Designer Allison Holden-Pope shares her secret for grounding an open-concept space.

The Look: Modern Drama

What do you do when an open-concept layout is just a little too open? You add in a dramatic slate-coloured fir-slat feature wall to ground the space. Or at least that’s what designer Allison Holden-Pope did when she took on the renovation of a mid-century Vancouver house. “With a light, airy palette, a darker accent draws you in,” says Holden-Pope. The grey-black hue here references the exterior finish of the house, as does the texture of the wooden slats (a nod to the pattern of the fence outside). “It’s all about tapping into a consistent architectural language,” the designer explains.

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