By Stan Sauerwein
There's a cottage coziness about it. Despite a daunting size, the Schluessel home seems to slip almost apologetically away from the tiny cul-de-sac off Abbot Street, a reclusive new face in the exclusive district of heritage residences. Though it's a recent addition to the lakeshore sight lines, it fits marvelously there as a stunning turreted landmark behind a variegated border of cedars , brick and iron
Tucked toward the lake on Mathieson Place, there's an echo of grandeur about this estate home. You'd expect to find in a different place and time perhaps even at the end of a winding country road somewhere in the English countryside.
George Schluessel, modest almost to the point of being taciturn when discussing the design approach he and Calgary interior designer Jerilyn Wright used, says he found what became Casa Bella as a practically abandoned treasure on the beach. Originally started by an investor who withdrew from the construction after the collapse of a mining stock, for a time the roofed-in shell was neglected and used as a welcome squat for a homeless transients.
"It was a plywood box basically, with a clay roof," when he found it, George says. "I thought I would just finish it over time."
While he had a basic vision for what that would entail, it took the practiced eye of award-winning designer Wright to augment George's mental picture. She provided early advice on thematic approaches and the flow within the home before the 3-year construction process began.
"When I went to the house is just wood studs. Not a single wall was installed so we were able to move a lot of walls around inside to make it flow a little better and open some spaces.
"It's a large home and it pivots itself around the central circular space. That's a very strong element in the design. From the visual point of view if was critical to deal with that space in a way that felt free and easy and accessible. The challenge was also to make the interior of such a large home sunny and warm. It's hardly a cottage but the owners wanted it to feel like one."
Jerilyn compliments her client on his foresight. "I enjoyed this project thoroughly. Often I get involved in a job where it is really going to cost the client money to make the house work perfectly, but George was clever enough to involve us when it was just wood studs and we could really wrap the interior vision."
George says a priority for himself and his family was comfort, but as a property developer who is usually confined with the restrictions of commercial projects, he saw an opportunity to stretch. "I wanted to reach new levels in interior creativity and try to get to a higher standard for home finishing inside and out."
When their basic design ideas were set, the Schluessels began what eventually became a 6-month hearing process. Because the home is within a Heritage Conservation Area, sessions with Kelowna planning officials were augmented by reviews of their plans with the Community Heritage Commission.
"I was pleased to do that because we wanted a heritage look and feel," George says, even without special considerations that may have been required to conform the design it fit the ambiance of the neighborhood.
For Jerilyn, the design effort had to begin outside. In her opinion, the house could provide a certain design anticipation for visitors if a prominent roof element could be transformed. With roughly quarried tindal stone which George had a confessed penchant for including, her idea morphed what she calls a boxy 'architectural lump' in the design to a castle-like stone turret that effectively anchors the home to an English manor style.
"You have to watch a house this size so the design vision doesn't just wander along. It seems important to me to create contrast within it so the design doesn't look haphazard," she says.
To complete that impression contributed by the turret, the entry and the outer perimeter visible on approach to the home were dressed in the same unfinished sandstone with a complimentary rough red brick apron accent. A formal wrought iron gate, braced with the more brick was matched with a rounded paving stone driveway that wandered towards the door. To complete the visual context, archways were incorporated at a formal recessed entry and repeated on either side.
In concert, this approach has graced the 8,800 square foot residence with the reflection of elegance often found in centuries-old architecture. To finish the design painting, rather than give the front and side yard a manicured surround, the owner opted for a low maintenance shrubbery and exposed flower beds which once again was reminiscent of England.
The visual kick-start of all this provided a basis for the creation of an interior that both surprises and delights. It's all exactly what the Schluessel family was after.
"I like it all because it has a very comfortable warm feeling throughout the house," says George.
Visitors access the two-story home through an arch that virtually explodes your view to an imposing two storey atrium.
Originally just a huge hole in the house, George wanted to use the space to form a central pivot for flow. To accommodate this, Jerilyn designed a tiered faux dome ceiling reminiscent of grand ballrooms that softened the rising view. She finished it off with the sunny tint of brushed gold leaf.
