When Sandy and Bill Haun bought a vacation home last year on Sidney’s waterfront — a condo in the Residences at the Pier — they made a conscious decision not to have it look anything like their large and classically stylish house back in Saskatchewan, or their upscale Ralph Lauren-ish log cabin in Alberta.
“Our home in St. Albert is very traditional and our cottage is very woodsy and cottagey, with duck decoys, leather couches and upholstery with fish and bears on it,” said Sandy.
“So when we came to Sidney we wanted something completely different.”
She imagined living in a coastal home that would reflect and be an extension of the view, and the blues of the ocean.
The couple went to a quality furniture store in Victoria shortly after buying their condo, but everything they saw reminded them of what they had back home.
Then they went to Luxe Home Interiors and met designer Barbara Groberman who understood their goals and steered them toward a coastal, high-end yet light-hearted look.
“Barbara was also very helpful when it came to choosing colours that would work in this climate, which we know can be a little grey at certain times of the year. She guided us in the direction of something lighter.”
The Hauns have spent a lot of time here over the decades.
“My parents lived here for 30 years so we were constantly coming out to Sidney to visit them,” said Bill, adding when his parents died the whole family wanted to continue coming here.
“We have a lot of happy family memories connected with this place: going fishing, setting crab traps, boating or walking around Brentwood,” said Bill.
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“Our oldest child is 40 now, but we brought them here as kids and we'd go and buy fish and crab off the docks. Lots of happy times.”
His wife said it's wonderful to see their grand children doing all the same things now.
The Hauns enjoy having destinations where their entire family can gather to vacation, as they are very close to their four sons, four daughters-in-law and 10 grand children.
“When we gather at the cottage there are 20 of us, but we haven't managed to do that here in Sidney yet,” said Bill with a chuckle.
It likely won't be long, however, considering their 1,700 square-foot corner suite, on Seaport Place at the foot of Beacon Avenue, has lots of room: two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a den with a foldout queen-size bed. And the unit is located directly above Sidney Pier Hotel, which means overflow visitors can book rooms just a few floors away. The family can also enjoy the hotel's fitness facility and concierge assistance that is included in the strata fee.
When she met the Hauns, interior designer Groberman immediately tuned into their desire to decorate and furnish their home in a fresh, new way.
“They wanted a water feel, something airy and light, but also something very comfy because of all the kids and grand kids who would be visiting.” They wanted it to be very west coast, with none of the heavy wood and timbers of their cottage or traditional home.
“I started with creams and blues, and then found this wonderful tufted, Oriental patterned wingback chair which brought in something a little unusual,” said Groberman. “It is oversized but curvy and sculptural, in a gorgeous rich blue fabric with matching ottoman. “We worked with those colours and brought in different textures, like the iron and glass coffee table and the custom wool rugs in the living room and kitchen.”
The owners wanted a sense of whimsy too, so the designer suggested several novelty touches, such as the man-inside-the-box table in the entry, the man and woman tables as well as the freestanding sculpture of a man balancing on a ball. They are all from Global Views, a designer wholesale resource collection inspired by old European sculptures but recreated in a contemporary context.
“The owners were open to everything. You can tell that by the light fixture over the dining table that they chose themselves. It's like a group of hanging, coloured glass jars. So cool,” said the designer.
“Nothing about the furnishings in this condo is simple or ordinary. All the upholstery is beautiful quality, natural fabrics, but durable.”
She slipcovered the sofa in a tailored style, “not the sloppy version,” so it's easy care and the owners may choose to have winter slipcovers made to vary the look.
The rugs are all natural, woven wool, and suit the waterfront theme as they look like hand knit fishermen's sweaters from Ireland. They're plush, light coloured and soft so the kids can roll in them.
The metal and glass coffee table, and low-back furniture ensure nothing obstructs the view, while two navy blue leather chairs by the window enhance the nautical theme and are extremely inviting, as they are deep and stuffed with down.
The dining table expands to seat 10, and the living room seats eight, with two more in a separate seating space beside two matching bookcases.
As finishing touches they have hung pieces of nautical art collected over the past 10 years, as well as new works by local artists from Peninsula Gallery.
The result is spacious and uncluttered, breezy and carefree.
“We were pretty excited when we first saw the condo,” said Bill, who retired from his oil-related business four years ago after selling his company, Crossroads C&I. He had 165 employees and provided insulation to large industrial and commercial projects.
They bought the condo sight unseen last September, but knew the area well having stayed in the hotel ever since it opened.
He likes the fact they can leave home and fly to Sidney in 1.5 hours, “and it's a great place to walk and bike. I keep a car here so we're totally mobile, but there are tremendous trails here for biking.
“It's an outdoor world here. When we are living in the snow and cold, people here are still walking around outside. I love that.”
Sandy said they definitely got the coastal look they wanted: “We are very happy with the way everything turned out.”
