This waterfront seasonal home incorporates two decades of design work into a luxurious transitional style, created to escape from it all.
BY DANIELLE POPE | PHOTOS BY JEFFREY BOSDET
Iván Meade was relatively new in Victoria’s design scene when he received an inquiry from a woman named Kathy. The message said she and her husband had recently purchased a seasonal home up Island and were looking for a designer who could transform the mansion-sized space into one that would work for their family. Specifically, starting by turning the downstairs volleyball court into something more useful.
That was roughly 20 years ago. Back then, Meade was established in his home country of Mexico, but was still building his name here.
“At first, I thought someone might be playing a joke on me. Who was this dream client?” says Meade, principal designer of Meade Design Group. “I knew there were other, bigger names she was talking with, too, and I was just young — but we really connected. Six months passed and I thought, ‘Oh, well.’ Then she called me to say they wanted to move ahead.”
Daydream in the making
For the past two decades, Meade’s team has been working with the couple on evolving this four-level, 4,880-square-foot home into a space made for family gatherings: one that’s seen multi-phased changes through the years, starting with that basement reno. While that first project was completed more than 17 years ago, the unused indoor volleyball court was ultimately transformed into a loft guest space, rec room, gym and pool table area, specially designed for grandkids and parties. It was even featured on HGTV as one of the top rec rooms in North America and its mid-century motifs have stood the test of time.
Since then, the home has evolved to bring transitional design into its other levels, including a completely renovated kitchen and living floor, bedroom level and bathrooms. The home now features a hidden elevator for accessibility, a massive, wrap-around deck, a renewed laundry space and a functional media room for family movie nights. For a home that can sleep at least 20 people, the changes have come as the family and friend circles have expanded — Meade included.
“We joke that they are my Canadian family now, and I’m often at their holiday gatherings,” says Meade. “I get to experience the house, first hand, and see what is and isn’t working.”
Kathy, who prefers her last name omitted for privacy, says buying the home and its nearly one-acre property hadn’t been the initial plan but, back in 2003, few options on the Island worked as a family retreat.
“We had intended to build, and it would have been nothing like this one — west coast and edgy — but nothing fit the bill. Our real estate agent suggested looking [up Island] … and when we first saw the house from the outside we said, ‘I don’t think so,’ ” says Kathy. “The next day there was a showing, though, and as soon as we walked through the door everything felt right. We knew this was it. By the time we got home, we decided to purchase it.”
Although they opted to keep the home’s existing floor plan, the family knew some renovations would be needed and, since Kathy didn’t know any designers on the Island, she started flipping through the phone book. Meade seemed to understand her vision instantly.
Piece by piece
While Kathy acknowledges few renos happen over a 20-year span, it took time to understand how the space would be used. At first, the family only visited occasionally, replacing things like stairs on the worn-down goat path linking the home to the water. Now, they spend whole summers there. Of the home’s two lower levels, the volleyball court was the first to be revised.
“The remarkable thing about that space is, nearly two decades later, it stands the test of time. You would not walk into that area and say it’s dated,” says Kathy. “But it was a very important first collaboration [with Meade]. It took time, and he became a very good family friend in the course of that.”
Practical changes came next, including a high-end kitchen makeover, a new pantry and refreshed living areas, more seating in the family room and a “James-Bond-style” elevator hidden behind a hutch to create accessibility for Kathy’s 94-year-old mother. More recently, as the family grew, one upper bedroom was transformed into a bed, office and extra bathroom upstairs, the laundry room was reconfigured and a beautifully oversized wrap-around deck was added to take advantage of the spectacular views.
“With Iván’s magic, three of the four bedrooms on the upper levels are like masters now, which is wonderful given the family we have,” says Kathy. “There is a full walk-in closet in the master bedroom, and that bathroom now has this incredible window overlooking the bay, which is one of the most beautiful views in the house. My friends have joked that we should have parties just in that bathroom.”
Destination family time
Because this is one of Meade’s largest and longest-standing projects, he’s seen the property’s transformation from the beginning. He says every step has been built upon the last to keep the home evolving to the family’s changing needs.
“Sometimes, you don’t have to tackle it all at once. This house is one of those generational homes made to stay in a family for a long time. We worked strategically and created this design that feels contemporary without being pretentious,” says Meade. “It’s a place they can come and unwind and relax and be comfortable, but it’s still elegant. It has become a destination for the family to enjoy together.”
Kathy says this destination was especially supportive in the last few years with the state of the world. She’s happy they took the time to make all the changes over the last two decades.
“For a seasonal home with lots of people and kids, you want something low maintenance that still looks really great, because it’s also a space we entertain a lot — at least, before the pandemic. During the pandemic, we brought my mother here and it was a place you could just wait things out. I’m so grateful for the changes we’d made at that time, like the elevator,” says Kathy. “But that downstairs area is still one of my favourites. There have been some great parties down there.”
Resource List
MAIN FLOOR
Designer: Iván Meade, Meade Design Group
General contractor: Pine Lodge Contracting
Millwork: CSD Design
Countertops: Canary Custom Surfaces
Upholsterer: JD Upholstery
Window coverings: Monika Kurc (Installer: Select Blinds)
Entry tile: Hourigan’s Flooring
Kitchen backsplash: Bullnose Tile and Stone
Kitchen switch plates: CB2
Kitchen hardware: Restoration Hardware
Kitchen/dining lighting: Visual Comfort Lighting Studios (formerly Circa Lighting)
Kitchen/dining ceiling and laundry wallpaper: Brewster Home Fashions
Powder room tile: Lunada Bay Tile
Powder room/elevator wallpaper: Maxwell Fabrics
Living room window treatment fabric: Fabricut
Living room art photography: Iván Meade
UPPER FLOOR
Designer: Iván Meade, Meade Design Group
General contractor: Paul Hofmann, Hofmann Construction
Millwork: ProNautic
Window coverings: Monika Kurc (Installer: Select Blinds)
Wallpaper installer: Superior Decorating
Upholsterer: Alexandria Upholstery
Countertops: King’s Granite
Custom glasswork: Parker Glass
Plumbing and hardware: The Ensuite Bath & Kitchen (*less toilets)
Tile supply: Island Floor Centre
Primary window treatment fabric and trim, storage bench fabric: Fabricut
Primary wallpaper (walls): Phillip Jeffries
Primary wallpaper (ceiling): Kravet
Ensuite lighting: McLaren Lighting
Ensuite wallpaper: Phillip Jeffries
Ensuite mural: Schumacher