To reach the second floor and suggest the presence of gallery perimeter there, twin staircases were built. They bend in round, graceful sweeps upwards, flanked by wrought iron railing that is capped in cherry wood and granite.
"It's a grand space which is more grand than necessary, but marvelous. All the rooms around flow from it and it is actually quite open among them," Jerilyn says.
The atrium plan, originally conceptualized to host a large sculpture that would lead the eye towards lake view on the other side of the home, was adjusted when George acquired a 10-foot totem from The Grand Gallery. The unstained carving fits the area with stunning effect. To complement the totem other art pieces have been acquired fulfilling a vision he has of a North American aboriginal art gallery. It's eclectic, including some his own oil paintings, and so fits the style defined by Jerilyn in the rest of the house.
"This was a successful option," says Jerilyn. "We wanted a combination of nature elements and that strong traditional English manor detailing. It was great fun."
"Largely for me, the success of the home is the integrity of the interior as it relates to the exterior. You can kill this kind of project doing a different kind of interior. If we didn't take on that eclectic Old English with a twist of that eccentric style, it would be a nightmare. The thread to its success is that carryover. There's a certain expectation as you drive up and that is enhanced as you go through the home."
In a few words, she describes the home as high contrast neutral.
Sharp lines are softened everywhere with the careful selection of texture, color and shapes. Walls of the billiard room that is next to the entry for example, have a deep, rich tone provided by the hardened square shapes of layered millwork on the walls. Next to the billiard room an open office/den continues the old world feel with hand-made bookshelves. On the other side of the billiard room however, a broad fireplace mantle with curving side elements serve to break the straight lines that could be dominant from the mahogany paneling.
Above the seating area, Jerilyn created another recessed ceiling that echoes the entryway atrium. The space is bridged by warm sepia tones and textured wall paper, spilling into a cozy arrangement of furniture by overstuffed couches and chairs. Extending the sight line from there is a spectacular mahogany bar just around the corner and the vista of the lakeshore, framed in oversized windows at the end of the home.
As a locus point for social gatherings, the living room area is bounded by a curved counter that sets the space apart from a formal dining space.
Near that, the kitchen, designed by La Cucina of Kelowna, is again a splendid visual feast with handcrafted millwork thoughtfully arranged to provide a warm yet functional appearance and a relaxed though formal dining experience.
The home is equipped with several other informal recreation areas, making it a splendid residence for both children and adults. These are highlighted by a home theatre room, tucked far enough away from the living room to be isolated. It is also decked in comfy, overstuffed furniture.
The handcrafted cabinetry in the kitchen faces wide sliding patio doors that open to a backyard designed for the whole family. A large outdoor pool with a slide and a small playground on the beach for the Schluessel children is matched with elements for adult relaxation.
A putting green, installed to satisfy George's love of that sport, is flanked by a large Roman -style fountain complete with 'lions rampant'. Not only does it provide the soothing ambiance of tricking water in the warmer months, it matches the spa gazebo surrounded by ample Corinthian columns.
The Schluessels and their guests can relax in the hot tub to warm themselves after a swim off the home's 85ft of beach frontage and sooth their souls with an uninterrupted lake view.
Back in side the home, the upper floor is sensibly divided. Not only accessible by sweeping staircases, the upper parts of the home are served by their own elevator that opens next to the quiet confines of a small library set inside the turret.
A guest suite, with three bedrooms of its own, is sequestered from the family living area on the other side of the gallery.
The rest of the upstairs area is sectioned for bedrooms. The award-winning master suite is an expansive 1,100 square feet with an enormous en suite Jerilyn equipped with a large double shower, separate steam room and oval step up Jacuzzi.
The panoramic view of the lakeshore from the master en suite is breathtaking.
It all adds up to a home of incredible dimension and variety filled with rooms that evoke different experiences. No, the Schluessel home is not a cottage, but it is a place where you can dream with your eyes wide open.
Workshops/Readings