Susan and Dan Sambol decided they were ready to downsize into a smaller, single-storey place for ease of mobility down the road. They wanted their new home to be close to family. And they wanted to build it themselves.

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The family that works well together can probably live together, too. Or so thought Susan and Dan Sambol when they decided to go looking for shared property in Maple Ridge with their son and daughter-in-law.

Dan and his son David own and run Dasco Construction Ltd., a Lower Mainland forming and framing company. “Because we’re in business together, and we had proven we could do that successfully, we thought we could probably live on a property that was big enough, where there was enough room, and we each had privacy,” says Susan. She and Dan had decided they were ready to downsize into a smaller, single-storey place for ease of mobility down the road. They wanted their new home to be close to family. And they wanted to build it themselves.

The perfect one-acre property hit the market in fall 2018 – a 1970s home on 128 Avenue, close to town, with a 66-foot mobile home in the back. David and wife Tracey, and their two young daughters, would renovate and live in the main structure. Susan and Dan would live in the mobile home while building a garden suite.

To make the most of the 968 square feet the City of Maple Ridge allows for secondary dwellings, the couple consulted Susan’s brother, Michael Huggins of BHA Architecture Inc. Huggins came up with a concept for an L-shaped structure, housing the garden suite, plus a 1,500-square-foot shared workshop-garage.

Sticking with a single bedroom allowed the couple to maximize kitchen and living-dining space. “I didn’t want to give up having family over for dinner,” says Susan. So, while the home may be apartment-sized, they have a full dining table and island, with ample seating to host their three children and six grandchildren.

On the structure’s exterior, eight-foot overhangs shelter a walkway between the home and workshop entrances, as well as a sitting area. But these also block some light, as do the towering trees surrounding the lot. To compensate, Huggins proposed a ridge skylight — glass panels running along the peak of vaulted ceilings — over the great room.

“He said it may be kind of dark, even though we have high ceilings, so he suggested putting in the ridge skylight, which really has (created) this wonderful space we have today, because it’s always bright,” says Susan. “We rarely put the lights on.”

A mostly white palette helps brighten the space, too. White-oak-style millwork and shelving add subtle warmth, complementing light oak-look laminate flooring throughout the home.

Dasco handled construction. Vivian Jost, then with Blue Mountain Kitchens, originally came onboard to design the kitchen. But impressed with her initial renderings, the family hired her to design the rest of the home as well. (She has since gone independent to tackle more whole-home projects with her own company, Vivian Jost Interior Design.)

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Jost especially loves how the kitchen came together. “The light wood colour with the white flat panels, and the black faucets and the hardware, made for a really nice contrast. It’s modern, it’s vibrant and it’s functional,” she says. “Every single drawer, every single inch was thought about.” In the interest of streamlining, she steered away from anything ornate, introducing flat-front cabinetry and matching quartz counters to the backsplash.

“I wanted a very modern minimalist look because it’s a small space, and I didn’t want to clutter it up with too much detail. I wanted it very simple,” says Susan.

In the bedroom, the couple went with a space-saving 13-foot wall of cabinetry, designed by California Closets, instead of a walk-in closet. “I’m very grateful they did that,” says Jost. “Every inch counts in a home like this.”

From there, they were able to carve out a roomy ensuite, with two sinks, a shower and a petite freestanding tub that’s deep to make up for its smaller footprint. Large, two-by-four-foot ceramic tiles add to the airy feel. “When you have a small space, a larger-format tile always makes the room looks a lot more spacious,” says Jost. “You see less of a grout line and it’s easier to clean.” A curbless shower drains via subtle recessing in the floor.

Outside, a sweeping green space, landscaped by Van de Poll Garden Design, accommodates outdoor-entertaining areas for both families, garden plots and planters with integrated irrigation, a kids’ jungle gym and a shared fire pit.

Overall, the living arrangement gives both families an ideal mix of privacy and quality time, says Susan. The shared business is going strong, too. “With Dave and I being (business) partners, it’s so beneficial,” says Dan. “You can send a quick text, or you just need to walk over and discuss.”

Plus, the grandkids can visit whenever they want. “It’s been wonderful to see them,” says Susan. “We keep our privacy, and the kids come over. They’ll knock on the door before they come in.”

“And grab a cookie and go back home,” adds Dan, laughing.

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