What it is: A one bedroom and den in South Cambie.
Price or rent: Mortgage approximately $1,200 per month.
Square feet: 600.
Occupants: Annamay Pierse, professional athlete on the Canadian National Swim Team hard in training for London 2012 and working to bring home Gold and my puppy Mushu.
Major selling feature: I have an obsession (perhaps an almost unhealthy one) with shoes. One of the first things I saw when I looked at this apartment was the little den in the front. Ive graduated from university and really didnt need a den, so instead I turned it into a walk-in shoe, dress and handbag closet, Carrie Bradshaw-style! Now I just have to fill it with some more amazing shoes, and all will be great. Also theres a 300-square-foot, east facing patio meaning, I get great morning sun and its really great for Mushu.
First thing I changed: The paint. I wanted to make it more me and to look girlier.
That one conversation piece: My Travel Wall. I have two of my World Record posters bordering five clocks. The posters: one is the first World Record I ever broke (the 200m breaststroke short course in 2009), and the other is the 2009 World Championships in the 200m breaststroke long course. As for the clocks, the large central ones on Vancouver time and the other four smaller, matching clocks are London (the next Olympic host) and Beijing (host of my first Olympics), and Paris and New York (two of the fashion capitals of the world. My other love).
The décor: Fashion chic and travel-oriented. I have items from all over the world, places where Ive traveled or will get to in the future. My little sister got me the Eiffel Tower that is sitting on my mantel. Paris is one of the few places I have always wanted to go and havent gotten to. I have elephants and art from India and Thailand, amazing fashion paintings as well as a dress form in the corner of the living room. It is not a very big apartment but I have great furniture that fits and doesnt overwhelm the place and make it feel crowded. I really feel that there is a great flow from room to room with colour scheme and décor, all of it being very me.
Downsides: It isnt the biggest living space and there isnt room to have people over for a sit-down dinner party unless its outside on my patio.
Neighborhood haunts: I dont think Ive lived here long enough to find any haunts. So far its all new, exciting and I love it.
Compared to my last place... It is less spacious, but its mine all mine! My old place was in Kits and close to the beach, which was great, but I like this new area and feel that its a better place for me to live in.
Most recent home purchase: A few mirrors: one for my room, one for the front hall and one for my shoe closet.
Favourite home activities: Having friends over, making dinner and having wine, or shopping for new home wares and redecorating.
