Stepping out of a shiny black and white Rolls-Royce, donning a grey pin striped pant and vest combo, Hermès belt, gold and black Cesare Paciotti shoes and tortoiseshell sunglasses, David Christopher is the spitting image of a 1950s Italian film star.
Judging by his bold fashion choices, you might assume the 37-year-old owner of home design agency David Christopher Signature Estates is set in his personal style, but when it comes to home design he is actually a chameleon of sorts.
David, who was born and raised in West Vancouver, started designing homes at the age of 22 after completing an interior design diploma at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Today he, along with three full-time employees, run one of the most sought-after real estate design firms in Vancouver, offering a unique package to developers and private clients which includes all aspects of the development process from building to interior to landscape design.
It’s his willingness to push the design envelope, and talent for spotting and implementing trends years before they hit the mainstream, that have contributed to his success and popularity (at press time David had 47 projects on the go, many in West Vancouver).
With speculative real estate ventures, which have become the bread and butter of David Christopher Signature Estates, developers are often afraid to do anything dramatic and end up creating generic-looking structures they hope will appeal to the masses, David explains. But the designer isn’t afraid to take a few risks and have some fun in order to create a home with personality, which is what the affluent, sophisticated buyer shopping Vancouver's expensive market is looking for these days, David argues.
“We take the approach that it’s a custom-tailored house for the market, for a buyer who doesn’t know that we’re building it for them yet … What distinguishes (things) when you work with me is I’m going to leave the house with a soul … And that’s how you penetrate the heart of the buyer,” he says.
And penetrate hearts his homes do. On this sunny mid-summer afternoon, David is walking me through a three-floor L.A. beach-style residence on Lawson Street in West Vancouver’s quiet Ambleside neighbourhood, which is being staged for sale. Listed for just under $6 million by realtor Derek Grech, the project was created in partnership with developer Reza Aventura of Aventura Ltd.
One of the smaller-scale projects in David’s repertoire, the 5,000-square-foot, five-bedroom home has a breezy, peaceful feeling, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, sleek Carrera marble at every turn, breathtaking views of Stanley Park and the Lions Gate bridge and a terrace with a glittering LED-lit bridge and a double-negative edge pool.
Tailored for a young family, single person or couple, the residence also boasts custom-made Italian yacht-finish cabinetry and strategically placed floor-to-ceiling mirrors reflecting the South-facing ocean views. Downstairs is a sprawling underground “Man Cave” boasting two bedrooms, a home theatre and a 271-bottle glass-enclosed wine cellar. It’s a basement that doesn’t feel like a basement due to its ten-foot cove ceilings, cove lighting and a patio fountain coming down a stainless steel wall, emitting a beautifully peaceful sound.
Another one of David’s projects with enviable entertainment features is the six-bedroom, eight-bathroom, 9,000-square-foot home on Greenwood Road in The British Properties. Featuring wrap-around floor-to-ceiling windows, a resort-style swimming pool with a sunken entertainment area and fire pit, Carrera marble as well as integrated lighting and music systems, the ultra-luxe, modern home was what initially inspired developer Reza to contact David to work with him on the Lawson home.
Leaning against the dark marble countertop in the Lawson kitchen, David looks up from his phone: "Got time to see another house?" he asks.
The next thing I know, I’m sitting in the back seat of David’s Rolls-Royce as he winds us up King George’s Way in the British Properties on route to one of his more classic-style projects. For this one he was challenged with creating a residence that would attract an affluent buyer, despite the fact that the lot had no view to speak of. At 8,000 square feet with 24-foot ceilings and an estate-approach driveway, it is much more expansive and grander than the Ambleside L.A.-inspired home where we started our afternoon. On our way there, David tells me about some of the projects he has on the go, five of which have September completion dates. “I’ve got a house down there being built, I’ve got another one there on the left which we’re just doing the foundation for,” he says, gesturing to each.
Meanwhile, David is working on another project in West Vancouver that could not be more different from the three aforementioned spaces. At 28,000 square feet, this estate is ultra-traditional with opulent Baroque-inspired furniture, drapery, chandeliers and light fixtures fit for Versailles and personally sourced by David on five separate trips to a manufacturer located just outside of Venice, Italy. It’s a more opulent version of a home he designed on Cammeray Road in the British Properties (pictured here). “The interesting thing is that (the owner of this home) thinks that this is all I design. (The ability to create completely different looks) is a bit of a secret weapon I have in the industry,” he says while flipping through the glossy pages of a coffee table-style book the Italian furnishing manufacturer created about the property.
When asked where David gets his inspiration, he says it’s all “up here,” so to speak. “I don’t look at anything but the (development) site. That will tell me what direction we should go in. I think architects and designers who are looking at Pinterest or Architectural Digest—they need help,” he quips. "You're supposed to be on the leading edge. That's what people hire you for."
While work keeps him busy, David does make a point of disconnecting after 7 p.m. every day to be with his wife (whom he calls "my sounding board,") and five kids, (including a pair of four-year-old twins who have expressed an interest in joining Dad at work), and during the three weeks’ vacation they take each year.
With an obvious passion for style (his second car is a faux-gold Mercedes G Wagon), it’s only natural that David lists a product line among his next possible ventures. “Ralph Lauren went from ties, fashion and colognes to home products and furniture. It’s almost as if I’m at the opposite end of what he’s doing and I’m walking towards him; and he’s walking towards me. My concept is to go into the territories that he did.”
Wherever David’s walking, you can be sure it will in one very stylish pair of shoes—likely on a shiny Italian marble floor.
