Waterfront Renovation | West Vancouver (w/ pictures)

Heron Beach Renovation, West Vancouver

Location: West Vancouver

Year: 2022

Service:

Renovations

One of the biggest perks about living oceanside in West Vancouver is the wide-open natural landscape. We wanted to help our client achieve even more amazing views from their home, which was the focus of our latest waterfront renovation project.

In the 1990s, this home was renovated to suit its bachelor owner—it was a masculine party house with speaker wires everywhere. Our project began by ripping out the big gas stove, huge hood fan and dated fireplace in order to bring in a more elegant finish.

Highlights from this project include:

Transformed two dormers into one huge dormer to expand the master bathroom
Added glass railings around the upper deck, giving unobstructed ocean views
Replaced a closed staircase with modern open metal stringer stairs

photograph of renovated main floor with repaired wood floors looking out large balcony window onto the Pacific Ocean in West Vancouver

renovated staircase with glass wall and metal stringer stairs with wood caps

white freestanding soaker tub in renovated upstairs bathroom with angled ceilings

Keep reading for the project details. If you’re ready to elevate your living space through modern, functional updates, browse our custom renovations for even more inspiration

photograph of a renovated modern living room with artwork from Kelly Grace and Gordon Smith around the updated gas fireplace

This was an onion renovation

Like any reno project, this one had layers. The deeper we went, the more issues we discovered. Thankfully, these led to opportunities to make the home safer and even more beautiful.

On the main floor, we had to do major beam work in order to make it structurally sound. This led to ripping the ceilings down and installing a steel beam. The process allowed us to remove the drop beams and make the ceilings higher and flush.

We were able to keep the existing hardwood floors with some patching and repairing, and after the fireplace was refinished and the room decorated with artwork from Kelly Grace and Gordon Smith, it lost any hints of its previous look and feel.

freestanding central staircase with glass panel wall and elegant metal fabricated stairs with a wood cap and treads

A central closed-in staircase was destined to become the focal point of the room. We took out the walls and replaced them with glass panels. The stairs were upgraded to elegant metal fabricated stairs with a wood cap and treads to match the flooring.

The powder room also received an overhaul and everything from wallpaper to fixtures was replaced and upgraded.

renovated powder room with designer wallpaper, brass fixtures and modern farmhouse sink

photograph of renovated powder room featuring designer wallpaper, brass fixtures, sink, and lights and modern sink

Achieving those ocean views

We set out to keep the original deck railings, but as we peeled back the layers we discovered rot in many areas. As we repaired and re-waterproofed the deck, it uncovered more rot downstairs that needed to be dealt with.

In order to prevent future deck rot, we used robust, hardie (cement-based) materials. We also replaced the existing railing with side-mounted glass. This allows water to cascade off the deck, so there’s no chance for it to penetrate into the deck membrane.

We were also able to extend the outside deck and add a large covered area with lights, outdoor heaters and couches so the homeowners could utilize their deck year-round.

photograph of a large deck with a covered area featuring couches and heaters

close-up photograph of side-mounted glass railings on a deck

Upgrading the master ensuite

Upstairs we had the opportunity to reconfigure the layout of the bathroom and ensuite. This included moving major plumbing and opening up the space.

Jessica from Jessica Bremner Design was our designer for the entire project and helped us rework the bathroom and closet layout to make it work better for the space.

Renovated upstairs bathroom with angled roof and feature tile wall

Renovated upstairs bathroom with angled roof and skylight and a floating modern toilet and large shower

Our team was able to find space by opening up the second floor ceiling and changing two dormers into one huge dormer. This opened up the whole roof and allowed for a walk-in closet, an ensuite bathroom and a hall bathroom.

Outside, we added a rooftop deck off the master bedroom and added a privacy wall. The final step was to retie the cedar shake roof and match the cedar shake siding to make it look seamless with the rest of the house.

Renovated walk-in closet with tile floors and an angled ceiling

Modern bathroom renovation with large double-head shower, double sink vanity and gray floor tiles

All in all, this was a fabulous and successful project.

To recap, this major renovation and addition included:

Renovating the upstairs master and hall bathrooms
Opening up the second-floor ceiling
Adding an upper deck and covered deck
Repairing the deck and adding new railings
Refinishing and reinstalling the deck boards
Replacing and opening up the staircase on the main floor
Major beam work on the main floor
Updating the fireplace
Refinishing and repairing the wood floors
Renovating the powder room

Renovated upstairs bathroom with skylight, upgraded toilet, large shower and double sink vanity

Ready for a Custom Renovation?

If you love your home but have a few areas you’d love to improve, then a custom renovation may be the perfect next step. The good news is, we at Kennedy Construction are custom renovation experts!