Bold 1970s style gives this Vancouver home the wow factor

This West Vancouver home overlooks the waters of the Burrard Inlet and is part of a community of cliffside homes first developed in the mid-20th century. Its recent renovation brought together two previous disjointed additions, reconfigured the space, and reworked the iconic mid-century modern house style with day-to-day comfort and relaxed entertaining in mind.

The interior designers at Vancouver-based Falken Reynolds took on the project, overseeing the transformation and ensuring its new look would stay true to the home’s 1970s origins. ‘To infuse the space with glamour and casual sophistication, we curated the sculptural and expressive furnishings with a 1970s vibe and an extension of the client’s art collections,’ the designers said.

Take the tour to see how they achieved their goal and made those midcentury touches both modern and meaningful.

When the house was built in 1975, it consisted of several small separate rooms, and although there had been subsequent additions, the resulting space was awkward and lacked flow. The design team opened up the main living room, creating an open plan so the ocean views could be appreciated from all the key parts of the home.

‘The client loved the soul of the house and was so clear about the life she envisioned living in it,’ says Kelly Reynolds, co-principal of Falken Reynolds. ‘While we were really intentional about the space planning and functional details, they fade into the background because of the eclectic layering of materials and forms. The house doesn’t feel brand new, it has a sense of history. Onyx, bronzed glass, vintage lighting, the soft curves of the furniture – particularly this mustard-colored Tactile sofa by Baxter – all reference the carefree and daring attitude of the 1970s.’

There were challenges too in this ambitious project. Aiming to keep the renovation as sustainable as possible, the design team worked to a principle of update rather than replace. This was put to the test when it came to an old fireplace that was blocking the ocean view.