Creating a modern aesthetic and space to accommodate multiple generations

Words Lisa Manfield
Photography INFrame Real Estate, Janis Nicolay

What makes a house a home? For the designer of this modern 7,345-square-foot home located on a lush and quiet residential street in South Vancouver, it’s all about purposeful design, open-concept living and positive energy flow. And enough functional space for three generations to comfortably live together. 

When a multigenerational family purchased the six-bedroom, eight-bathroom property at 6848 Hudson Street, interior designer Sita Walia set to work on a plan to remodel it. Her goal? To maximize room sizes, improve feng shui and create a seamless, modern aesthetic that could be enjoyed by everyone in the extended family.  

Originally built in 1999, the house was in great condition, built on an unusually deep lot in a perfect location. 

“The family had always lived in this area because they love the easy access to everything,” Sita says. “It’s close to the highway, close to the airport and it’s nice to have the land—even the roads are more spacious in this area.” 

But it did have a few drawbacks, mainly an inefficient use of space. So, the remodelling had to go beyond a simple renovation. The family made the decision to rebuild so they could extend the back of the house, adding space to the kitchen and family room, removing a second staircase and using that space to increase the size of the bedrooms upstairs and a downstairs office. 

“We ended up taking the house right down to the studs,” Sita says.  

The result? An understated mix of modern and traditional styling that maximizes both function and aesthetics, creating a comfortable nest for family members young and old.

Making a dream home

Their first step was to bring in architect Frits de Vries, with whom Sita had previously worked on several family homes. Together they envisioned updated ways to make the house more functional—and beautiful. 

“We wanted a sleek look, but it took a lot of craftsmanship to get it,” Sita says. “We were also able to reuse a lot of the wood and existing materials.”  

Starting in the grand foyer, they anchored the large space with a sparkling 26-pendant Bocci hanging chandelier and updated the stately curved staircase underneath it. 

“The staircase was free floating originally, but we mounted it in and re-clad it,” Sita says. “We kept the original maple framing and covered it with Corian.” 

To the left of the entrance, they added more space to a bright and quiet office and hid it behind a pivot door that closes flat. White oak floors were added to ramp up the brightness throughout the home. To the right, open living and dining areas were also extended for the ultimate in entertaining guests. 

“We raised the ceilings here, to give more head space, and used millwork as partitions instead of walls for a modern feel,” Sita says. 

Oak paneling combines with the white oak floors to add to the airy spaciousness, while ample sitting space is framed by the warmth of an elongated horizontal fireplace. 

Down the hall, a concealed elevator and closet precede a beautiful main bathroom featuring concrete tile constellations. And then, a pause. A granite slab feature wall with leather finish demarks the exterior from the inner rooms, providing separation for the kitchen and family room spaces, and a sense of grounding before going further into the home. It’s also a key element in the home’s energy flow.

Beauty in the details

Just past the feature wall to the right, a sparkling white kitchen with a 10-foot-plus custom Corian island and backsplash features integrated sinks and cabinets that continue the seamless aesthetic. An integrated Wolf stovetop is perfect for warming food prepared in the adjacent spice kitchen.  

Hidden details elevate the space, including storage cabinets built into every nook. A concealed panel door leads to a mudroom behind the kitchen, facilitating entry from the backyard garage, making grocery loading easy. This entryway is also connected to the small spice kitchen, designed for storing, prepping and cooking food. Here, a gorgeous porcelain sheet on the wall, back-painted glass backsplash and cedar paneling bring abundant light into the small space, while black hardware gives a sense of solid contrast. 

Back in the great room, a marble porcelain slab frames a horizontal fireplace in the adjacent family room, where an unobstructed view of the extensive outdoor living space is made possible thanks to a 33-foot sliding glass door from Belgium. Entrance to and from the backyard is seamless as you step onto the wraparound deck to take in the waterfall and extended grassy area beyond (which has been roughed in for a potential swimming pool).  

A sunken patio below offers a hidden enclave for relaxation or quiet entertaining, while surrounding lavender and jasmine plants keep bugs at bay and tall cedars add greenery to the perimeter. 

“Around every corner is an oasis to enjoy in many ways,” Sita says.  

And just beyond, a four-car garage flanked by an outside car park offers space for car washing or sports play.

Upstairs, downstairs

Up the stairs, panelled walls conceal linen and HVAC closets. An original skylight opens for added ventilation in the summer.   

