Kathi Bentall once dreamed of living in a tree. The dream was a vivid one and inspired her to create a ceramic plate of her abode: It has a tree in the middle, a ladder and a fence. But it wasn't until her cottage on Bowen Island was nearly finished that Bentall looked at the art and realized that it was a perfect symbol of her new home.
Bentall has gathered a lot of experience working with Bowen builders - she used local talent for building her own home as well as the projects she oversees at the Rivendell Retreat Centre. "I've been cycling through builders," she laughs, explaining that her experiences overall have been good and that different companies have been right for the different projects. For building her cottage, Bentall said it was important to find professionals who understood what she was trying to achieve.
"I co-owned a place with a family in Vancouver and that worked really well. When they looked at moving to Bowen, I decided it was also time for me to live here I've been coming back and forth for years," Bentall said, explaining that her work at Rivendell often required her presence and she thought living nearby would make it easier.
Bentall said that a suitable property was found where she and the other family could live comfortably. "It was very serendipitous timing," Bentall said. "The day we put in an offer on the place, I met Barbara Wahler."
Hiring an interior design professional had not been high on Bentall's list of things to do. "I didn't know I needed an interior designer," she said. "But I learned about the importance to work from the inside out. We collectively worked very hard to make sure that the small space works well."
And even though Bentall's cottage is a special case (as a accessory building, it is restricted to a 22' by 22' footprint), she believes that this process can work well for any building or remodelling endeavour.
Barbara Wahler also knows that this approach of working from the inside out yields the best results. "We created a professional partnership with the builder Paul McGillivray and myself and worked closely with Kathi [Bentall] until we arrived at the perfect marriage," Wahler said.
Wahler said that she receives a lot of positive feedback from the builders she works with and sees a willingness to go the extra mile. "It's quite a change from the time when people said, 'Designer on board? No, thank you!'" she said with a smile. "The people I work with are really open. When we said that we want a lodge pole and a railing out of driftwood, they said, 'Great.'"
Scaling down often means increased affordability in terms of building cost and living expenses and Bentall didn't have to make concessions in comfort. Paul McGillivray of PM Homes said the challenge for this particular project was to keep the price affordable as the cottage needed the same amount of services and site work that a larger project would require. He was especially pleased with the custom work and creativity that went into the building. "[Bentall] had the dream of living in a tree house and at one point suggested that we should use a tree as the centre post," McGillivray recalled. "I went to my dad's property, found a tree and trimmed it and it worked beautifully. It was really meant to come together like this."
To McGillivray, details like the hand-made rails and the circular window made the project different and contributed to helping Bentall create "her vision." He also commented on the time frame in which the house went up. "Every stage went so quick. It forced us to be more organized. It's really important to develop a relationship between the owner and the contractor," he said, adding that J&E Backhoe Ltd., the company that looked after the septic field and the site work, also did a great job in keeping the project on time.
"One of the words I would use to describe the place is: precious," Bentall says, explaining that she always wanted stained glass windows as well as a loft where her six grandchildren could play. Another element she asked to incorporate was a prayer corner facing east.
It is important to listen, says Wahler, who recalls taking on a project as the second designer because the client didn't feel that the first one respected her ideas. "I believe that it is good when the client has special things in mind," she said. Wahler went to Bentall's previous home and they measured the things that needed to find a place in the cottage. Some of the new space was designed with Bentall's special furniture, like her mother's writing desk, in mind, making the transition from 700 square feet to 462 square feet plus loft as easy as possible.
Bentall adds that the completion of the project in a timely manner owes a lot to Wahler's involvement. "The excavation started in July and I could move in on October," she said. "Everything started the day it was supposed to start and finished on time. That was where I found Barbara to be invaluable - I didn't have to be on top of everything."
Wahler said that this is what interior designers can do - take on projects from when they are no more than a "twinkle in the eyes" to oversee them to the finish. "People often think that once they have a plan, they can take it to completion themselves, not realizing what a big difference it makes if they don't have to take care of everything themselves," she said, adding that she can also guide clients in their choices of products and materials.
"This is a really beautiful example of how a project can work," Wahler said.
Wahler will host an open house at her studio at 1227 Oceanview Road on Saturday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m.
