HOME AWAY FROM HOME
A jewellery designer crafts a versatile workspace featuring every domestic comfort
Look quickly at Leah Belford’s office, and you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s where she lives. “You won’t find any expected elements like fluorescent lighting and cubicles here,” she says. “My office is definitely efficient, but it’s also cozy, inviting and inspiring.”
Three years ago, Leah’s company was headquartered in the den of her house (featured in Style at Home’s March 2014 issue). The rapid growth of her jewellery business, Leah Alexandra – as well as her desire to augment it with a bricks-and-mortar shop – prompted her to hunt for a workspace away from her home. “I searched online, and it was frustrating,” she says. “At best, the places I saw were uninspiring; at worst, they were depressing.” But then she spied a posting for an 870-square-foot space in Vancouver’s bustling
Gastown neighbourhood. “It was zoned as a live-work space, so it had a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, which appealed to me more than a ‘regular’ office,” says Leah.
The unit, one of eight in an 1893 heritage building, exuded potential, and its less-than-perfect aspects – dated finishes and murky green walls – were eclipsed by the good stuff. “I fell for the original exposed-brick wall, impressive windows that flood the space with light, Douglas fir floors and the open layout.” Leah purchased it after just one viewing and immediately began plotting its transformation. “I envisioned Scandinavian serenity: white walls with brass accents first and foremost,” she says. “I wanted a practical design that didn’t compromise on beautiful details.”