Kelowna lakeside residence an entertainer’s paradise

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Kelowna resident Trisha Isabey, founder and CEO of Isabey Interiors, understands the requirements of lakeside living.

“Unless you grew up around a lake, it’s hard to explain the flow of what people want,” she explains. “It’s important to understand how the Okanagan addresses lakefront living.”

It was this level of understanding that made Isabey and her design team the obvious choice to transform the Maverick Residence into an entertainer’s paradise.

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The concept for the updated design of the deluxe waterfront property was all about modern luxury and style that could be shared with friends.

“We approached the whole house around it being a vacation getaway, with a layout that was mainly just for entertaining,” explains Kelly Teschner, lead interior designer on the project. This intention is apparent the moment you step foot in the home. Visitors are greeted with a pool table and bar area spotlit with a multi-level pendant from Kuzco Lighting, before continuing through to the open-concept kitchen and living space on the main level, with an expansive view of the backyard and the lake beyond.

Before becoming the hosting hub that it is today, the outdated ’90s interior needed a complete overhaul. Teschner started by mapping out a functional layout that would work for their client’s dream of a luxurious escape, as well as the needs of future homeowners.

“Everything was dark and the layout of the rooms was very choppy,” Teschner recalls. The primary ensuite included a bizarre circular concrete shower, reminiscent of a spaceship.

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Teschner managed to preserve as much of the character and materials from the original build as possible — like the spacious front door and the impressive, curved ceiling details — while the majority of the interior was taken down to the studs, spaceship and all, to create a clean slate for their updated vision.

“One of the things that [the homeowners] really wanted was the ability to seamlessly enjoy lake living,” says Isabey of the focus on enhancing the scope of the outdoor space. This was achieved by adding large retractable slide-in glass doors between the indoor and outdoor kitchens, meaning the homeowners and their guests could easily enjoy both as one continuous space.

The existing outdoor kitchen was expanded and resurfaced with new siding and accent details for a fresh look, while a spacious seating area was added for comfortable open-air lounging. In keeping with the playful summertime oasis vibe set by the existing pool and private dock, Teschner designed a mini putting green — made of SYNLawn to keep maintenance and watering to a minimum — for a combination green space and entertainment zone.

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To ensure the homeowners could squeeze every moment possible out of their time outdoors, special attention was paid to layout elements that would work with daily fluctuations in temperature. A covered area was added over the west-facing cook station to shield the chef from the early-evening Kelowna heat and a fire pit was integrated into the seating area for the days when a chill sweeps in off the lake.

Inside, the open layout reflects the vision of an optimized, welcoming space by adding function to previously underutilized spaces. The kitchen itself was expanded to twice its original length by eliminating a formal dining room.

A former office was converted into a concealed walk-in pantry with easy access through a disguised cabinet door. A neglected utility room under the main staircase was reinvented into a glass-walled wine room — featuring custom metalwork and large- format ceramic black and gold wall tiles from Fontile — centrally located between the kitchen and the living room.

“We made it part of the space in a beautiful way. Now it’s an important part of the whole flow and unique design,” says Teschner of the reimagined space. “It was quite the project and it’s absolutely stunning.”

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Throughout the home, Teschner added further unique elements by mixing and matching different finishes, effectively creating a grounded warmth with textural pops in every room. Alongside white lacquered and rift oak kitchen cabinets are carbon-neutral stonework countertops and backsplash, with fitted sinks and Brizo faucets to complete the sleek look. The centrepiece of the kitchen is the fully customized mitred-edge island with a connected seating area made from a combination of white ‘Rem’ and black ‘Laos’ stonework from Dekton Cosentino. As a final piece of balance to the space, a linear pendant from EuroFase was placed over the seating area.

In the living room, rift white oak slat walls and built-in shelving frame a giant Silestone fireplace installation that was custom mitred to meet the exact angles of the room. Above the fireplace, Teschner incorporated yet another clever hidden element with a flip-around TV that comes out of the upper cabinets at the touch of a button and can be seamlessly tucked away when not in use allowing better focus on the incredible natural views.

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“[Kelly and her team] used a lot of imagination in bringing the space into the modern day in a way that didn’t sacrifice the structure of the house,” says Isabey, looking back at the original plans.

“We had such a blank slate to work from and the clients were so open to our thoughts,” adds Teschner. “We were able to create such a beautiful space with so many flexible, creative elements.”

Interior Design: Isabey Interiors

Building: Isabey Home

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