At home… and loving it

This reimagined four-storey luxury residence makes the idea of spending the summer at home wildly appealing

By Lisa Mansfield  X  Photography InFrame Real Estate

“Location, location, location” may be the timeless cliche we associate with the real estate industry, but this summer, while travel is limited much beyond our own backyards, location becomes ever more important. The perfect home in the perfect residential neighbourhood must also be an ideal spot for a staycation as we all hunker down and shelter in place. 

Let your staycation inspiration start here: at this thoughtfully reconstructed four-storey, three-bedroom home perched at the top of 3rd Avenue in the heart of Point Grey. Outfitted with the kind of luxurious comfort that elevates the best of West Coast living, this home offers features and details that combine beauty, functionality and quality craftsmanship.

Lady in red

A pop of crimson greets entrants to this luxury residence at 4572 West 3rd Avenue, just a few blocks south of Spanish Banks and Locarno beaches. In Asian culture, the colour red is a symbol of good luck, and a red door is said to draw positive energy into the home. 

And there’s no doubt this home offers many positives, including unobstructed panoramic views of the city and water from its 442-square-foot rooftop deck, gourmet kitchen, formal dining area, three upstairs bedrooms, five bathrooms, as well as a fully developed basement with office, wine cellar, fitness room, steam room and soundproofed entertainment oasis. 

High-tech touches include programmable LED lighting, perfect for setting the mood, and heated floors throughout the house for warming toes on chillier days.

Originally built in 1995 and substantially expanded and rebuilt in 2013 with $1.5 million in upgrades, it’s the fixtures and detailing showcasing some of the world’s finest craftsmanship that make this house a local sanctuary for the globally minded aesthete. Consider the stunning spiral staircase that awaits as you step into the entranceway’s striking rotunda. Hand-forged rails and natural steel twist upward toward a domed skylight, tempting you to head straight up the stairs to check out the view from the rooftop patio. 

But as the light shines down from above, illuminating showcase space in the alcove next to the stairs, guests can linger over contemplative art pieces, or glide into the adjacent living room on Brazillian cherry wood floors, as though drawn by the quartz stone hearth. The view from here is truly magnetic, offering the first glimpse of glimmering city and ocean that keeps hearts and eyes glued in place, although the kitchen will surely beckon even the most stalwart ocean gazer. 

Selling the sizzle

Outfitted with 11 high-end appliances, including a professional range top and commercial-grade, high-efficiency stove, two Thermador ovens, a Sub-Zero fridge and two Miele dishwashers, this gourmet kitchen is purpose-built to cater to a full spectrum of culinary adventures—whether it’s entertaining close friends or simply feeding a growing clan.  

Designed in a U shape for optimum functionality and efficiency, the kitchen’s modern flairs include white shaker cabinetry, blue-hued lapis lazuli stone countertops and matching backsplash, and Bocci light fixture above the centre island. 

Gaze into the beautifully landscaped backyard while sustenance simmers, or, if weather permits, throw open the double doors and fire up the outdoor kitchen where the latest DCS four-burner system with rotisserie and side-burner inclusion make backyard cooking a snap.

Back inside, a separate cerise dining area offers a formal setting for special occasions, with five layers of custom lighting, built-in wall speakers and two entrances for ease of access.

Off the kitchen, an open-concept family room with cosy fireplace offers refuge day or night with a built-in surround sound entertainment system, customized teak wall cabinets with built-in Sub-Zero 72-bottle wine fridge, wet bar and coffee maker. 

Prefer to nibble at a height? Toss some supplies into the dumbwaiter concealed in the adjacent hidden laundry room, and take your tipples to the rooftop patio where resplendent 360-views of English Bay and downtown Vancouver provide the perfect backdrop. With counter-level seating for four and a full lounge area, and wired for extras like a fire pit, barbecue, hot tub and heat lamps, this is the staycation location Vancouver dreams are made of. Drink in the view while you sip your sangria and spend the day on top of the world. 

Work, chill, rest, repeat

On work days, a quiet refuge awaits in the downstairs office, where creativity is inspired by a stylish display of books and collectibles on suspended tempered glass shelves. 

Gym closed? No problem. A well-equipped fitness studio, outfitted with rubber flooring, mirrored walls and a custom sound system, complements a daily fitness routine, while an adjacent steam room rounds out the home health experience. If walks on the beach with four-legged friends are preferred, a full bathroom with dog bath and commercial sand trap makes clean-up a cinch. 

Down the hall, a climate-controlled wine cellar holds 1,100 of your best bottles, while the neighbouring soundproof entertainment room, with its 90-inch screen and 4K JVC projector, provides for the perfect at-home movie night. 

When the day’s gone dark, head back upstairs to rest your eyes on the omnipresent view with one last drink of ocean, sky and skyline from the master bedroom, where custom millwork accentuates walnut veneer cabinetry and a cosy reading area. The master en suite, outfitted with marble tiling, book-matched walnut millwork, Robern vanity cabinets over Duravit double sinks and Americh champagne bubbles tub, makes nighttime suddenly feel like the best time of day. 

Adjacent bedrooms, too, offer perfect accommodations for family members, students or guests, each outfitted with its own en suite, along with crown mouldings, custom drapes, colourful accents and European fixtures—features that will give any guest the impression of travelling the globe, even while sheltering at home.