A New Chapter at Portico Design Group Begins!

We at Portico Design Group are incredibly excited to announce a change in ownership as our Founder, Tara Wells, steps down to fully and completely enjoy her retirement. Natalia Kwasnicki and Heili Geelhoed, formerly known as Associate and Office Manager , will now be taking on the roles of Partner, Design and Partner, Operations as the new co-owners of Portico.

 

To all our clients, co-consultants, and colleagues, we want to assure you that it’s business as usual  and we want to thank you so much for your support over the last 25 years. We look forward to another wonderful 25 together in this new chapter!

Post Date:

Another Successful Crawl

Is it really the end of November already??

Luckily for us, that means it is Eastside Culture Crawl time again! A wonderful way to really embrace fall and all that it has to offer. Along with all our friends from last year, we found some great new gems. Rain AND shine, it was a very  successful event this year.

Here at Portico, we are always on the hunt for new local artists to showcase in our projects. Whether it’s a model home, a lobby or a private residence, having that one special piece handcrafted specifically for the project, is always a great, thoughtful touch. Here are a few artists who caught our eye this year:

IMAG1033IMAG1034

Eric Louie – Visual Artist

 

 

There is a great graphic quality to his work, with a softness in colour. Eric has a great website with many of his pieces showcased.

www.ericlouie.net

 

 

 

IMAG1026

 

Cybele Ironside – Abstract Oil Painter

Cybele’s work is fluid and interpretive. The way she plays with light and colour, it was easy to get lost in the brush strokes.

www.cybeleironside.com

 

 

 

 

tumblr_n3dkjmHi1R1sjxkgvo1_1280 tumblr_nf2gaqzioC1sjxkgvo1_1280

Johnny Taylor – Artist

www.johnnytaylor.ca

www.johnnytaylor-artist.tumblr.com

Johnny’s ability to create a detailed, deep, cityscape from simple lines, shapes and colours was pretty breathtaking. Big and small, and on various interesting mediums, Johnny’s work is really something you need to see in person.

 

 

 

A vibrant scene that seems to be growing rapidly in our city are the talented woodworkers making anything from record crates, to growler carriers, to charcuterie plates, to intricately handcrafted pieces of furniture. Some great ideas for holiday gifts this year. Check them out!

 

Capture

 

Union Wood Company

www.unionwoodco.com

Great handmade furniture and accessories, attention to detail, and just an overall great group of people to interact with. They’ve recently opened up their new work space and have launched a settings and rental division, called Bon Accord.

 

 

 

 

IMAG1037

 

Hobo Woodworks

www.hoboworks.ca

A brother team, these guys have a great little shop where they are creating some really lovely specialty pieces. You can tell they have a lot of fun doing what they do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ae7ba6_fc199cf22a6642b7ac9e4d328dc5b062.jpg_srz_p_801_320_75_22_0.50_1.20_0 (1)

Shipway Design

www.rdshipway.com

There is something so naturally balanced about mixing wood and concrete. Romney’s work is streamlined and simple; a perfect addition to any living space.

 

Thanks again to all the great, talented artists who opened up their studios this past weekend!

Post Date:

Restructuring and Long Term Growth

Portico Restructure - Blog

RESTRUCTURE OPTIMIZES PORTICO’S LONG TERM GROWTH

Portico Design Group announces today a restructuring of operations that will optimize business for the long term. Lynn Clarke, one of two principals of Portico Design, is now in charge of day-to-day company operations while co-principal and company founder, Tara Wells, is spearheading Portico’s re-launch into the United States.

“For our B.C. clients, it’s business as usual,” says Clarke. “They will continue to receive the best design solutions from our award winning team of interior designers.”

Before the recession that began in 2007-2008, Portico was active in a number of U.S. states, providing interior design services to the hospitality industry in Florida, Colorado, California and Nevada.

“As we all know, the resort and hotel development industry was hit extremely hard by the world-wide recession,” says Wells. “Now as the U.S economy is gaining strength, that industry is starting to rebound. With our previous experience in the U.S., we see an opportunity to get back into that market.”

In addition to managing daily operations, Clarke will continue to work with clients to facilitate outstanding design and oversee staff and projects. Wells will continue to have involvement in local projects, but will steadily move her focus to U.S. opportunities.

“One of the advantages for local developers,” says Clarke “is that we will be stronger and more dynamic.”

Portico Design Group, founded in 1992, provides full interior design services for clients in Canada and the United States. Clients include residential and commercial real estate developers, resort operators and private home owners

Lynn Clarke
lclarke@porticodesign.com

Tara Wells
twells@porticodesign.com

www.porticodesign.com

Post Date:

and that’s a wrap for our food drive this year!

