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D E S I G N • A R C H I T E C T U R E • D E C O R

Bridges at Glenview Ponds:

Tucked Away and Close to Everything

F A L L 2 0 1 1

SUPERIOR INTERIORS:

Need-to-Know Trends

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97HARVEY

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GLENVIEW

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Open Daily Noon - 5:00pm

1358 Glenview Avenue, Kelowna, BC

Come and take a look atwhat’s new at Bridges…• The private park landscaping is now complete.

• 8 new houses are under construction.

• A very good selection of lots are still available.

• Our Tommie Winning Show homes are open.

Located in the Heart of Old Glenmore within walking distance to the lake and cultural district.

F I N A L P H A S E N O W S E L L I N G

NICHE 3

Townhomes on the

World Class Club at Tower Ranch Golf Course

TownhomesLuxuryLife at the Top

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Information 250.861.8989

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NICHE4

inside

14 HOMEFRONTThe Kelowna housing market in review.

15 OUTSIDEMaintaining your home’s exterior.

16 HOME TECHHome entertainment and security work together.

20 ECOLIFESolar friendly home systems.

26 SAFETYBuild and reno accident security.

54 HERITAGEVernon’s Mackie Lake House.

60 COMMUNITYNew customized luxury townhomes.

11-405_Niche_Ad-7.25x9.58-PRESS.indd 1 11-08-17 10:37 AM

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D E S I G N • A R C H I T E C T U R E • D E C O R

Bridges at Glenview Ponds:

Tucked Away and Close to Everything

F A L L 2 0 1 1

SUPERIOR INTERIORS:

Need-to-Know Trends

Niche Fall 2011 4 pg cover.indd 1 11-09-23 1:56 PM

Cover:BRIDGES AT GLENvIEw PONDSTucked away and close to everything See page 19.

Photo: Courtesy of Bridges at Glenview Ponds

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES COLUMNS

6 FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK 8 FROM CHBA-CO

President Kevin Bounds.

9 DIGNews and developments.

11 EXPERTSQuestions for home professionals.

SPECIAL SECTION:

Superior Interiors30 SPOTLIGHT

Condo transformation

32 PRACTICALWine cellars

33 PROFILEInterior trends vs. fads

34 SPECIALISTNatural wood millwork

36 DECORThe return of carpeting (36)Soft windows (38)Wall trends (42)Lighting, lamps & lumens (47)

50 COMPANYCabinets with form & functionality

51 TRANSFORMRepurpose a room without renos

52 INNOVATIONGlass techniques add panache

Publisher Craig N. Brown

Assoc. Publisher Chytra Brown

Editor Dona Sturmanis

Associate Editor Rand Zacharias

Art Director Donna Szelest

Contributors Kevin BoundsJackie Brown

Sandy Dawson Jill Hildinger

Bobbi Sue Menard Deanna Merrick

Karen Slivar Rand Zacharias

Photography Colin JewallRand Zacharias

Unless specially credited, all photos were submitted or taken

by staff.

Director of Sales Roy Kunicky

Account Manager Arlene Paulsen

Niche Magazine is published in conjunction with Canadian Home Builders Association of the Central Okanagan.

211-1433 St. Paul StreetKelowna, BC V1Y 2E4P: 250.868.2229 F: 250.868.2278www.nichemedia.ca

NICHE Magazine is published in Kelowna, BC by Niche Media ©2011 All rights reserved.The views expressed in NICHE are those of the respective contributors and not necessarily those of the publisher or staff.

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 41835528. RETURN UNDELIvERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: 211-1433 ST. PAUL STREET, KEOwNA, BC V1Y 2E4

Printed in Canada.

where you belong

18 COVER STORY Bridges at Glenview on the Ponds

Kelowna community with green space and water walk ways.

22 COMPANY windows and Doors

Gienow evolves with the times.

28 GREEN BUILDINGHonka constructs premier house in Summerland.

40 CLASSY COUNTERTOPS44 NEw BATHROOM LUXURY48 MODERN FURNITURE

62 CHBA-CO DIRECTORYYour guide to all the members of the Canadian Home Builders Association of the Central Okanagan.

NICHE 5

Welcome To The Okanagan’s Largest Premier Bath & Kitchen Showroom

Featuring over 3000 sq ft of the latest & most innovative new products

including towel bars & accessories. We have everything you need for your

project including the kitchen sink! The team of dedicated professionals at

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The consultants at The Ensuite look forward to seeing you soon!

In order to allow sufficient time to focus on your needs without interruption, please call ahead to book a consultation with one of our showroom consultants.

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NICHE6

FROM ThE EDiTOR’S DESk

It was an interesting summer weather wise in the Okanagan. There were some resplendent sunny days, with cloudless blue skies and

the appropriate seasonal warmth; and also some dull, cool and rainy days, including one in August when we apparently had the most in-tense rain storm in Kelowna’s history.

Now autumn is here and we have yet to see how its weather will shape up. There’s always the hope that we’ll have an extended sum-mer, as often as fall has turned into in the past. It will, however, cool off soon enough, and when that happens, we turn our attentions to our home interiors.

This issue of Niche features a special section devoted to helping you create inspired inte-riors. You’ll learn about the latest home decor trends including how to best enhance your floors with carpets and rugs, dress your windows their best and cover your walls with colour (psst -- wallpaper is in again!). Light up your life with the latest in illumination, choose the right countertops and cabinetry for your kitchen, install a personalized wine cellar, try some creative glass concepts in different rooms of your home. Check out the latest in bathroom ideas. Find out what the latest trends are in furniture design and accessories and how buying the right items can transform a room. A professional home stager even shows you a magical before and after condo makeover.

Elsewhere in Niche, you’ll find features on an award-winning community, an established, innovative door and window company, a green home being constructed locally with leading-edge European methods, and the latest offerings from eco-companies.

Our regular departments include recent news from CHBA-CO members, answers from home professionals to your questions, home security advances and much more.

Local history buffs will appreciate the tale of Vernon’s Mackie House in the Heritage section.This department, which features heritage homes of the Okanagan, is extremely popular with our readers. Recently, I had a phone call from a fan who has collected all the previous issues of Niche for Heritage and was wondering when he could look forward to the next copy.

As always, Niche presents the CHBA-CO member directory, which readers find highly useful. Businesses and pro-fessionals that belong to the Canadian Home Builders’ Association of the Central Okanagan are committed to excellence in the residential industry.

Again, we thank our advertisers who make Niche possible. Please take advan-tage of their fine products and services to make your home the best it can be.

Enjoy!

DONA StuRMANIS EDItOR N

Fall 2011

NICHE 7

Truly a symbol of excellence in the building industry,

TOMMIE IS CELEBRATING

20 YEARS!If you are an individual or company in the building industry; from supplier to architect, marketer to interior designer, now is the time to showcase the work you are so proud of!

Complete entry information at CHBACO.com

Entry deadline is October 13, 2011

NICHE8

It’s hard to believe that almost a year has passed since I took over as president of CHBA-Central Okanagan and I have to say that I have mixed feelings about coming to the end of my term. It has been a great year, particularly with all of the tremendous people I have met in our industry, and for the deeper appreciation I have for what our association does.

This past year I traveled to three CHBA provincial meetings as well as the CHBA national meeting that took place in Banff, Alberta. Participating in those meetings and discussing industry issues with associates from across the province and Canada made me realize how powerful and effective we can be with all levels of government. Our work with the prov-ince on increasing the HSt rebate threshold on new homes, our national Built-Green™ program, and the implementation of the Professional Builders’ Institute are just a few examples of issues and initiatives that we have take on. All of these things not only benefit our members, but just as importantly, they benefit the general public.

CHBA-Central Okanagan provides access to provincial and national programs on a local level in addition to working with regional and municipal government on issues or initiatives that are relevant only to us. This past year we have provided training for our members for, among others, the Built-Green™ program; implemented the Renomark™ program; we launched Niche magazine which we’re very proud of and also launched a radio ad campaign to educate the public on who we are. CHBA-CO also organized our regular annual events like the Real Home Show at the Kelowna Curling Club, the al-ways sold-out Golf tournament at Sunset Ranch, and the prestigious tommie Awards that take place at the Delta Grand Okanagan in Kelowna.

As I said, it has been a great year for me and I appreciate everything the staff does in the CHBA-CO office to make it all happen. I wish to thank everyone who made my first term as president a positive and rewarding experience. It truly will be with mixed emotion that I end my term at our AGM in September, where I introduced the 2011/2012 CHBA-CO president, Rob Voros.

tHANK YOu,

KEVIN BOuNDS PRESIDENt, CHBA-CO

ThankYou for a YEARof Successes

FROM ChbA-CO

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NICHE 9

CHBA-CO has new members:Vernon- based Constructive Concepts. This full service custom home and project management company also offers design and rendering services and interior design. Their portfolio includes a broad swath of rural cabins mixed with multiple single family homes and large custom home projects.

John Bachelder Construction has operated in Kelowna for 18 years with projects from Osoyoos to Salmon Arm. The company projects have included a large amount of commercial work and new home building. With many long term staff the company has a large renovation component in projects big and small.

Lumby might seem to be an out-of-the-way place for high-end, precision custom wood furni-ture, but it makes perfect sense for Guildmaster Furniture Ltd. Customers search out Peter Ross’s shop for fine work that exemplifies his start in the industry, creating musical instruments. Ross has employed up to a dozen craftsmen when working on projects as varied as a com-plete yacht outfitting to bedroom suites and coffee tables. Today his shop concentrates on building custom wood furniture in any style, wood species and finish of the client’s choice.

Handyman Connection. Quentin Cyre is the owner operator of this independent fran-chise that has been in business for 12 years. Handyman Connection focuses exclusively on small to medium sized home renovation and repair work. With a crew of 12 ,Handyman Connection has the experience and depth to work on any home renovation project.

CHBA-CO & Member NewsPure Granite Rocks! in Vernon has expanded their show room. Since opening in 2001, this Okanagan manufacturer has gone from strength to strength with their custom granite countertops and very extensive line of custom stone products. Customers across the interior of B.C. come to Pure Granite Rocks for their local manu-facturing expertise and ability to build custom rock applications from solid slab walled showers to matte finished granite treated to look and feel like leather.

Current owner Clark Omand left behind a life on Wall Street to pursue his dream of owning a small manufacturing company in 2006. With the steep learning curve behind him, Omand and Pure Granite Rocks! have been stacking up the awards including multiple Tommies and Best Employer in Vernon, 2009. It is no wonder demand had Omand doing a complete gut of existing space in the course of a year-long renovation. All the better to show off the results of the company’s continuing quest to be on the leading edge of stone manufacturing.

It’s no secret that Predator Ridge is one of the most successful residential golf course com-munities in Canada. Builder Wesbild Holdings, is moving forward yet again in the marketplace. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Predator Ridge, Wesbild Homes has commenced construction on their new Terrace Collection of Homes in Longspoon Ridge. For a limited time you can own a single family detached home featuring two bedrooms with den and two baths with luxurious finishes including hardwood floors and Kohler fixtures already made and ready to move into.

The first nine homes released were released for sale last month; five have already sold. Spokesperson

digNEwS & DEVELOPMENTS BY BOBBI-SuE MENARD

Homeowners prize Guildmaster’s custom work

NICHE10

Jason Koverchuk says the ready-made home market is appealing to buyers who like the flexibility and personal time management that comes with buying a home that is ready when they are.

The Tommie Awards are coming. The annual showcase for builders is currently ac-cepting entries with an October 13, 2011 deadline. The very best of the building indus-try can be found at the Tommies and both members and non-members of the CHBA-CO are eligible to enter. For more details go to the CHBA-CO website.

The Elkridge neighborhood in West Kelowna was selected as the site for Project Build III. The Project Build program is coordinated through the Central Okanagan Foundation and offers non-repayable grants to qualified home owners to cover the down payment of a new home. Elkridge has a mix of over 80 single family homes and town homes and all are grant eligible.

The grant process is modeled after the very successful Project Build II, which was a Biltrite homes project at Sage Glen in Lake Country. All grants are courtesy of the Project Build Society and many generous donors focused on housing challenges. Qualified recipients are employed people who consis-

tently meet their financial obli-gations but are unable to accu-mulate a large down payment. Project Build is designed to make home ownership possible for a large group of people who would not otherwise be able to purchase their own home.

Kelowna manufacturer and design company, the Falcon Manufacturing Group, has a brand new rail system for 12mm glass railings on decks. There is a new post available with 18 and 24 inch heights for an open, airy look that makes the most of any view. Falcon has the posts in stock right now for builders and home owners.

dig

The Terrace Collection of Homes by Predator Ridge include luxurious finishes like hardwood floors

N

The Elkridge neighbourhood in west Kelowna has over 80 grant-eligible homes

Falcon glass railing systems make the most of any view

EDGECOMBE EVENT RAISES FUNDS FOR NEPALESE wOMENThen a trek to Build a SchoolEdgecombe Builders is continuing its deep support for the Intercultural Women’s Education Network (IWEN). This amazing charity works with bonded labour girls (similar to indentured slavery) in Nepal. IWEN purchases the work contracts of these girls and supports them in going to school. Girls as young as kindergarten are given a fresh path to follow in life. IWEN draws much of its support and volunteer network out of the Okanagan while working intimately with paid, local staff in Nepal.

Kevin Edgecombe is hosting the hilariously fun Nine, Wine and Pie golf tournament Friday, September 30 at Sunset Ranch Golf Course to benefit IWEN. This is the golf tourna-ment you don’t want to miss. Nine, Wine and Pie started out as a quirky family and friends event and that spirit remains. The nine hole tournament is played scramble-style with three different types of play, depending upon the hole you are at.

Entry is $50; you are also required to bring a bottle of wine (in a brown paper bag) and a pie for tasting. Also required is a silent auction item. The auction results are usually stellar and go directly to IWEN. This year a school building project is also a part of the plan.

“In April 2011, I am leading a team of volunteers to western Nepal near the India border to build a two-classroom school in two weeks,” says Edgecombe. “We are looking for 12 vol-unteers. For those that are interested after construction, we are adding on an optional trek to the Everest base camp.”

Last year Nine, Wine and Pie raised about $14,000. Edgecombe explains how IWEN provides exceptional value for the dollar, “It only costs $350 to buy a girl out of her labour contract and send her to school for a year.”

These are some of the women in Nepal who benefit from IwEN’s endeavours

NICHE 11

ExPERTS

qUESTIONSfor homePROFESSIONALS

q. What are the top design principles for choosing upholstery?

A. The first question to ask is, ‘What purpose is the furniture going to fill?’ If you are redoing a formal living room, you would look to the impression you want to make. In that case, you would choose a fabric for how it looks, its colour and mood for a real impact. You want to choose a fabric that speaks to where the furniture is.

The second element to consider is lifestyle. If the fabric is going to be on a piece of furniture that is used every day, functionality is important. High-use fabric should be durable and low maintenance.

If you are choosing between a pattern and a solid, plain fabric will often show marks. Fabric with some ‘movement’, either with pattern or texture, will minimize the appearance of soil. Leather tends to outlast fabric by about five times and is easy to clean.

Quality means different things in fabric. It can mean exceptionally fine fabric or that which is very durable. You need to know what you want your fabric to do.

