Christmas is a special time for this condo owner, as one glance around her 1,250-square-foot condo in Sidney’s Landmark building attests.
Vivid reds and glossy greenery blend with candles, angels, crystals and delicious confections on almost every surface.
“I used to have 40 big containers of Christmas decorations, but when we moved here, I only brought six,” said Bev, who bought the condo in 2015 with her husband and moved in a year later after a major renovation by interior designer Diane Kettner.
Because Bev and her husband (who was blind and in a wheelchair at the time) still lived in their Prairie home, the renovations were all done long-distance and overseen by Kettner. Bev’s husband died soon after they moved in, but Bev plans to stay here because she appreciates the climate, the views and the community.
“There are great people in the building and I love it here in Sidney. You can’t beat the view and the convenience,” said Bev, who asked that her last name not be used.
“I don’t drive, but I can walk everywhere. Everything is so convenient and close, and the town is flat. I have a convenience store and bakery across the road, a bank, post office, stores nearby … and the weather is so much nicer than the Prairies.
“Our realtor showed me and my husband about 20 places, but it only took me 30 seconds to know this was the one.”
Her condo is less than half the size of her previous 2,700-square-foot house, but she quickly adapted and doesn’t miss her other containers of Yuletide cheer.
“By my standards, I haven’t got a lot of Christmas decorations out now,” she said with a chuckle, but her tree is now the focal point and it’s loaded with memories and ornaments that she and her husband collected over the years.
“It reminds me of all the happy times. I love the spirit of Christmas, the family time, the goodwill of people.”
From the front door, the tree appears to be a typical designer-style one covered in glass icicles and bows, but draw closer and it opens like a storybook.
“My grandkids, great nieces and nephews always love my tree because it’s whimsical and covered in funky ornaments. They spend hours looking at it.”
And they like her new home, which, Bev said, is nothing like the way it was when she purchased it.
The suite was gutted for the renovation, which included upgrading all the interior finishes, removing a hall (with strata permission), widening or removing doors and doorways, creating a new kitchen and master bathroom, and adding engineered hardwood flooring in a medium walnut stain, taupe paint, crown moulding and more.
The unit previously had a long, narrow hall with a sharp right angle at the end, facing into the master suite. Kettner said the design was awkward, especially for someone with mobility issues. (She recalled that another client in a similar suite had a health emergency and the paramedics could not lift her out on a stretcher, but had to walk her out.)
By shortening the hall slightly, moving the door and eliminating the turn, she has made the bedroom much more spacious — and accessible.
One of the most stylish changes took place in the master ensuite, which used to have a long vanity and enormous oval pink soaker tub with wide shelves on three sides and a broad tiled step.
“That step edge was a killer,” said Kettner, who removed the tub and oversized surround, replacing it with a large shower. “The bathroom was enormous, far too big, and by removing the humongous, ugly tub we gained about two feet.”
The extra space was added to the laundry room on the other side of the wall, by the front door. By taking out the long vanity, she was able to add a wide sink and two columns of attractive storage on either side.
“All the walls had to be rebuilt so we could add a lot of hand rails and bars. Everything is really accessible now,” Kettner said.
Perhaps the most dramatic transformation came with the removal of a wall separating the kitchen from the front hall. Now that it’s gone, the front door opens into a broad space with a large quartz-topped island on the left.
It made an enormous difference and allowed Bev to have the large new island.
“We used smaller-than-normal appliances, because if you put a regular large fridge in here and a great hulking stove, you’d lose the feeling of space,” said Kettner, who noted integrating the appliances with panelling also helps.
“The less you see, the more expensive it is. However, years later, if you go to sell the place, you won’t have the look of dated appliances.”
She designed slightly raised shallow cabinets for over the sink instead of a recessed area. “If you raise them up and decrease the depth slightly, you have more head space.”
Kettner also designed a wall of cabinets that are a foot deep rather than closer to two.
“That eliminates the need for pull-outs. Everything is easier to see and more accessible. And it allowed us to add another foot to the island.”
Bev said Kettner did a brilliant job of transforming the suite, and was the right choice as designer, as she had already done a plan for the previous owner, who had decided not to follow through.
“After the realtor told me about Diane’s design, I asked her to come and look at the place and everything fell into place,” said Bev.
“We then spent less than 48 hours going all over Victoria, picking out flooring, appliances, lights, handles, tile, toilets … . It was amazing.”
Bev said she loves how open the suite is now, with the view visible immediately when you walk in. Other pluses include the storage space and fireplace. “It looks so real and everything can be put away and has a home. Thetis Cove did an awesome job with the cabinetry.”
Both she and her husband were astonished when they came to Victoria for the final reveal.
“I’ll never forget it,” said Bev.
“Both Diane and the contractor, Terry, made us wait in the hall and then turned on all the lights and opened the door.
“I absolutely gasped and kept saying: ‘Wow, wow, wow.’ And then Diane said to my husband that she really wished he could see the changes and he said: ‘I don’t have to — I can hear it in my wife’s voice.’ ”
