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Writer Grania Litwin and photographer Frances Litman are recognised for their sense of style and knowledge of outstanding design. And then it seemed time to downsize. Their former home in Kamloops was mostly white, as was their first retirement home - a custom 6,000square-foot house they built at Sun Peaks, an area just north of Kamloops famous for its powder skiing. The alpine setting appealed to the former owners of five dry-cleaning locations in Kamloops. All the backsplashes, bathroom vanities, countertop, shower walls and pans, even a pillar near the stove, are clad in Corian - a solid-surface product made of nonporous acrylic polymer. The cabinet doors, inside and out, are faced in high-density laminate with a super-smooth finish, edged in grey aluminum banding for definition and have brushed nickel handles. This polar excess is nothing new for the warm and fun-loving Gail and husband Ron, who likes to be called Shorty because he's 5' 5. "To be perfectly honest I was - but Gail had such a strong vision and had done it before, so we went with her desires and it suddenly warmed up when it was finished, with all the great lighting and their personal touches. "The overall effect is very calming, relaxing, very Zen. Gail said with a laugh: "We are not fussy, high-end people. Clearly these two have found their style and are sticking with it. They love cooking together and their specialty is blue cheese chicken with asparagus, served on - what else? - white rice. "And we like the open concept because everybody gets to be in the picture. Ron is thrilled with the results, too, and pointed out all of the countertops, tables and sofas are of a similar height, offering clear sightlines to the view. IN LIEU OF FURNITURE, COUPLE ORDERED 104 BUILT-IN CABINETS Urbana usually makes custom cabinets for kitchens, bathrooms and offices, but in this condo, they made them for each room in the home, all in pure white, with Corian countertops in a colour called Antarctica. The project called for a staggering 104 custom cabinets - three or four times what you could expect to install in a very large house, said Urbana co-owner Justa Kendall. It's like a luxury yacht. The guest room has a whole wall of storage along with a built-in desk. And all are snow white. The palette extends to gleaming appliances, leather chairs, sofas and small ottomans. Packing was a breeze because their wardrobes are as minimal as their surroundings. (The 72 recessed lights are on dimmer switches so she can turn the condo from bright to sultry at night. "I've never found it cold. Gail has always enjoyed decorating, but says she doesn't have expensive taste. When they first retired, they did the "motorhome thing," she said. highway] and decided to spend several winter months on the beaches of Hawaii. So we were hippies for a while. Why white? "Shorty and I have been married 50 years and we like living in a light environment," explained Gail. They gutted the condo, stripped out all of the flooring, took walls down to the studs and removed one of three bathrooms. The only original items in the whole condo are two glass shower doors and ensuite vanity lights. |
Sunday 10 June 2012
What's best, to rent or buy?
