– Story by Hans Tammemagi, Photography by nuttycake.com –
Approaching from Brentwood Drive, the new home towers like a castle, gleaming in its newness and elegance. Passing potted plants, I cross a drive of interlocking bricks and climb up a wide stairway. The front door is embossed with an attractive native carving with a Salish beaver theme.
Kerry Impett, who with her partner Steve Richards, owns the home, greets me and explains that the beaver represents the values they cherish: good work ethic and a strong sense of family.
Stepping inside I enter a sweeping open-concept space bathed in light pouring in from large windows. With her two-year old son, Ryan, tagging along, Impett takes me on a tour. There are two other children at school and a fourth on the way, she explains patting her tummy. “Steve and I designed this home to be practical and functional for a family of six,” she says, “but we also wanted it to be sophisticated and modern.” I quickly see that they have achieved their goals.
Impett smiles and says, “Don’t mind the mess, we’re still moving in.” The walls are bare and a workman is putting some finishing touches to the glass bannister going to the second floor. A spacious living room with a gas fireplace and stone surround occupies the front of the house, facing west. Impett opens an accordion-like set of five joined glass doors the size of a wall that connect the living room to a large deck overlooking Brentwood Drive. The deck has overhead gas heaters, the floor consists of patio stones, and frameless glass railings allows an unobstructed view. It looks a delightful place to enjoy summer breezes.
The large open space stretches all the way to the back side of the house where another set of accordion doors open onto a backyard patio. The middle of the open space contains a dining area with a large table and an ultra-modern kitchen with a grey, granite-topped island, elegant white cabinets, and modern appliances including a professional-quality gas stove. A family area with a couch and a red wood stove, which contrasts with the overall theme of sophisticated whites and greys, occupies the area next to the backyard. Adjacent to the family area, a laundry room that doubles as a mud room also leads to the backyard. A feature in the adjoining bathroom sums up the exhaustive attention to detail found everywhere in the house. The toilet has an unusual but attractive square seat, and the water tank is invisible because it’s built into the wall.
With Ryan munching on Cheerios, Impett points to the white kitchen cabinets and says, “I love these. They’re a highlight of the kitchen and the bathrooms with their crisp graceful lines. And they function ever-so smoothly. The cabinets were made by Dave Moore, an excellent craftsman whom we went to school with.”
Her comment sums up the deep roots she and Richards have with the Brentwood community. “We grew up here, and my parents live just down the street. We love this region and we want to be here.”
She leads the way upstairs past a futuristic chandelier hanging in the stairwell. The master bedroom is gorgeous with a king bed facing an enormous wall-sized window with views onto the Brentwood Bay Lodge and masts in the harbour. “Steve and I can watch the Mill Bay ferry from bed,” laughs Impett. The ensuite bathroom has a surprise: a large, jetted bathtub is set right against a large picture window. It’s a perfect place to luxuriate, immersed in bubbles, with a glass of wine and a grand view. As we visited the other three bedrooms, Ryan scampered quickly into his own room and was soon playing with trucks and bulldozers. I noted that the master and one other bedroom have decks.
As we toured I was impressed by the extremely high quality of work in every aspect of the home. For example, the shower in the ensuite bathroom has not only regular and rainforest shower heads, but also three body sprays and a steamer. The main builder of this 3500 sq. ft. house was Steve Thomas Construction, but Impett and Richards had a close involvement in every level of the project from design to selecting contractors to working closely with them. In addition, as a plumber, Richards did much of the work himself and through Deep Cove Plumbing and Gas Ltd., a family business. Because of their close ties with the community, they knew which contractors to hire to achieve highest quality.
We descend to the lowest, or basement, level, which, due to the property’s slope, is a walkout on the front (west) side. The area contains a double garage, a children’s playroom, and what will become a workout room with exercise equipment. Tools abound, a sign of Richard’s mechanical skills. I note a floor level wash basin for Jackson, their German Pinscher dog.
Impett explains that everything electrical is hooked up to a Control Four Automation System so the house operates as a Smart Home. “We can program everything,” she says, “and can even adjust lights and heating/ventilation from our cell phones.” All lighting is by LEDs. The home gets fresh air and energy efficiency by using heat recovery ventilation units. There is in-floor heating throughout. A large underground storm-water tank saves rain water for later use.
The back yard, which faces onto a cul-de-sac street, has a separate driveway, a small grassed yard, and a trampoline and sandbox for the children. The home feels very much a part of the community; it is not hidden away behind fences and hedges.
Leaving, I look around a last time. The white and grey colours and designs are simple, yet elegant. There are modern, almost-futuristic lines and astonishing attention to detail. The home looks spectacular even at this move-in stage. It will be outstanding once all the paintings and furnishings are in place.
Dave Moore, Cabinet Maker
Entering the David H Moore Cabinetry workshop in Saanich, off Keating Cross-Road, I was immersed in the aroma of freshly cut wood. The space was filled with neatly stacked boards, partly finished cabinets, planers, table saws, routers, and other wood-working tools. A pile of sawdust and wood shavings lay under the planer where Moore was working.
“I’ve been handling wood since I was a kid,” he said. “My Dad taught woodwork at Camosun College and had a workshop at home where he let me build things.” Moore also spent 17 years apprenticing under one of Victoria’s premier cabinet makers. Little wonder that he has built a reputation for quality and craftsmanship and is booked solid for the next half year.
Together with Impett and Richards, Moore designed the cabinets in their home, which he calls a modern take on traditional cabinetry. His biggest challenge was working with the nine-foot ceilings. “We had to be careful with the design so that the kitchen looks proportional, not stretched out,” he said. “It also made for a tricky installation.”
There’s also a green side to Moore, who strives to operate ecologically. “Almost nothing goes to landfill,” he said. “The sawdust goes to a farmer for chicken bedding and the offcuts become kindling or are re-made into plywood.”
