OF NOTE IN NORTH VAN
PENNYFARTHING’S CRESTON HAS A LOOK THAT SPEAKS TO ITS SURROUNDINGS
Few designers or homeowners would likely dispute the kitchen is the central nervous system of the home. It’s a gathering place, a work space and a place of creativity and experimentation. It’s the spot where, as children, so many of us spent afternoons cooking with grandparents and parents alike.
At Creston, Pennyfarthing Homes’ mid-rise condo community in North Vancouver, Portico Design Group has embraced the kitchen as a precious space.
“As we now have these open-plan living spaces, the kitchen becomes the focus as it’s the source of all the activities we do in the ‘public’ realm of our homes — cooking, eating, entertaining, spending time with family,” said Natalia Kwasnicki, a designer with Portico Design Group. “Also, visually, it’s the gem of the home — the place where we can relay our personality and style as something to be proud of.”
In the Creston display space, the generous kitchen has storage to spare. A two-toned look with lighter cabinets on top adds a feeling of airiness and light to the space.
Every thought and detail regarding shade and tone in interior design is critical in a home situated in lush, if often wet, surroundings such as North Vancouver, Kwasnicki said. Brightening the space with contrasting cabinetry “also creates a more youthful contemporary feel as opposed to a traditional wood kitchen ... particularly in the North Shore where it can be grey.” Portico designers see the surrounding landscape as essential to their vision for the interiors, she added.
“As the architecture calls to its North Shore surroundings, I think it’s important that the interiors do as well,” Kwasnicki said. “The mountains, trees and water all play their part through texture, materials and design elements. The use of wood, glass, soft textural fabrics help to convey those elements indoors.”
If a light, spacious kitchen is a pick-me-up, the darker grey of the porcelain tile enveloping the master bathroom (part of an upgraded option at Creston), creates the opposite vibe — a feeling of what Kwasnicki refers to as a luxury spa or grotto.
“The idea here was to create a spalike feel, to create a serene environment you can escape to,” she said.
Kwasnicki said she was pleased to work with this material, as she’s seen the ways in which manufacturers and designers have helped it evolve over time, taking advantage of its versatility and durability.
“The lengths that porcelain tile has gone to look like real stone is pretty fascinating,” she said. “It’s awesome to find great-looking tiles and really elevate the look and feel of a bathroom by giving it a strong spalike feel.”