IMAG0130_111 boxes full of food for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. Thank you so much to everyone who helped us out this year. It’s going to be great delivering all of this to the food bank.

Happy Holidays to You and Yours, from Us and Ours!

Post Date:

Eastside Culture Crawl 2013

Every year when the weather starts getting a little chillier, and we all start thinking about the holidays and gift giving, the wonderful artists of the Eastside open up their warm studios to us to see what they’ve been up to all year long.

The Eastside Culture Crawl is a great way for us, as designers, to find some new inspiration in the world of furniture, art, ceramics, accessories, and the like. Here’s a snapshot of some of our favorites.

 

Kate Duncan – http://kateduncan.ca/

In a field monopolized by men, it is great to see Kate Duncan taking strides in the furniture design and building world.  Her attention to detail is exquisite, and her style is clean, modern and refined.

Featured piece: she had her Parallel bed collection on display. A rich walnut frame, with dark accents, also had hidden storage underneath. Beautiful detail!

 

Jeff Martin Joinery – http://jeffmartinjoinery.ca/

What stood out about Jeff is that he seemed to really allow the wood to speak for itself and used it to lead his design. Instead of scouring for the perfect piece, he’d allow for its imperfections to create the design. With metal and wood inlays, his table tops were super eye-catching.

Featured piece: an unfinished project that appeared to be a table top. The metal ring details were really great, and it was really neat to see the piece coming to life.

 

 

 

Woodstone Design (Steven Pollock) – http://www.woodstonedesign.ca/

There is always something so intrinsically ‘design’ about mixing wood and concrete. Something about the mix of live and manmade materials really speaks to a well-balanced aesthetic. Steven does a great job of this over at Woodstone design.

Featured piece: wood and stone pedestals. These could really be an art piece in themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

Dahlhaus – http://dahlhausart.com/

A beautiful collection of handmade ceramics and prints. Simple designs with beautiful, fresh, colors. Their pieces really had a youthful whimsy to them and would make for great accent pieces.

Featured piece: Her tea pots with matching mugs. Great Christmas gifts!

 

 

 

 

 

Gregg Steffensen – http://greggsteffensen.tumblr.com/

Gregg’s work in mixed media images is super graphic, and has some great depth to it. Neon was a big thing in art this year at the crawl, and that definitely apparent in his work. Such a fun, unexpected pop of color.

Featured piece: Gregg’s Trans series had a wonderful variety to them, but still worked really great together as collections.

Post Date:

Congratulations Kulpreet!

Kulpreet Anant has truly earned the new title of “Associate” at Portico Design Group.   We welcome her to the management team.

Kulpreet has worked in both the Architectural and Interior Design fields.   In her 16 year career, she has designed interiors for luxury yachts, resorts, hotels, high rise towers and low rise multi family.

We are proud of Kulpreet’s achievements, dedication and great out of the box design.   Kulpreet holds a Bachelor of Architecture, R.I.D and is LEED AP.

Post Date:

Luxury Hotels in Spain

Lisa Hansen, a senior designer at Portico, was fortunate enough to recently holiday in Spain for several weeks.

One of the things she most appreciated was the outstanding hotel design. Below she shares a few of her experiences.

 During my stay in both Barcelona and Ibiza, I was amazed at the degree of dedication to experiential design evident in commercial spaces.  Although these spaces included restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and retail, what grabbed my attention the most was hotels.

What I found particularly notable was the contrast in styles.   Spaces were either extremely modern; or  would honor the past with their traditional styling.

I have selected two modern hotels to share with you. Both are applauded for their contrast in style.

Barcelo Raval opened in Barcelona in 2008.   This unusual elliptical structure was shrouded with a stainless steel skin, to offer more privacy to the guests and accent the exterior of the building.

I chose this four star hotel  for my stay because of its great location in the heart of Barcelona. It’s within walking distance to the Gothic Quarter, Los Ramblas and many of the museums, all of which I wanted to visit.

As I recognized so many of the images of this hotel  from my library of design books, it was a “must” that I stay there. 

This hotel did not disappoint me.   The staff went above and beyond,  with their superb service.

The interior design was vibrant, edgy and quirky.   Sleek pink lighting flowed over the tiled porcelain lobby floor.   In contrast, a traditional Bisazza mosaic tiled wall was complemented with futuristic  black and white furniture, all bringing a special ambience to the room.

In my opinion, the most notable detail in the lobby was the Basotect® ceiling (2200 ceiling baffles).   As an  open air bar & restaurant was located only a few feet away  from the front desk, these baffles offered both an extremely attractive aesthetic to the space as well as cover off the acoustical requirements.

