Organic Shapes, Natural Light and Textural Rattan: This Victoria Home Is a 10,000-Square-Foot Vision

How do you design a home for a family that doesn’t exist yet? With great pleasure, if you’re Andrea Rodman.

“It was one of those projects where you got to expand as a creative professional, push your limits and expand your capabilities,” says Rodman, who took on the interior design of a 10,000-square-foot Victoria new build for a couple with dreams of building a home to settle down with their future children.

“They had a beautiful vision for their home: they wanted to create somewhere to raise their family,” says Rodman. So while the design process involved the usual process of picking finishes and poring over floor options, Rodman also prodded the couple to think about their ideal future life: How many kids did they want? How did they want to use the house as a family? How did they envision entertaining and hosting?

These goals would inform designers Scott Posno (our 2022 Arthur Erickson Memorial Award winner) and Rodman (who took home the 2018 Robert Ledingham Memorial) as they set about creating a T-shaped layout with dual courtyards that would function for present and future, for multiple generations. “They chose materials that were timeless, simple, and understated—they wanted a home to grow into,” says Rodman. That meant light fixtures designed in the 1950s that had already proven they could stand the test of time, classic textured tiles and timeless wood detailing.

Rodman was also a skilled design-mediator, finding the balance between the couple’s disparate tastes—one leaned more towards traditional design details, while the other was more of a modernist. Rodman split the difference with a fresh palette and organic shapes and texture.

The home taps into the serenity and sophistication of Scandinavian and Japanese design, with touches of French influence: applied moulding details, cozy rattan. Oversized windows fill the space with natural light, and connect the interior with the West Coast landscape outside.

The coffered ceiling of the family room hits the balance between traditional and modern, and in the statement-making living room, rattan detailing and and kidney-shaped Avenue Road sofas provide the perfect place for gathering and connecting. (“Curve shapes just feel more relevant to nature. It brings a softness, even if everything else is square and masculine and cold,” says Rodman.)

This special room is tucked away behind a pocket door, which helps create a more formal distinction between family spaces and this private moment. “They wanted to have an area that wasn’t about children, something sophisticated,” explains the designer.

The family room, meanwhile, is designed for a younger crowd. A durable jute rug and sofas upholstered in wipeable fabrics make this a space that’s ready to handle all the beautiful mess life will throw its way.

In an otherwise simple white kitchen, a ribbed wood detail on the island offers some textural interest. A striking stairway is composed of black stainless-steel spindles and a wood handrail, built with the help of Broadwell Metal. “We wanted to capture a modern feel with a little bit of a traditional element,” says Rodman. Built with one continuous curve and no sharp corners, it’s appealing and sinewy. A dramatic Bocci light fixture hangs above.

The custom millwork in the bedroom performs a neat trick: some doors conceal storage, but behind one, you’ll find access to the ensuite. “We were trying to figure out how to incorporate the door with the awkward gable ceiling: this blends it in and creates symmetry.”

Texture is found at every turn across the 10,000-square-foot home. Linen sheer drapery is found in almost every room, a request from the homeowners to layer in some softness. “They wanted it really cozy,” says Rodman. In the bathroom, Ann Sacks Savoy tile adds visual interest. Ribbed glass and a marble bench offer additional beautiful detail.

PROJECT CREDITS
Architect: Scott Posno

Cabinetry: South Shore Cabinetry
Builder: Interactive Construction

Originally published September 2022.