Truly Eppich | mong jaw-dropping properties, every so often, one defies categorization as a residential home, making the leap to “landmark” instead. Case in point: Eppich House II. With its dazzling expanse of glass walls and revolutionary cascading steel-beam frame, this architectural wonder appears like a mirage high up on a West Vancouver hillside, nestled between mountain and sea, yet invisible from the road. Water elements add to its mystical quality — a shimmering koi pond, fed by a redirected creek, and an infinity-edge poolthat blends into the landscape.

Sisters Chloé and Parris Gordon have been, to put it bluntly, crushing it since their debut collection launched at Toronto Fashion Week back in 2011 — their first show after graduating from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.

Local boutiques were swift to pick up pieces from the collection. Realizing their school project was getting serious, the Gordon sisters renamed the brand in 2013 — from Chloé Comme Parris to Beaufille — and set about cultivating a signature look that blends hard elements (think structured neoprene and gloss-coated wools) with soft (shirred Victorian collars, ultra-wide flares).

Opting for vertical living has long involved tradeoffs: services versus square footage, turnkey versus autonomy, convenience versus community. But with highly equipped, low-density condominium towers, buyers no longer have to compromise: Distinctive architecture, oversize residences and ultra-luxe services are turning high-rise structures into high-networth communities, with amenities fostering social interaction and a sense of place among affluent neighbors.

Sweeping views are impressive, but rooms with abundant windows can present design challenges. Will that dramatic chandelier obscure a sight line to the mountains? You love all of that natural light, but what about the glare it creates on your flat-screen TV? Success lies in choosing well-proportioned furniture and paying close attention to the intended use of a space. 

Minimalism is design through simplicity—of form, colour, volume and detail—yet this aesthetic isn't simple to achieve. Go too far in one direction, and the result is cold, even sterile; cross the line the other way, and messiness begins. Hitting the sweet spot involves an architectural and decorative language of unity and repetition and the clever manipulation of space—not as an element to be filled, but as one to be celebrated—as well as light.