 

The rooftop bar, appropriately named 360, provided phenomenal views. Guest could peruse the country side through   telescopes or take a dip in the pool.

 

The suite entry was defined by lit room numbers, set into the printed carpet.  Pink or green LED wall lighting accented the doors.

 

The guest rooms had an open concept feel with floor to ceiling windows and 32” TV’s. Additional details like an IPOD docking station and personal nespresso machine, which are not common in European hotel rooms, were much appreciated.   After my stay, I understood why this establishment had won so many travelers choice awards.

 

The next stop on my vacation was Ibiza. Located just minutes away from Old Town Ibiza, the Ibiza Gran Hotel offered stunning views of the Mediterranean.   On entering,   I experienced a sense of tranquility and relaxation.

The interiors could only be described as a contemporary luxury.  Considered to be an art hotel, 29 artists have helped shape the ambience of this unique hotel using earth, air, life, water and sky as their inspirations.

On entering the lobby, you were greeted with the “Birth Place”, a white lacquered ribbon of aluminum floating carelessly across the space.  Inscribed on the ribbon was a poem written in 1913 by Maria Villangomez, paying homage to the island of Ibiza.

 

Just beyond reception, massing the atrium, was “Pas”, an enormous egg shaped sculptural piece. “Pas”, primarily constructed of smooth concrete and resin, was accented with expanded polystyrene and graffiti.

 

In contrast to this massive sculpture, the “existence stairs” floated 11 meters above in the open air space.  These stairs, created out of small pieces of coal suspended on transparent nylon threads, truly were a feat of wonder.

 

My favorite display, the coolest spot of the hotel, was the bar lounge.    Offering live music, guests could partake in enjoying an aperitif, while taking a stroll down memory lane with Tony Keeler’s photographs.  The exhibition offers you a peek into the island during the 1960’s, when Keeler was drawn to the romantic spirit of the hippy generation, who en masse, came to the island. To see Tony Keeler’s work, view click here

Post Date:

What are you doing this Canada Day

Why not spend some time Canada Day long weekend, exploring the many local art galleries we have in this great city showcasing some amazing Canadian talent and content. Whether you are looking for something playful and cheeky, or contemplative and informative, there is definitely something in store for you.

Hot Art Wet City Gallery and Shop– 2206 Main St., Vancouver

Great White North – A group art show tribute to 80’s Canadiana

Wednesday, June 19th – Saturday, July 13th

Bob and Doug McKenzie, SCTV, Bryan Adams, Degrassi, hockey without helmets, The Hanson Brothers, CBC, Mr. Dressup, David Suzuki, Corey Hart, The Beachcombers, Expo 86…do any of these ring a nostalgic bell to you? Then check out Hot Art Wet City for their 80’s Canadian pop-culture inspired show “Great White North”. Artists include Andrea Hooge, ARGH!!, Chris Bentzen, Brent Clowater, David Stein, DEDOS, Edaward Juan, Norma Jean Harvey, Exploding Haggis, Sharon Piekarski, Shary Contrary, Sheri Alexander and Alice Vogelaar. It’ll be a dooser, eh!

 

Monte Clark Gallery– #105-525 Great Northern Way, Vancouver

Tim Gardner

Thursday, June 13th – Saturday, July 13th

Gardner was born in Iowa city, but grew up in Canada and has called British Columbia home for most of his life. World renowned for his hyper-realistic portraits and landscapes done in watercolor or pastel, his latest showcase at Monte Clark combines these two major themes into one and the connection between the two. He presents to us landscapes with small figures surrounded by vast nature, and conversely, portraits as snapshots of the life of his subject and uses the landscape as more of a backdrop to provide us more information about the subject’s identity. While drawing from classical trends, Gardner gives as a more contemporary narrative with his ‘middle class’ subject matter and Canadian landscapes.

Tim Gardner, Roy with Red Cup, 2012, pastel on paper

The Contemporary Art Gallery – 555 Nelson Street, Vancouver

Itee Pootoogook – Buildings and Land

Friday, June 28th – Sunday, August 25th

This is the first solo exhibit in a public institution by Canadian artist Itee Pootoogook, hailing from Cape Droset, Nunavut. Pootoogook belongs to a group of young Inuit artists who are taking the traditions and skills taught to them by their parents and grandparents and reshaping them for a new contemporary audience. In his large graphite works, he shows us a glimpse into the everyday life of those living in the North. Not the traditional themes of igloos and fur-clad hunters, but of recognizable contemporary elements like TV, snowmobiles and soft drinks. Focusing on northern architecture and landscapes, Pootoogook has broken out of expectations and, instead of providing us with ‘Native Art’, has given us Contemporary art that is a reflection of his own life.