BY BOBBI-SuE MENARD

...Make your dreams reality!

250-717-34151964 Dayton Street, Kelowna BCwww.mullinshomedesigns.ca

Specializing in Custom Home Design3D Renderings

Color RenderingsStock Plans

Subdivision Development (Residential)

PMG-5542 Mullins Ad.indd 1 11-03-03 9:08 AM

Kathleen hamel, DID, CSP Interior Designer, Marshall’s Home Furnishings

NICHE12

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Call Steve at 250.938.6016 Call Matt at 250.241.0036Call Steve atCall Steve atCall Steve atCall Ron at 250.826.6001

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Call Randy at 250-801-3760

kekulibaycabinetry.com

We DESIGN and INSTALL your cabinets as well as taking care of CO-ORDINATING the plumbing, electrical, carpentry and drywall. We work with many respected suppliers of countertops, flooring and appliances.

We can help you throughout your renovation project from start to finish.

Ken PerKa, Telus

experts

q. What steps can I take during construction to ensure communications pre-wiring in my home is sufficient so as not to alter the completed décor, yet still enable access to advanced communications services in the future?

A. As Telus and other communications companies expand their fibre optic networks to even more communities, technicians are able to bring these networks directly into any home. If a home is built with a fibre-ready conduit to the Inside Star Wiring location, we can upgrade services seamlessly without making structural or wiring changes.

With the proper planning and installation of a conduit at the time of building, a homeowner can decide to upgrade communications services after their home is finished, with no additional surface cables or wiring needing routing from interior to exterior. Phone jacks can be converted to data jacks with a slight modification for Internet or Optik TV access.

Developers and builders that partner with Telus during construction have access to both our wiring subsidy program and free multimedia panel. A fibre conduit completed during construction means homeowners don’t need to see the cabling keeping them connected today or in the future.

ExPERTS continued from page 11

NICHE 13

q. How are home interiors designed for personalities?

A. Personality is that unique intangible essence of an individual; their expressive medley of emotions, attitudes and behaviours. Personality shows up in the way our clients express themselves, how they share their beliefs and passions – and, in the choices they make.

When designing for our clients, it’s essential to explore and honour their distinct character. We truly connect and take time to understand the qualities and values that influence their lifestyle and their vision.

In response, our interior design reflects their individuality and is in harmony with their feelings, routines and inclinations. This art of creating an environment that resonates at a person’s core is creatively achieved through space function, form and flow, colour, texture, lighting, scale and proportion. When our client transitions smoothly into their new space – like a hand into a glove – we know we’ve reflected their personality successfully.

ExPERTS continued from page 11

experts .

Carla Fisher, President, Sticks and Stones Design Group Inc.

N

“The only limitation to what one cancreate with wood is imagination.”

Custom Furniture ● Architectural Millwork ● Elite Home Interiors ● CabinetryArtistic designs crafted with an uncompromised commitment to quality

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NICHE14

homeFRONT

Summer home sales by the end of July in the Central Okanagan from Peachland to Lake Country were up over 2010, reports the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB). total residential sales

that month were up 36.04% compared to July 2010 (to 302 units from 222), and single family home sales rose 24.77% over last year (to 136 compared to 109), but were down 25.27% from June (182).  While inventory continues to decline over 2010 – down by 3.49% to 5,332 units in July compared to 5,525 last year, new listings for the month rose by 5.48% over last July (to 963 from 913) – a 11.97% decline over June listings (from 1,094). 

“July home sales were down in most markets in the province compared to June with sales activ-ity mirroring 2001/2002 pre-recession levels.  Significant inventory, coupled with a lull in overall de-mand, weak economic performance and negative reports regarding debt loads have cooled consumer confidence despite positive population and job growth in BC,” said Kent Jorgenson, OMREB director and REALtOR® in the Board’s Central Zone.  “Some market segments are holding their own in the Okanagan-Shuswap while others like the recreation and investment segments are down.” 

Jorgenson noted, “Serious buyers are seeking well-priced properties in the Central Okanagan, rec-ognizing that now is the time to negotiate while there is still a good selection of homes and less com-petition on offers, and while mortgage rates continue to remain favourable.  They are looking to avoid interest risk, knowing that higher rates anticipated later this year will impact their purchasing power and determine the home they can afford.

“Properties with good curb appeal that are priced by vendors with the sharpest pencils are selling quickly in this competitive market if buyers and sellers come together on expectations.  Sellers can benefit from working with a professional REALtOR® to price strategically at current values and make the most of summer buyer activity.”

-OKANAGAN MAINLINE REAL EStAtE BOARD

Central Okanagan Home Sales Better Than Last Year

Positive Prediction for Canadian Home Starts and Sales

N

Housing starts are forecast to remain steady in 2011 and 2012, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) third quarter Housing Market Outlook, Canada Edition.(1)

“Housing starts have been strong in the last few months, but are forecast to moderate closer in line with demographic fundamentals,” said Mathieu Laberge, deputy chief economist for CMHC. “Despite recent financial uncertainty, factors such as employment, immigration and mortgage rates remain supportive of the Canadian housing sector.”

Housing starts will be in the range of 166,300 to 197,200 units in 2011, with a point forecast of 183,200 units. In 2012, housing starts will be in the range of 161,700 to 207,200 units, with a point forecast of 183,900 units.

Existing home sales will be in the range of 425,000 to 472,500 units in 2011, with a point forecast of 446,700 units, essentially the same level as in 2010. In 2012, MLS (R) sales are expected to move up modestly in the range of 407,500 to 510,000 units, with a point forecast of 458,000 units.

The average MLS(R) price increased in the first half of 2011 partly as a result of more higher-end homes sold during that period. For the remainder of 2011, the average MLS(R) price is expected to moderate. Nevertheless, the annual average MLS(R) price will experience an overall increase in 2011 compared to last year. As the existing home market moves to more balanced markets, growth in the average MLS (R) price in 2012 is expected to be more modest.

-CANADA MORtGAGE & HOuSING CORPORAtION

NICHE 15

MAINTAINING YOUR HOME’S EXTERIOR

BY BOBBI-SuE MENARD

OUTSiDE

DO ITnow before SNOw COMES

The great outdoors is fabulous until ho-meowners start to work on the exterior

envelope of their homes and encounter the toll exacted by Mother Nature. Even with the excellent products available in the home building material market for the last few de-cades, eventually maintenance and replace-ment of exterior elements needs to be done.

If this is the fall you decide something re-ally must be done prior to the snow flying to combat the bills you pay each winter for en-ergy that slips through the openings in your building envelope, the right time to start is before the frost arrives. Windows and doors are key to stopping energy leakage through gaps in the framing.

“You would be amazed at the difference new windows and doors make to a home. They have a huge impact on energy efficien-cy,” says Russ Friesen, manager of Installed Sales at Home Hardware in Kelowna.

Experienced contractors and builders make a big difference in the disruption replacing windows and doors can create. Friesen has the valuable experience of work-ing with multiple contractors and says new windows can be installed in well under a week on many jobs.

to get more bang for your buck take a hard look at insulation. You can’t see insula-tion from the outside of your home, but it is an integral part of the building envelope system. Excellent government rebates help make the investment easier.

to increase exterior insulation while up-dating the look of your home with a product that will last years, choose new siding com-bined with new insulation. “New siding plus

insulation will increase your curb appeal and the R value of your walls,” explains Friesen. “If you are able to foot the bill for windows and doors at the same time, you can be happy for years.”

Your home’s exterior is the public expression of your residence; sometimes it isn’t main-tenance that prompts a change but aesthetics. Manufacturers have responded to consumer demand with countless colour options including custom and stylings to fit with almost any design scheme.

If this isn’t the right time for a redo of your exterior, Friesen has a friendly reminder about the small preventative actions that will keep your homes exterior in good working order. “Winter maintenance is always a good idea.”

Friesen recommends home owners approach exterior work with a clear rationale in mind, “It is good to be organized and have an idea of what you would like before you really start shopping. Look at why you are choosing to work on your home’s exterior; it will help make the process easier.”

The exterior of this show home at Bridges at Glenview Ponds is both attractive and protective

PHOTO CREDIT: wILDERNESS ExTERIORS

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NICHE16

SMART HOME COLLABORATION

BY RAND ZACHARIAS

hOME TECh

HOMEentertainment &

security wORK TOGETHER

Change is good, but change can also be safe, convenient and save you a lot of time, money and effort. With continuing advancements and technological change in security and en-

tertainment, companies are seeing more collaboration in business and ease of use for hom-eowners. This is the evolutionary advancement called cloud-based media.

“With the advent of smart home systems,” says Rob Farr of Starwatch Audio Video, “the options available for home care, entertainment and security are infinite. We have motion, moisture, water, electric usage—you name it—sensors that can allow you to know what’s happening in your home. For example, if your hot water tank leaks, your iPhone will tell you. You can be on vacation, call the plumber, unlock the door when he arrives and lock it when he’s finished—without rushing home and ending your vacation. Sensor systems help you minimize damage along with intrusion.”

For Lawrence Benjamin, managing part-ner of Bolt Security, newly-headquartered in Kelowna, intrusion elimination and dam-age control are the priorities focused on by this family-owned company. “We no longer need a separate officer watching your home,” says Benjamin. “Remote video monitoring automatically ties into video sensors at your home to our headquarters—a feed that you can view anytime—anywhere.”

The continuing advancement of sensor and communication systems is seeing these kinds of collaboration in industry. “For ex-ample, cloud-based media is seeing people rent their music for ten dollars a month from Rhapsody,” says Farr, “and Rhapsody has become for music, or audio, what Netflix has become for movies and media. The cloud aspect allow you to play video or audio on various iPhones, iPods, televisions, comput-ers—and at any location—mobile or not.”

“It’s an elimination of clutter,” Farr con-tinues about home entertainment. “We no longer need CDs and DVDs, and required players, lying around our homes unused af-ter purchase. We can download a playlist at home and replay the favoured playlist as it’s saved on touch pads at the cabin or a second home. Once the music is played it is yours—but it’s digital—on file in your home and mo-bile systems.”

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“We take a holistic approach,” proclaims Benjamin. “We get to know what our custom-ers need—and 80 percent of our business has been through word of mouth. A sincere approach to needs as opposed to simply sell-ing a system is part of the breakdown in our society’s communications—Bolt Security is fixing that breakdown. “We look to work in cooperation, integrating systems with com-panies like Starwatch, to create security in-tegration that works with the entertainment offerings the customers demand as technol-ogy options increase and change.”

With this automation of our homes be-coming a reality, security companies like Bolt are seeing the same evolution and haven risen to the occasion. You can access infor-mation about your home from any electronic device you wish.

Continuing development does mean change—but it’s change for a safer, cleaner and uncluttered home that companies like Bolt Security and StarWatch Audio Video can bring into your home, vehicles and life.

Starwatch Audio Video1-1698 Cary RoadKelowna, BC V1X 2B9

Contact Us (250) 717-0022info@starwatchav.comwww.starwatchav.com

Starwatch Audio Video boasts Kelowna's premier audio/video team. If you're looking for that magazine quality home theatre installation, new flat panel television, or whole home music system with trueone touch control in every room, Starwatch Audio Video is your number one choice.

Starwatch Audio Video boasts Kelowna's premier audio/video team. If you're looking for that magazine quality home theatre installation, new flat panel television, or whole home music system with trueone touch control in every room, Starwatch Audio Video is your number one choice.

Starwatch offers:Home AutomationHome TheaterDistributed AudioStructured Wiring

Phone SystemsCCTV CamerasGate SystemsCommercial Systems

Come Visit our Showroom!

Come Visit our Showroom!

Access ControlLighting ControlSatellite SystemsIntercom

BOLT

SEC

UR

ITy

Don’t just lock it...

it.

Can You Remotely Manage the Security

of Your Home & Business?

Don’t just lock it...

it.

250-861-1001www.boltsecurity.net

NICHE18

BY RAND ZACHARIAS

FEATURE COVER STORY

bridges, flora AND faunaA Kelowna Community with Green Space and Water Walkways

NICHE 19

“The ducks’ eggs were there this spring,” says Sandi Bar, sales and marketing manager of Bridges at Glenview Ponds, smiling with a

joy that is well-deserved. A year earlier a vacant lot with parked vehicles occupied this flowering space of flowing waters—and natural wildlife has moved in.

It isn’t often that we see developers taking time to create pastoral set-tings and flowing streams, but when Valux Homes’s Jim Andrews and Joe Rood began the project of Bridges at Glenview Ponds, an ancient creek ran through the old orchard property owned by the Marshall family and requirements indicated attention should be paid to creating a place for nature.

Nature is Your NeighbourWhat we’re talking about is green space. Thirty-four lots surround-

ing the new creek at Glenview can be criss-crossed by pedestrians on the many bridges of the developing community. It is an engineering feat that can only be enjoyed with a stroll down newly-installed walkways.

Five home starts, during this time of economic uncertainty, are in the process of completion. Bridges at Glenview is continuing in the tradi-tion that it began by offering its residents a lifestyle with efficient use of home space as well as calming surroundings so they and their visitors enjoy a very unique taste of suburban living surrounded by green space and water.

If you haven’t toured this unique development near the heart of down-town Kelowna—you’re missing out. The convenient location allows ex-cellent options for both business-minded residents or more relaxed hom-eowners: a quick stroll to or through a rural setting, a mountain hike or quick travel to the various amenities that are located near, or at, the heart of the city of Kelowna.

The developers’ team took what was once an empty field and created a natural paradise. The beautifully manicured landscaping, bridges and creek create a place for residents to enjoy a little away time with na-ture that is as convenient as stepping through the gate of the backyard. Homes may surround the elongated space, but one can easily get lost in thought while strolling through the verdant grounds.

A well was drilled, bringing water to the project very quickly—for the sake of cost. The shallow well brings water to the man-made creek and any natural overflow is directed to storage tanks to save homeowners money. The discreetly-drilled well also provides Brandt’s Creek with wa-ter that otherwise wouldn’t be there.

People Are Appreciative“We held a fundraiser in June for People in Motion,” says Bar, “in

which we sold rubber ducks to float down the creek in a race—we sold 450 ducks—so along with the hot dogs, wine and beer tasting and out-door garden party the occasion was a lot of fun and a huge success raising $2800 for the local charity.”

Bridges at Glenview Ponds has two showcase homes revealing the care that is taken in designing your dream residence. The two furnished homes are open every day from noon to five o’clock. Call for an appointment or visit online (www.bridgesliving.com) to experience for yourself one of the Okanagan’s most successful, natural community developments.

FEATURE COVER STORY

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SOLAR FRIENDLY HOME SYSTEMS

BY RAND ZACHARIAS

ECOLiFE

PROVIDE HOMESwITHheat &

light savings

Eco-friendly, energy-saving and renewable systems can make your home “green” and sometimes, your neighbours green with envy because of the money you are saving. take some sun, some technological know-how and you’re

on your way to cost-efficient hot water and light.Rob Monteith, proprietor of Okanagan Solar Ltd., is the sole provider of Canadian-made solar thermal renewable

strategies for the Okanagan Valley. His journey began a short three years ago when he moved with his family from Vancouver back to his hometown, buying an older home in Kelowna’s Lakeview Heights. His family liked the home, but he wanted to retrofit it to be as dependent on renewable energy as possible.

