UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS

PERCHED ABOVE A VANCOUVER ISLAND BAY, THIS LITTLE APARTMENT IS BIG ON COASTAL CHARM.

CAN ONE HOUSE HAVE both a colourful apartment for a daughter and a rental unit designed for income generation? Well, yes, it can. This Vancouver Island duplex has all that and more: outdoor spaces on both levels, a private beach and a separate art studio, all of which take in views of a quiet inlet that’s minutes from downtown Victoria.

Local restaurateurs Shellie and Mike Gudgeon worked with BoForm architect Chris Foyd and designers Christi Rivard and Kyla Bidgood of Bidgood + Co. on the clever build. When the couple’s daughter, Isabella, wanted her own space, the time seemed right to take down the existing 1960s house — worn from its long years of service as a rental property — and build anew. The new house would be a duplex with a topfloor apartment for Isabella and a ground-floor rental suite.

In Isabella’s apartment, the decorating is layered and eclectic. The central hallway is designed as a library, with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and storage drawers below. A library ladder works for accessing both the built-ins and the rooftop lookout.

For the kitchen, Shellie asked for a La Cornue range and the design unfolded from there. A feature wall of built-in

cabinets has display at the top and closed storage below. The long counter has prep space at one end and a spot for dining at the other. It creates a natural divide between the kitchen and living area, where there’s room for a full-size sofa and a wood-burning stove.

Throughout, the spaces are layered with deep, jewel-toned furniture and dark wood to balance the lighter white oak used in the wide-plank flooring and rift-cut millwork. “I love colour and showcasing art, and I wanted the rooms to feel warm and collected over time,” says Isabella. Several pieces, including a pair of ladderback chairs, came from a former family home. Everything is carefully chosen to be both durable and beautiful, a mix that defines the decorating style. “Shellie wanted things that would hold up over time,” says Kyla. “She was able to inject some practicality into Isabella’s wish list. It was a true collaboration.”

“I wanted the rooms to feel warm and collected over time”

— Isabella Gudgeon

Architecture by BOFORM Design by CHRISTI RIVARD and KYLA BIDGOOD

LEFT: Isabella in her jewel-toned living room. A pair of paintings by local artist Luis Merino inspired the living room palette. Sofa, Hudson’s Bay.

BELOW: The apartment is on the top floor, with a rental suite below.

ABOVE: The kitchen’s long counter serves as a prep area and dining table. Counter, Dekton; backsplash by Wow, Tierra Sol Ceramic Tile.

OPPOSITE, LEFT: A rolling library ladder leads to a rooftop lookout.

ABOVE: Vintage chairs are used as bedside tables, and a hanging rod holds Isabella’s clothes. Table lamps by Menu, GR Shop by Gabriel Ross; art (above bed) by Samantha French, Etsy.

LEFT: A sculptural tub looks serene in the ensuite. Tub, Aquabrass; art