Room of the Week: D'Arcy Jones Architecture

Category: Kitchen
Design: D'Arcy Jones, D'Arcy Jones Architecture
Location: Vancouver, B.C.

Goal: Perched on a cliff among treetops in Vancouver, B.C., this modern abode started off as a quirky ode to 70s wood-clad architecture. It’s owned by a pair of art directors who wanted to update their home without masking its offbeat bones.

Inspiration: "My clients love graphic elements," says D'arcy Jones of the creative couple’s influence on the renovation, "and that inspired a new kitchen that is an object but is also a quiet foil for the wacky old house around it."  The sculptural elements of the home’s architecture also proved to be a driving force in the new design, and Jones highlighted them by juxtaposing the existing black structure with an all-white kitchen. "The process was extremely three dimensional since my clients intuitively understand space from the digital worlds they create as art directors,” Jones notes. “The contrasts between our new white sculptural ‘liner’ and the black structure almost create a visual duel."

Breakdown: The kitchen was moved from an existing cramped space to an underused 70s-era sunken sitting area just off the dining room. In order to expand the space even further, the architect cantilevered a new support beam, allowing for the removal of four posts and doubling the size of the room, and selected simple and streamlined materials. "We used Kitchen Aid and Frigidaire appliances, Caesarstone counters, and black Silgranit plumbing, combined with custom cabinets designed by our office," Jones explains, "We also made good use of Douglas fir glulam beams and white painted drywall."

Get the Look: “Don’t be scared of weird or unusual spaces, or see tired and worn-in houses as beyond repair,” advises Jones. “Walk through them with a professional who can see past the superficial. Good bones and interesting architecture that’s unique and site-specific will always be unique and site-specific. A thoughtfully designed house is a great springboard for a fresh new interior or addition, since you don’t need to spend much—or any—of your budget bringing up the quality level of the entire house or building."

Words by Nicole Munson. 

Images Courtesy of Silent Sama Architectural Photography.