“I went to look for Canadian solutions,” claims Monteith, “and I couldn’t find any. I found German products, and American solutions, but no one locally was providing a completely Canadian product.”

Monteith’s son said, “Why don’t you do it, dad?”Monteith nodded his head and his adventure in renewable heating and energy solutions took him to the world’s

largest convention in Las Vegas, with several local and regional seminars along the way, resulting in the creation of Okanagan Solar Ltd.

“Many homes in our valley have solar thermal systems,” starts Monteith, “but I guarantee that many of those systems aren’t Canadian-made.”

Monteith found his answer in Ontario with a hot water solar thermal system called EnerWorks. With this system,

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the more hot water your home or business uses, the quicker your system is paid for—and your water heating bill becomes extinct.

“Alternative energy is coal, oil, natural gas, and even nu-clear,” claims Monteith, “but renewable energy has been shining on this planet for four billion years—and it’s supposed to do the same thing for anoth-er four billion years—it’s com-ing from our sun, everyday.”

Monteith’s dream and pres-ent research and development project in the future for ‘off the grid’ projects, like a third-world

charity development, is to create a hybrid system that develops ener-gy from the sun for heating water during the day—and wind at night, to generate electricity for lighting and electrical needs.

Natural Light Solutions“We can install our tDDs in as little as two hours,” says Craig

McJannet of Solar Centre Inc. in Kelowna. A tubular daylight device (tDD) is the next trend to bring light to your dark rooms and spaces by reflecting light from your rooftop into your home’s rooms dur-ing daylight hours—and saving the planet from unnecessary carbon emissions.

“It is remarkable to see the impact we have made worldwide in just two decades,” said Solatube international CEO and founder David Rillie.   “By conservative estimates, we have sold enough Solatube daylighting systems to offset 68,590,000 pounds in carbon emis-sions annually.  That equates to taking 5,715 cars off the road for a full year.  Imagine if everyone used daylighting.

”The Solatube was first developed in Australia in 1991; soon there-after, an office was opened in Carlsbad, California to pioneer North American markets—the mid-90s saw Europe and Latin American of-fices—in 2005 a factory in China opened to expand into the Asian market.

“As little as $600 per unit can quickly bring daylight into some of the darker areas in your home,” says McJannett, “allowing natural light with no expensive solar panels or increase to your electric bill—and no increase of carbon emissions from this added light.”

The Solatube design allows for ease of installation, a leak-proof warranty, minimizes transfer of heat or cold depending on the sea-son and offers various diffusers to bring the desired light and decor to your home.

“Other benefits, revealing the flexibility of Solatube,” continues McJannet, “are easy compatibility with existing pot lights so electric light can still serve your needs after the sun goes down. The option of a bathroom ventilation fan can also be employed in tandem with a Solatube install.”

Solatube is another newer energy-efficient option that can be ret-rofitted for your older home—or brought in to bring nature’s light into the dark corners of your new construction project.

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FEATURE

qUALITY window

AND door COMPANY

Evolves with the timesBY RAND ZACHARIAS

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“Glass wakes up in the morning un-der stress,” says Dave Richert of Kelowna, sales manager for Gienow

Windows and Doors in British Columbia and the prairie provinces, “and it goes to bed at night with a migraine.” Every day your windows have to con-strict and expand subject to the weather—and it is with a daily commitment that the Gienow team builds better windows and doors, creating less stress and fewer headaches.

In 1947, Bernard “tiny” Gienow was building homes in the province of Alberta. The products he was finding in western Canada to accessorize his homes weren’t to his liking. He needed quality windows and doors for his construction projects and so Gienow Sash and Door Company was cre-ated. By 1955, Gienow would become a household name in Canada’s west.

Bernard Gienow would not live to see many of the successes of his company, having passed away at the age of 42 in 1960, but the future would see many changes always improving the quality of the Gienow brand.

FEATURE

A group of early Gienow staff

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Company Success Means Changes and Expansion

The family-owned business was sold to Redpath Industries in 1972, 12 years after Bernard’s pass-ing—and as the decades continued, alongside active development and new product introductions, Gienow management would also see many changes. “When a company is successful, this type of activity is going to occur,” states Richert. “In 1983, under new ownership, Gienow adopted the Japanese-based model of ‘just in time’ inventory.”

By the 1990s branches would open in the British Columbian cities of Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince George. In 1994, Dave Richert came on board and be-gan managing and opening the western branch offices. “In Prince George, we see Gienow windows and doors in the majority of new construction starts. We’ve just moved our offices to a fantastic new location I’ve been looking at for years due to our parent company’s ‘open for business’ mentality.”

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That parent company is VKR Holding, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“A company,” starts Richert, “during economically volatile years can see many offerings from business traders—and we’re no exception. VKR Holding brings an even stron-ger stability that many companies envy. Currently, we are working on our goals and plans for 2012—and we’re preparing for a big move to our new location in Kelowna. We’ve needed this larger, more accessible space for a long time—and it will give us much more exposure in our community.”

A Commitment to Quality and Growth“Overall in our portfolio, 2010 included a number of distinctive

product launches which fit well into climate-friendly and energy-effi-cient buildings,” says VKR Holding CEO Leif Jensen. “In the coming years we will continue the development in several areas, for instance by entering new markets, acquiring new companies in our business areas, and by strengthening our innovation capacity, to keep adding new products and technologies.”

Continued on page 27

Gienow .

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BY JACKIE BROWN

SAFETY

NEw HOMEBUILD and RENO

accident security

If you’re thinking about building a new home or renovating your ex-isting residence, the BC Construction Safety Association (BCCSA)

has some advice for you: Hire contractors who are registered with WorkSafeBC and, equally important, have good safety plans in place for the protection of workers and property.Many homeowners aren’t aware of the legal liability attached to using a non-WorkSafeBC com-pany, says BCCSA’s executive director Mike McKenna. “The fact is, you can be sued by an employee who is hurt on your property if he or she works for a non-registered company, because the homeowner is considered to be the employer (WorkSafeBC registered companies can’t be sued by their employees). That means there is nothing stop-ping the worker from launching a lawsuit.”

But the most important reason for hiring a registered company that makes safety a priority is peace of mind, McKenna says. “ultimately, you want someone who makes sure their people are working safely

because, in our experience, that same attention to detail and re-

sponsibility will

Avoid Lawsuits by Hiring a WorkSafeBC Company

be applied across other aspects of the business, including the people who are hired, the quality of the work, and the bidding process,” said McKenna. “And, of course, the other piece of this is that you never want to have the experience of someone being injured or killed on your property, which is why it’s so essential that contractors take precautions such as ensuring that workers are properly tied off when they’re working from heights. Even a fall from just a few feet can have serious effects, and you don’t want that to be a memory of your project.”

Ivan van Spronsen, executive vice-president of the Roofing Contractors Association of BC and a strong advocate of workplace safety, knows all too well about the impact of such memories. “I had someone fall on my watch many years ago, when I had my own compa-ny. I spent many a sleepless night going over and over the incident in my mind. It’s very traumatic and even today I still have strong memo-ries of that fall,” says van Spronsen, whose organization made history in July by becoming the first trade association in BC to make achieve-ment of BCCSA’s Certificate of Recognition (COR) program mandato-ry for its members. Contractors who achieve COR get a fully function-al health and safety program. While most roofing contractors aren’t members of RCABC, there are steps homeowners can take to increase their chances of retaining one who does follow good safety practices.

Like McKenna, van Spronsen says the first step is to ask a contractor if he or she is registered with WorkSafeBC.

“But don’t just take their word for it. Ask them to supply the certificate, which they can down-load from the WorkSafeBC site.” Regardless of the contractor’s status, it’s also wise to ask

what kind of fall protection is in place,” he adds. “Ask how they plan to ensure that their employ-

ees will be working safely.”In the end, say McKenna and

van Spronsen, it’s all about making sure ev-

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design one Size:

4.71” x 7.14”Date: August 19, 2011 3:33 PM

C Y M K

Raising Awareness, Reducing Injuries 1.877.860.3675 www.bccsa.ca

Our Certificate of Recognition (COR) program helps employers of all types and sizes develop safety management plans and strategies designed to prevent falls and other workplace accidents and injuries.

Experienced staff members are available to assist in making the certification process as straightforward as possible.

Call us today to find out more about COR, including how you can receive an incentive payment of up to 15% off your WorkSafeBC assessment. 1.877.860.3675

Get COR Certified and get control over falls in your workplace!

Gienow Windows and Doors has a 64-year-old reputation for stability, service and quality that continues to see enhance-ment in the traditions of customer service, research and development and proven ad-vantages for customers.

“We could use the metaphor of a multi-purpose car,” says Richert. “With one of North America’s most sophisticated plants, we are constantly doing research and devel-opment creating unique, multi-functioning vehicles with the attractive looks and feel our customers want. Our windows have to work for the various climate zones in Canada, and around the world, while giving homes the most appealing, energy-efficient and long-lasting window and door products available.

“Across Canada, we deal with different climate zones and standards of construc-tion. Our commitment to quality is this important.”

Gienow’s initiative is to inspect all new construction installations. Their service staff will inspect each project to be sure that installations are correctly performed; cus-tomers will be satisfied with quality results and doors and windows will perform as they should for decades to come.

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When looking at the variety of selection available today, both small and large, in the Okanagan Valley, Gienow Windows and Doors knows it will be around to fulfill its commit-ment to not only bring customers the finest window and door products, but also continue creating better technologies, personal customer service applications and technical support.

For more information about the quality of support, product and service availability, along with constant updated research you can receive through the company newsletter GieNews, visit www.gienow.com.

PHOtOS: GEINOW WINDOWS AND DOORS

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GENUINE LUXURYBRAND OF LIVING

The Most Advanced System of Green Building

BY RAND ZACHARIAS

Honka Solid Wood Solutions Ltd.Kevin Mitchell 250-306-7775Felix Westerkamp 250-878-7846Unit 210, 2000 Spall Rd., Kelowna, BCwww.honka.cawww.honka.cominfo@honka.ca

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you could be waking up in a home that improves the air quality of your living space and demonstrates your commitment to elegant,

natural living—while reducing your carbon footprint and improving your family’s health for generations.

“We look forward to seeing more and more people discovering our Natural Edge process of construction in the Okanagan Valley,” says Kevin Mitchell, partner of Honka Solid Wood Solutions, “and our on-going project in Summerland is using, and introducing to Canada, our patented groove and curve notch system, demonstrating the unique benefits of a natural massive wood home. Honka’s been do-ing this around the world for 53 years.”

The owners of the lakeside property in Summerland were living in their older home and dreamed of a change—they soon decided they wanted to remove their existing home and build. They began their search and found the unique offerings of a Honka solid wood home.

“The only thing customers need to do is tell us about their dreams and we will make them come true. Naturally.” This is just one of the

elements that German-trained architect Felix Westerkamp and Kevin Mitchell, the partners of Honka Solid Wood Solutions, bring to every building project.

In Summerland, in mid-July, tightly-wrapped bundles of uniquely-milled wood arrived from Finland. A mobile crane begin to lift logs to installation points and Johannes Irnich, the owner of the general contracting company, Euroworx, and his crew went to work together with the helpful direction of Mitchell to build a very unique log home a short distance from the water’s edge.

Neighbours took an interest from the onset of construction and their early curiosity was quickly satisfied as the walls of the home went up in six days—four days were trimmed from the expected ten

day build. The crew quickly placed the walls, log by log, with a stack and pin system, using square pegs and rustproof galvanized poles, finishing the exterior walls, framing interior stud walls, and moving to the roof system, which was completed from days 7-12, as neigh-bours marvelled at the speed with which the home was erected.

“This is the world’s finest and most advanced system of green home building, and completely flexible to work with all building materials in the process we call HonkaFusion,” says Mitchell on a touring visit. ”Honka logs are virtually non-settling...so our system meshes well with any other traditional construction materials.”

HonkaFusion defines the ease of installation the solid wood allows for windows, doors, plumbing, electrical, stone and wall coverings used in traditional wood frame construction. This ability for the solid wall to adapt easily with existing construction techniques is an exam-ple of the flexibility and stability of the Honka construction process.

The quick “square peg in round hole” process of stacking the Honka solid wood logs is another benefit of lowering the decibel level on a residential construction site—neighbours have commented on the quiet construction site.

Presently, the windows for the completed shell are being manu-factured and wiring and dry-walling crews will move in as the rendering of the project becomes a reality.

The homeowners are scheduled to move in to their dream home in November at which time we’ll be able to see the finished lakeside home with its open, efficient design—”carbon sink” benefits—and exquisite views of Okanagan Lake and the surrounding mountain vistas from the shoreline in Summerland.

FOR MORE INFORMAtION ABOut BuILDING YOuR SOLID WOOD HOME

GO tO WWW.HONKA.CA OR CALL 778.478.9996

www.honka.com

®

“Wood is universally beautiful to man and the most humanly intimate of all building materials.”

--FRANK LLOYD WRIGHt

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SPOTLiGhT

FROMZERO to wOw

Decorating a downtown condoBY SANDY DAWSON

Take an empty open concept condo with humdrum white walls and transform it

into a beautiful upscale living space. That’s exactly what designer Barbara Katnich did. Her company, Fresh Approach, specializes in using existing architectural elements and tailoring them to the client’s personality. This downtown Kelowna condo went from 0 to Wow and it can be done in virtually any space! Here’s how.

Barbara’s top ten Decorating tips:Look at your lifestyle. Determine how you are going to really live in your space.

Add colour and don’t be afraid. This space demanded warmth because of all the light and could easily handle the dramatic eggplant colours added to feature walls.

Look at the architectural structure and embrace it. In this open concept, there was plenty of rock, wood, steel and glass. The furnish-ings chosen compliment these modern elements. The same colour palette was used throughout to create a monochromatic effect.

Mix a variety of textures in the same colour scheme. Look at the fireplace, the fur-niture, the table, the pillows, the rug – all totally different textures complimenting each other in the same colours. Layer different cushions and lots of them!

Invest in a few key pieces. You sit on your sofa every day. Make sure it’s comfortable. This

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Condo after

Dining room before

Dining room after

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SPOTLiGhT

sofa is contemporary in style to compliment the condo’s aesthetic but it’s down-filled for comfort. In the master bedroom, the bed is the focal point. It’s absolutely stunning but it’s the mattress that gives the good night’s sleep. Art is important. Don’t scrimp. A couple of great art pieces will make your space!

Go crazy with chachkas! That’s the bling, the little accessories. You don’t need to spend a lot. A great source is HomeSense.

Look at your lighting. There are so many beautiful options available. Think of how you live and where you need the light directed at different times of the day. Here, there wasn’t enough with the existing fixtures, so track lighting was introduced to create an ambience and keep with the modern feel. You’ll notice the dining room chandelier was removed because it was in the way of the spectacular view. It was replaced with a simple single-head spotlight on a dimmer. Add dimmers everywhere!

Keep it simple. Don’t clutter. Sometimes less is more.

Change it up. Accessories can be changed for the seasons. But tuck them away and bring them out when you feel the need for a new look.

Live in your space. Every decision you’ve made is because you want to enjoy. It can be beautiful and liveable at the same time.

