Ben Nelms/The Globe and Mail
Nicole Milkovich has spent the past 30 years helping her architect father rebuild the family home in North Vancouver, a project with no real end in sight. She was 12 when she started and today, despite living part-time in Toronto as the director of Love Art Fair, that takes place at the Direct Energy Centre's Heritage Court this weekend, Milkovich continues to fly back to Vancouver for extended periods in order to keep hammering the house into shape. "I am the builder in the family," says the 42-year-old graduate of Emily Carr University of Art + Design who grew up learning the tricks of the trade from the late architect Arthur Erickson, her dad's first employer and longtime friend. Progress has been slow but steady. While the original 1,500-square-foot home has been expanded to 2,500 square feet, wiring remains exposed and the plywood floors need replacing – or maybe they don't. After living so long with rooms left in a raw state, Milkovich's father, Nick, has grown to appreciate the look. It certainly suits the surroundings. "You are basically living with the forest," says Milkovich of her favourite room, which offers excellent views through a wall of windows. "It's one of the things that's great about living in B.C."
The fairy lights
"They are Christmas lights. My dad has always liked the twinkly aspect of them. We first put them up 10 years ago and we never took them down. My dad put them on a dimmer and added a strip of silver behind them so they reflect more light. They add a warm glow to the room."
The ceiling
"Part of the charm of the house is that there are still things exposed, like this ceiling, for instance. As someone who helped build the house, [I find it] fun to see into the inside of it still. The ceiling is hemlock, and locally sourced."
The coffee table
"It's mine. It was put there when I moved last year to Toronto. It replaces a teak table my father had made when he was in school. I like that it's there as it's a little bit of me still in the house."
The red carpet
"It does stand out, but it doesn't mean anything to me. I'm not a fan. It's basically my mom covering the plywood floor. But it does help define the space."
The black chair
"It is by an unknown Scandinavian designer and has been in the house since my parents first bought it in 1970. It's great for reading."
The construction paper
"The back wall is covered in silver construction paper and has been for about 20 years. It will eventually go, but 20 years is a pretty long haul. It was a temporary fix to cover plywood walls. But Dad's gotten used to look. He's actually fallen in love with it. If it goes, he would paint the walls silver in memory."
The art
"These paintings are a combination of things purchased from art fairs and gifts from talented artist friends. It makes me feel good having them around, and it makes the house a home."
The couches
"They are a corner set, but we recently split them up. They are only about six years old, a relatively new purchase for this house."