Last weekend I visited Rainbow Hill, a stunning new modern townhouse development in Victoria. The show suite, open Saturdays/Sundays 1pm-4pm, is furnished by Gabriel Ross.
Front Entry
The entry opens up to an open concept kitchen/dining/living space through to beautiful huge windows overlooking Victoria with glimpses of the ocean.
Living Room
The fireplace in the living space is simply amazing. It’s completely inserted and flush with the wall. Its low level flame flickers across its horizontal width adding the perfect amount of warmth to this modern space.
Nanimarquina
Dining Area
Gabriel Ross’ finest is found in this space – our Ennezero side cabinet featuring the comic design, Valentina, Moooi’s Random light fixture, a Nani Marquina area rug, Christina Hilborne’s Urban Chic coffee table, and our very own Project upholstery collection.
Front Deck Featuring Royal Botania
This home offers a huge outdoor living space – we furnished it with our Royal Botania Ninix collection.
Bedroom
Bedroom
Our Niloc bed and custom cabinet adorn the bedroom space, complimented by the Paper Mirror by Moooi, Tizio Classic bedside lamps by Artemide, and Nelson Cabinet side tables by Herman Miller. And taking this bedroom from fabulous to divine is Fritz Hansen’s Egg Chair by Arne Jacobsen.
Bedroom
My journey through this show suite was filled with surprises – from radiant heat flooring to an entire lower level living area, den, and tonnes of additional space open to customization. Space, space, and more beautiful big windows.
Lower Level Living
The lower living area is furnished with Cassina‘s Marralunga sofa and chair in black leather, the Noguchi Table from Herman Miller, Panton’s Amoebe Chair, 2 Le Corbusier’s LC1 chairs flanking a Nelson Platform Bench. On the wall is a Sunflower Clock by George Nelson for Vitra, and on the opposite wall – a Calligaris low entertainment unit.
Lower Level
Learn more about this incredible development, here.
Questions about the furnishings and accessories featured in this post? Contact us, here.
Contrast <glorious contrast> is evident in the case of this modern white townhouse amongst its more traditional, but very charming, neighbour homes in Landskrona Sweden by Elding Oscarson. This build takes full advantage of vertical space but extending up above surrounding rooftops and full advantage of the available horizontal space with square composition.
The contrast theme extends inwards with a black wire Harry Bertoia Diamond Chair against the stark white floors and walls.The floor to ceiling bookshelves and accent fabrics add texture and visual interest to an otherwise minimal interior.
And what would a beautiful white modern space be without a beautiful white modernist Eames Shell Chair? I love the contrast here between the neighbouring old brick exterior wall and the sleek white and aluminum exterior of this townhouse.
This time of year can be difficult to welcome with open arms. Shorter (and wetter) days, longer nights, more dark, less light. However, one perk of Fall – aside from colourful leaves and cozy scarves – is that our showroom becomes magic after 5pm.
While our lighting lines: Flos, Foscarini, Modernica, Akari, Vibia, among others, are amazing during the day … during the dark they become truly awesome. And it’s not just the lighting itself, it’s everything that falls under their glow. All of perfectly designed, constructed, upholstered, and polished pieces in our showroom shine a little more fabulous after 5pm on a crisp Fall evening.
I can’t wait to see these George Nelson Bubble Lamps shine through the checkered warehouse windows of our future showroom across the street. Get ready to glow Harjim.
Can you tell the difference between these two photos?
OK OK… enough pats on the back… I did kind of give it away in the title. We’re moving! woot! If you would like to know where we are moving, here are some technical geographical directions:
1. Stand at Gabriel Ross’ current front door on Bay Street
2. Turn 180 degrees
Yup, we’re moving across the street. We thought we would save ourselves the cost of a moving van… heck, we can just roll our Aeron chairs across the street. OK that’s not really why we are moving into the Harjim buildings… we’re moving into the Harjim buildings because they are super cool, old and full of character, donned with beautiful warehouse windows and they are going to be our very own. A fresh coat of paint and some drywall and this gem is going to be a sublime backdrop for Modernica Bubble Lamps and Herman Miller Eames Lounge Chairs. I absolutely can’t wait to see our hot pink fuschia Egg Chair in this space.
Here are some “before” pictures…
Harjim Building, Bay Street exterior
Harjim Building, Rock Bay exterior
Harjim Building 2, Rock Bay exterior
Harjim Building, Rock Bay exterior
Harjim Building, interior
Stay tuned for the “after” pictures! We will keep you updated along the way. We’re really excited to watch this transformation take place and move into our new digs! During the transition, our website will be up and running but our showroom will obviously have some interruptions – although if you can’t find us at our Bay Street location, remember the super technological geographical directions above (or just turn around and look across the street).
For up to the minute updates on this exciting news follow us on Twitter, here. Also, check out our Facebook fan page, here.
Terra Verde (Italian for “Green Earth”) is a new contemporary townhome devlopment in Fairfield area, Victoria BC. It’s a modern project with a west coast feel by local developer, Abstract Developments. The open concept design and clean finishes create a perfect space to house Gabriel Ross’ modern furnishings and accessories.
Terra Verde - exterior, 1020 Richardson Victoria BC
Many of our lines are represented in the show suite including Frighetto, Calligaris, Cattelan Italia, Herman Miller, Unique carpets, Joquer, Fritz Hansen, and several pieces by our own upholstery shop. The livingroom features Frighetto’s Hopi sofa and matching arm chairs, Herman Miller Noguchi table in black, Unique Carpet’s Aurora Borealis area rug, and Flos’ Tab lamp.
