When Gillian Segal was approached to redesign this home, she was inspired by the owner’s love of art
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It’s no mistake that the light fixtures in Gillian Segal’s redesign of a Kitsilano kitchen look like pieces of art. “Our client is definitely an art lover and to me, lighting has such a sculptural, artistic quality,” she says.
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The designer and her team curated art for the entire home as part of a top-down renovation wrapping up in 2020. One of the kitchen’s most striking features is a brass Apparatus Studio Trapeze pendant over the island—complementing a Pelle Designs chandelier with handmade paper blossoms in the dining room.
But the whole space feels sculptural. The original home was built in the 1990s in a heritage craftsman style, with a kitchen to match. “[The owner] wanted something lighter and fresher and that felt a little bit more contemporary, but still really comfortable,” says Segal.
The new palette is bright yet distinctly warm. In the food-prep area, Segal chose a natural stained oak for the lower cabinets, with weighty cast bronze pulls. The rest are a soft greige, painted in Benjamin Moore’s Collingwood.
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A stained-glass window over the sink pays homage to the home’s original design, which had several stained-glass windows in primary colours that the owner “despised,” says Segal. The replacement picks up the creamy tones and arched motif of the redesign, while retaining privacy from a neighbouring house.
Volakas marble, matching the counters, runs around the window as trim. “I’m often inspired by travel like European travels and Old World, European architecture,” says Segal. “That type of marble cladding and detailing is something you often find there.”
Replacing heavy pillars, Segal carved out arched passageways between the kitchen and dining area. She expanded the kitchen’s footprint to fit an elongated island that doubles as work surface and entertaining zone, where guests can sit across from one another—on statuesque stools from Restoration Hardware. “I’m really not a fan of, of you know, six bar stools in a row,” says Segal. “No one ever sits like that to have a conversation.”
Design: Gillian Segal Design
Contractor: Eyco Building Group
https://vancouversun.com/homes/westcoast-homes-and-design/featured-homes/a-kitsilano-kitchen-takes-old-world-inspiration-for-a-contemporary-refresh
