Its Home Makeover Time
This issue of Home Makeover magazine was to present a tour of Whistler renovations by CHBA-Sea-to-Sky members, but such is the pace in the resort community that renovators had no time to arrange the summer openings. Trust us, though, the home makeovers are amazing and we will present the Whistler tour in an upcoming edition. Fortunately, Blue Ice Construction, one of the top Whistler renovation companies, allowed us to tour two of its recent projects, both of which captured 2007 Georgie awards.
Makeover The first involved the near seven-figure total makeover of an older home in a prestigious neighbourhood. The extensive work involved reclaiming space for new bedrooms and living space in the attic, raising the roof to add an extensive ensuite and converting the existing garage into an extra bedroom. Engineering aspects included the removal and replacement of the entire sewer system. A large front deck and office were also added above the new garage. Inside, volume space was created by removing walls and old posts and integrating steel beams to create a flowing living area, a new kitchen, a great room with bar and entertainment area and home theatre. Environmental aspects extended to choosing bamboo for the floors, ceilings and soffits, replacing all windows
with metal-clad, high-performance, low-E models, adding extra insulation and recycling as much material as possible. The finished home, while totally modern, fits comfortably into the original Whistler-style neighbourhood.
Rebuild This complete rebuild, which captured a gold Georgie, took an old Gothic arch cabin on a fabulous view lot and recycled it as a surf cabin on Vancouver Island. With the lot cleared, Blue Ice built a timber-frame, 3,960 square foot, open plan home with an ecological emphasis. Original joists in the cabin were reused, and barn wood from an old Williams Lake stockade was recruited for wainscoting and mantles. The wide plank hardwood flooring was reclaimed from a 1940-era warehouse. Local mill waste was recycled for all the fir trim. Heated slate floors, Icynene foam insulation, low-E skylights
and a heat-recovery ventilation system with a high-efficiency furnace and fireplace keep energy costs low. A new two-bedroom rental suite will help lower housing costs. The stunning rebuild was completed on time and within the client’s $850,000 budget.