Itee Pootoogook, Bright Sunny Day, 2011, coloured pencil on paper

Gam Gallery –  110 East Hastings Street, Vancouver

Wastelands: Natasha Broad, Alex M.F. Quicho and Daniel Marcus Tatterton

Friday, June 7th – Friday, July 5th

This group show both playfully and seriously studies the dichotomy that is our own backyard: a cosmopolitan city perched just inches from a great wilderness. They look at the danger, fear and fascination that lie behind our contemporary relationship to nature and how disjunctive a place it is where the wild things and recreational Vancouverites attempt to co-exist. A mixed media show showcasing the works or 3 different artists all hailing from Vancouver.

Post Date:

Positive Growth in Condo and Home Sales

If you stick your head in the sand and say that the real estate market is bad, it will be bad.  It’s the nature of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

We’ve been fortunate enough to be involved in several multi-family projects in both Vancouver and Calgary that have had great success in the first quarter of 2013.

Our hats are off to these developers, for being aggressive in a not so ideal market.

 

Roxton – Mosaic Homes, Port Coquitlam, BC

www.mosaichomes.com

Pre-sales greatly enhance the bottom line.

Mosaic Homes is in the process of building out this 42 unit townhome and single family home project in Port Coquitlam.   Since opening on January 19, 2013, they’ve sold 50% of the product, which is still in early construction.

Mosaic’s mandate for the design of this project was to utilize classic, timeless finishes that transcend a number of design styles.

 Click here to see the Article on Living Room’s to Love

Photo-Roxton Living Room


 

Sail – Adera Development Corp – Vancouver, BC.

www.adera.com

This popular west coast modern building is the second phase of Adera’s latest project in the UBC market.   Adera has achieved near 90 (yes 90) sales since they launched in January.

Designed by Rositch Hemphill Architects, the exteriors of Sail integrate the use of handsome natural materials that complement the surrounding woodland environment.   The homes at Sail also have abundant natural light, due to the liberal amount of glazing on the building.

Predominantly one and two bedroom condos, the interiors include quartz countertops, wood veneer cabinetry, GE Profile appliances and Kohler plumbing.   The penthouse units have rooftop patios for outdoor entertaining.

The urban location of this project and the cultural diversity of the area have contributed significantly to Sail’s success.

Photo-Sail Lobby

 

VEN – Bucci Developments Ltd – Calgary, Alberta

www.bucci.com

Bucci has definitely made its’ mark in the Alberta market.   Since 1998 they have sold over 1000 homes in Calgary and have sold out two buildings in the past 2 years.  They just released their most recent project – VEN condominiums in Kensington.

Located in the popular Kensington area, VEN’s proximity to downtown, local shopping and restaurants, the C-train, SAIT and The University of Calgary make it an ideal location.   This project, constructed to Built Green Silver Standards, has captured the attention of many Calgary residents who’ve longed for an opportunity to call Kensington home.

Bucci opened with a bang on March 9, 2013 selling more than 50% of the 115 available suites.   To view a video of opening weekend, click here.

Photo-Ven Living Room and Kitchen

 

3 Eau Claire – 3 Eau Claire Developments – Calgary, Alberta

www.3eauclaire.ca

Twin Towers designed by Norr Architects will soon be gracing the skies of downtown Calgary.

This mixed use commercial and residential building went to market in late November, which is not a terribly good time to launch a project.   To date, they have presold 75% of the entire first tower.

Finishes in this building are sleek and reflect current European design.

3 Eau Claire Developments has recently partnered with Shaw Communications to lease 12 floors of this 48 storey tower.

Click here to see the original article

3 Eau Claire Suite Rendering

 

Post Date:

Toronto Project Tour Day 4

 

In part four of our insight into Design in Toronto we explore The Britt.

The Britt is a project conversion in downtown Toronto. Previously a Sutton Place Hotel, this new upscale condominium building,  will rise out of the existing site.

Note the British and Modern European Flare. This was evident throughout the public spaces as well as through the homes.

The public spaces speak to the exterior architecture of the building, with it’s magnificent Palladian Windows. Note the use of coffers, crown and dental mouldings and upsized baseboards.

The interiors of the suites are a quirky mix of old and new ideas.  Shaker cabinets are mixed glass flipper doors, padded walls with slick contemporary ceramic.

I think that the public spaces were more successful than the interiors, but I did still manage to glean a few new ideas.

My Toronto tour was insightful and full of surprises.   Even though this more formal design is not my particular style, I can appreciate how this does work in the Toronto environment.

Written by Tara Wells

Post Date: