WELCOME HOME
THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF STYLE AT ORCHID BY BEEDIE LIVING
In a rapidly densifying region where space is at a premium, designers who work on — and in — wide-open, simple spaces consider it a privilege. So the architectural and design team behind Orchid, Beedie Living’s new Richmond community, didn’t take a square metre for granted.
“We have a lot of functional, open space to work with in Orchid,” says interior designer Cristina Oberti, who designed Orchid’s display home and worked on the project with Rafii Architects and DYS Architecture.
Where the architects crafted the exteriors with symmetry and simplicity, those same qualities are essential to Oberti’s successful art and creativity in the project’s interior design.
A simple, no-nonsense layout with high-end materials and attention to detail are key to the look of luxury in Orchid’s suite decor.
“While curved walls and quirky layouts can be interesting to look at on a plan, they pose some serious challenges when it comes to planning space and sourcing the appropriate furniture and accessories.”
While the lobby is covered in Carrara marble, Oberti takes a more affordable, but no less attractive tactic in the homes themselves with marblelike porcelain tile on the bathroom floors and walls. The tiles provide the look and feel of marble without the maintenance that goes with it.
“While marble is less porous (and as such less vulnerable to moisture and weathering) than other natural stones such as limestone or soapstone, it is nonetheless still susceptible to moisture and requires appropriate care,” she says.
Whether it’s made of Carrara marble or high-quality porcelain, the workmanship of the interior details can be “what makes or breaks a design,” Oberti adds, “so it’s important to choose wisely. In terms of materials, high-quality products go a very long way, so it’s worth spending the extra time, energy and money sourcing good materials.”
The kitchen is efficient and selfcontained, though there’s still seamless harmony with the rest of the open-concept space thanks to the way in which wood flooring blends with wood-grain cabinets.
The food prep area is perfectly framed by storage because Oberti’s team fashioned the kitchen as both flattering and functional “like a furniture piece,” she says. “It has its own character and identity.”
“The success of a kitchen is dependent on functionality, as well as looks, however. It’s important that the user be able to perform tasks easily and freely. Storage is also key, especially in an open floor plan where the kitchen is visible from, if not the main attraction of the living and dining areas.”