BARB KAtNICH IS A CERtIFIED INtERIOR REDESIGNER, INtERIOR DECORAtOR, AND ACCREDItED HOME StAGING PROFESSIONAL

WHO RECENtLY tOOK A COuRSE FROM MAttHEW FINLASON ON LIFEStYLE MERCHANDISING (StAR OF HGtV’S tHE StAGERS). FOR

MORE, GO tO FRESHAPPROACH.CA.

PHOtOS: FRESH APPROACH

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Living room before

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Textures before

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Could this be your home?Extend your outdoor experience up to year

round with a Sunview Solarium or Conservatory.

1-800-668-2870 www.sunviewsolariums.caCustom Built in Canada, Just for You!

Solariums • Patio Covers • Conservatories

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PRACTiCAL

cozy to cavernousCustomized Cellars for Perfect Wine Storage

BY DEANNA MERRICK

In private homes and wine collections throughout the Okanagan, wine cellars are cropping up in surprising numbers. But you needn’t have a palatial lakefront spread to warrant a good wine cellar, only a desire

to treat your wine – and therefore your taste buds – in the very best way possible.

Wine Cellars by Design, owned and operated by Dennis Skrepnyk, has been creating wine storage since 1996, when he started Wine Cellars By Design. By his own admis-sion, it was a unique move for the times.

“When I decided to do this, I had a lot of people say ‘you’re going to do what?’ But I thought there was a need for someone to do it right,” he says.

Wine Cellars By Design has customers throughout Western Canada, and the united States. His company does both residential and commercial wine storage. A wine cellar, by definition, is something that provides ideal conditions for the long term storage and aging of wine.

“The smallest wine cellar I’ve done is 32 bottles. And I’ve designed walk-in wine cel-lars that store 4,000 bottles. Then there are the really serious collectors...in one case, I did a second addition that increased storage by 5,000 bottles.”

Skrepnyk explained that, since starting his business, the demand has changed.“In the 1990s, there were fewer wine cellars but they were bigger. Serious collectors

are more mainstream now, so there are more being built but they’re smaller than they were back then.”

About 50 per cent of the homes Skrepnyk works in are new, and the other half renovations.

“Sometimes we get called in after the fact. A client has ended up with a wine room, when actually they need a wine cellar with all of the proper controls. It’s important to get the construction of the envelope right – the walls, roof and floor. Because of the conditions we are creating, including high humidity, the methods and materials used have to be proper so they don’t destroy the envelope. There can be no moisture in the construction,” he explains.

Wine Cellars By Design has a unique mix of customers. In one building, they’ve cre-ated a communal cellar in a condominium high rise. There are 101 lockers, so each owner has his own storage unit for 96 bottles. There is room for about 10,000 wine bottles in this special cellar. In another, they have built a self-contained, free standing walk-in wine cellar in an airplane hangar in Calgary, to service the private planes there.

Skrepnyk points out that not all wine cellars have to be walk-in. He often designs ‘reach in’ cellars that are free standing and even an alcove in a home can be converted into a reach-in wine cellar.

The size and design of any wine cellar is dependent upon a number of factors, includ-ing how the owner collects wine, the number of bottles of each kind of wine and even bottle size. One cellar Skrepnyk designed was specifically for large-format bottles.

“Wine cellars are not just a status symbol. People realize that if they want to keep their wine, they need the proper conditions. It really isn’t that expensive to build a wine cellar, compared to the price it costs to fill it!” Skrepnyk notes. N

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PROFiLE

INTERIORtrendsvs.fads

“It’s shag, baby!” Austin Powers may have lamented about his coupe’s dashboard in the 1990s. And we could well hold his character solely responsible for the slightly-misguided resurgence of shag

carpet. From its American roots in the 60s, the long-looped floor covering is no easier to vacuum or clean at its second coming.

Interior design professionals confirm that the stiletto-catching, pretzel-hiding shag was more of a fad than a trend in this reincarnation; something driven by popular culture, embraced for a while and, perhaps, hopefully, or in short order discarded once more to the heap of the adored retro-reminiscences of a bygone youth.

trends, as opposed to fads, are more about an evolution, new ideas and approaches that often evoke quality and have a much longer life span. trends that show up in clothing, or our movie culture often influence home interior design in short order. They may be textiles, shapes or colours in fashion that capture new thinking or looking to evoke a mood. trends are also driven by advancements in building materials and technology which can provide new possibilities for interior design.

New Interior IdeasCurrent influential trends include the use of bronze and silver for hardware, lighting and accents;

however, gold is having a renaissance. “We’re seeing gold’s revival in jewelry and within the next two years it will become a trend for faucets, cabinet pulls, and lamps–predominantly with a satin finish,” says Carla Fisher, president of Sticks and Stones Design Group.

Fisher’s offices in Kelowna and Canmore provide custom building and interior design for clients across Canada and internationally.

“Another trend is using white on white and creating visual appeal through diverse finishings and textures all within the one colour palette,” says Fisher, “then adding a pop of colour–currently purple, mauve and pink are the hot hues.”

The baby boomers, as they enter the golden years, are stimulating a trend too. With the expecta-tion of longer, healthier lives they have distant ideas about lifestyle—where and how they want to live. “We’re increasingly approached for new home design that supports effective aging-in-place,” says Fisher. “Boomers want barrier-free homes, wheelchair accessible bathrooms, even elevators–if they’re opting for a two- or three-story home. Some homeowners are including a caregiver suite to support their desire to live independently for as long as possible.”

There’s a unique new exterior trend that’s finding its way to interiors. “Charred wood is being seen as quite contemporary, distinctive and, surpris-ingly—fire-resistant,” informs Fisher, “and coordinating this exterior on the inside of homes, we’re seeing reclaimed barn wood creating exceptional wall treatments instead of simply picture frames from arts and crafters.”

When it comes to incorporating trends, or even fads for a frivolous room, we should realize that the importance of choosing and integrating thought-fully can help make our choices pleasing for many years. “If you want to em-brace a fad for the short term,” suggests Fisher, “think of updating paint or introducing a colour through accent pillows or rugs—or even kitschy furni-ture that can be relegated to a quick sale. These are modest investments and easily revised.”

PHOtOS BY StICKS AND StONES.

BY JILL HILLDINGER

Accent pillows and rugs provide instant fashionable accents

Quality Has a Longer Life Span

Cool neutrals provide a classic backdrop for more colourful touches

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SPECiALiST

NATURALwOOD millwork

Creates Stunning Results in Every Room

BY RAND ZACHARIAS

For 21 years Lee and Sue Welch of Greystokes Millwork have been working together, along with their skilled staff of craftspeople, in this family-owned business to create excellent kitchen design, but because

each person that walks through their doors, or gives them a call, with a special project is unique—they’ve also widened that specialization to bring stunning woodwork design to each and every room of their cus-tomers’ homes or businesses. For Lee and Sue, the greatest success is customer satisfaction.By combining the best material, latest trends and most advanced technology with woodworking and skilled, experienced craftspeople, Greystokes Millwork designs and builds with attention to detail and superior quality. They’ve

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NICHE 35specialist .

built their reputation on these impor-tant factors for over two decades.The well-trained staff works to ensure that spaces are planned to make the most of each homeowner’s lifestyle, work habits, tastes and budget. In addition to their specific focus on the most important areas of your home—the kitchen and bathrooms—they also have a long history of experience de-signing mudrooms, laundry rooms, wine cellars to bars, media rooms, home offices, closets, and custom fur-niture.If you can dream it, they can create it. For your next home or busi-ness project requiring natural wood, a green-friendly approach or a unique idea that you’ve been waiting to create for your next construction project vis-it them at their showroom in Vernon or at www.greystokesmillwork.com.

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Award WinningCustom Kitchens

& Furniture

Greystokes Millwork Ltd.8105 Highland Place Vernon, BC

250-549-0416www.greystokesmillwork.com

Greystokes Millwork Ltd.8105 Highland Place Vernon, BC

250-549-0416www.greystokesmillwork.com

Award WinningCustom Kitchens

& Furniture

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DECOR:

THEreturnof carpeting

Wall-to-Wall or Area, People Enjoy Softness underfootBY DOROtHY BROtHERtON

After a decade of dismissal, carpets are once more rolling back into homes, and with them come all the comforts we’ve been missing in the drive for hard-surface flooring

that has dominated home building.

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That’s not to say we’ve rejected the glow-ing beauty of hardwood and quality tiles.

That’s a classic, quality look that will endure, and in fact, we’re experimenting with epoxy and pebbles, cork, various engineered woods, stone, bamboo and even leather flooring.

But carpet is receiving a cautious but gra-cious welcome back into the home. “It’s so lovely to walk in and sink your toes into it. It’s so relaxing,” said Susan Folstad, an interi-or designer with Nufloors, Kelowna, referring to an updated shag she installed in her own home. take a look also at the blends of ber-ber and lower-cut pile in carpeting. They offer subtle patterning and don’t show tracking.

Both wall-to-wall installations for a luxury feel and area carpets to soften a room are com-ing back vigorously. The most popular place for an area carpet is the living room. You can remove it easily in summer and bring it back for winter to cosy up the room. Bedrooms call for a bit of area carpeting, if not the full Monty, to slip your toes into when you first get out of bed on a chilly morning. Even din-ing room area carpets can be lovely. Folstad advises that you give attention to size, ensur-ing dining room chairs can be pulled out and remain on the carpet.

 today’s carpets dial up the old looks with sophistication. Berbers in muted tones put their foot down in home offices, Saxony car-pets add elegance, and yes, even shag is here again. This isn’t the shag of the flower chil-dren of the 1960s that squashed flat with ev-ery footstep and hid flotsam of all sorts down in its avocado heart. The fibre is thicker and

Okanagan homeowners enjoy carpeting in warm earthtones such as caramel, taupe and browns

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treated to resist dust and debris. The Shaw manufacturing house ac-tually takes used carpets and melts down the nylon for recycling into beautiful, strong shag carpeting.

Colours and patterns also update the new carpeting. Manufacturers are working with richer colours, patterns and textures to create car-pets designed to be a focal point, not just a backdrop. It has become exciting again after years of playing it safe, says Emily Morrow, an interior designer in Georgia.

“For the past several years we’ve been moving away from subtle muddy tones to brighter colours and bright patterns,” says Annie Elliott, an interior designer in Washington, D.C.  Folstad agrees, no-ticing Okanagan homeowners are trending toward warmer tones. “Caramel, golden taupe, warmer browns—a myriad of colour,” says Folstad, adding that earth colours are still being used but they are a little warmer in tone.

 The first question you should ask yourself in carpeting selection is, “What do I like?” advises Cheri Peters of Sears Floor Covering Centre. Even if the colours and style aren’t trendy, you need to like what you live with. Carpeting is all about comfort, and your comfort is paramount. N

“We build your home like it’s our own”

Experience an Award Winning Builderwww.edgecombebuilders.com

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DECOR

SOFT windows MAKE A

comebackBY DOROtHY BROtHERtON

For a few years, window dressing has been all about what’s not there. Pull down the draperies, open up the view and if you can get

away with it, don’t put anything at all up there. That may work if your windows look out on a green field or seascape with no one looking back, but views are not all so idyllic. Besides that, the bare-window look has begun to look a little, well, bare. “Instead of an embracing comforting cocoon, our homes had begun to look and feel like com-mercial offices,” says Grace Wasylkiw of Studio 5 Interiors.

Gradually, the soft look is making a comeback. Gentle sheers, sim-ple panels, airier blinds and elegant draperies are making moves in the finest homes. You get the sense your windows are feeling better about themselves as they dress up, a little more like being seen and being seen through.

“Adding fabric always dresses things up,” says Brent Prokop at SP Interiors. “The acoustics are better, there’s a warmer feeling and there’s an insulating factor.”

The acoustical question has been particularly hard to solve since we’ve trended to hard surfaces in flooring, granite countertops and leather furniture. When windows are also bare or use hard-surface blinds, conversation in the room can echo unpleasantly. Carol Mayes of Curtain Corner in Kelowna made curtains for about half a century and always recommended a bit of fabric. “Sound just bounces off the walls when you don’t have draperies,” says Mayes. Even with blinds, she recommends adding at least sheer curtains to soften the look and the sound, plus ward off dust.

But today’s soft looks are not yesteryear’s heavily draped win-dows. Back then, a window may have sported three layers on separate tracks. “In the 1970s there were crushed velvet and casements ev-erywhere. There is not as much wall space for stacking curtains now,” says Prokop.

Soft 2011 windows are not “the layered fussy look of our grand-parents’ era,” agrees Wasylkiw, who adds a resounding “yes” to the return of soft window coverings. “Even in our formal rooms, either the design or the fabric will be simpler but with a luxurious presence.”

Dress Them in Sheers, Simple Panels and Airy Blinds

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decor .

THE SYMBOL OF HOME BUILDING EXCELLENCE

A Commitment to Fine Products and Outstanding Service

We welcome you to visit our showroom, meet our kitchen designers and tour our factory

2140 Leckie Place, Kelowna • 250.860.3900www.westwoodfinecabinetry.com

We welcome you to visit our showroom, meet our kitchen designers and tour our factory

2140 Leckie Place, Kelowna • 250.860.3900www.westwoodfinecabinetry.com

today’s fabrics are better, more versatile, easier to drape, and even soft windows are not styled with huge volumes of fabric.

Another plus that may surprise you: “A po-lice officer told me that his team had noticed houses with sheers over their windows dur-ing the day were generally not broken into,” says Wasylkiw. Peeping would-be thieves can’t tell if anyone is at home.

Living in the sunny Okanagan, you want to invite your fabulous view indoors, but it presents another challenge. Prokop notes a drive among homeowners to get a see-through window treatment so they can en-joy the mountains and lakes, and yet filter the sun.

Ask yourself basic questions before you set your heart on a particular window treat-ment. What is your budget? What are your privacy needs? What kind of sun protection is needed? What colours make you feel good in that room?

Your answers will help you determine your best window treatments.  Keep in mind that windows are the mood-setter of your home.

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BY DOROtHY BROtHERtON

FEATURE

countertops GO classy

Choose the Right Material for Looks, Cost and Durability

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“when you walk into the kitchen, the first place your eyes land is

the countertop, and for good reason. It’s the place where you display pottery groupings, arrange flowers and assemble three meals a day. It’s the place where you roll up your sleeves and roll out cookie dough with your children.

We ask a lot of our countertops. Beyond beauty, we ask them to be durable, practical, not easily scratched or nicked, able to stand up to a hot pan being set down inadvertently, able to endure a teen who chops vegetables with drama or a dad spilling spaghetti sauce or a cat walking through the mustard.

Besides all that, we ask countertops to be hands-down glamorous. We want them to express our individuality, fit our colour scheme and endure, endure, endure.

The most popular choices for countertops in the kitchen, bath-room or anywhere else we want to tuck a counter, are split between granite and quartz, says Kelly Kennedy of Westwood Fine Cabinetry. Your taste is the factor that tips the scales. “It’s more of a person-al preference,” says Kennedy. “More and more granite and quartz are being used, but laminates are an option and offer good colour selection.”

At Stone Quest Granite, Gerry Fehr says the popular choice is, “Granite, definitely granite, and the switch seems to be back to gran-ite from quartz in the long term.” He noted there are many options a consumer may want to look at.

