Bright, open, airy and contemporary.
That's the premise of the beachy makeover of a lakeside townhouse in Kelowna that helped propel Begrand Fast Design to the most nominations for the 2025 Okanagan Housing Awards of Excellence.
"It's great acknowledgement of our work this year," said Nicole Begrand-Fast, the founder and creative director of the eypotomous design firm.
"Some projects take a year or two to complete, so when you finish and there's this kind of recognition, it's amazing."
Its nine finalist nods makes Begrand Fast Design the most nominated for the 32nd annual Okanagan Housing Awards of Excellence.
Five of those finalist spots are for design work on Shoreside Getaway, the aforementioned townhouse at Mission Shores that received a complete renovation.
The five categories are interior design renovation under 2,500 square feet, decorating and styling over $75,000, residential reno $500,0000 to $1 million, kitchen reno under $125,000 and bathroom reno under $50,000.
"We touched and updated every inch of it," said Begrand-Fast with a laugh.
"We reconfigured the living room, kitchen and dining room and redid the bedrooms and bathrooms. The townhouse has a lot of natural light that pours in through the vaulted living room and we used that for a soft, light, livable and luxurious renovation."
Begrand-Fast pointed out that interior design is about a lot more than just picking paint colours and choosing a nice couch.
"We understand the building code and construction and work alongside home builders, tradespeople and suppliers for the best results," she said.
Begrand Fast also landed two finalist spots for designing Lake View Escape, a new home with infinity pool in Carrs Landing.
Lake View Escape is also one of three finalists in the marquee category of 'home of the year'.
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Begrand Fast also snagged a finalist spot with design for a home called Casa Loma Character in the interior design over 2,500 square feet category.
Such an amazing run of nominations also led to a finalist spot in the 'design firm of the year' category.
Back to the 'home of the year' category -- the two other finalists are Hidden Hills by AuthenTech Homes in the Wilden master-planned community and Loki's Lair, an angular and modern mansion perched above the lake by Little Building Solutions.
In all, there are 48 categories and almost 140 finalists.
See the complete list, along with photos, here: https://www.chbaco.com/awards/award-finalists-2025/
"Every finalist represents a remarkable achievement, demonstrating excellence in craftsmanship, design and sustainability," said Krista Paine, president of the Central Okanagan branch of the Canadian Home Builders' Association, the 320-member group that puts on the Okanagan Housing Awards of Excellence.
Paine is also the owner, operator and interior designer at Ian Paine Construction & Design, a company that's won numerous Okanagan Housing Awards of Excellence.
"Year after year, I am always amazed by the incredible talent we have right here in our own backyard," said Cassidy deVeer, the interim executive director of the Central Okanagan branch of the Canadian Home Builders' Association.
"Becoming a finalist takes truly exceptional projects and it's a testament to the fact that some of the best homes and designs in Canada are being created right here in the Central Okanagan."
Winners in the 48 categories will be revealed at the Okanagan Housing Awards of Excellence gala on Feb. 1 at the Delta Grand hotel in Kelowna.
