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A bright and beautiful space by Beth Thompson of Wondrland Interior Design and Rex Panther of Brougham Interiors.
Photos by Ema Peter
A high-design power couple deserves a high-design condo to match. And Beth Thompson, principle of Wondrland Interior Design, and her husband Rex Panther, co-owner of furniture boutique Brougham Interiors, have achieved just that with their West Vancouver penthouse.
Though they were downsizing when they moved to the 1,700-square-foot condo, the pair still wanted something that felt light, airy and open… and connected them to their urban roots. “The view is so great: it keeps us connected to the rest of the city,” says Thompson.
You can catch the view from so many different vantage points in the window-lined suite, but the best place to drink it in is the sweeping 900-square-foot patio (all decked out with Brougham-sourced seating, of course). The glass doors slide open to connect with the living room, essentially blending the two spaces.
In the living room, a whimsical light fixture adds a more feminine touch. Silk wall-coverings by Phillip Jeffries bring in texture, and sheer drapery softens the glass surfaces. “At night timewhen It's darkit can feel a bit cold and harsh,” says Thompson, “and the drapery, without making it too heavy and dark, warms it and softens it.”
While Thompson tried to stick with timeless, not-too-trendy pieces both inside and outside, she still included a few, as she puts it, “elements of surprise,” like the pair of round, periwinkle tub chairs in the living room that tie into the colour of the patio umbrella.
Even the home office in the back of the condo is connected to the outdoors, in a way, thanks to a floor-to-ceiling mirror that brings the views all the way back. “Not making it feel like a tiny, closed-in space was important to me,” says Thompson.
The workspace was originally intended to be a wine room, but when she started working from home during the pandemic, plans changed. Here, Haworth glass walls are engineered to have great acoustics (“They’re a serious commercial product,” says Thomspon), and keep the work area quiet while allowing natural light to filter in.
In the bedroom, a piece by Thompson’s mother, Gerry Thompson, adorns the wall, but it isn’t the only floral artwork in the home. The office’s crown jewel is a stunning botanical mural: a painting by Fiona Ackerman that Thompson had made into a custom wall-covering. “I love that I’m surrounded by art and colour,” she says.