Houzz Tour: Warm Modernism Way Up in the Air

A Vancouver high-rise condo’s spectacular views are accentuated by organic and shimmering textures in the decor

Becky Harris March 16, 2015

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.

Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More

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The views from the 52nd floor of the Shangri-La building in Vancouver are breathtaking. But when paired with cold architecture and a wall of 10-foot-high windows, they were also kind of scary. Designers Ian McLeod and Kerry Johnson knew their clients wanted a modern no-fuss look in their urban condo, but they also knew they had to make it warm and comfortable at the same time. Inspired by the textures and colors that line the local coastline, like those of sand, stones and driftwood, they brought in an organic feeling that softens the hard-edged urban architecture.

Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants

Photos by John Sinal

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: 2 busy doctors whose children have left the nest
Location: Vancouver
Size: 2,400 square feet (223 square meters); 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms

A gravel-like wallpaper and silk rug set the tone at the entry. The furnishings were a team effort — the owners commissioned McLeod to create the painting, and Johnson designed the bench. The bench is stainless steel, complete with drawers for keys, gloves and mail. The hues McLeod chose for the painting inspired the orange velvet upholstery on the bench.

Wall covering: Granite, Phillip Jeffries; bench: custom by Bloom Furniture Studio

Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants

A bank of windows offers sublime views of English Bay, Vancouver and the sea beyond. While the clean lines and crisp tailoring have a modern feel, rich textures inspired by the Pacific Northwest coastline’s pebbles and driftwood warm up the space. “It was up in the air, and we needed to make it feel cozy,” McLeod says.

Textiles add comfort in the crisply tailored space. A custom silk and wool rug grounds the room in a light sand color, while large felt ottomans recall boulders. The sofa has a nubby soft upholstery, and throw pillows add velvet. Stainless steel and Carrara marble tables mimic the hard-edged architecture.

Sofas, Impala footstool, striped velvet pillow, wingback chair: Brougham Interiors; stone-look ottomans: Roche Bobois; rug: custom, Burritt Brothers; coffee table: Inform Interiors; stainless steel and marble side tables and sofa table: 18 Karat

Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants

Addressing a 30-foot-long wall was key in warming up the room. “The wall was so large, it was intimidating,” McLeod says. Johnson designed a custom walnut wall with floating shelves and a cantilevered row of white lacquered storage boxes. The doors have touch latches to maintain a seamless look. The cabinets float, a theme carried throughout the home.

“The wall holds just enough; these homeowners travel a lot, don’t want too much stuff and wanted to minimize housekeeping,” McLeod says.

The piece that looks like a large dark stone is an oil lamp that the couple moves to the dining room when they want romantic light.

Oil-burning lamp: Inform Interiors; black pottery: Circle Craft; handblown glass vases: New-Small Gallery; wall design: Kerry Johnson, fabricated by Soma

Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants

The space is also about reflection. The wall covering has a silvery shine and resembles birch tree bark. The walls and dining room chair fabric, which has silver threads woven through it, sparkle at sunset and by candlelight at night.

Wall covering: white cork, Candice Olson

Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants

The homeowners commissioned this painting of circles and rings from McLeod. Dashes of orange reinforce the piece as a focal point in the sea of warm neutrals. The artwork also offers some geometric contrast to all of the organic textures and nods to midcentury modern style. “While we like to nod to midcentury modern style, it’s important to avoid a clichéd midcentury modern look,” McLeod says. “We’re more inspired by organic modernism.”

The sideboard is teak and floats atop slim bronze legs. “Most of the furniture touches down lightly,” McLeod says. “It looks like it’s floating.”

Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants

The kitchen is right in the center and needed to blend in with the space, so the designers chose a granite for the countertops that mimics the dining room wall covering.

Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants

This side of the island has storage hidden behind touch-latch cabinets. Because the kitchen doesn’t have any windows, the designers kept the palette light and bright. A lack of hardware gives the kitchen a clean, seamless look.

Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants

In one of the bedrooms, gravelly mica wallpaper adds a glamorous organic touch.

Tip: Create the look of windows with artwork. “I like to use glass to mimic windows — without the artwork, this was a large, solid wall,” McLeod says. “The glass adds depth through its reflection, and the botanical images bring the forest and the garden into a very urban space.”

They chose hot pink and magenta to create a focal point and bring bright color into the room. “The bright colors provide a focal point that’s kind of like finding sea glass on sand,” McLeod says, adding that magenta is a very modern color. Using throw pillows meant they didn’t have to make a big commitment to the bold hues.

Pillows: Provide

Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants

In the master bathroom, the wall covering is composed of metallic bronze raised-coin dots on a grid. “These clients did want some glamour up here, and a bathroom is a perfect place to add it,” McLeod says.

Wall covering: Rock Star, Phillip Jeffries

Johnson + McLeod Design Consultants

The wall covering in the second bathroom was inspired by the silvery skin of the salmon that swim upstream in the region.

McLeod and Johnson love what a cantilevered vanity can do for a space. “Again, it feels like it’s floating,” McLeod says. “It makes the room feel bigger and doesn’t interrupt the floor space, allowing the room to flow in a more open way.”

Wall covering: Silver Flake, Phillip Jeffries

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