Viridian showcases both style and substance
Mary Frances Hill
The Province
Viridian
Where: 3618 150th St., Surrey
What: 57 townhomes with two-car garages
Residence sizes and prices: Two to three bedrooms, 2,060 – 2,486 sq. ft., between $919,900 and $1,299,900.
Developer and builder: Portrait Homes Viridian Ltd.
Sales centre address: 3618 150th Street, Surrey
Sales centre hours: noon — 5 p.m., Sat. — Thurs.
Behind the traditional decor in the display home at Viridian, Portrait Homes’ community of townhomes in Surrey, visitors can find the substance and strength of carefully selected materials.
“We carefully research every finish we select for performance, not just looks,” says Lisa Perry, i3 Design’s director of interior design, who worked with Portrait Homes on the project.
The collaborators made sure every detail met their standards for resilience, choosing flooring from Germany, a country with strict environmental requirements for these materials, she says. “You know exactly what is being used in their manufacture.”
They also decided on what Perry calls a “registered emboss” (a texturing of sorts to mimic real wood) with a low sheen on the laminate flooring; this also makes the flooring easy for homeowners to clean and maintain.
Floor tiles in the display home are also full-body porcelain, a durable material that doesn’t scratch or chip, Perry adds. Comfort comes in the form of laminated fibreglass shingles with a 30-year lifespan, high-efficiency gas furnaces, rough-ins for central vacuum systems and energy-efficient windows.
The project backs on to park land and is just above the Nicomekl River
Greys with varied shades of blue and green make up the dominant shades in the open-concept space, reflecting the true meaning of Viridian, a tone inspired by the outdoors, Perry says. “We took cues from the natural beauty surrounding the site and coastal tones.”
Though the general style of decor leans to traditional or transitional style, Perry brings in an industrial tone with metal kitchen island chairs and a dining room pendant lighting. These pieces soften up the general formality of the home, and add a casual flair. “Many purchasers will be coming from larger single-family homes and may want to bring their bedroom or dining sets with them,” Perry says. “We wanted to show people that you can mix old and new for a more eclectic look.”
Granted, Perry wasn’t alone in the decision-making. She says that the collaborative working relationship with Portrait Homes was critical to the selection of materials. i3 Design worked with the entire Portrait Homes team, including the developer’s senior management, customer services sales and site staff. It was a memorable experience.
“Their walk-throughs [close examinations of the homes], are the most thorough I have ever encountered in this industry,” she says. Perry adds that she enjoyed seeing diplomacy and collaboration at work within a smaller family-based company.
“Everyone’s opinions are heard and the group comes to a consensus to ensure the best result for the purchaser…They have us provide samples of new products so they can test them in-house before they approve them to be used in their homes.”
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