GET JILLIAN’S THE ‘L♥VE WHERE YOU LIVE’ ISSUE DESIGN TIPS Local Laughs p.15 Rad Takeout Combos p.19 Vancouver Jewels p.23 5 Days of Juice p.27 Palm Springs Escape p.33 Life is better here FEBRUARY 2015 Get your FREE iPad edition BCLiving.ca/iPad THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE Love it or List It Home Vancouver’s Jillian Harris and Todd Talbot reveal reno and real estate secrets p.40 VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOOD GUIDE P.46 Complimentary Copy PM40065475 get out + explore with Celebrate the City We Love Plus LOVE IT Jillian Harris VANCITY West End OR LIST IT shares her signature Neighbourhood Flashback VANCOUVER DESIGN TIPS GUIDE with FRED HERZOG p. 40 p. 42 p. 46 p. 58 PHOTO KIM CHRISTIE PHOTO february 2015 | 39 by JANET GYENES JILLIAN HARRIS AND TODD TALBOT, loving and listing in CO-HOSTS OF LOVE IT OR LIST IT VANCOUVER, SHARE REAL ESTATE AND Vancouver RENO TIPS beauty, but it’s the changing a massive renovation. “It was Drama? Romance? Comedy? neighbourhoods, such as Mar- so stressful and it turned out It’s hard to nail down the genre of Love It or List pole and New Westminster, with so beautiful,” says Harris. “It It Vancouver, since the TV show, just like any their diverse mix of age groups, really reminded me of the expe- partnership, can be a roller coaster of emotions. ethnicities and unvarnished rience I just went through with character, that interest Talbot. my own house.” In every episode, it’s a For someone who has travelled Especially since skyrocketing Harris and Talbot may battle of wills between interior extensively during his 25-year real estate prices make owning even play a big role in shaping designer Jillian Harris (yes, the acting career, Talbot says that a detached house an out-of- Vancouver’s neighbourhoods former TV Bachelorette), who it’s Vancouver’s striking reach dream for many families. by matchmaking families with does her utmost to rekin- good looks, architec- He references a recent episode functional homes, whether they dle the homeowners’ ture and charac- of Love It or List It in which a stay in their renovated space or love for their abode ter that enthralls family struggles to find an ideal pull up stakes. There will always through design, and viewers from home on Vancouver’s West Side, be some drama, but if Harris realtor Todd Talbot, across Canada. despite having a multimillion- and Talbot have their way, who tries to woo Harris agrees, dollar budget. “For 2.2 million, the outcome will be them away from their noting the show is you should be able to buy your true love. dysfunctional home and practically a tour- dream home – or two!” he into a more desirable space. ism endorsement. And that says. Whether you’re on Team Harris suits her just fine. Shooting the But it makes for or Team Talbot, you can never show in such a spectacular city great TV. “The real predict whether the homeown- lets her work on location in an estate market is so ers will “love it” or “list it” in industry she loves, while stay- insane and I think the end, but one thing is for ing close to her family in B.C. that makes it more sure: sparks will fly. and Alberta. interesting to watch,” Although neither Talbot nor “When you’ve lived some- says Harris, who lives Harris calls Vancouver home place else and you come in Kerrisdale when Love full-time (see pages 46-47), the back here, you realize it’s Watch shooting, and It or List It co-hosts still have mad love for a pretty amazing place,” Monday nights commutes to the at 10 p.m. on the city’s diverse neighbour- says Talbot, noting that W Network. Kelowna house she hoods in which they shoot the Vancouver doesn’t have the shares with her part- show, now in its second season. vibe and maturity of world- ner when she’s not. One of “I think this city is one of class cities such as London her favourite episodes of the unspoken reasons why – yet. “It’s still a really young Love It or List It Vancouver the show is so successful. It’s city,” he says. features a young couple kind of the third character,” Right now, the wild child who purchased a character PHOTOS COURTESY OF W NETWORK COURTESY PHOTOS says Vancouver-born Talbot. is getting by on charm and home and embarked on 40 | february 2015 bcliving.ca february 2015 | 41 Stay or Pull up Stakes? Jillian Harris makes the case for