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Location influences Semiah's look, inside and out

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Marcon Developments is making the most of the location of its new mid-rise residential tower in White Rock. The architecture of the 14-storey Semiah was influenced by the view of Semiahmoo Bay, while beach sand, driftwood, sand dollars and seagulls inspired the interior design.

Semiah will have only 88 residences, and combined with plans for spacious interiors, offer a boutique feel, says Nic Paolella, Marcon’s director of development.

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“We focused on creating good, livable homes, while maximizing the view potential,” says Paolella. “White Rock has an interesting street grid. As it nears the beach, the grid changes to orient itself to the water.”

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To make the most of the outlooks, the project at 1439 George Street was sited to reflect the same positioning — relative to the views — as the single-family homes on the street grid farther down the slope.

Semiah, which will include two- and three-bedroom homes ranging from 1,087 square feet to 1,873 square feet, is attracting interest from people who are considering downsizing from single-family homes. 

Semiah is a new-home project from Marcon Developments in White Rock.
Semiah is a new-home project from Marcon Developments in White Rock.  Photo by John Sinal /PNG

“The homes are wide and shallow to let in the maximum amount of light,” Paolella says. “Buyers don’t need apartment-sized furniture, they can move in with the furniture they already have. The washer and dryer are side by side and all the major appliances in the kitchen are full size,” he says.

“These homes are set up to function well for people who no longer have family living with them on a daily basis, but still want the space to entertain and have children and grandchildren visit. The big balconies [will] also add to the feeling of spaciousness and provide the opportunity to enjoy outdoor living.”

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Inside the residences, the interior design and colour palettes were influenced by the elements on image boards developed by the team at Trepp Design Inc.

“The darker scheme was inspired more by the tones of driftwood, seagulls and mussels, and the lighter scheme is more about the golden sand, the warmth of some of the lighter stones, and sand dollars,” says the firm’s principal, Scott Trepp. “We really took our inspiration from the nature that was specific to that community and that location.”

Semiah is a new-home project from Marcon Developments in White Rock.
Semiah is a new-home project from Marcon Developments in White Rock.  Photo by John Sinal /PNG

With the end user in mind, Trepp says he aimed for interiors that were not too modern, but had a “modern sensibility”.

One of the ways he achieved this esthetic was by using an interpretation of a Shaker door for the kitchen cabinetry.

“It’s a more modern take on a Shaker door. We used the wood grain and turned the direction of the wood grain within each door panel to give a detail to the cabinetry itself. So, it’s not just a plain slab-style door. It has some real detail and character to it,” he says.

Trepp notes that the kitchens are designed like those in single-family homes, rather than condos.

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“One of the ways we did that was to use appliances – like the Wolf cooktop – more often seen in single-family homes,” he says.

While the choice of quartz for the countertops was a nod to the durability of engineered stone, design was also a factor, Trepp says.

“In the darker scheme, the stone backsplash is very [visually] active. There’s a lot of movement to it, and to do that on the island counter, waterfall edges, the backsplash and the countertop would be too much in the space,” he explains.

The lighter scheme, showcased in the display suite at 1418 Johnston Road, has a much softer look, Trepp says.

Full-height pantries in the kitchens are designed to provide plenty of storage and soft-close hardware on the cabinet doors keeps things quiet in the open-plan living space. The appliance package includes the Wolf gas cooktop, an integrated 36-inch Bosch french door refrigerator, a Bosch combination oven and dishwasher, plus a 24-inch Marvel dual-zone wine fridge. The Hansgrohe faucet with dual spray, the double sink and the recycling bins ensure the functionality of the space.

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The marble floor and tile surround in the ensuite bathrooms add a luxurious touch and speaks to the quality of the development, Trepp says. A Duravit undermount sink nestles below the vanity’s stone countertop, while a Hansgrohe widespread chrome faucet adds some sparkle and complements the rain shower head and other bathroom accessories.

In the powder room, a feature wall mosaic of Bianco Carrara marble tile laid in a chevron pattern attracts some attention.

Engineered hardwood flooring run throughout, seamlessly connecting the rooms and enhancing the spacious ambience of the view homes.

Paolella says Semiah includes many energy-efficient features. “It’s important to have an energy-efficient building that does not consume too much energy. Nowadays, buildings need to have good insulation, quality windows and efficient heating and cooling systems with a good quality building envelope,” he says.

Some of the features that support this approach are the offset balconies that maximize natural light, high-efficiency hot water and heating and cooling systems and Energy Star windows.

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The underground parking area features charging stations for electric cars, a designated bike storage room and a storage locker for each home. 

Construction is expected to start this spring.

Semiah

Project address: 1439 George Street, White Rock

Developer: Marcon Developments

Architect: Arno Matis Architecture

Interior designer: Trepp Design Inc.

Project size: 14 storeys

Bedrooms: two- and three-bedroom units

Unit size: 1,087 – 1,873 sq. ft.

Price: From $869,900

Sales centre: 1418 Johnston Road, White Rock

Sales centre hours: noon — 5 p.m., Sat — Thurs 

Phone: 778-545-9393

Website: semiahbymarcon.ca

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