Skip to main content

Winery owner Ian MacDonald designed his living room as a place to display his art – and take in the natural art happening outdoors

Many people dream of leaving big city hustle for quaint wine country, but Ian MacDonald made it happen. Seven years ago, along with a few friends, the Vancouver-based founder of Moving Products Inc., an Olympic Games apparel company, purchased an old vineyard in the Okanagan Lake region of British Columbia's interior. "My past career with the Olympic Games allowed me to tour the world and, honestly, the South Okanagan is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen," says MacDonald, who now spends most of his time as a proprietor of Liquidity Wines, which includes a bistro and art gallery on its premises. A bold career and life change required a home to match. The winemaker snagged a lakeside property in Naramata, about 30 kilometres from the winery, and dreamed up a modernist structure, conceptualized as a lens for the spectacular views. "The house is surrounded on three sides by gullies and cliffs, so I decided to call it Flying Leap," he says.

Geometric Tri LED pendant by Scott Bridgens and Simon James for Resident, $3,115 at Design Within Reach (www.dwr.com).

Platner side table by Warren Platner for Knoll, $856 at Kit Interior Objects (www.kitinteriorobjects.com).

Red Sari silk rug by Bettina Juul Eilersen for To Be Living, $2,895 (U.S.) at YLiving (www.yliving.com).

That leap is perhaps best appreciated in the second-floor living room, an expansive space ideal for entertaining fellow oenophiles. The lake views are hard to miss. "I am a fan of clean, modern design with lots of glass to capture the amazing views," says MacDonald, who came up with the home design himself before working with Calgary-based designer Connie Young on the interiors. The crisp, gallery-like, mostly white space showcases the art collector's impressive display of Canadian art, including the John Dann painting, hung above the striking custom-built six-foot Napoleon fireplace. In front of it sit a cluster of pillowy seaters, two grey Baxter sofas from Room 8 in Vancouver and a cozy red Zoe chaise longue from Verzelloni, purchased at Spencer Interiors. The Bettina Juul Eilersen recycled silk sari rug gives the polished concrete floor a soft touch, as does the locally milled Douglas Fir plank ceiling. When one is after a view, the little seating nook by the window is the place to be, with the two Baxter Houston chairs nestled on a white cowhide rug under the spectacular ceiling pendant custom designed by Vancouver-based Alex Beim of Tangible Interaction.

Damasco loveseat by Paola Navone for Baxter, price on request at Room 8 (www.room8.ca).

Zoe small chaise lounge by Lievore Altherr Molina for Verzelloni, starting at $2,460 at Spencer Interiors (www.spencerinteriors.ca).

The home's breezy aesthetic reflects that of Liquidity, which is very much aligned with MacDonald's love of modernist architecture. The winemaker's extensive art collection journeys back and forth from the house to the winery, including works by Charles Malinsky and Martha Sturdy. Of course, one could argue that the real beauty happens outside the walls thanks to the ever-changing Okanagan landscape. "One thing I really appreciate about this place is that it truly has all four seasons and none of them are extreme," MacDonald says. He takes full advantage of the environment, starting the day paddleboarding on the lake or hiking the Kettle Valley Railway trail, before heading over to Liquidity to meet with wine-thirsty visitors. "Summers are very busy with visitors, but people are discovering that the shoulder seasons are even better," he says. With the region fast becoming a year-round hot spot for food and wine lovers, MacDonald's big leap seven years ago was well worth it.