Here are a few facts on the pros and cons of popular countertop choices:

GraniteGranite is probably top of the line in price, but also in quality.

“There is no other material that surpasses the quality and elegance of granite,” say experts at Stone Quest Granite. Some homeowners have shied away from it, worrying about how to care for granite, but simple mild soap and water does the trick. Never use abrasive or acidic cleaners on it. You have to reseal granite about once a year, but that’s as easy as spraying, wiping it with a cloth, and going to bed for the night while it dries thoroughly.

 Granite appeals to the person who wants to bring nature indoors. Colour variations range from blacks, charcoals and marbles, through browns of all shades to silvers, greys and whites. The trend has moved to lighten up a bit from the full-blown use of black granite a few years ago. Granite will definitely add to the resale value of your home, or last through a lifetime of living.

QuartzThe quartz used in countertops is really an engineered stone, a

blend of stone chips, resins and pigments. Its vibrant colours mimic the look of granite and marble. Quartz can survive a gauntlet of spills, heat, chopping knives, and unlike granite, it doesn’t have to be resealed for stain protection. It’s fully waterproof so it works well with under-mounted sinks.

The only downside is that it won’t resist impacts as well as granite, and the edges may chip. Some patterns seem unnaturally uniform but manufacturers are working to make patterns more random.

Silestone is an example of engineered stone, made of 97 per cent quartz. This product has a micro-bacterial feature, which may help

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save food scares. “Think of cookie dough being mixed together and spread out. That’s how it’s made. The product turns out to be the same all the way through,” explains Karen Lafleche of Home Depot. Silestone is scratch, stain and heat resistant.

CorianThis is a top pick, a man-made product mixed with resins, with a

micro-bacterial substance embedded into it. The beauty of Corian is that it’s fully solid-surface. You can get the sink molded in one piece with the countertop, so there is absolutely no seam. Scratches can actually be sanded out.

Butcher BlockSolid wood countertops offer a warmth that few oth-er products do, with maple and oak commonly used. They can be re-sanded and resealed as needed. However, butcher block is easily dam-aged by water and other stains and requires frequent sealing with mineral oil or beeswax. Fluctuations in humidity affect butcher block.

Stainless Steel We’re familiar with stainless steel appliances and some homeown-

ers are extending that sleek look right over the countertops for a full chef’s kitchen look. It resists heat, stands up to abuse, takes hot pans and is easy to clean. But stainless steel is expensive, may dent and you can’t chop vegetables on it. It can be noisy to work on.

LaminateDon’t discount this popular older choice. It’s generally made of lay-

ers of paper or fabric impregnated with resin over composition wood. Laminates are inexpensive, easy to install and great for tight budgets. The big plus is the wide range of colours and patterns, and laminates also resist stains, impact and heat. The downside is that seams near-ly always show somewhere and laminates are easily scratched and nicked.

tileCeramic tile offers nearly limitless selection of colours and pat-

terns, and mixes nicely with other surfaces. It’s inexpensive and rela-tively easy to install. Good heat resistance makes tile a good choice around stoves. The downside is that tile has poor impact resistance, and the grout is likely to stain even when sealed. using darker grout to begin with can help that problem.

AlternativesOther materials in the running may be less popular but worth

consideration.Soapstone is beautiful but requires regular mineral oil applications.Marble is waterproof, heatproof and elegant, but may break the bank. It’s also porous and stains easily unless profes-sionally sealed.Concrete countertops are not simply sidewalk slabs slapped onto cabinets. They may be cast right in your kitchen and can be shaped to any specification. Concrete can be tinted and textured and can include stone chips. New treatments eliminate cracking that used to be a problem and new finishes are decorative. Concrete usu-ally comes with a high price tag.Whatever you choose to place atop your counters, it needs to fit your vision, your needs and your budget.

PHOtOS: WEStWOOD FINE CABINEtRY AND DOROtHY BROtHERtON

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DECOR

NEw AGE wALLS glamorous, GREENpaintsANDpaper

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Changing the look of your walls is practically as easy as changing your mind thanks to new age wall-papers, paints and murals. The only limit is your

imagination, but an interior designer can help you unlock your dreams.

When you think of wallpaper, do you envision your grandmoth-er’s petite floral coverings in washed out colours? Well, think again. “Wallpapers have their sexy back,” says Gaia Mueller, co-owner of Benjamin Moore Kelowna.

today’s wall coverings feature modern colours and big, bold pat-terns including damask, geometric, striped, floral and tiles. Shiny metallics add an element of glamour. You can even find coverings that mimic the look of leather, linen or bamboo. try paintable textured papers that allow you to easily change your colour scheme from year to year.

It was once fashionable to cover all four walls in a room with wall-paper but not today. Decor-savvy consumers use papers to dramatic effect on a single wall. With the array of colours and styles available, “anybody can find a wallpaper to suit their taste,” says Mueller. And because they are made of vinyl, many of them are scrubbable.

She also says that at Benjamin Moore, they can match the colour of your paint to the colour of your wallpaper. Even better, you can paint and move back into your room all in the same day thanks to low- and zero-VOC paints.

Motivated by environmental regulations the paint industry is shifting towards water-based paints with zero volatile organic com-pounds (VOC). VOCs are considered toxic and are a source of air pol-lution. Children, seniors and those with compromised immune sys-tems are particularly vulnerable to the vapours released by paint and other chemical products.

Benjamin Moore’s Natura interior acrylic latex paint offers “zero VOC from base to colourant,” says Mueller. In contrast, competitor's products have zero- to low-VOC bases but the tinting process adds VOCs back into the mix. It must be noted that zero-VOC paint is a misnomer as the paint is allowed to contain trace amounts, less than five grams of VOCs per litre.

“They say you can't mix oil and water, but they've found a way,” says Mueller. Waterborne oil paints offer the durability and lacquer finish of oil with the cleanability of soap and water. These paints are typically applied to baseboards, doors, bookshelves and tables. The low-VOC formula means you can comfortably paint indoors during the dead of winter.

technology is changing the face of paints. Benjamin Moore even offers a scrubbable matte finish. You can now wipe to your heart’s content without fear of leaving behind those shiny spots.

Speaking of technology, add a bit of novelty to your walls with peel and stick reusable murals. You can choose from hundreds of images or upload your own image to create a unique look. We’re not talking lakes and sunsets, more like giant red hot chili peppers, abstract art, black and white photos and more. Check out Eazywallz online and be wowed.

BY KAREN SLIVAR

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LINCOLN EMPLOYEE PRICINGWE’RE SHARING OUR PRICE WITH YOU.

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WISE BUYERS READ THE LEGAL COPY: Dealer may sell or lease for less. Limited time o�ers. O�ers may be changed at any time without notice. See your Ford Dealer for complete details or call the Ford Customer Relationship Centre at 1-800-565-3673. ± Lincoln Employee Pricing (“Employee Pricing”) is only in e�ect from June 16, 2011 to September 30, 2011 (the “Program Period”) on the purchase or lease of all new 2011 and 2012 Lincoln vehicles. Employee Pricing refers to A-Plan pricing ordinarily available to Lincoln employees (excluding any CAW negotiated programs). The new vehicle must be delivered or factory ordered from your participating Lincoln Dealer during the Program Period. This o�er can be used in conjunction with most retail consumer o�ers made available by Ford of Canada at either the time of factory order or delivery, but not both. Employee Pricing is not combinable with CPA, GPC, CFIP, Daily Rental Allowance and A/X/Z/D/F-Plan programs. *Purchase a new 2011 Lincoln MKZ FWD/MKX AWD/MKT AWD ECOBOOST/MKS AWD ECOBOOST/Navigator Ultimate for $33,357/$44,735/$48,119/$47,804/$69,622 after Total Price Adjustment of $6,693/$3,415/$6,881/$6,846/$7,128 deducted (Total Price Adjustment is a combination of Employee Price adjustment $2,693/$3,415/$3,381/$3,346/$5,628 and delivery allowance $4,000/$0/$3,500/$3,500/$1,500). Taxes payable on full amount of purchase price after the Total Price Adjustment has been deducted. O�ers include freight and air tax $1,650 and exclude license, fuel ¦ ll charge, insurance, registration, PPSA, administration fees, any environmental charges or fees, and all applicable taxes. All prices are based on Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price. Delivery Allowances can be used in conjunction with most retail consumer o�ers made available by Ford of Canada at either the time of factory order or delivery, but not both. Delivery Allowances are not combinable with any ̈ eet consumer incentives. ††Lease a new 2011 Lincoln MKX AWD/ MKT AWD ECOBOOST/ MKS AWD ECOBOOST/Navigator Ultimate and get 2.99%/2.99%/2.99%/1.99% APR for up to 48/48/48/48 months on approved credit (OAC) from Ford Credit. Not all buyers will qualify for the lowest LAPR payment. Lease a vehicle with a value of $44,735/$48,119/$47,804/$69,622 at 2.99%/2.99%/3.99%/1.99% APR for 48/ 48/48/48 months with $6,300/$6,875/$6,150/$9,400 down or equivalent trade in, monthly payment is $499/ $598/$598/$798, total lease obligation is $30,252/$35,579/$34,854/$47,704, optional buyout is $17,816/$15,950/$16,395/$25,328. Taxes payable on full amount of lease ¦ nancing price after any price adjustment is deducted. Additional payments required for PPSA, registration, security deposit, NSF fees (where applicable), excess wear and tear, and late fees. Some conditions and mileage restrictions of [80,000km/80,000km/64,000km/80,000km] over 48 months apply. A charge of 16 cents per km over mileage restrictions applies, plus applicable taxes. O�ers include freight and air tax $1,650 and exclude license, fuel ¦ ll charge, insurance, registration, PPSA, administration fees, any environmental charges or fees, and all applicable taxes. All prices are based on Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price. **Receive a choice of one (1) Power Moonroof, Sport Appearance Package, or Voice Activated DVD Navigation System option (each a “Bonus Option”) with the purchase, lease, or factory-order of any new 2011 Lincoln MKZ (an “Eligible Vehicle”) between June 16, 2011 and August 31, 2011. Customers choosing to opt out of the Bonus Option o�er will qualify for a $1,000 cash alternative which may be used as a down payment or received as a rebate cheque from Ford of Canada. Limit of one (1) Bonus Option o�er per Eligible Vehicle, up to a maximum of two (2) Eligible Vehicle purchases per person. This o�er is not combinable with the Commercial Fleet Incentive Program (CFIP), CPA, GPC, and Daily Rental Allowances incentives. See Dealer for details. †Driving while distracted can result in loss of vehicle control. Only use mobile phones and other devices, even with voice controls, when it is safe to do so. Certain functions require compatible mobile devices. Some functions are not available while driving. ‡‡O�er only valid from July 1, 2011 to August 31, 2011 (the “O�er Period”) to resident Canadians with a Canadian Costco membership on or before March 31, 2011. Use this $1,000CDN Costco member o�er towards the purchase or lease of a new 2011 Lincoln vehicle (each an “Eligible Vehicle”). The new vehicle must be delivered and/or factory-ordered from your participating Ford/Lincoln dealer within the O�er Period. O�er is only valid at participating dealers, is subject to vehicle availability, and may be cancelled or changed at any time without notice. Only one (1) o�er may be applied towards the purchase or lease of one (1) Eligible Vehicle, up to a maximum of two (2) separate Eligible Vehicle sales per Costco Membership Number. O�er is transferable to persons domiciled with an eligible Costco member. This o�er can be used in conjunction with most retail consumer o�ers made available by Ford Motor Company of Canada at either the time of factory order (if ordered within the O�er Period) or delivery, but not both. O�er is not combinable with any CPA/GPC or Daily Rental incentives, the Commercial Up¦ t Program or the Commercial Fleet Incentive Program (CFIP). Applicable taxes calculated before $1,000CDN o�er is deducted. Dealer may sell or lease for less. Limited time o�er, see dealer for details or call the Ford Customer Relationship Centre at 1-800-565-3673. ©2011 Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. All rights reserved.

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new BATHROOM LUXURYstone tubs ANDbasins

BY BOBBI-SuE MENARD

FEATURE

Comfort and Quality Galore

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The sensory stimulus of running water over stone holds an innate appeal. Home owners are pursuing that interplay between liquid and solid, hard and soft in their bathrooms like never before. Retailers and wholesalers

in the Okanagan are responding as clients choose stone work enhanced by mod-ern technology as the foundation of their bathrooms.

The tactile pleasure of the bathroom is built in layers as vibrant colour accents, luxurious towels and careful planning. Comfort, convenience and quality rule the showroom floor right now. Bathroom trends are moving away from the cool, almost impersonal model of a hotel-influenced design to a the warm embrace of creating a personal space.

The Sensory tubIf soaking in a bathtub is your idea of bliss, it makes sense to start your bathroom design

with choosing the perfect vessel. It doesn’t have to be about bubbles and jets, but about a dif-ferent type of relaxation. Listen to your senses and choose the tub that matches your idea of relaxed pleasure.

VIBE acoustic tubs send sound waves through the water for a beautiful experience. The au-ral treat expands to pairing music with the vibration for an unmatched experience. For those whose senses respond to light, chromatherapy tubs have coloured LED lighting installed. If smell is your preferred sense, choose an aromatherapy bathtub.

touch has the ability to trump all other senses when it is done right and that is true of bath-tubs as well. Form meets function in an earthly expression of beauty when you choose one of the stone hewn tubs available in the market today. Limestone tubs quarried in England and built by hand in South Africa retain the heat of the water like nothing else.

Luxury and Those Little touches Mary Ann Gill of Baths by Design on Banks Road in Kelowna says clients simply fall in love

with their stone tubs. “Nothing else quite feels like a bath in a quality stone tub. As a func-tional part of your bathroom it is all about how the stone is manufactured, the precision, the smooth beauty of it just cannot be compared to.”

Baths by Design is unique in the retail bathroom world, an independent bathroom retailer that sources from hard-to-find European manufacturers. The showroom has a mix of local craftsmen and quality North American brands covering every element of a quality modern bathroom. Modern includes the colour, urban- orientated segment of the market, remarks Gill. Coloured glass back splashes are a cost-effective and beautiful addition.

Gill explains that thoughtful planning by clients to build a bathroom around how they actu-ally live has driven trends. Small luxuries such as heated towel racks are cannily hardwired

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into the home electric system. With hardwiring, towel racks are programmable to heat towels for the early riser or the habitual after work-shower. Heated towel racks are also being installed by docks, pools and outdoor showers for an extra bit of luxury.

Stone is the dominant material sinks and countertops. Baths by Design carries basin sinks mined from the Rhine River in Germany. In contrast you can choose smooth and beautiful basins, hand cast in concrete by local craftsmen.

Custom-Cut Countertops in Many ColoursPure Granite Rocks! in Vernon is a stone manufacturer. The company is well acquainted with creating slabs of granite and other

material for shower walls. Their countertop specialization facility delivers any shape of vanity, in a wide variety of thicknesses, seven different edges and dozens of colours of granite or marble plus five other stone types including quartz and silestone. unique finishes including matte finished stone are available. For the environmentally-conscious, there is ‘eco’ quartz, made from 75 percent recycled content.

