Laurie and Larry Pearce’s Sunshine Falls property is narrow, steep and jagged as it tumbles down the cliff to Indian Arm. To occupy it, the couple might as well have lived in a dirigible anchored to the site. But they wanted a house, and they found just the designer to do the job: Kevin Vallely.
“When we went looking for an architect, we had no specific idea in mind for the house,” says Laurie. “We asked several architects who are supposedly into open spaces how they’d accommodate the size of the lot, but it was too small to interest many of them. But Kevin (their designer) was so enthusiastic, and we picked up on his enthusiasm. He’s very much focused on people living in smaller houses and is ecologically minded.”
“The site sounded compelling and afforded great opportunity,” Vallely recalls. “It looks out onto a magical landscape. They wanted something fresh, uncluttered, contemporary, and that’s my style: West Coast Contemporary. My heart soared. It was the perfect project.
“The site is narrow and steep, and I had two challenges. One was to have the building move down the site effectively. The other was to make the people inside feel like they’re sitting out on the ocean with no one around, to feel a million miles away from Vancouver.”
From every floor, a glorious panorama of hills, sea and sky is visible. “I was very conscious of size and placement of windows when drawing up the plans,” Vallely says. “The windows shield the view of neighbouring properties; they just frame the view of Indian Arm. You feel as though there’s no one around you.”
The view inwards is pleasing, too: contemporary, uncluttered, and open. All the space has been used as efficiently as possible, with every opportunity taken to provide storage. The Pearces moved in just before Christmas and are still getting accustomed to their new abode and sparer lifestyle.
“I’m very pleasantly surprised by the amount of space and light,” says Laurie. “I’m not quite used to it yet, but I’m definitely happy.”
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PHOTOGRAPHY: CHRIS ROLLETT / STYLING: NEGARI REIHANI