At one end, the master bedroom looks out over the front yard. Panelled walls conceal a gorgeously appointed his-and-hers bathroom with soaker tub, marble backsplash, Bocci lights, gold hardware and black glass. A large walk-in closet completes the room. 

Down the hall, a second master and third bedroom, all with en suites, provide ample space for a growing family. 

Heading back down the stairs, past the entranceway and to the lower floor reveals a bright and open bottom level that feels nothing like a basement. To the right, a recessed reading nook. To the left, a beautiful bar and wine cellar.  

While the white oak floors extend the bright and airy feel downstairs, grey panelled walls here offer some contrast. Beside the bar, a media area in greys and whites, with wall-length storage, provides space for gamers and movie buffs. 

On the other side of the landing, two guest bedrooms with en suites offer private solace for extended family and friends, while an open gym area provides lots of space for workouts and waterfall views. 

Here, you can head right outside, to the lower-level patio. And upon re-entry, a mudroom with a dog shower is a convenient spot to scrub pets’ and kids’ muddy feet. Or, for more refined relaxation, choose the spa bathroom complete with steamy sauna, soothing Bocci lighting, Corian-wrapped sitting space and smoky black glass. 

“It’s my favourite room in the house,” Sita admits.  

Finally, the laundry and mechanical rooms live here too, tucked carefully away to conceal the brains and brawn of the operation: a Control4 Smart Home system, high-efficiency boiler and rough-ins for solar roofing.  

For its residents, the open and airy spaces, seamless integrations and elevated design have become the definition of home. And now they could be yours, too. Listed at just over $10 million through faithwilson | Christie’s International Real Estate, this architectural work of art is truly the epitome of open-concept family living.  

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多代同堂安樂窩

打造一個具有現代審美空間、幾代人共住的居所。

撰文: Lisa Manfield
攝影: INframe Real Estate photography, Janis Nicolay

是什麼讓房子成為家？對位於南溫哥華一個安靜居民區的一條鬱鬱蔥蔥的街道上 7345 平方呎的現代住宅的設計師來說，精心的設計、開放式生活和積極的能量流動至關重要。還要有足夠的居住空間，讓三代人同堂，舒適地生活在一起。

當這個世代同堂的家庭購置了位於 Hudson 街 6848 號、擁有六間臥室、八間浴室的房產時，室內設計師 Sita Walia 開始著手制定改造方案，目標是：最大限度地擴大房間面積，改善風水，將現代美學融入其中，讓大家庭中的每個人都能享樂其中。

這座房屋建於 1999 年，狀況良好，在一幅比較少見的深長地皮上興建而成，地理位置優越。

“這家人一直住在這兒，因為喜歡這裏交通方便，”Sita 說。“這裡離高速公路很近，離機場也很近，而且擁有土地的感覺很好—這個地區連道路都比較寬敞。”

美中不足的是：空間使用效率不高。因此，改造房屋絕不僅僅是簡單地翻新。於是，這家人決定重建，這樣就可以擴展房子的後面，增加廚房和家庭活動室的空間，拆除第二個樓梯，增加樓上臥室和樓下辦公室的面積。

Sita 說：“最終我們把房子拆得只剩骨架。”

結果是—現代和傳統風格相得益彰，最大限度地提升了功能與美感，為一家大小打造一個舒適的家。

建造一個夢想家園

首先，他們請來曾經一起建造過幾個住宅的建築師 Frits de Vries。兩人一起制定了更新方案，讓房子更實用、更美觀。

“我們想要外觀更時尚，但需要大量的工藝來實現，”Sita 說。“我們還可以重新利用大量木材和現有材料。”
首先在門廳，他們用一盞閃亮的 26 個吊墜的 Bocci 吊燈點綴這一寬敞的空間，並改造了吊燈下壯觀的弧形樓梯。
“樓梯原本是自由浮動式的，但我們把它進行了鑲嵌，重新加以包覆，”Sita 說。“我們保留了原來的楓木框架，用可麗耐（Corian）加以覆蓋。”

在入口處左側，他們為一間明亮、安靜的辦公室增加更多空間，並把它隱藏於一個可以平開的樞軸門後面。白色的橡木地板提升了住宅的明亮度。在右邊，開放的起居室和用餐區也得到擴展，可以更好地招待賓客。

