Inside the Waterfront Home of Herschel Supply’s Co-Founder

Located on a wooden waterfront lot in Deep Cove, Vancouver, Lyndon Cormack's home lets nature in.

Anna Kocharian

Published Apr 28, 2017 6:00 AM

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On a 4-acre plot within Cove Forest in North Vancouver sits a sprawling estate home to Herschel Supply Co. co-founder Lyndon Cormack. Accessible by a 2.5-mile forest-lined road, the site features waterfront access, a private wharf, a miniature putting green, and an oversized chess set in the garden. And that’s just the exterior. Inside, the 6,000-square-foot living space boasts over 100 custom Bocci light fixtures, 28-foot ceilings, concrete flooring, tunnels that connect various rooms, and plenty of indoor/outdoor living spaces that make the most of the home’s scenic views.

We got an exclusive peek inside and caught up with Cormack to learn a little bit more about his home.

The grounds are breathtaking. What was the inspiration behind the design?The previous owner of the property spent a lot of time on landscaping and detailed manicuring and that provided a great start for the area by the water. When I moved in, I wanted to include a more functional aspect to the grounds so that every part of the yard had a designated purpose. We introduced zones, so that wandering through allowed you to experience a whole bunch of special moments. We also created spaces where people could participate in different outdoor activities. We have areas for basketball, golf, and places to sit or stroll to comfortably enjoy the outdoors.

When it came to the flora, my intention was to aesthetically complement the natural environment. A lot of the native plants and trees have been maintained, but pockets of curated vegetation have been introduced throughout the grounds. Japanese maples, rhododendrons, azaleas, and magnolias aren’t commonly found in this region, but provide a beautiful contrast to the pine, cedar and spruce of the surrounding area.

What aesthetic were you going for when it came to the design of the interior?

There really isn’t a lot of striving. I generally buy things I like, and make them work in the space. Although my tastes have differed over time, there’s always this granular aspect that I think makes things I like work well together.

Whether I have something that’s extremely modern or something antique, there are ways of putting these items together in a really warm, welcoming way. It’s not a stark, beautiful home that you feel like you can’t touch; you can jump on the couches.

The kitchen is an eclectic mix of wood,

subway tile

and stainless steel. It’s warm, with a beautiful view to the outside.

The adjoining area is probably the most used in my house, a place where everyone congregates. We usually have breakfast there at the table, and many cold mornings are spent there on the couch next to a roaring fire.

The living room has a 14-foot wide overhead door that opens up to the outside. There are large gas heaters outside, and a large fireplace inside, so even on rainy, drizzly Pacific Northwest days you can have the door open and hang out and still be comfortable and warm. At night, the various Bocci installations provide very nice light throughout the house.

Upstairs, a glass bridge to the master bedroom provides a great view of the main living spaces. The girls’ bedrooms are toward the back in a quieter side, and a small home office nearby.

Get To Know Lyndon:

Soundtrack for getting things done: Massive Attack, Blue Lines.My home in three words: Eclectic, entertaining, welcome.

My home splurge: My collection of various Bocci lights. I’m a huge fan of Omer Arbel’s work, and I think my house has well over 100 individual Series 28 lighting spheres.

Best part of my job: Getting to work with so many great people.My home is inspired by: A curated collection of things I find interesting because I want my surroundings to be inspiring.

Color scheme I’m currently coveting: I love using mixed materials. Whether it be concrete meets subway tile, or French oak meets sheepskin. With a dash of pale pink.