Our Denman Island home took five years to plan and build, and we couldn’t be happier with it.
My husband and I searched for several years for a perfect summer retreat—one with waterfront acreage, along with mountain and sunset views. We looked on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and in Washington state, and had even checked out Denman Island in the past, without any luck.
Finding the right island property
It’s been eight years since we drove up one of Denman’s overgrown dirt roads and through the forest to a stunning viewpoint over Baynes Sound towards the Comox Glacier. Right away, we could see this property’s potential, though there was nothing there except a well and lots of trees.
We really did not understand the challenges of building a home completely from scratch, but we were about to learn. After installing hydro and internet services, we bought a small trailer, where we lived until our new house was complete.
It took five years—a few more than we ever expected! Site plans, approvals, land clearing, and house designing (not to mention COVID-19) added to the time frame.
“We chose Douglas fir glued laminated timber for its structural strength and affordability — and were pleasantly surprised with the result.”
Designing for the West Coast
We’ve been fortunate to have worked and lived around the world, and one of our favourite homes was in Switzerland. Its modern design, large windows, and open floorplan were our first inspiration for our Denman home.
For the interiors, our inspiration was modern beach house, with light-coloured floors, white oak cabinets, and glulam posts and tongue-and-groove ceilings stained a carefully chosen shade of white. We chose Douglas fir glued laminated timber (glulam) for its structural strength and affordability compared to solid posts, and were pleasantly surprised with the result.
The house isn’t overly large; it has three bedrooms, with a fourth off the garage, connected by a breezeway. Linear windows capture the elusive winter sun—and allow for great views while cooking! Other design elements include a wet room for the master bath, with a large picture window in the shower to bring the outside in; a unique bench with pegs for coats and hats; and a spacious great room.
“We particularly love our kitchen, with its striking Tlupana Blue Wave marble sourced from a Tahsis quarry.”
At Matrix Marble and Stone in Duncan, we were intrigued to learn about Vancouver Island marble.
We decided to make all our counters marble, and particularly love our kitchen, with its striking Tlupana Blue Wave marble sourced from a Tahsis quarry.
Outside, it was important to bring natural elements together around the house. We aimed for a more manicured front side, and a more natural feel on the water side. One of our rules while preparing the building site was to keep all the cedars; we now have a nice circular driveway with cedars central to the design and a large adjacent garden. Our landscape “blooms” April through September with yellows, pinks, blues, and shades of green.
Life on Denman Island
During our early days of living on the property, we discovered the best vantage point for watching the sunsets, and here we built our fire pit, where we can relax and enjoy the fabulous views.
Before we found this place, we didn’t think life on a small island was for us. Wow, were we wrong. We love Denman’s sense of community and peacefulness, and being able to get away from it all.
build our home:
Custom home builder: Grant Construction, Comox
Timber framing: Island Timber Frame, Comox Valley
Cabinets: Architype Millwork and Cabinets, Comox Valley
Landscape design: Magee Landscaping, Comox
Roadwork and site clearing: Dusty Prowse, Comox Valley
Landscape planting and fencing: Beech and Cedar Homes, Denman Island
Counters: Matrix Marble and Stone, Duncan
Flooring: NuFloors, Courtenay