The barstools at the kitchen island are the “Hoppy” stool by Bonaldo in black leather. With a hydraulic lift, these stools are perfect for any space with varying counter/bar heights. They even make a comfortable extra seat around the dining table in a pinch.
Calligaris’ Modern table and Cattelan Italia’s Tess chairs adorn the diningroom, featuring Walter Gropius’ TAC 02 dinnerware and Reidel wine glasses ontop of Chilewich Ghost Stripe placemats.
A sitting area next to the kitchen is the perfect place to enjoy your morning cappucino in one of Gabriel Ross’ Metro chairs. Between the chairs is a Platner side table in bronze by Knoll.
The bed in the first bedroom is our very own Niloc design and Loft nightstands while the second bedroom features the “Mini’ version of the Niloc upholstered in Knoll’s graphic houndstooth textile: Century by Dorothy Cosonas.
The lower level features an underground parking garage, and a spacious media room. We furnished the media room with a Joquer Light sofa, Moka chair, and Fritz Hansen’s PK20Â easy chair in black leather. The floor lamp is the new Diesel “Fork” by Foscarini – for more info on this see our previous blog post, here.
The show suite is open Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday 1-4pm. For more information, contact Abstract Developments or Mark Lawless from Re/max, here.
Questions about the furniture or accessories? Contact our showroom at 250-384-2554.
For more information on Terra Verde, visit Abstract Development’s website, here.
Just one decade and 24 million US dollars … that’s all it took to build to build Dr. James Stewart’s residence in Rosedale, Toronto.
The owner is a former violinist and math professor, having made his millions writing calculus textbooks. Although the home would have certainly demanded some complicated mathematical formulas to build, it has many artistic angles and houses a private concert hall.
Full of curves, wood, floor to ceiling windows, concrete, and an amazing custom staircase – this house appears warm and cool, modern and vintage, clean and decorative … all at once.
Brigitte Shim and Howard Sutcliffe of Shim Sutcliffe are the architects behind the project and apparently they had an unlimited budget and time frame – an architect or designer’s dream, I’m sure.
“I think it’s one of the most important private houses built in North America in a long time” – Glenn D. Lowry, director of New York’s Museum of Modern Art in a Wall Street Journal article. Now all we have to do is get invited to one of Dr. Stewart’s private concerts or costume balls to see this beauty in person…
Photographs by Jim Dow, Ed Burtynsky & Bob Gundu, via coolhunter.net
Meka ALP320 in Manhattan. Image: Daniella Zalcman/The Wall Street Journal
At $100.00 per square foot, the Meka ALP320 is a sweet deal. At least, those in Manhattan sure think so after one of these little modern/ular home nuggets was transplated at the corner of Charles and Washington Street. Toronto designer Jason Halter along with Christos Marcopoulos and developer Michael de Jong, under the brand “Meka World” are behind the popular prototype making waves in New York City’s West Village.
Meka ALP320
Fabricated out of a shipping container, the manufacturing for this home is in China which is meant to make these units affordable for the masses – a major objective for the young and successful design partnership. Meka World has this to say on their website:
“‘Meka’ (an acronym for modular, environmental, kinetic, assembly), is a combination of their design considerations with a manufacturing and ordering solution that delivers the most cost savings available on the planet. The result was to produce the most luxurious living spaces with a clean modern sensibility, at super affordable prices.” www.mekaworld.com
Meka ALP320 Interior Living view
Sustainability plays a large role in the design and manufacturing of these homes also. Base models are available with sub zero appliances, solar hot water heating, and bamboo walls.
Meka ALP320 Kitchen view
Meka ALP320
The ALP320 is just one model of a handful of interesting and unique offerings by Meka World. Options include various sizes and shapes including one much larger 2 -level unit seemingly suitable for family living, the HELA1280:
Meka HELA1280 Exterior View
Meka HELA1280 Interior view
In case you happen to be visiting New York in the near future, you can view the ALP320 in person 10:00-6:00pm Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays).
Why do so many great architects also have the mind to create such timeless and recognizable furniture. The group is great and have contributed to influence the growing future generation of designer architects.
Mies Van Der Rohe has influenced the design of many houses and put together a collection of furniture that will fit in any style home. Not only great in a home, Mies furniture looks great in an office setting as well.
If you have a property that requires a thoughtful and imaginative structure to get the most out of the land, taking some ques from any Frank Lloyd Wright house may work well.
Utilizing the lines from the surroundings, Frank lloyd Wright has created classic furniture that looks great in a west coast modern, homes with rich wood and exposed beam structure.
Another great who liked to use organic shapes for those of you that are into more of a modern look is Eero Saarinen. He has problaby the largest selection of notable furniture that can funk up an area or really morph your home into a fresh modern space.
One example of furniture that may drastically change the look of your living room is the Womb chair.
Google announced that Street View has been extended to our Victoria, the location of our showroom, Nanaimo, B.C., Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Sudbury, Ont., London, Ont., Sherbrooke, Que., and St. John’s, N.L. We join larger cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
Mies Van Der Rohe has influenced the design of many houses and put together a collection of furniture that will fit in any style home. Not only great in a home, 