falling in love with your home again, while Todd Talbot shares 5 reasons for selling FOCUS ON FUNCTION JILL: Renovate to truly make the TODD: Having kids precipitates space your own, says Harris. “If most moves, says Talbot. When your you can picture your house work- home stops functioning for your ing for you with a reno, then stay.” family, it’s time to find more room. SIZE MATTERS JILL: In some neighbourhoods, it TODD: People get attached to Harris shows off can be hard to find a house with a their homes, but for many empty- her contemporary bohemian vision small footprint, says Harris. Don’t nesters, it doesn’t make sense in 2014’s PNE buy more than you need; renovate being burdened with the upkeep Prize Home (left a right-sized space. of a big home. and above). The designer loves to RENO RETURN feature plenty of art in her space JILL: Spend your reno dollars wisely, TODD: “If you throw enough and anchors the says Harris, so you’ll get the most money at it, you can fix almost room with her out of your investment. For example, any problem,” says Talbot, “but at black-and-white a basement reno is a smart idea for some point it doesn’t make finan- Cross Your Heart a growing family that can make the cial sense.” Rug from her most of this newfound space. Jillian’s LEARN HOW TO Korhani Home get collection. ACHIEVE HER LIFESTYLE + LOCATION ECLECTIC YET JILL: “My heart is really happy TODD: “You can’t renovate your GLAM STYLE in Kelowna,” says Harris. “I fell in location,” says Talbot. Some Design Secrets love with the location.” Renovating people move to find a quieter vibe; a home there was an affordable others move to a neighbourhood “My style is generally rug she designed for Korhani rugs and knits and sequins and polish and personality. choice that allows her to be close to that has more going on. feminine, light and airy. I like Home as part of her Love Jil- sparkles.” “I definitely like a lot of her family. to mix vintage with all sorts of lian Harris collection – it has Next, she adds larger invest- art,” says Harris, but she ART AND CROSS ART FINANCIAL FREEDOM eclectic styles, but keep within dark-red heart accents on it ment pieces such as sofas to a urges people to find something A Few of Her Favourite Things a certain colour palette,” says for a playful pop of colour. room. For her own home, Harris inexpensive yet valuable in a JILL: Renovate if you plan to stay TODD: Is it time to cash out? When Harris. “I like a tad of whimsy She’s also big on texture: “I purchased a down-filled linen sentimental way. Or make a FAVE PLACES TO DECOR SHOP IN VANCOUVER put and can enjoy your upgrade, you liquidate your investment, you in a space, and I love to see a love mixing muslins with thick sofa from Country Furniture piece from meaningful items, The Cross in Yaletown, Country Furniture says Harris – but don’t break the can spend that hard-earned cash person’s personality and life on South Granville she suggests. “Frame flies from on South Granville, antique stores and bank on things you don’t on other things. ■ experiences shine through that marries luxury your great grandpa’s fly-fishing HomeSense (various locations) necessarily want or need in the decor.” with comfort. Home- collection.” SPLURGE-WORTHY ITEMS with the thought For Harris, achieving such Sense is Harris’ go-to Her other trick for achieving Sofas and beds that you’ll cash style means starting with for smaller pieces a luxe look for less is to choose FAVOURITE FLOWERS in eventually a blank canvas, preferably such as side chairs, a high-low mix of accessories: Hydrangeas and peonies if you sell. in neutral hues – creams or ottomans and table steals from Target and splurges EVERY HOME NEEDS A beverage whites – and building layers. lamps, and she fin- from The Cross, which act as centre for beer and wine An area rug, for example, acts ishes up every space “the icing” on the cake. “It gives BEST DISCOVERY A built-in coffee maker as an anchor for a room. Harris with all-important your house that look of time- favours the cream Lotta Love accessories to add lessness and richness.” OF THE PACIFIC COURTESY NICOLAY, (PNE PRIZE HOME) JANIS PHOTOS HOME; ( RUG) KORHANI LOVE EXHIBITION; (LOTTA NATIONAL BLASBERG ADAM RUG) JILLIAN HARRIS; (JILLIAN & TODD) MY HEART 42 | february 2015 bcliving.ca bcliving.ca february 2015 | 43.