Coco Oakridge to take its place in a revitalized Vancouver neighbourhood
Mary Frances Hill
The Province
Coco Oakridge
What: 57 one- to three-bedroom homes
Where: 5733 Alberta Street
Residence sizes and prices: One to three bedrooms, 520 to 1,610 sq. ft, one-beds from $819,900; two-beds from $1,299,900; three-bed townhomes from $1.8 million
Developer and builder: Keltic Canada Development
Sales centre: 5844 Cambie Street
Hours: noon — to 5 p.m., Sat — Thurs
Telephone: 604-428-7533
What makes a vibrant, healthy community? Variety, for starters. A great community is one where anyone of any background can feel at home. At Keltic Canada Development’s Coco Oakridge, a condo community planned for Vancouver’s Oakridge area, Cristina Oberti’s design team therefore created interiors with a universal appeal. “Variety is essential for creating diversity in a community, particularly when it comes to designing for emerging districts and neighbourhoods,” says Oberti, principal of Cristina Oberti Interior Design Inc.
Coco Oakridge will be a high-end project that appeals to professionals and young families who need an urban lifestyle, but prefer to live a “more relaxed lifestyle, beyond the downtown core,” she says.
The project that will include 57 homes is a boutique offering compared to some of the neighbouring residential buildings planned for the area. The revitalized surrounding Oakridge community will comprise 10 towers scaling up to 44 storeys, housing for residents of varying incomes and plenty of amenities and green space.
While the name of the project is a play on Cambie-Oakridge, according to marketer Dave Bauman of Magnum Projects, Oberti says the style of famed women’s wear designer Coco Chanel, known for her chic tailoring, was also a huge influence in her choices of finishes and materials.
“When most people think of Coco Chanel and her designs, they think of classic silhouettes and clean lines,” Oberti says. “But above all, Coco Chanel was a modernist. It was this aspect of her talent that we wanted to highlight in our work [in the interiors].”
Oberti opted to go for uncomplicated silhouettes and resilient, understated materials. “We chose straight, angular forms and coupled them with contrasting materials such as wood, marble and stone. The variations in the wood and stone finishes add a sense of luxury while also providing softness to the otherwise structured furnishings, almost like fabric [would].” That variation is reminiscent of the materials and fabrics of Coco Chanel’s own creations, which have been hailed for their utility and integrity.
Bathrooms include marble vanity countertops, herringbone wall tiles and marble shower bases.
Oberti also chose luxury brands Scavolini and Gaggenau for the suites’ kitchens and bathrooms, brands are favoured for their understated durability and elegance.
“Both brands put design at the forefront of what they do, so although their products are primarily functional and serve very specific purposes, they nevertheless are beautiful to look at,” she says.
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