If your dream bathroom is custom, then your vision can be realized.“There has been a significant drop in product pricing in the past few years,” says Clark Omand, owner of Pure Granite Rocks! “For a

manufacturer there are more efficient processes. The affordability for high-performing granite and quartz countertops has come up. Custom cut and finish are popular.”

Look for Features that Enhance Your LifeJen Wheelhouse, a consultant at The Ensuite in Vernon, says clean lines combined with functionality are defining the details in

bathrooms. Medicine cabinets are returning as customers want more storage. The twist is that these are not your grandmother’s cabinets: tVs are built into the glass so you can catch the morning news as you go through your routine.

Consumers are not looking for magazine perfection, but features that enhance their lives, explains Wheelhouse. The popularity of easy-to-clean wall hung toilets is climbing. towel hooks and storage are not an afterthought.

Retailers agree: how you use your bathroom and the level of enjoyment you derive from the space are the foundational principles of design, not trends. But with the staggering selection of luxury touches available, there are products that could entice you to a new level of relaxation while remaining perfectly on point in the design.

PHOtOS: PuRE GRANItE ROCKS & StONE FORESt

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DECOR

BY KAREN SLIVAR

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walk into a lighting store and you will discover a bewildering array of light fixtures and bulbs. Great lighting, however, doesn't happen by

accident.The goal of lighting spaces is to make people comfortable, to make

the room look good and to ensure all lighting needs are met. The trend today is for the clean look of recessed lighting, says lighting consultant Mike Bentien of Designing with Light. He's been in the lighting industry for almost 30 years and remembers when sunshine ceilings were all the rage in kitchens.

"When recessed lights are done properly, you don't need a whole lot of them," he says. In kitchens, the key is to locate them over the counter, not the floor. Energy-efficient LED ribbon lights or t5 fluo-rescents under cabinets add more light and reduce the bit of shad-owing caused by overhead light. Meanwhile, your dinner guests will admire your decorative fixture hanging above the table and won't be aware that it's actually a pair of recessed lights that are doing all the work.

Decorative fixtures are a key element of interior design. Crystal chandeliers with lampshades are trendy. They add opulence to any room. today's designs are simple and elegant as seen in rectangular, cascading crystal string chandeliers. A modern twist on a classic. In high ceiling areas, motorized chandelier lifts can make for easy clean-ing and lamp changing.

Sun Dial Lighting, in Vernon, and Pine Lighting, in Kelowna, offer selections of ceiling, wall, pendant, chandelier, track and recessed fix-tures for your home. traditional to contemporary, the staff will help you make your selection and answer all your questions. Including what compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) to buy as Canada phases out 100-, 75-, 60- and 40-watt incandescent bulbs.

When lighting professionals talk about lamps, they speak in lu-mens instead of watts. Lumen is a measure of light output. A 100-watt incandescent lamp for example is about 1,600 lumens depending

LIGHTING, lamps &LUMENSIllumination Ideas to Brighten Your Home

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on the manufacturer. People in the industry also talk about correlated colour temperature—a.k.a. light colour—measured in Kelvin (K).

Compact fluorescent lamps come in different light colours which can change the look of an amber glassed chandelier from warm yellow (2700K) to greenish (3500 K) to bluish white (4500 K). Be warned, most CFLs don't work with dimmers.

to help Canadians make energy efficient choices, Natural Resources Canada is proposing mandatory labeling for lamps to come in effect starting January 2012. "to save energy and money, choose the lamp that has the desired brightness and then select the one with the high-er efficiency." The efficiency is stated in lumens per watt. Confused yet? Visit your nearest lighting store for a lesson on lamps and then tell two friends, hopefully they will tell two friends...and pretty soon we'll all be talking the same lingo.

The aim is to light your home efficiently, effectively and elegantly. And remember, it's the lamp in the fixture that gives you the light. A detailed lighting plan will take the guesswork out of shopping for fixtures.

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FEATURE

THOROUGHLY modern furniture

traditional Meets New, Elegance Meets Comfort BY DEANNA MERRICK

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FEATURE

If you are in the market for new furniture, you’re in for a treat. today’s designs range from traditional elegance to simple and con-

temporary to fun and frivolous. Soft greys, bold reds, eye-popping greens, soft yellows...you’ll find your taste somewhere in the wide selection of furnishings and accessories found in top stores in the Okanagan.

You do not have to stick with a single style of furnishing any more. It’s perfectly acceptable to combine a modern dining room table with curved leather chairs or a traditional cabinet. today’s furnishings are all about creating a look, not only reflected in the furnishing itself but also in the wall coverings, artwork and accessories.

One of the best selections in Kelowna is found at Marshall’s Home Furnishings. There you’ll find beautiful, sleek lines alongside oversized feature pieces. Store Manager Len Krueger, who has been in the furni-ture business for 30 years, says that Marshall’s employees are all design-ers who can assist homeowners with a single piece, a room or an entire home.

Marshall’s is the official distributor for some very popular lines of fur-nishings, including Thomasville, Drexel Heritage, Broyhill and Lexington, which Krueger says is coming on strong.

“We attend a lot of furniture buying shows. We try to select some-thing that our customers won’t see anywhere else. And we’re not afraid of colour in this store!” says Krueger.

Wood colours are changing, too. For the past decade, most furniture was produced with dark wood. Now light to medium wood furniture is making a return. Another popular look is ‘weathered’ wood, which is often constructed from reclaimed wood.

Krueger places a lot of emphasis on the team at Marshall’s Home Furnishings. Skilled designers, including fabric and drapery specialists, are found on site. Even the warehouse and delivery staff have been with him for ten years.

“Our delivery people know how to place furniture properly, how to hang oversized mirrors and pictures. This is important as it’s the last impression we will leave on our customers,” he explains.

The combination of beautiful furnishings and a great attitude make Marshall’s a memorable experience for the consumer. Krueger describes their philosophy.

“We like to create customers who are really pleased and excited. We want to awe people with our sales team, our experience and our service.”

Sareena Sharma-Nickoli of City Furniture concurs with Len Krueger on today’s most popular colours.

“Grey is the new brown,” she says. “Accents are bright, like fuchsia, lime green or a bright popping purple. It’s great to have a neutral sofa or love seat with a vibrant chair and some cushions and a lamp to tie the look together. Area carpets also add to the look.”

City Furniture has been in the Okanagan since 1976, and now serves BC and Alberta. There is a store on the Westside as well as a new location opening soon on Anderson Way in Vernon.

“Our business is based on relationships. Sometimes we have had four or five generations of the same family buying from us. We are known as a store that brings great value to the customer,” said Sharma-Nickoli.

Because she regularly attends a variety of furniture-buying shows across Canada, the united States and in Italy, Sharma-Nickoli is very well versed on current styles and trends.

“There is a great variety of styles and fabrics. Colourful leathers are more popular now, as prices have come down. Funky flower designs com-bined with muted fabrics create a fresh, modern look,” she notes.

Mirrors are a hot accessory in today’s homes, creating a clean look and helping make a room appear larger. A single mirror or a cluster or smaller mirrors can be incorporated into virtually any room in a home. Metal or iron wall art for inside and outside is also a popular trend.

Functionality is being incorporated into today’s modern furnishings. It is common to find beds with storage drawers in the bed frame, otto-mans that double as storage, and coffee tables that can be raised and used as a table for a meal while you’re watching a movie or favourite tV show.

City Furniture has developed a reputation as a one-stop shopping store for your home. Furnishings, electronics, mattresses and appliances made by the major manufacturers are all found on site.

“We are all about relationship building,” said Sharma-Nickoli. “As our motto says, we don’t sell, we help you buy.”

A number of furniture stores in the Okanagan are offering a large se-lection of ‘transitional furniture’ – a cross between modern and a tradi-tional look. Such is the case at Modern Furniture, where a combination of patterns, colours and lines result in a look that is fresh, unique and comfortable.

There is the stunning Calligaris oblong dining table which, when the ends are slid under, becomes a smaller circular piece. The tempered glass top sits on a walnut pedestal base alongside matching chairs. There are teal or yellow pillows, or an entire sectional covered in a bold print. You’ll find abstract paintings, contemporary lamps and a look that introduces some 1950s or 60s lamps.

In-store designer Kayla Parfiniuk points out that there are modern options to the more bold designs, too.

“If you are not into patterns and colour, there are stark white and grey classics that look great together. It’s also about pairing the old with the new, like contemporary chairs with an old wooden table or something rustic with modern furnishings,” she says.

Store owner David Kandola says they carry some fine major brands including Natuzzi, EQ3, Mobital, Van Gogh (a Canadian brand) and Calligaris. Like his counterparts in the other stores, the combination of great furniture must be balanced with outstanding service.

Admittedly, the selection in today’s furniture can be a bit daunting with all of the various styles, colours and combinations you’ll find. That is a big part of the reason that the in-store designers are there to guide you to a look that is fresh, current and totally reflective of your own per-sonal taste.

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A new environmental awareness is being seen among homeowners as they choose kitchen cabinetry. Staff at Spectrum Cabinet Gallery has noticed this trend. They are pleased that

all three lines they offer, Montalco, Merit and Bamco, are all eco-friendly. The company has made a huge commitment to produce environmentally-responsible products and is commit-ted to the stewardship of our forests. That’s important to today’s homeowner.

trend-watching also shows when it comes to cabinet appearance and materials, Shaker door styling is still huge, especially in medium to dark stains. Maple is the most sought-after material.

But there’s an interesting shift as homeowners become more sophisticated about the de-sign of kitchens and cabinets. “The most significant change is that customers understand

function and ergonomics have become a key component in the de-sign of the kitchen,” says Steve Webb of Spectrum. It means more internal fittings such as recycling bins, organizers, and specialized nooks and crannies.

There’s no need to feel overwhelmed when you face the task of choosing new cabinetry for your home or replacing old cabinetry. take all your questions to a reputable cabinet company: What are the current trends? What will work best for my space and budget? What are the pros and cons of different types of materials and styl-ing? What activities will happen in my space and how can I get cabi-netry that facilitates those activities?

Webb points out there are many good cabinet companies in the market and you may want to have conversations with several. “A customer needs to feel their needs are understood and the company they choose will provide them with personalized service.” The entire process should be explained to the client. “There should be no sur-prises. It truly is a process, and we work with the client in a person-alized manner and walk them through step by step,” he adds.

The trend to personalized service is never out of style. Webb, with more than 33 years experience in the industry, says the keys to success at Spectrum are the great Canadian products and doing business the old-fashioned way. “We do what we say we are going to do and treat each client as if we are designing a kitchen for a fam-ily member.” Spectrum’s by-appointment-only showroom facilitates that personalized one-on-one experience.

Webb adds, “We are very passionate about this approach and commitment to customer service from start to finish.”

After all, purchasing a kitchen is one of the largest and most im-portant decisions that you make.

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TRANSFORM

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The architectural bones of your home are relatively permanent; a full scale reno can alter the space permanently only in as much

as you are willing to pay the bill. What fills each room defines the walls, ceiling and flooring in ways that are bound by your creativity and preference. A living room can move from formal to casual in a short period of time with new choices in furnishings. Carefully ed-ited accessories can alter the mood and match the season with ease.

When you invest in furniture, choose a style that will remain timeless while reflecting your personality, says Jennifer Seib, owner of Pebblecreek Custom Design Furniture on Pandosy in Kelowna. Quality furniture will last generations and as the buyer you can create a sense of time, place and tradition within your family by purchasing pieces that will be cherished.

Prior to picking out favorite pieces, it is helpful to start with space planning and a basic understanding of how you want a room to func-tion. Furniture can always be repurposed later on, but to enjoy it from the start, Seib says understanding what you need before you buy will create the perfect room.

Scale and utility are important but patience delivers a space you want to live in. The easiest way for your vision to be cohesive instead of a poorly edited mishmash is to research what you love through magazines, visiting showrooms and waiting for the moment a piece really connects with your preferences.

Seib recommends you listen to your heart before a big purchase, “Every client has wants, but you need to love what you buy, especially larger pieces of furniture. If you are not happy it will drive you crazy.”

If you can’t find what you are looking for on the floor of a show-room, Seib recommends choosing custom pieces to meet the needs of your home and personality, “It is important to have a home that reflects its owner. Don’t just settle because you couldn’t find some-thing right away.”

If you do need instant gratification go with accessories. Throws, pillows, artwork, and smaller hard goods are low investment with big impact. “If you choose neutral furniture you can change the look with accessories,” explains Seib. “Changing seasons, such as going for a cozy look for fall and winter is so simple with accessories. We spend more time in our homes and we want to be content. Your home can reflect your mood.”

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iNNOVATiON

In history, cities have been built around innovations in the glass industry. Murano and Venice thrived as home owners and builders pursued beautiful glass. The home glass busi-

ness remains hyper-competitive to this day. In Kelowna, it offers options that change the perspective of the architecture and reflect a flawless point of view.

Home owners who embrace the aesthetics of modern architecture, design and style are turning to commercial glass installation techniques to create flawless banks of windows. The curtain wall installation system isn’t new, but is being applied to homes in the Okanagan. The curtain wall is floor to ceiling exterior windows, most often installed over multiple stories.

“You see this technique being used on hill side homes with great Lake Okanagan views,” says Curtis Ankerstein, retail manager with Competition Glass.

The installation technology has been honed in the commercial world, so home owners are getting a known product that is rare in residential construction. Ankerstein says framing

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commercial TOhome

A curved glass shower is a stunning addition to a contemporary bathroom

Glass techniques Add Panache to Decor

materials choices, types of glass (tempered or annealed) and thermally broken materials all contribute to the final product.

“We have low E-glass; the glass can be sep-arated from the aluminum frame with a ther-mal break and the installation itself meets regulation and code,” explains Ankerstein.

Installation costs are generally com-petitive with traditional window rates, says Ankerstein. He points out there is a strong pool of experienced commercial installers to draw from for residential projects.

Home interiors are finding a place for more modern glass interpretation. Curved glass shower walls can create a jewel box within a bathroom. For homeowners that embrace the look, Ankerstein says they will be living with a stunning piece of precision work for years to come, “It is difficult to do a curved glass wall properly. You definitely don’t want to make any mistakes on the measurement installation. Not everybody has a curved glass shower.”

In kitchen glass, colour is making a come-back. Custom cut glass backsplashes tinted to match a home owner’s paint chip are find-ing their place in urban inspired kitchen de-sign. Less expensive than custom tile work, easier to keep clean (think of no grout) and simple to exchange with new colour installs, kitchen glass is a go to choice for design sav-vy consumers.

Centuries of melting sand has given glass production a rich history and the perspec-tive of evolutionary change punctuated with leaps of innovation. It is the buyers of glass who push the glass industry forward as they demand ever different installations and aesthetics. N

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VERNON’S MACKIE LAKE

HOUSE

A LEGACY OF TRIUMPHS... AND TRAGEDIES

“...a planetary man that left his mark on one.”

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Lakeside view of Mackie Lake Housee

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Hugh and Grace, husband and wife, with Austin (Augustine) in school uniform of vernon Preparatory School for Boys

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Fylton Mackie announced his retirement from the city of Vernon’s W. L. Seaton Junior High School in 1980. His 25-year tenure of

teaching French drew to a close—a family tradition beginning in 1913 with his uncle, Austin C. Mackie—ended. In 1993, Paddy es-tablished the Mackie Lake House Foundation, dedicated to preserv-ing and presenting the building, grounds, furnishings and related history of Mackie Lake House, the Coldstream family home, for the enjoyment and education of the public. Paddy passed away on July 31, 1999 as the last branch on the Hugh and Grace Mackie family tree, bequeathing the home and lands of Mackie Lake House to the Mackie Lake House Foundation.

