Paint it white

Paint it white Writer Grania Litwin and photographer Frances Litman are recognised for their sense of style and knowledge of outstanding design. All the backsplashes, bathroom vanities, countertop, shower walls and pans, even a pillar near the stove, are clad in Corian - a solid-surface product made of nonporous acrylic polymer. The cabinet doors, inside and out, are faced in high-density laminate with a super-smooth finish, edged in grey aluminum banding for definition and have brushed nickel handles. There are no bedside tables, end tables or chests of drawers, no file cabinets, armoires or sideboards, and, except for one fixture in the master bath, all of the lighting is integrated into the cabinetry. All Urbana cabinets are made by B. companies that have been in business to get more than 25 years, and these are by Columbia Cabinets in Abbotsford. "Every single piece is custom made - nothing is off the shelf and we can match any colour," said Kendall, who was once asked to match a set of Mexican saltshakers. The palette extends to gleaming appliances, leather chairs, sofas and small ottomans. This polar excess is nothing new for the warm and fun-loving Gail and husband Ron, who likes to be called Shorty because he's 5' 5. Their former home in Kamloops was mostly white, as was their first retirement home - a custom 6,000square-foot house they built at Sun Peaks, an area just north of Kamloops famous for its powder skiing. The alpine setting appealed to the former owners of five dry-cleaning locations in Kamloops. Ron, 77, a former professional hockey player, had taken up skiing in 1968 but made his last downhill run in 2003 and they decided it was time to move. They sold their all-white mountain retreat to a couple from Saudi Arabia, who bought it complete with all of the furnishings, and moved to Vancouver Island with only their suitcases. Gail has always enjoyed decorating, but says she doesn't have expensive taste. She recalls the white fixation starting early. "I've never found it cold. (The 72 recessed lights are on dimmer switches so she can turn the condo from bright to sultry at night. Justa Kendall, co-owner of Urbana, which provided the custom cabinets for the condo, said the Styles knew precisely what they wanted and are not only super-organized - "a designer's dream" - but terrific fun. "We breezed through the whole process," with company designer Jessica Kwasnica handling the details. At first Kendall admits she was doubtful about the inside whiteout. When they first retired, they did the "motorhome thing," she said. highway] and decided to spend several winter months on the beaches of Hawaii. Storage for more linens, cushions and glassware isn't a problem, since this understated 1,400-square-foot home is loaded with custom cabinetry. It's like a luxury yacht. Gail said with a laugh: "We are not fussy, high-end people. Urbana usually makes custom cabinets for kitchens, bathrooms and offices, but in this condo, they made them for every room in the home, all in pure white, with Corian countertops in a colour called Antarctica. So we were hippies for a while. And then it seemed time to downsize. "That's really something in a 1,400-square-foot home, and it doesn't include all the huge panels for things like doors on tracks, and the various panels used to finish up or create dividing spaces. "The big concern in our work is precision and optimizing space. The result is quiet, contemporary and ultra cool but not cold, thanks to many hits of colour, which the owners inject according to the season or their mood. "We love electric blue and turquoise at this time of year," said Gail, who's been known to toss aroundscarlet cushions at Christmas, chartreuse towels in spring, or use lime green ceramics to brighten her dining table on a dull winter day. "They pop out once in a while," she joked. Ron did a lot of volunteering at Sun Peaks, organizing special events, putting on ski races and serving as director of the local health association. "Here is our laundry room," he said with glee, swinging open a cupboard door to reveal an LG all-in-one, steam washer/dryer appliance. "To be perfectly honest I was - but Gail had such a strong vision and had done it before, so we went with her desires and it suddenly warmed up when it was finished, with all the fantastic lighting along with their personal touches. The guest room has a complete wall of storage in addition to a built-in desk. And all are snow white. Paint it white Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 10/06/2012