Vancouver: a new home in a renovated apartment

The next step was to set priorities: "We were both born in Japan. I also lived in Mexico for 24 years. Hospitality and socialising are very important to us," says Yoshi. "So the heart of our house has to be functional, open and inviting," says the 39 year old. "What is typically Canadian about us is that we like to be outside, we apologise too often and our English isn't perfect," says the 28 year old, winking. The couple put a lot of time into the planning and by combining two living areas they created one large space, allowing the kitchen to become the focal point of their new home. But before that, an obstructing wall had to be removed: Yoshi picked up the sledgehammer and did some DIY.

"We wanted a modern, handle-less design combined with as much storage space as possible in our small apartment," Yoshi explains. The kitchen island with the adjacent table is the centre of the home and there is plenty of storage space thanks to the L-shaped kitchen units. The interior designers reduced the number of drawers required by using extra-wide LEGRABOX free drawers, simultaneously creating space. The integration of AMBIA-​LINE as interior organisation means that everything is always easy to find. This also structures the storage space and gives an elegant touch.

The wide wall cabinets with AVENTOS HF lift systems allow easy access and are a real storage miracle. The use of the SERVO-​DRIVE electrical motion support system makes the entire kitchen handle-less, the smooth opening movement increases convenience – both for drawers and wall cabinets – and makes it child-friendly. "I would never have thought that such small changes would have such a big impact and I wouldn't want any of these features to be missing from our new kitchen," explains the passionate karaoke singer.