FASHION SHOW
Elements of comfort and style displayed at Cressey’s Chelsea
Chelsea, Cressey Development Group’s low-rise residential project at West 31st Avenue and Cambie Street in Vancouver, is part of the exciting transformation of the Cambie corridor that is seeing more multi-unit developments in the neighbourhood.
The city’s Cambie Corridor Plan is a long-term framework to guide change and growth in the neighbourhood and allow for higher-density development close to the area’s rapid transport services.
Chelsea comprises two six-storey buildings with 79 units (45 in the north building and 34 in the south building ) in a range of sizes including studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom townhomes and penthouses.
True to Cressey’s philosophy of focusing on livability in all its developments, the team spent a lot of time working on furniture placements and floor plans, says Jason Turcotte, the company’s vice-president of development.
“We always design with the homeowner in mind, so whether the person is in their thirties and buying for the location, is new to the market or moving out of a single-family home in the area, the range of homes all have a comfortable scale,” he says.
“Chelsea is immediately across from Queen Elizabeth Park and being toward the top of the rise as Cambie climbs the hill, it affords great views towards the city, ocean and mountains in the distance and the western-facing units have views across to the park,” Turcotte adds.
The presentation centre at 3130 Arbutus Street shows an example of a Chelsea home with two bathrooms, two bedrooms and a den.
Homebuyers can choose from two colour palettes created by Insight Design Group: the lighter Uptown scheme used in the show suit, or Parkside, with its darker floors and finishes.
A distinctive wide-plank hardwood floor laid in a classic herringbone pattern makes an immediate impression.
“We see floors like this in some old character homes, but in those instances, it is often a narrow plank in yellow oak. At Chelsea, we have used a wide plank in a brushed finish, a light oak for the Uptown palette and a darker oak for Parkside. It’s a nod to tradition, but done in a contemporary way,” says Linda Gallo, associate at Insight Design.
Gallo says the unusual floor adds value and creates visual interest.
“As soon as you enter the home, the space has character, before you even put in a stick of furniture.”
The major kitchen appliances are by Wolf and Sub-Zero.
The refrigerator and freezer drawers are behind integrated panels, while the cooktop is installed flush with the counter with the knobs on the front face of the cabinet panel and not on the cooktop, Gallo notes. The cabinet doors in the kitchen have a raised panel detail with a fine edge that is set back. “We wanted to have detail in the cabinetry, rather than flat panel, but in a refined way,” Gallo says.
A large pantry cupboard complements the other storage space in the kitchen, including the popular Magic Corner unit with its slide-out shelves, enabling access to the “blind” corner cabinet.
While most kitchens feature polished countertops and backsplashes, at Chelsea the countertops will be a matte finish, ensuring the polished porcelain slab backsplash gets plenty of attention.
As soon as you enter the home, the space has character, before you even put in a stick of furniture.