Inside a Designer’s White and Gold Arbutus Condo

Western Living magazine gives us an all-access tour of homes in Vancouver neighbourhoods—the fourth instalment in a five-part collaborative series.

We’re peeking into the homes of Vancouverites all over the city, with a little help from our friends over at Western Living. In the fourth of our five-part series, we take a look inside interior designer Stephanie Brown’s own home, an Arbutus condo with the midas touch. Designer Stephanie Brown lived in this 1970s condo—complete with stippled ceilings, vintage shag carpet and papered walls—for almost a year before making it over into the bright and airy home she enjoys today. And even though the Calgary transplant couldn’t live the oceanside dream she had first envisioned when moving to Vancouver, she was determined to keep the same open, natural beach feeling she had pursued across provinces.

5 Design Tips from Stephanie Brown’s Arbutus Condo:

1. White and gold is a classic combination. “It mimics what’s happening in fashion and I think it will always be a classic combination,” says Brown. White marble kitchen countertops and a glass tile backsplash provide an elegant blank slate for future design experiments—and any accessory in a different colour will really pop (seen here with the kitchen’s plants and hardware). Brown also added glamour to this neutral palette with gold drawer pulls from Anthropologie and a gold faucet from Robinson Lighting and Bath.2. Don’t be afraid to break the rules. Brown broke her own rule by painting the living room’s Chinese cherry-wood screens white. She’s always telling clients not to touch original wood, but after she did it, she couldn’t believe she had ever hesitated.3. Leave no wall behind. Baseboard heaters (you can’t live with them, you can’t live comfortably without them) can limit a wall’s function, so we love how the designer used a long white lacquer bench to turn this space into a home office.4. Lacking natural light? Add mirrors. Brown lined the wall behind the headboard with Ikea mirrors to increase the light in the small, yet colourful bedroom.5. Highlight areas with contrast. There’s a white wall and a white tub, but an angular chevron tile placed directly behind the free-standing bath makes it stand out and adds a wow factor amongst the simple materials.For more pictures and design tips from this Kitsilano condo reno, check out the full story at Westernliving.ca