KB Design is a full-service custom home design studio specializing in the design of homes that are energy efficient, light-filled, well integrated into their surroundings, and tend towards the use of natural materials.
With over 25 years in business, Keith Baker, as owner and principal designer, heads up a team that has designed hundreds of homes on Vancouver Island, across Canada and the United States. Inspired by contemporary West Coast architecture, KB Design brings a fresh and positive approach to its design projects.
By considering our clients’ needs and coming to fully understand the purposes and reasons that they are wishing to design and build a new home for themselves, we help our clients throughout the process. We are well-connected to local builders, engineers, and interior and landscape designers and realize that building your new home is a team effort.
With a focus on sustainability, KB Design offers its clients a fresh approach to green design. Through our vision to unify environmental efficiency with creative aesthetics, a KB-designed home can offer the latest in green technology, while addressing and meeting the client’s needs, through innovative and sustainable design practices such as:
Use of natural, renewable, and recyclable materials
Alternative materials and construction assemblies
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) and Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs)
Passive and active solar design
‘BuiltGreen’ systems and technologies
Biophilic design
Super-insulated alternative design
Universal accessible design
Pre-fab design
The natural beauty of timber homes is one of its key benefits.Wood is a renewable resource, making wood-based architecture an environmentally responsible option for individuals who are concerned about sustainability.It can be challenging to mimic the cozy and welcoming ambiance that wood can produce with other building materials because of its warm, natural appearance.The architectural freedom of wooden homes is another benefit.Given enough time and effort, wood can be sculpted and shaped to practically any architectural style or aesthetic preference.Wooden homes can sometimes be built more quickly than other home types.Wood and marble are both strong, long-lasting materials that can survive daily use’s wear and tear.Wood is resistant to scratches and stains, whereas marble is heat-resistant and can sustain high temperatures.Warm and earthy colors were used to paint the walls to go with the wooden concept.Wainscoting or wooden wall paneling are other options for giving the room texture and depth.A kitchen can gain a lot of visual interest from the contrast created by the combination of wood and marble.The smooth, chilly elegance of marble contrasts with the warmth and organic textures of wood, creating a balanced and unified appearance.To make a space feel warm and welcoming, utilize warm, soft lighting.The wooden concept of the house can be strengthened with lighting.A wooden finish on the light fixtures or shades made of natural materials like rattan or linen can also improve the appearance.A bathroom with wood and marble accents can provide a spa-like atmosphere that is soothing and peaceful.
Jon Dykstra owns an interior design company in North Vancouver, British Columbia. He's fascinated by architecture and interiors. He also enjoys gardening at his "house in the burbs" and "homesteading" at his off-the-grid boat-access cabin.
Combine all that with a love of writing and Homestratsophere.com was born. He balances his working time between running his interior design company, working on his off-the-grid cabin and publishing homestratosphere.com.
