Three years in the making, this Yaletown Loft in Vancouver is the handy work of bachelor Bradley Friesen and designer Kelly Reynolds. The ultimate party pad aka beautiful living space is the perfect modern design for a single male who loves to entertain. He moved in the renovated suite circa 1990s with no plans to renovate. However, one fateful Saturday morning Friesen awoke and went on demolition detail. What he found were walls of vintage brick and century-old shiplap concrete; he kept both which add charming interest and textural elements to the space. Â Take a look at the ultimate in bachelor living.
The previous owners covered up vintage brick walls with sheet rock which Friesen exposed and kept in his new design. Brilliant!
Before of the living room with sheet rock walls and low ceiling.
Friesen says, "Behind that drywall was a 100 year old, shiplap concrete wall. The ductwork caused part of the ceiling to drop to just 7 ft from the front door, all the way to the living room. Felt like a cave when you first entered."
Initially, Friesen had no plans of renovation or changing anything within the suite. "I had no plan, just woke up one Saturday morning and started ripping sh*t down."
Modern furnishings give the place a mid-century appeal. The twin armchairs in orange add a pop of vivid color in the living space.
The eco-smart fireplace replaces the bulky standard fireplace on an opposite wall. It burns clean with denatured alcohol with zero carbon emissions and no messy ash and soot. The cool concrete wall was discovered under layers of sheet rock.
Friesen's mother actually helped him pick out the suite's furnishings. Apparently, she did a terrific job as he loves the fact that the sectional couch pushes together to create "the best movie watching bed ever."
The massive island with bar seating weighs two tons. Friesen says, "The concrete slab is 2000 lbs of solid concrete with a reclaimed walnut inlay. Had to pour it in my suite upside down. Moving it into place almost killed the 3 of us that moved it."
Friesen notes he purposefully added double drawer dishwashers, "As a bachelor, I hate unloading my dishwasher. This way, I always have one dishwasher clean, one dirty, and I never need to put away my dishes."
A 6-foot up-lit trough sink runs the length of the kitchen counter keeping chilled libations within easy reach.
Any bachelor's dream fridge. But you'll find no beer can pyramids in this space.
After much contemplation, Friesen decided to knock out the walls of the second bedroom and create one large master suite.
The master bathroom boasts a clean minimalist look with a single soaking tub, sleek wood cabinets and concrete floors.
This before shot shows the suite the first day Friesen viewed it. While he tried to buy it fully furnished as shown, he later was thankful the owners didn't grant his request.
