Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/362765
34 | FALL 2014 bcliving.ca home W hen designer Ami McKay showed the homeowner the grey- washed wood she wanted to use for the flooring in his newly built Edgemont Village home, he told her she was crazy. "He wanted a walnut kitchen – and he wanted walnut everywhere," explains McKay, pointing out that it was the first time the builder and his wife had worked with a designer. "I wanted to use walnut as a punctuation. It's more of a feature," she says. "If it's everywhere, it gets a little flat." Once McKay put together her inspiration package of natural materials, which included walnut, bluestone and grey-washed wood – colours and textures evocative of North Vancouver's nearby mountains and forests – she handily won the homeowners over. "is house is very West Coast contemporary. e inspiration was all the natural materials," says McKay. Overall, the 4,500 square foot home's design and decor could be described as quiet. Walls are muted, fabrics are in hushed tones, stone adds texture and the grey floors throughout provide an uninterrupted flow from room to room. But that doesn't mean there isn't drama. Take the gutsy see-through glass wine room that floats between front and back entrances, for instance. "It's an art piece," says McKay. And then there are the edgy canvases. "Even though the pieces are dramatic, they're limited to one sightline," says McKay. Her goal? To make sure each room looks beautiful from every angle – inside and out – whether you're sitting or standing. e Family Room "is house is very West Coast contemporary. e inspiration was all the natural materials" —Ami McKay, designer A SPLASH OF COLOUR McKay's go-to colour is blue, as seen in the table lamp and over-dyed rug, which anchors the otherwise neutral family room. "It creates contrast," she says, adding, "it's also incredibly neutral." McKay selected the home's furnish- ings and paintings that are all by B.C. artists.