PROJECT PROFILE: Goodbye Hipster, Hello Hippy : Part 1
PROJECT PROFILE:
Goodbye Hipster, Hello Hippy: Part 1
I'd like to just start by saying this post is a loooong time coming, no really I mean years! In this project profile we feature none other than my very own humble abode. We bought this wee apartment back the same year I launched CRYSTAL MOON DESIGN and as any designer will tell you it quickly got dropped to the bottom of the list while clients rose to the top. A wee place it is, clocking in at a mere 508 sq/ft, yep I said it 5-0-8. But here's the kicker and truly the reason I was head over heels the moment I walked through it. This small little corner of sunny Kitsilano boasts a private backyard of nearly 650 sq/ft bringing it to plump 1158q/ft or so. But I digress, we're here to talk about design after all, aren't we? When we found this place it had been a rental for 15 or so years and while I'm sure it was a gem in it's day it wasn't anymore. Rundown, beat up and moldy I was almost gitty to get in there and get my hands dirty. We had a whopping 2 weeks before this had to become our home, so naturally, it all had to go. First things first the bathroom, it HAD to go!
BEFORE
All I could think was black mold, black mold, black mold! I was convinced the tiles were harbouring these micro-spores behind their cracks. So it all came out, to my astonishment with not a bit of mold under the surface. We took the bathroom back to the studs but decided for cost, efficiency and timing the foot print would basically stay the same.
Polished industrial was what we were after, a little classic Brooklyn with a fresh clean face. Clean lines, subway tiles and vintage inspired handles were the answer-- my signature mix of old and new. We used smart space saving solutions like towel racks in the shower and medicine cabinets to make it all work. The waterPROOF floor ran through the bathroom and into the rest of the space to keep that ever so important eye flowing from one room to the next. Solid cherry door added privacy while a coat of rich walnut stain gave it life, all while the frosted panes carried light through to the entry.
AFTER
As the 2 weeks drew to a close we wrapped the bathroom project and prepared to say goodbye to our beloved loft in Gastown and helloo! to our new neighbours in Kits. We put our skinny jeans away and broken out the yoga mats. Oh, we certainly weren't finished, but for now the kitchen would have to wait. It was, afterall, summer in Kits--onwards and upwards to the beach and backyard!!
XO Crystal
