VictorEric Design Journal Our Latest News & Thoughts On The Design Industry

The new modern temporary shelter has been unvelied at the Interior Design Show West, with the new product receiving great feedback. 

Designer Todd Macallen calls his product the “softshell”.   It’s unique design allows for the walls to be flexible so they can contract, stretch and join together.  He says “it’s like an expanded honey comb, so several folded pleats pull a wall apart, it expands and then each wall has magnetic end panels.  A wall can be joined to another wall”. 

This design provides the privacy needed for families living temporarily for several months.  An example would be for emergency situations such as an earthquake where families can set up their softshells in a public area like a school gym for several months at a time.

For the full article: http://www.news1130.com/news/local/article/283660–new-emergency-shelters-unveiled-at-design-show

The idea of homelessness is foreign to most working class Canadians.  They work hard to look after their families by providing food and shelter.  However, what happens when something as basic as shelter is in short supply?

Every year, new rental housing  units are built to keep up with the growing population.  Unfortunately, only 600 housing units are built when 6,500 are needed.  Furthermore, these rental units are rising in price.

Coalition cochariman of Metro Housing Committee and Mayor of New Westminister, Wayne Wright, says “If we don’t have affordable rentals we could have more homelessness”.

Desperate families are currently being forced to double up by living in basement suites or living in one bedroom suites.  These same families are also moving frequently from one rental to another.  Executive-director of the Tenants Resource and Advisory Centre, Nick Dunlop, says “All of this is destabilizing for families and individuals”. 

Katharine from VictorEric is also very passionate about the homelessness issue.  She says, “truly, I personally care about the homelessness situation in Van I’m just out of power to offer what actually makes a difference. Other than being aware and volunteering where I can, there isn’t much anyone can do really”.

For the full article: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Affordable+rentals+Keeping+with+demand+coalition/5701559/story.html

The old heritage areas of Toronto is buzzing with activity, with non-stop applications to re-build and keep the old cobblestone street facade.  Condominium and commercial projects are being proposed where modern day facilities are incorporated with the nostalgia of historical building fronts. 

The largest project to date is on  Joseph Street in downtown.  The “Five Condos” is currently in construction, where the old warehouse facade is to be restored with a modern 45-storey glass tower on top.  This will provide heritage housing lofts, a rooftop garden, a huge 13,000 square feet of indoor amenities and another 10,000 square feet of outdoor amenities. 

The Five Condos project is a litte more special than the other heritage projects, as it’s not just a new building with an old face, it’s also incorporating heritage features within its construction throughout the building.  This is the true blend of old with new, respecting heritage perservation. 

For the full article: http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/11/11/follow-the-cobblestoned-street-to-the-city%E2%80%99s-best-new-but-old-condos/

If you think Toronto is already a big city, then you’ll be in for a big surprise in 2012. 

Mr. Gillespie, Developer and owner of real estate firm Westbank Projects Corp,  is planning to unveil the new luxury hotel in Toronto in August 2012.   This luxury hotel is the Shangri-La and it will be a towering 66 floors. 

Internationally, the hotel is known for it’s ethnic style, being the best-known brand in Asia.  It will now provide Toronto with more hotels than just the Ritz and the Four Seasons.

Furthermore, two Toronto condominiums behind the Shangri-la are in the works, where one will be designed by Denmark’s famous architect Bjarke Ingels. 

For the full article: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/architecture/john-bentley-mays/west-coast-builder-has-big-toronto-plans/article2232087/

Scotiabank have partnered with RONA to put forth a contest where the grand prize is a fully built $40,000 kitchen.  To have a chance to win, all you need to do is be a homeowner and register online on http://ecoliving.scotiabank.com/contests.

The grand prize involves a consultation with a designer from Green Living Enterprises.  The consultant will work with you to draw up a design for your kitchen, incorporating $20,000 in RONA eco-products and $20,000 in design and labour.  And for those who miss out on the grand prize, there are still plenty of RONA products you can win valued at approximately $100.

Enter today, not just for the free kitchen but also to promote the idea of an eco-friendly living.  Scotiabank want to bring awareness on the advantages of eco living, where eco-friendly products are both stylish, practical and minimize impact on the environment.

For the full article:  http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/876983/scotiabank-launches-40-000-eco-friendly-kitchen-renovation-contest-with-rona

When we think about homes, we think about homes being traditionally rooted to the ground.  However, based on this idea, land disappears quickly as cities become over populated.

