When Chris Arena was offered his late grandmother’s 1990’s townhome to own, he knew it would require renovations to make it a comfortable space for his wife Loren and their young son Rowan.
“It was really in need of a refresh, as it had been vacant for a few years,” says Chris, of the 1,200 sq.-ft. Vancouver residence. “The biggest thing for us was to have an open concept main living area.”
The couple attended the IDS Vancouver Show and spoke to a few renovators, including Kendall Ansell, the founder of Belle Construction.
“I instantly liked what Kendall had to say,” says Loren. “I appreciated her ability to listen to us. Rather than push her own esthetics, she was on board with our vision for the space — even our half-baked ideas, which she helped us with.”
That Belle Construction is an 80 per cent all-female crew also appealed to the couple.
A dearth of women in trades
According to the Canadian Home Builders Association of BC (CHBA BC), of the 200,000 jobs in residential construction, approximately four per cent of the construction trades workforce in the province are women, although that number is growing each year.
“CHBA BC recognizes how vitally important gender diversity is in the residential construction industry,” says Neil Moody, CEO of CHBA BC. “There are incredible opportunities for women that offer challenging work, good pay and high levels of job satisfaction.”
A good match
“I’m a graphic designer, and I personally felt that Kendell’s work ethic and attention to detail aligned with mine,” says Loren. “On day one she handed us a binder detailing timelines, costs and other important information.”
Equally impressed, Chris says, “Kendall and her team were excellent and very professional. Another big bonus for us is that Kendall is also an award-winning interior designer.”
Turning a vision into reality
The vision the Arenas took to Belle Construction was one of an elegant fusion of warm West Coast modern with timeless appeal. From start to
The first thing Ansell needed to do was to reconfigure the existing space and flow to really make it work for the young family. With a little one underfoot, it was important to have open sightlines throughout the main floor, while keeping a functional family space in mind. That meant removing the wall that separated the galley kitchen from the living space, new larger windows to brighten the home, and lots and lots of storage space, including custom cabinetry in the dining room.
“The main floor was really closed off and had weird angles,” says Ansell. “The toughest part of this project was removing that wall. The engineer required that we add extra framing in the ceiling.”
The kitchen received the most attention, while the bathrooms were updated with new sinks, vanities and cabinetry. Ansell also added new lighting, fresh coats of paint and warm hardwood flooring throughout.
“The six-panel doors were solid, so all we did was paint them and add new hardware,” she says.
In the end, the homeowners were thrilled with the stunning transformation. What could have been a stark, modern design, was turned into an exceptionally inviting space.
“For any future renovations, we will be calling Kendall,” says Chris.