What it is: One-bedroom suite just off Cambie and W. 12th Ave. The suite is on the second floor of an extension built at the back of a massive old heritage house.
Price or rent: $200 less than it should be given the location and style.
Square feet: Approximately 650.
Occupants: Sebastien Archibald and Chelsea Haberlin, co-artistic directors of ITSAZOO Productions, a Vancouver-based theatre company specializing in original, site-specific work. The ITSAZOO headquarters/office/rehearsal hall is basically our living room. And were currently working away at our upcoming Halloween production, Debts, running Oct. 20-31 at the Roedde House Museum (1415 Barclay), 7pm and 9pm nightly.
Major selling feature: The turret-shaped living room modeled after the turret in the attached heritage house provides a spacious and unique area thats surrounded by windows. Facing a quiet tree-lined street, the view during the afternoon gives one the impression theyre in a tree house. At night it feels like a cozy little lodge.
First thing we changed: We removed the bedroom closet doors. Open closet is the way to go.
Features we brag about: We have two decks! A front patio with our own private entrance and a shared back deck thats communal with the rest of the building.
That one conversation piece: How damn convenient the neighborhood is. Everything I care about is within a 20-minute bike ride. Downtown is easy thanks to the Cambie Bridge bike lane and there are tons of amenities nearby.
The décor: You name it weve got it. Vintage furniture courtesy of parents, friends, and Commercial Drive freebees; lots of plants (some surviving better than others); a hand-me-down couch that, in its heyday, was high class; Ikea stuff (cuz who doesnt?); a vinyl record player and moderately impressive vinyl collection; Apple laptops; a reasonably sized (if not too small) flat screen TV and Xbox. We strive for an eclectic and cozy home. People always say our place has character.
Story behind the art: We have several paintings by Victoria-based artist Crash Underwood. Theyre very dark and surrealistic, sort of like if Francis Bacon and Dali made painting babies. [Sebastien] used to work at a pizza shop in Victoria and [the artist] would trade prints of his art for free pizza. Although Chelsea finds the paintings rather unsettling, she puts up with them. Thats love.
Downside: Im a night owl. Big time. And a light sleeper. Big time. Every Tuesday, at 9am, two guys do maintenance for the building. They park illegally underneath our bedroom window, mow the lawn, and use a leaf blower. Its obnoxiously loud and annoying for about an hour. Honestly, why would you live on a street covered with trees if you cant deal with leaves? Just a bunch of superficial yuppy bullshit if you ask me. And, a gas-powered leaf blower? Come on people! Read a newspaper. Youre using petroleum to blow away leaves that otherwise break apart and nurture the soil. Idiocy. I know, I know: First world problems right?
Neighborhood haunt(s): Were new to the Cambie St. hood so we havent ventured out much. Bierkraft is good times though and the Park Theatre is a Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»icon (well see if it survives another year). Honestly, compared to our old neighborhood (Commercial Dr.), Cambie St. is thin on culture and community. The neighborhood is too new/gentrified to have a real identity. Its caught somewhere between yuppies who arent rich enough to afford Yaletown, neo-suburbanites with their small-town love of big box stores, and a few random artsy types and students who cant figure out how they got here. When I can, I hit up Main St. (just a three-minute bike ride away) for Cascade and Foundation.
Compared to my last place... This place is newer, cleaner, and has an amazing living room and outdoor space. Our old place was dingier but had that one-of-a-kind rustic East-Side apartment look and feel.
Most recent home purchase: An extension cord for the record player and an Ikea living room table thats the perfect size for Settlers of Catan!
Favourite home activity: Snunkering a delightful combination of snuggling and hunkering.
