Canadian studio Sophie Burke Design sensitively restore a heritage-listed 1912 home in Vancouver’s Jericho Beach for a young family.
Designer and principal of her namesake studio, Sophie Burke, reflects on her Jericho House project as quite the ‘ambitious’ overhaul. Preserving only the original shell of the century-old home, the Sophie Burke Design team have rewritten the interior narrative by reconfiguring the floorplan, opening the home to ocean views and improving spatial connections. The result is a contemporary coastal home that’s equal parts respectful of its past and conducive to modern-day family living.
Produced in partnership with La Cornue
“Our clients do like to cook; the kitchen needed to be highly functional and practical for the client’s extended family, however also beautiful as it’s in full view from the entirety of the main floor,” Sophie Burke says.
The kitchen opens onto the outdoor terrace through gridded, steel-frame bi-fold doors. Pieces in this space include the Lili stool by Stowed, Linear Standard Clare joinery pulls, Allied Maker Arc Globe 06 pendant lights and a La Cornue CornuFé 110 range cooker.
A Homage to Heritage
Although Sophie Burke Design completely stripped the home inside, the team ensured each heritage detail or nod to the home’s history was entirely recreated and reintroduced. Shiplap and coffered timber ceilings, now painted white, reflect what Sophie Burke calls a “youthful nod to heritage styles”, together with the reinstated skirting boards, trimmed window sills and fireplace.
“For clients who truly enjoy cooking, high-quality appliances are something we prioritise for both their function and longevity,” Sophie Burke explains. So the team looked no further than a black and brass La Cornue CornuFé 110 range cooker to tie the heritage and contemporary components of the home together. “The contrast of the traditional style with the modern technology aligned perfectly with the theme of the home,” Sophie adds.
A bespoke bench seat by the bay window provides a cosy spot to sit and read while being close to the action. The neutral dining space features the Expormim Kotai dining table, Carl Hansen & Søn CH36 chairs and the Pinch Anders pendant light.
The Entertainer’s Kitchen
Akin to most family homes, the kitchen is the workhorse. Sophie says for this project, it was important the team balanced the requirements of an enduring family kitchen – ample storage, enough bench space and a breakfast bar – married with the client’s innate passion for cooking. “Our clients do like to cook; the kitchen needed to be highly functional and practical for the client’s extended family, however also beautiful as it’s in full view from the entirety of the main floor,” she adds.
Sophie Burke Design specified a black and brass La Cornue CornuFé 110 range cooker to fulfil the comprehensive brief. “The clients were really excited about the idea of a statement range cooker,” Sophie says. “The contrast of the traditional style with the modern technology aligned perfectly with the overarching theme of the house – a characterful home with contemporary detailing.” The CornuFé 110 includes a central burner with 4kW of power and two independent ovens; an essential when entertaining.
To incorporate the black range cooker into the neutral kitchen scheme, Sophie Burke Design custom-designed the matt-black open storage units flanking the rangehood; “to display the client’s collection of dishes and pottery,” Sophie adds.
Sophie Burke Design replaced each heritage detail, including the profiled window sills and fireplace mantlepiece. The living room is an amalgamation of esteemed European pieces such as the Living Divani Greene sofa, &Tradition Fly SC11 table, Menu rose marble plinth, Desiree Karin lounge chair, Fredericia Swoon chair and Charlotte Perriand Berger stools for Cassina.
“Primarily designed as an office, the cosy den tucked just off the kitchen has become the favourite spot in the house for the whole family to hang out,” Sophie says. Notable pieces in this space include a Colin King for Beni rug, Flexform Mondo chair, Montauk Geoffrey loveseat, vintage rosewood round coffee table and Lambert & Fils Waldorf Suspension triple pendant.
The ‘den’ is concealed from the open floorplan by two pocket doors that disappear behind the cabinetry. An assortment of Vincent van Duysen’s Shallow pots for Where Objects Work are displayed in the niche, along with the Thonet Hoffman chair in the study nook.
The blue-green front door is an indirect nod to Jericho Beach, just steps away. The hallway features the Marramarket Zanafi Morrocan rug, Ethnicraft spindle bench, Allied Maker Archipelago light and Linear Standard Brave hardware on the cabinetry.
The Gubi Multi-Lite pendant in the light-filled staircase void. Artwork unknown.
A Scandinavian-inspired Palette
Building on a neutral foundation of white, oak, marble and blackened steel, each space throughout the home is imbued with a deep sense of calm. Common threads include subtle brass details and blue accents, picked up in the home’s artwork and front door. A curated furniture scheme with pieces by Danish furniture designers Menu, &Tradition, Carl Hansen & Søn and Fredericia reaffirm Sophie Burke Design’s intent.
The primary ensuite upstairs continues the soft palette through tactile linen and custom oak storage.
