home office is defined by custom teak millwork, which acts as a space divider that separates it from the media and games room. The caramel leather A.B.C. Chair is from Flexform.

close up of painting on concrete inset, walnut panelling and desk edge

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Artful Touch

The office’s millwork, as in the rest of the home, was designed with the owners’ art in mind. Here, an artwork by Danny Singer is a focal point.

modern games room with two pinball machines and board

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Let the Games Begin

Just outside the office space is the games room, which boasts pinball machines (one adorned with its namesake, Creature from the Black Lagoon) and a surfboard. The juxtaposition of the smooth porcelain wall with the concrete beams and exposed brick feels cool and playful.

walnut panelled media room with black ergonomic chair, white shelves behind, one with a pig on it

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Comfy Chair

A K10 Dodo Chair by Cassina is sits in front of the media room’s television. The teak-and-white wall behind it hides a Murphy bed that allows the owners’ to easily convert this space to a guest bedroom.

media area between pinball machines and marble wall bathroom

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Well Laid Out

This view of the media room showcases the teak millwork that keeps the office and desk area, just behind the screen, out of view. It also offers a glimpse of the marble-clad guest bathroom.

built in shelves beside low tan suede bed with leather back cushions and pony hair toss cushion

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Built-In Beauty

Built-in teak nightstands with open shelving above display a collection of vintage design pieces and personal photos. “I designed an upholstered three-panel headboard to create a clean transition to the additional built-in storage above the bed,” says Kelly. The headboard also conceals a large concrete structural post (you can just see the top of it). The linen bedding from Cloth Studio is a soft contrast to the structured leather cushions.

master bath with two vessel sinks on marble and walnut vanity, teak floor shower to the left

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Material World

The stunning master bathroom features a stylish mix of materials, including porcelain floor tiles from Cotto D’Este, a teak vanity with marble tops and frosted and clear glass walls. The semi-recessed vessel sinks are from Flaminia and the painting is Kootenay Pine-Scape by Peter Corbett.

veined marble wall bath with oval vessel sink and two lights on the mirror

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Look Up

Teak panels layer in continuity, warmth and interest to the master bathroom’s ceiling.

white tub marble walls walnut beam ceiling painting aboe tub

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Mixed Media

In the master bathroom, teak panels, concrete and marble are a natural backdrop to framed artwork. We love the teeny-tiny spots over the tub.

long marble and glass shower with teak panelled floor

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Glass Act

“The glass walls of the shower, as well as the sliding glass doors to the WC, show no visible hardware,” says Kelly. “The sliding door track is concealed in a niche above the ceiling, and this keeps the space incredibly clean and gives it a spa-like quietness.” The shower’s removable teak floor tiles conceal the drain and are removable – so very easy to clean.

teak panelled floor marble shower with three square mount taps on the left

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Stone and Wood

The master bath’s shower features Bianco Pearl wall tiles from Aeon. They are a cool counterpoint to the teak floor panels.

lit marble niche in bath with two jo malone products

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Good Design

Forget piddly pre-made inserts and soap trays – this architectural shower features a custom-built wraparound niche with lighting. It displays simple toiletries like art.