A designer in Berlin by the name of Werner Aisslinger has put forth a brilliant solution.  Why not live on top of roofs in the city?  All those commerical buildings, with flat unused space is plentiful in the city.  With 360 degree views of the sky, who wouldn’t want to live there?

Aisslinger has designed a modular home that is compact and stylish called the Loft Cube.  It is has a ground living area of 40sqm, with many customizable options.  The Loft Cube is constructed from a kit and then placed on rooftops wtih a crane or helicopter.

There is some preparation involved to allow the Loft Cube to be installed.   The rooftop perimeter is first secured with railings, the roof is certified to carry the extra weight and the utility lines are extended from the building.  The effort is worth it, with contemporary accomodation ready to move into.

For further details: http://www.loftcube.net/loftcube_project/main.html

There has been a growing concern by Vancouverites that foreign Chinese buyers are stopping Canadians from buying prime real estate in their own country.

With money as no object, Chinese buyers are snapping up properties and increasing bids on homes, particularly in West Vancouver.  It has reached a point where families living  in West Vancouver have to tell their children to buy elsewhere.   In this year alone, prices  for homes worth $2+ million are being pushed up 118 per cent.

Mayor Gregor Robertson and rival Suzanne Anton are reluctant to address this issue, as the foreign buying trend is bringing in capital.  They’ve rejected the idea of applying restrictions to the number of homes a foreigner can purchase and do not want to introduce additional taxes to foreign buyers.

However, we have to ask, how founded are the fears of Vancouverites?  Real estate expert Tsur Somerville believes that even if there were no foreign buyers, the price for housing would still be unaffordable  to Canadians. 

Furthermore, many of the foreign buyers may not be as foreign as we think.  Cam Good, president of a real estate firm tailored to Asian buyers called The Key, believes that his typical clients are immigrating housewives with husbands still residing in China. 

For the full article: http://www.theprovince.com/business/time+curb+foreign+real+estate+buying+Vancouver/5703433/story.html

Who would have thought that a tiny home could be worth $849,000?

In a small neighbourhood in San Francisco called Cole Valley, there is a two-story home consisting of only 1,030 square feet with a width of 10 feet. 

Even though it was built back in 2004, it’s contemporary style has made a simple two bedroom, one and a half bathroom house worth $849,000.  In fact, it was initially selling at $1 million.

Scroll through the photos to see the wow factor for yourself.  

Only customized homes can offer a wow factor.  To bring a wow factor to your home, contact your nearest custom home designer like VictorEric Design Group.

For the full article:  http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/56PBJS/www.homedsgn.com/2011/10/05/would-you-buy-a-10-foot-wide-home-for-849000/

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recently issued their Vancouver Housing Market Outlook Report.  This is a report providing a sneak peek into the conditions of the housing market for 2012.

The news is good, with expectations that housing prices will remain fairly steady and not sky rocket.  The reasoning behind this lies in the balance of demand and supply of homes expected in 2012.  It is believed an increase in price will only be about 2%. 

However, when it comes to single detached homes we need to take into account current prices.  This year alone, prices have already sky rocketed an extra 17%.  Thus, the predicted increase of 2% will bring up the cost of single detached homes to an estimated $805,500. 

For those can’t afford single detached homes,  a low cost home option is being provided through the construction of more multi-family homes.  

For those who can afford single detached homes, customized home design will only increase the value of your home, so contact VictorEric today to discuss customizing your home. 

For the full article: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/cmhc-vancouver-2012-housing-market-outlook-1582314.htm

With the upcoming winter season, real estate house tours are becoming less pleasant.  However, for the buyer, it will be worth the trip as housing prices tend to be lower in the winter.

During the winter season sellers pull their properties off the market, and wait for summer to come round to put it back on the market.  Families are usually in no rush to sell their house during the winter as they are focussed on getting their children through the school year and wait for the warmer months to show off their house.

However, for those who keep houses on the market during winter, are those that need to sell.  Thus lower housing prices ensue.

It isn’t all bad news for those that need to sell.  This can also be seen as an opportunity to sell based on the unique features of the home, especially with less houses to compete with. 

VictorEric’s specialty is custom homes.  Not only do they customize homes to provide all the tailored comforts for families, but they also boost the value of homes when it comes time to sell.

For the full article: http://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/realestate/2011/10/24/vancouver-housing-market-expected-slow-down-during-winter