On the shores of Kalamalka Lake, the beautifully-preserved high-styled Arts & Crafts home with its high chateau roof is considered one the finest private residences in the region and leaves connections to roots of the early Okanagan valley for visitors.

Fascinating Family and Home HistoryHugh Mackie, his wife Grace, and his brother Reverend Augustine

immigrated to the Okanagan Valley’s Coldstream municipality from England in 1913.  Hugh was a lawyer and tried to practice in Regina, only to return two years later and join his brother teaching at the Vernon Preparatory School for Boys, which they had founded.

Hugh and Grace would see the birth of five sons, but tragedy would always seem to be another legacy the family was forced to bear. First

Paddy in his RAF uniform, returned after world war 2

John was the eldest brother who shot down seven planes and was buried in an unmarked grave in Libya

there was an early crib death (called SIDS today)—the infant’s name is not recorded—then, Peter, aged five, was killed when a dynamite detonating cap he and his friend were playing with exploded.

The Mackie Lake House was originally designed in 1910 by ar-chitect Robert Findlay on a commission from Montreal business-man Ronald Buchanan. Findlay is renowned for his work in eastern Canada including projects like the Sun Life Building and homes for the likes of Molsons and Bronfmans.  

Construction of the lake house began in 1910 by contractor t. E. Crowell at a time when the Okanagan Valley was seeing incredible development with home construction, crop production and transpor-tation lines. Railroad lines were graded in 1919 but not completed until 1926; even an electric/diesel tram was realized for a short time connecting Coldstream to Lumby—automobiles were being asked to slow down as early as 1904.

By 1925, the home would be sold to Gordon Shakespeare Layton and his family. They had moved to the Okanagan Valley the previous year because of Gordon’s health. Daughter Elizabeth was then seven, and her memoir recalls “being brought up in the most wonderful country in the world.”

In 1936, young Elizabeth Layton, brought up in the unique lake house, was instructed by her father Gordon to go to London and study and work to become a secretary. She did so until 1939, when she returned to visit her home in the Okanagan Valley for three months with money she had saved.

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More tragedy Strikes the MackiesThe three surviving Mackie sons grew up and signed on with

the Royal Air Force at the onset of World War II. John, the eldest, maintained a warm affinity for the old world and graduated from Sedburgh School in the north of England. He became an ace pilot shooting down many planes of the German Luftwaffe, but at the age of 26 in April 1941—he was shot down and perished. His younger brother Geoffrey had already crashed and died into the Bay of Quinte in a training exercise only two months earlier at age 22—Geoffrey, the only son to be engaged, was to be married to Shirley McDonald.

Paddy, the last remaining brother, might remind one of the true story told in the movie, Saving Private Ryan— he transferred from the RAF, some claim because of his brothers’ fates, to serve as a navi-gating officer on a corvette in the Royal Canadian Navy. He aided in escorting convoys from Newfoundland to Londonderry for the re-mainder of the war, suffering bouts of sea seasickness. One can try to imagine what responsibility he bore after losing two brothers in such short order.

An Interesting Job for Elizabeth LaytonThe Mackies purchased the lake house from the Laytons in 1940.

With this development, Elizabeth wanted to go back to England but couldn’t because women were not allowed to cross the Atlantic un-less in the service of the Canadian war effort. She collected her life savings, went to Ottawa and convinced an undersecretary to permit her return. “If you want to commit suicide, that’s your business,” the secretary indicated.

By December of that year, Elizabeth Shakespeare Layton was crossing the Atlantic to Britain from Canada in an unescorted Belgian vessel, the S. S. Leopoldville. One of its life boats was lost at sea during stormy weather and German radio reported the sinking of the S. S. Leopoldville. Both ships leaving Canada and crossing the Atlantic before and after the S. S. Leopoldville’s arrival at the port of Gourock in Scotland were torpedoed and lost...Elizabeth’s transport was not.

The Mackie dayroom or breakfast nook. The Laytons and Buchanans enjoyed meals in this room

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Mackie Living Room: Note the crossbeams, china plate shelf and floors: all the wood in the home is fir

On May 5, 1941, Elizabeth knocked at 10 Downing Street in London to begin her new position—taking shorthand dictation for Winston Churchill—her memoir, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary, was published in 1958—and re-edited and released in 2007.

After the WarThe Mackies didn’t move on to their new estate until

1945 when they retired. The Vernon Preparatory School was sold and run be several headmasters until finally closing in 1972. upon their move in, the retiring broth-ers, Hugh and Augustine, grew fruit, preferring apricots, on the estate for the rest of their lives. Sole remaining son Paddy travelled through Europe when the war ended and studied in Paris at the Sorbonne. Austin would pass away pruning his beloved apricots at the top of a ladder in 1965...Hugh died six years later in 1971.

Paddy lived in the home and experienced his mother Grace’s difficult last years. He would attend high tea at four o’clock every day with her at the Gateby Retirement Home where she was living. He inherited the lake house when she passed away. After the war and the collapse of Churchill’s coalition government, Elizabeth announced her desire to marry South African Frans Nel, whom she’d met in London after his release from a prison camp. The Nels lived in South Africa to their deaths, having raised

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A front view of the Mackie House

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Geoff Mackie, died in training school after crashing near Belville, Ontario in the Bay of Quinte, while performing unapproved acrobatics diving straight into the shallow lake

a family of three children. Elizabeth passed away in 2007, having seen copies of her re-released book, and sharing correspondence with the publisher and much recognition in visits back to London due to invites from the Queen.Since its origins with the Buchanan family, Mackie Lake House had had orchards, but Paddy changed the grounds to resemble the present garden setting. Not only is Mackie Lake House home to fascinating family history and legacy, but is well-preserved, architect Findlay’s original design very much intact. The home’s unique roof is skirted with distinctive bell cast roof edg-es supported on scroll cut brackets. The second story is clad in the original heavy board and batten style painted in a shade of historic Essex green. The unique storm sash system of windows is of historic interest and features an inverted pyramid-like stack of six windows allowing afternoon sunlight to pour onto the stairwell.  The Mackie Lake House interior is swathed in fir china cabinets, beams, shelves, mantles and floors. The warm crossbeams span the broad living room with nearly ten foot ceilings. Mackie Lake House can be visited by reservation, giving visitors a very close, and unique, brush with his-tory. Visit www.mackiehouse.ca.

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The paperwork is complete, the first shovel hit the dirt in mid-August and the very top of Dilworth

Mountain, Summit at Selkirk is on the cusp of release. Summit at Selkirk has always been planned as a grouping of semi-detached luxury homes with unrivaled 360 de-gree views of Kelowna. Located at the end of Harrowgate Lane, the 20 homes are amongst the most prestigious town homes offerings in recent memory.

Dilworth Homes is nearing the complete build out of the entire mountain that is one of Kelowna’s defining fea-tures. The decades of development have created a neigh-borhood of distinctive character and style. Residents of Dilworth Mountain enjoy convenient access to the whole of Kelowna. Depending on the mountain location, homes either take in gorgeous vistas or enjoy the benefits of a mountain hideaway. So iconic is the neighborhood within the local community, it is common to hear the one word answer, “Dilworth,” in response to queries about where a person resides.

Summit at Selkirk is all about the phenomenal views paired with luxury. Okanagan Lake, Black Mountain and the Glenmore Valley are all accessible. Since Summit is literally the top of Dilworth, nothing impedes the van-tage point.

The homes are semi-detached walk out rancher bun-galows with 1350 to 1750 square feet of living space on the main floor. The floor plans carry forward four of the most popular floor plans from the fast selling Wycliffe neighborhood (sold out on the Mountain last year) with two new options.

“As with all Dilworth Homes, your home is fully cus-tomizable,” says Al Ryder, sales and marketing manager.

The customization available from Dilworth Homes in-cludes the ability to change the floor plan through wall placement. In addition to lifestyle choices, Dilworth Homes offers each home owner the ability to choose all finishing materials in their homes from a list of approved suppliers.

Ryder says the process and choices offered to home owners is one of the reasons Dilworth sells so steadily year after year, “The buyer has total flexibility. Definitely at Summit there will be luxury and upscale finishing, but the home owner will have pretty much a custom home in the end.”

Summit will be the cohesive end point to Dilworth Mountain. The neighborhood is planned to be the seam-less and definitive Dilworth Mountain experience. While there are small pockets of land left to be developed lower on the mountain, Summit truly is the pinnacle. N

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DiRECTORY CHBA-CO 2010-11ARChiTECTS

Architecturally Distinct Solutions inc. Matt Johnston/ Grace Pontes 250 878 4313 www.distinctsolutions.caPhilip MacDonald Architect inc. Philip MacDonald 250 764 4157 www.pma-architect.ca

bUiLDERS

A Legacy of Designs Ltd. Brad Dziedzic & Brandy de Bartolo-Dziedzic 250-558-8889/ 250-558-8839 www.legacyofdesigns.comAuthenTech homes Ltd. Scott Tyerman, RHP (250) 491-7690 www.authentechhomes.combellamy homes Les Bellamy (250) 470-2429 www.bellamyhomes.cabuilt Rite homes (A Division of Roblyn Developments Ltd.) Robert Anderson 250-764-0315 www.builtritehomes.caburland Langdon Construction Ltd. Brooke Langdon 250 342 5660Cardan Enterprises Ltd. Don Dudgeon & Lisa Dudgeon 250-861-8823 www.cardan.caChaparral industries (86) inc. John Pushor/Jim Pushor 250-765-2985 www.chaparralhomes.comChatham homes Dave Chatham (250) 764-5387 or 862-1075Chriscan.com Enterprises Ltd. Len Suchocki (250) 712-1324 www.chriscan.comConstructive Concepts Ltd. Darren Evans 250-542-1801 http://constructiveconceptsCorWest builders Andreas Hayer/ Bob Guy 250-869-4960 www.corwest.caDestination homes Don Erdely & Travis Erdely (250) 707-1752 www.homesbydestination.comDistinctive Developments Ltd. Terry Heinrich (250) 491-1171 www.Distinctivedevelopments.comDunamis Projects Trevor / Evangeline Neyedli 250 681 3732 www.dunamisprojects.com

Edgecombe builders Kevin Edgecombe & Don Campbell (250) 491-8655 www.edgecombebuilders.comFawdry homes Glenn Fawdry, RHP (250) 862-8630 www.fawdryhomes.ca/Frame Custom homes Ltd. Bill Frame 250-718-8670 www.framecustomhomes.comFreeport industries Todd venier / Chris Inkster (250) 707-3950 www.freeportindustries.cahamill Creek Timber homes inc. Fiona Daniels (250) 366-4320 www.hamillcreek.comhamlet Property Services Paul Day 250 215 5355handyman Connection Quentin Cyre (250) 717-5500 kelowna.handymanconnection.comhansum homes & Development inc. John Hansum & Fran Hansum (250) 764-2324 www.hansumhomes.comharmony homes Mick webb (250) 765-5191 www.harmonyhomes.nethildebrandt homes Ken Hildebrandt (250) 309-4986 http://okanaganbchomebuilder.comian Paine Construction Ltd. Ian Paine (250) 868-2133impact builders Chad Jones 250-470-2269 www.impactbuilders.cominspiration homes Ltd. Rod Doroshuk 250-542-3111 www.inspirationhomes.caJaycor homes inc. vince Montemurro 250-768-5070Jazel Enterprises Ltd. James zeleznik (250) 768-5799 www.Jazelhomes.comJohn bachelder Construction John Bachelder (250)862-6725 Johnbachelderconstruction.comkarmoy builders inc. Jody Dyrland 250-919-8448 www.karmoybuilders.comkascade Developments Scott Renou 250 448 6339

keith Dahlen Construction Ltd. - Rebath Okanagan Ken Dahlen (ReBath Okanagan www.rebathokanagan.ca) 250-545-1300 www.keithconstruction.cakentland homes Ltd. Stephen wells (250) 764-1306 www.kentlandhomes.comknight’s Gate Properties Ltd. Richard Soneff 250 878 8090Landing Construction Ltd. Brad Stinn 250 542 3276 www.landingconstruction.caMandala Custom homes inc. Lars Chose 250-352-5582 www.mandalahomes.com Meadow Ridge homes Ltd. Miles & Susan Krahn (250) 861-3344 www.meadowridgehomes.comNeil Miller homes Ltd. Neil Miller (250) 764-8627 www.millerhomes.caOkanagan Dream builders Ltd. Trent Tinkler 250-808-1788 www.okanagandreambuilders.comOkanagan Glacier homes inc. Kirk Andersen 778-755-5003 www.okglacierhomes.comOkanagan Sunrise Construction Ltd. Dale Ahlbaum/Nick Franz (250) 763-1461 www.OkanaganSunrise.comOkanagan Sustain homes/into the Woods Furniture and Cabinetry Carl St. Jean 250-260-8425 http://oksustainhomes.caOkanagan Trend West Master builder Ltd. Ray Moran 250-558-0415 www.okanagantrendwest.comPars Construction Amir Khajavi (250) 878-0662 www.ParsConstruction.comPentar homes Ltd. Fred Parent (250) 862-9006 www.pentarhomes.comRedgwell Construction Ltd. Lyle Redgwell 250 549 7405Richbuilt homes Darren Richmond 250 549 8852 www.richbuilt.ca

RLJ homes inc. Ray LaPointe 250-862-1968 www.rljhomes.comRockwood homes Construction Ltd. Gilles Ladouceur 1-250-450-9761 www.rockwoodhomes.caRykon Construction Management Ltd. Randy Siemens, Kelly Lawrie, CMA (250) 712-9664 www.rykon.caSierra West homes & Construction Corp. Kevin Adams (250) 767-1993 Cell: 878-2207 www.sierrawesthomes.comSki home Limited Richard Unger 1-250-342-2555 www.skihome.caSquare Root Contracting & Consulting Ltd Mike Twack (250) 863-6576 www.sq-root.comStonebridge Contemporary Originals Albert van Ee or John Steinhauer 250 766 0393Sunstar Ventures Ltd. Denis Bigham & Bob Buvyer 250-807-2270Sunterra Custom homes Ltd. Ranbir Nahal 250-503-8220 www.sunterracustomhomes.comSurecraft Construction Ltd. Jim Shales - President 250 295 8012 www.surecraftconstruction.blogspot.comTeam Construction Mgmt. (1981) Ltd. Charles Cullen (250) 868-8326 www.teamconstruction.caTimberhaven homes Ltd. Scott Ross 250-878-0159 www.timberhaven.caTrico homes inc. Jacob Kuiken 250-545-9261 www.tricohomes.comTyee Custom homes Ltd. Carl Lauren 1-250-427-0315 htpp://www.tyeecustomhomes.comValux homes Ltd Joe Rood (250) 317-1332 www.bridgesliving.comVaritec Enterprises Ltd. Don Kerr, RHP (250) 769-2375

