A Gastown condo kitchen gets a makeover

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When Kalu Interiors began its redesign of a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in Gastown, the kitchen was stuck deep in the 1990s — walled in and finished in cherry wood and dark granite.

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The owners, a young professional couple renovating their first apartment, wanted something “trendy and cool that represents both of them”, says Kalu Interiors director Aleem Kassam. The wife works in medical research and the husband in the film industry. “Even though he’s in a creative field, he wanted [something]more sober with clean lines, and she wanted more softness, femininity and elegance,” adds Kassam.

To translate this into the kitchen, Kassam introduced industrial-inspired elements, like exposed concrete and bold black cabinets, taking over with softer details, such as reed glass panels. Narrow profile shaker doors are modern, but not austere. Brass hardware and fixtures add “a bit more of that understated feminine and elegant touch,” as well as open shelving in the corner, says Kassam.

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At around 120 square feet, the kitchen is still small, even after expanding into the footprint of an adjacent storage room. Kassam therefore streamlined the materials to create a feeling of openness. Slightly gray-veined marble repeats on the countertops, backsplash, and range hood fan, while cabinet panels conceal most appliances.

Knocking down a wall opened up the view of Vancouver Harbor and the blue outline of the North Shore mountains. To keep those sight lines clear, Kassam chose small Bocci glass pendant lights to hang above the island, with thin cables and minimal overhead plating. “They feel like they’re seeping from the ceiling, and they provide a really nice shimmer and soft light that’s still very functional,” says Kassam.

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CF Interiors’ black counter stools visually blend into the island when not in use. “The client was very nervous when I recommended black for these stools because she loves the color, and the other areas incorporated dusty pink and emerald green,” says Kassam. “But it was his favorite thing afterwards.”

Design: Kalu Interiors

Contractor: Condoworks

Cabinets: Pacific Rim Cabinets

Flooring: Nordic by Eckowood, from Woodpecker Hardwood Flooring