ARTIST?S TOUCH: Design company used the open-concept as a showcase for the potential of contrast
Mary Frances Hill
The Province
Project: Edward
Where: King Edward Avenue and Yukon Street, Vancouver
What: 55 homes in a four-storey building
Developer: Mosaic Homes
Residence sizes and prices: Two — three bedrooms; 588 — 1,750 square feet, from the mid to high $800,000s
Sales centre: 5710 Cambie Street
Hours: noon — 6 p.m., daily
Like any artist, Cristina Oberti brings an appreciation for the classics, an eye for shade and contrast and an understanding of the history of her craft to every new project.
At the display suite at Edward, a new Cambie-area project from Mosaic Homes, these principles translate well in the colour and shape of the living room furnishings, the wall millwork and the dramatic kitchen.
In the living room, a deep blue sofa, round, rose-upholstered chairs topped with light wood hatching effect are true contemporary pieces with a mid-century modern flair. Oberti credits the visionary esthetic of early-modern designers for inspiring today’s designs.
“The language of mid-century modern design communicates esthetic principles that are still present and relevant to contemporary culture,” says Oberti, the principal behind Cristina Oberti Interior Design.
Those early moderns set a foundation from which today’s designers build and expand, she adds. “The basic forms that make mid-century modern pieces so distinct in our minds nevertheless stick.”
The chairs are conversation pieces in themselves, and appear in another room upholstered in blue. They were sourced by Mosaic Homes, and add a playfulness to the space. “In the case of the armchairs, a classic mid-century modern shape is paired with contemporary textures and materials. The result is a design that’s both familiar and fresh… they’re almost personalities in their own right.”
Oberti Interior Design also used the open-concept living space as a showcase for the potential of millwork, cabinetry and contrast.
Custom millwork in the living room provides room for books and treasured items, and cleverly includes a space large enough for a piece of artwork. The millwork itself is white with a dramatic dark background, proving Oberti’s point that practicality can merge with esthetics for maximum impact.
“Storage should be practical, but not necessarily boring. The variation in spaces and openings provides different options for storing objects, making something that has a purely functional purpose something creative and fun to look at.”
In the kitchen, the island provides a huge swath of white — a centrepiece that makes a dramatic contrast with dark wood cabinetry.
In the open-concept space, each design element flows into the next; Oberti knows how to create a focal point in one space that doesn’t distract from those in adjacent spaces.
“We wanted the kitchen to add to the living areas, not take away from them. The wood in the pantry, floors and cabinets links the kitchen to the surrounding areas, making the kitchen itself a sort of large furniture piece,” she says.
“We carried the texture of the flooring into the cabinets, making the transition from living to dining space natural and seamless. It’s a bold choice that ultimately connects the kitchen to the adjacent spaces.”
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