“我們提高了這裡的天花板，提供更多的頂部空間，並使用木製品作為隔斷，而非墻壁，更具現代感，”Sita 說。
房屋在橡木鑲板與白橡木地板映襯下，更加通氣敞亮，而充足的起居空間則被修長的水平壁爐的溫暖所包圍。
沿著走廊，在隱蔽的電梯和壁櫥之前是美麗的主浴室，浴室以混凝土瓷磚的星座裝飾。然後，稍作停頓。一塊具有皮革質感的花崗岩板將外部與內部空間區分開來，將廚房和家庭室隔開，在繼續深入這個住宅之前稍作停頓，這也是家庭能量流動的一個關鍵因素。

細節之美

穿過右邊的主牆，眼前是一個明亮的白色廚房，有一個 10 呎多高的定製可麗耐島臺和後擋板，集成水槽和櫥櫃相得益彰，呈現出一種連貫的美感。一個整合的 Wolf 爐灶隨時可以為在旁邊調味廚房準備的食物進行加工。

隱藏的細節提升了空間，包括每個角落都有嵌入式儲物櫃。一個隱蔽的面板門通向廚房後面的雜物間，便于從後院車庫進入，采購回來也更容易卸載。這個入口處也與小型調味廚房相連，方便儲存、準備和烹飪食物。在這裡，華麗的瓷磚墻、反光玻璃後擋板和雪松木飾板帶來充足的光線，而黑色五金配件則形成一種堅實的對比。

回到客廳，相鄰家庭活動室内的橫向壁爐的四周被大理石所覆蓋。透過一道來自比利時的 33 呎的玻璃推拉門，開闊的戶外生活空間一覽無遺。

後院的入口順暢無阻，你可以踏上環繞式的露臺，欣賞瀑布和延伸的草地（已為潛在的游泳池做了準備）。

下面凹陷的庭院提供了一個隱蔽的場所，用來放鬆或安靜的娛樂。而周圍的薰衣草和茉莉花植物能夠防止蚊蟲，高大的雪松為周邊增添了綠意。

Walia 說：“每個角落都是一片綠洲，提供多種享樂方式。”

不遠處，有一個四車位車庫，側面是一個戶外停車場，可用來洗車或運動。

樓上、樓下

拾階而上，鑲板牆將日常織品和空氣調節系統 HVAC 櫥櫃隱藏起來。一扇原本就在的天窗夏季可提供額外的通風。
樓上的一端是主臥室，可以俯瞰前院。面板牆令到華麗的主浴室相當隱蔽，內設浸浴缸、大理石後擋板、Bocci 燈飾、金色五金配件和黑色玻璃。一個大型步入式衣櫃令房間錦上添花。

走廊下方，第二個主臥室和第三個臥室都帶有獨立衛浴，為這個成長中的家庭提供充足的空間。

回到樓下，經過入口處進入下層，則是一個明亮開放的底層，完全不像是地下室。右側是一個下沉式閱讀角落。左側是一個美觀的酒吧和酒窖。

雖然白橡木地板令明亮通風的感覺得以延伸，但灰色的面板牆則帶來一些對比變化。在酒吧旁邊，灰色和白色的媒體區，為遊戲和電影愛好者提供了一整面墻的儲物空間。

在平台的另一側，兩間帶獨立衛浴的客房為家庭和朋友提供了隱私和寧靜，開放的健身區則提供足夠的運動空間和瀑佈景觀。

在這裡，您可以直接走出去，到達下層的後院。重新進來時，有一個可以為寵物狗淋浴的雜物間，也可以清洗孩子腳上的泥巴。或者，如果您想徹底放鬆，可以選擇帶有煙燻黑玻璃的水療室，內有蒸汽桑拿、舒緩的 Bocci 燈飾，以及可麗耐裝修的休息區。

Sita 承認：“這是我最喜歡的房間。”

還有，洗衣房和機械房也位於這裡，只是被小心翼翼地隱藏起來，並遮蓋住房屋的大腦和能量—Control4 智能家居系統、高效鍋爐和太陽能屋頂的粗加工裝置。

對住戶來説，通風敞亮的空間、無縫整合和高層次的設計已經成爲家的定義。現在您可以成爲它的主人—這座真正體現開放式家庭生活的建築藝術品通過 faithwilson | Christie’s International Real Estate 投放市場，價格略高於 1000 萬元。