Vivar homes ( A Division of Vivar Contracting inc.) D.J. Rasovic 250 808 5555Webster Construction Ltd. Ken webster (250) 763-6600 www.thewebstergroup.comWilson and Company Ltd. James wilson 250-869-7125Woodstyle homes Ltd Donovan Imbeau (250) 558-9765 or (250) 558-9765 www.woodstyle.ca

COMMUNiTY DEVELOPERS

Acorn Communities Ltd. David Pfuetzner Greg Bird 250 491 0095 www.acornhomes.comAldebaran Enterprises inc. John Jacobsen 1-250-306-9355 www.aldebaranhomes.comCallahan Property Group Ltd. Bob Callahan (250) 717-3000Dilworth Quality homes inc. Greg Asling - General Manager, Al Ryder - Building Operations Manager (250) 762-9999 www.dilworthhomes.comG Group of Companies Green Solutions Grant Gaucher - President / Andrew Gaucher - vP Developments (250) 712-2449 www.ggroup.caGallagher’s Canyon Construction Al Bremner (250) 860-9013 www.gallagherscanyon.comGeorge Schluessel Real Estate investments Ltd. George Schluessel - President (403) 410-1224 www.procura.comL & S Contracting Ltd. (A Div. of Lambert & Paul Construction Ltd.) Lambert Schmalz (250) 860-2331Melcor Developments Ltd. Tobi McNeil 250-717-8390 www.melcor.caMission Group Jonathan Friesen, Randy Shier, Gerald Heinrichs, George Summach (250) 448-0016 www.themissiongroup.caMolenbeek Ventures Development Corporation wim zuydervelt 250-764-0338 www.creeksidepark.caOcorp Development Ltd. 250-764-1750 www.ocorpltd.com

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DiRECTORY CHBA-CO 2010-11Predator Ridge Limited Partnership-Land Division Brent Ree 250-503-3976 www.predatorridge.comRohit Communities- Copper point Resort Bobby-Jo weibe 250 341 5745 www.copperpoint.caScuka Enterprises Ltd. Dan Scuka (250) 765-0136 www.scuka.bc.caSopa Square Stacey Fenwick 250 762 5818 www.sopasquare.comStarland Developments Company Ltd. Kathleen Mackenzie (250) 717-8228 www.prospectkelowna.comTyee Custom homes Ltd. Carl Lauren 1-250-427-0315 htpp://www.tyeecustomhomes.com

DESiGN-bUiLD

Alternative Construction inc Edmaro Cabete (250) 864-0761 www.alternativeconstruction.cabellamy homes Les Bellamy (250) 470-2429 www.bellamyhomes.caChaparral industries (86) inc. John Pushor/Jim Pushor 250-765-2985 www.chaparralhomes.comhandyman Connection Quentin Cyre (250) 717-5500 kelowna.handymanconnection.comJohn bachelder Construction John Bachelder (250)862-6725 Johnbachelderconstruction.comMandala Custom homes inc. Lars Chose 250-352-5582 www.mandalahomes.com Nesbitt Originals Paul & Jan Nesbitt (250) 762-3337 www.nesbittoriginals.com

Okanagan Glacier homes inc. Kirk Andersen 778-755-5003 www.okglacierhomes.comOkanagan Sustain homes/into the Woods Furniture and Cabinetry Carl St. Jean 250-260-8425 http://oksustainhomes.caStonebridge Contemporary Originals Albert van Ee or John Steinhauer 250 766 0393Techlectric Construction Company Ltd. Brad Handel 250 833 4272 www.techsmart.ca

FiNANCiAL SERViCES

RbC Royal bank Gary Eisenhut (250) 868-4188 www.rbc.comTD Canada Trust Joe Delicato (250) 763-4241 www.tdcanadatrust.com

GOVERNMENT OFFiCES

bC housing Peter Chau (250) 487-2521 www.bchousing.orgCanada Mortgage housing Corporation Paul Fabri (250) 712-4334 www.cmhc.caCity of kelowna Mo Bayat - Building Inspections Manager (250) 469-8630 www.kelowna.cahomeowner Protection Office Doug Cox (250) 646-7050 or 1-800-407-7757 www.hpo.bc.ca

hOME DESiGN/ DECOR SPECiALiSTS

Clay interiors Len Trump 250-859-3242 www.clayinteriors.comDannburg interiors Gary Munt or Scott Munt (250) 862-5277 www.dannburginteriors.com

Designing with Light Supply Mike Bentien / Rob Bentien (250) 862-3671 www.designingwithlight.caMullins Drafting and Design, inc. Lee Mullins & Lani Hoff 250-717-3415 www.mullinshomedesigns.caSticks and Stones Design Group Carla Fisher 250 712 9282 www.sticksandstones.ca

iNSURANCE / ACCOUNTiNG

Capri insurance Services Ltd. Erika Jarvis (250) 860-2426 www.capri.caGrant Thornton Chartered Accountants Paul Guerette (250) 712-6800 www.GrantThornton.caThe Co-operators, Solve insurance Sevices inc. Dennis MacLeod 250-861-3777 www.cooperator.ca

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Niche_HalfPg_Aug2011_KEL.indd 1 04/08/2011 9:14:16 AM

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Wilson M. beck insurance (kelowna) inc. Brett Innis 250-763-3840 www.wmbeck.com

MANUFACTURER

Guildmaster Furniture Ltd. Peter Ross (250) 547-2579 Guildmasterfurniture.ca

MEDiA / MARkETiNG

Okanagan Valley Newspaper Group, The (The Daily Courier) Terry Armstrong (250) 470-0721 www.kelownadailycourier.ca

PROFESSiONAL SERViCES

Amerispec inspection Services Murray Klingbeil/Dean Neveu 250 763 0822 www.amerispec.ca/okanaganCanaterra Property Pages Karen Thompson 1-250-575-8877 www.canaterra.comCarbon Copy Digital Gary Plant 250-860-6928 www.carboncopydigital.comOkanagan College Randy werger (250) 862-5494 www.okanagan.bc.caPushor Mitchell LLP Brad Cronquist 1-250-869-1150 www.pushormitchell.comROV Consulting Richard visscher, P.Eng. 250-860-0412 www.rovconsulting.caStrong Roots Flooring inc. Richard/Shannon Johnstone 2508087668 www.strongroots.caSW Audio and Visual Cal McCarthy 250-868-3333 www.sw-online.comTechlectric Construction Company Ltd. Brad Handel 250 833 4272 www.techsmart.cWinmar kelowna Stewart walker 1-250-862-3500 www.winmar.ca

REALTORS

Century 21 Executives Bill Hubbard 250-549-2103 www.century21.ca

RENOVATORS

Chriscan.com Enterprises Ltd. Len Suchocki (250) 712-1324 www.chriscan.comConstructive Concepts Ltd. Darren Evans 250-542-1801 http://constructiveconceptsDunamis Projects Trevor / Evangeline Neyedli 250 681 3732 www.dunamisprojects.comGord Turner Renovations Ltd. Gord Turner (250) 469-9379 www.gtrenovations.comhamlet Property Services Paul Day 250 215 5355handyman Connection Quentin Cyre (250) 717-5500 kelowna.handymanconnection.com

John bachelder Construction John Bachelder (250)862-6725 Johnbachelderconstruction.comkeith Dahlen Construction Ltd. - Rebath Okanagan Ken Dahlen (ReBath Okanagan www.rebathokanagan.ca) 250-545-1300 www.keithconstruction.ca Okanagan Glacier homes inc. Kirk Andersen 778-755-5003 www.okglacierhomes.comUk Trades (0775766 bC Ltd.) Ron Brewer 250 862 1574 www.uktrades.caVivar homes ( A Division of Vivar Contracting inc.) D.J. Rasovic 250 808 5555Wilson and Company Ltd. James wilson 250-869-7125

SUPPLiERS

AcuTruss industries Ltd. Barry Schick & Rob voros 250-860-6667 www.acutruss.comAll Weather Windows Scott Dore (250) 860-5666 www.allweatherwindows.combig Steel box Troy Doell 250-763-9660 www.bigsteelbox.combolt Security Systems Gary Gylytiuk 250-861-1001 www.boltsecurity.net

burnco Rock Products (bC) Ltd. Dave Tesarski & Dean Biglow 250-769-7865 www.burnco.comCancadd Reproductions and Engineering Supplies Ltd. Jim Shedden 250 860 3475 www.cancadd.caCoast Wholesale Appliances inc. Rob Siddon (250) 765-2421 www.coastappliances.comColonial Countertops Ltd. Deeanna wehrhahn 250-765-3004 www.colonialcountertops.comCreative Door Services Don McEachern 250 491 2012 www.creativedoor.comCultured Stone Kim Kotowsky 250-864-8110 www.culturedstone.comDesigning with Light Supply Mike Bentien / Rob Bentien (250) 862-3671 www.designingwithlight.caDuPont building innovations Ryan Foster 250-575-2545 www.construction.tyvek.caEnviro Choice Sewage Treatment Solutions George Devlin (250) 765-8265 - 1-866-765-8265 www.envirochoice.caEuroline Windows inc. Paul Klyne/ Roel van De Crommenacker (250) 448-8484 or (250) 718-7771 www.euroline-windows.comFloform Countertops Ken Hilsenteger (250) 860-5333 http://floform.comGienow Windows & Doors Dave Richert (250) 868-9006 or 1-800-367-9520 www.gienow.comGlass Canada inc. Debra Dotschkat 250-454-9923 http://glasscanada.net/home hardware building Centre Mike Irvine (250) 868-9040 www.homehardware.caiko industriesLtd. vincent Carrier-Sales Representative 250-212-7742 www.iko.comJona Panel Sales Joe Shalapata 250-764-7595 www.jonapanels.com

k2Stone (kelowna) inc. Darren Kroeker 1-866-323-3035 www.k2stone.cakaycan Ltd. Sandra woodcock (250) 258-8528 www.kaycan.comkekuli bay Cabinetry Bonnie Huber 250 558 5112 www.kekulibaycabinetry.comkelowna Ready Mix Harvey Beselt (250) 762-2211Mara Lumber Lou Gauthier 250-765-2963 www.maralumber.caNorelco Cabinets Peter Raja - Owner/General Manager 250-765-2121 www.norelcocabinets.caOk builders SupplyLtd. Pat Kunz (250) 762-3206 www.okbuilderssupplies.comOkanagan hardwood Flooring Co. Ltd. Steve Everitt (250) 765-2610 www.okanaganhardwoodfloors.comParagon Surfacing Ltd. interior Chris McCutcheon 250 861 8988 www.paragonsurfacing.comPhantom Screens Levon Symonds 250-762-7592 www.phantomscreens.comPlasti Fab Sean McBeth 604-526-2771 www.plastifab.comPure Granite Rocks Clark Omand 250-558-3773 www.puregranitrocks.comRobinson Lighting Centre Larry Lundgren (250) 860-9626 www.rlrbc.comRona home & Garden Chris Robertson 250-979-3089 www.rona.caSteel-Craft Door Products Ltd. Henry Howe 250-765-4765 www.steel-craft.caStrong Roots Flooring inc. Richard/Shannon Johnstone 2508087668 www.strongroots.caSundeck Centre Bryan Hughes & Justin Reynolds 250-766-7320 www.sundeckcentre.com

Telus Ken Perka 604 432 4847 www.telus.com/bicsThe brick (Commercial Sales Division) Tom St. George, Harinder Lalli (250) 765-2291 www.thebrick.comThe CAT Rental Store Graham Hoffman 250-860-3510 www.catrents.caTrail Appliances Terry volden (250) 862-3838 www.trailappliances.comWestwood Fine Cabinetry inc. Kelly Kennedy - Business Development Manager (250) 860-3900 www.westwoodfinecabinetrry.comWolseley kitchen & bath Classics Hayley Mepham & Norm Schwab 250-860-4366 www.wolseleyinc.ca

TRADE CONTRACTORS

Ace Plumbing & heating Brian walter 250-861-6696 www.aceplumbing.bzbath Fitter Ian Gorst 250-860-8678 www.bathfitter.combeyond Audio inc. Mike Ohman (250) 860-9929 www.beyondaudio.combolt Security Systems Dennis Palmer 250-861-1001 www.boltsecurity.netCDN Roof Doctor Ltd. Howard Pfefferle (250) 765-3013 www.roofdoctor.caCertaPro Painters Jason McMurray (250) 868-5126 www.certapro.comCrystal Classic Exteriors inc. Dan Poznikoff 250-861-5988 www.crystalclassic.caDiscovery Glass & Aluminum inc. Gary Alton 778-753-5966 www.discoveryglass.caFloform Countertops Ken Hilsenteger (250) 860-5333 http://floform.com

DiRECTORY CHBA-CO 2010-11

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Four Seasons insulation Ltd. Roger Prato 250-861-3626 www.fourseasonsinsulation.comGeoTility Geothermal installations Corp. Rick Nelson 1-250-762-5776 www.geotility.caGlass Canada inc. Debra Dotschkat 250-454-9923 http://glasscanada.net/hi-Test Exteriors Ltd. Jason Gagnon-Owner 1-250-808-8859keith Dahlen Construction Ltd. - Rebath Okanagan Ken Dahlen (ReBath Okanagan www.rebathokanagan.ca) 250-545-1300 www.keithconstruction.ca kekuli bay Cabinetry Bonnie Huber 250 558 5112 www.kekulibaycabinetry.com

kilo-Womp Electric Ltd. Keith wemp (250) 861-3939Loney Plumbing inc. Richard Loney 250-470-0108Lynx brand Fence Products John Denney 250 765 1468 www.lynxfence.comMadge Contracting Ltd. Chris Romano 250-765-1180 www.madgeroofing.comNicholson Enterprises Bob Nicholson 250-212-1758Norelco Cabinets Peter Raja - Owner/General Manager 250-765-2121 www.norelcocabinets.caOkanagan Solar Ltd. Rob Monteith 250 801 9662 www.okanagansolar.ca

Square Root Contracting & Consulting Ltd Mike Twack (250) 863-6576 www.sq-root.comStarwatch Audio Video Peter Tischler 1-250-717-0022 www.starwatchav.com.Strong Roots Flooring inc. Richard/Shannon Johnstone 2508087668 www.strongroots.caSundeck Centre Bryan Hughes & Justin Reynolds 250-766-7320 www.sundeckcentre.comTechlectric Construction Company Ltd. Brad Handel 250 833 4272 www.techsmart.caVivar homes ( A Division of Vivar Contracting inc.) D.J. Rasovic 250 808 5555

UTiLiTY COMPANiES

FortisbC Energy inc. Brent Hunt (250) 868-4522 wwwfortisbc.comFortisbC inc. Kim Jones (250) 717-0808 www.fortisbc.comShaw Cablesystems GP Marc Reinhart (250) 712-2345 www.shaw.caTelus Ken Perka 604 432 4847 www.telus.com/bics

WARRANTY COMPANiES

National home Warranty Programs Gord Houston 1-604-575-3536 www.nationalhomewarranty.com

Pacific home Warranty insurance Services inc. Josh Cudmore 1 604 574 4776 www.pacificwarranty.comTravelers Guarantee Company of Canada Marvin Friesen - Kelowna Ed Tsumura - vancouver 1-800-555-9431 www.travelersguarantee.com

DiRECTORY CHBA-CO 2010-11

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