RE POST AND UPDATED BLOG. The floors installed by the developer in this unit were quite nice from day 1. They are a engineered hardwood Walnut, with a clear coat showing the natural Walnut brown colour.
The previous occupant of this unit was very hard on the floors and there were plenty of dents and scratches throughout. So something needed to be done.
From the beginning I compared purchasing new floors vs. refinishing. At the same time I wanted a dark finish for a more up to date look. New floors were going to cost nearly $5/sq.ft. + install of about $3/sq.ft. So, $8 x about 500 sq.ft. (excluding the bathroom) plus new Bull-noses on the stairs (The end of the stair treads). This would cost around $4000 - $4500 total. But the wood was still good, and it looked like there was some life to spare.
To get the floors re-sanded, repair all the dents, new shoe moldings, and a dark stain and satin coat applied totaled $2500. The finish product was beautiful. There are some spots where the stain wasn’t as well absorbed as others, but overall the floor feels new with the ultra smooth finishing, and the dark colour looks great. Its nice to walk on with bare feet, and it is going to compliment the white walls and chrome details on some of the furnishing very well.
Again, clean contemporary lines, and a durable finish was the goal in mind. The low gloss white"BESTA" cabinets from IKEA were setup. The clean lines and the floating look really complemented the modern interior styling. By drilling a 1" whole though the backing, this cabinet can now house all the wiring for the TV and DVD Player along with books, and CD's. Two of these pieces fit seamlessly between the baseboard heater and the wall, looking like a built in. These cabinets were easy to install and can work in plenty of spaces both as a side board or wall mounted cabinet. A minimalist Sharp 20" TV was set on top.
When searching for a sofa throughout all of Vancouver we wanted something that would work with the clean continuous lines of the Qube's architecture and design. Also a piece that could fit three to four people, works as a comfy day bed, and be deep enough not to require an ottoman. 560 sq.ft. doesn't leave much room for most large, low, modernist sofas, so many "clean lined" sectionals were eliminated.
The search wasn't easy. After plenty of online searching and visiting many Vancouver furniture stores, finally we found the match. A perfectly low, square, deep, high quality sofa from Camerich was selected. Camerich USA is a company that has designed a line of italian inspired contemporary pieces. The sofas are constructed of steel and birch with high grade thick fabrics. The "Lean" three seater sofa in Grey was selected. The quality of the finishing of the fabric and detail in each of the corners was very impressive. The pillows have hidden zippers, and the chrome bar at the bottom is protected by four small legs that acutally supports the sofa. The sofa offers a perfect blend of style and function. It is ultra-comfortable for four people, lounging, or even a mid-day rest, while having very clean sharp lines. These sofa's retail for between $2200 - $4500. This sofa was very heavy, just over 200 lbs. So planning the delivery was very important. Once sold through Koolhaus, Contact Camerich USA directly now for a price quote as there is no longer a current distributer in BC.
At Albrighton Real Estate we have picked up a unit at the Qube. It is an ’05 Floor plan, the junior one bedroom 560 sq.ft., New York loft style condo. We are going to be doing blogs and articles about this unit, upgrades, and modern pieces/furniture that work within its small space. You can use these tips as you renovate your own modern condo. These tips and strategies are brought to you with industry experience and hopefully are great examples to help you. If you are planning to modernize your space or get it ready to sell, you can use these strategies as they will enhance and open concept condo because they have been designed around “opening up a space”. They are generally desirable among the type of buyers who look for modern styled condos or lofts in Vancouver.
The theme will be base around keeping the plan open, flexible, bright and functional. The views from this unit are very beautiful so plenty of detail inside won’t be necessary. The goal is to upgrade the floors, brighten the space, utilize the best options for storage, use furnishings that are complementary to the “open plan” theme and eventually upgrade the kitchen to a sleek European design white kitchen. Stay tuned for more. And continue to follow our blog. I would love to answer any questions or.
These are the “before photos” that were taken when the unit was on the market before it was purchased.
