When someone produces strong visual imagery to get a living, it’s not surprising if that translates into his dwelling space. “I am a happy slave to the amusement business,” says Tink, a script writer, short-film manufacturer, set designer and creator of a neoburlesque website.
Tink, that goes by the 1 name professionally and personally, had been living abroad for the majority of his lifetime before moving to Vancouver to get a project two years ago. He now divides his time between the greatest city in British Columbia and Los Angeles. He discovered his current Gastown apartment when friends moved to the building’s penthouse unit. What ultimately drew him , but was that the daytime and night glow that illuminates the distance. “The light is wonderful, as is the view to the historic buildings across the road,” he says. “At nighttime the lit big trees out glow at the window, giving the room a wonderful, magical feel”
in a Glance
Location: Gastown area of Vancouver
Size: 1,100 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 1/2 bathrooms, den
Heather Merenda
Tink purchased raw fir stumps to produce the kitchen bar stools. He had them cut to the height he desired, and the top and bottom edges were rounded and then oiled to the resulting finish. “These have a great deal of use,” he says.
The piano between the living and kitchen areas is a rescue from an old bar in Glasgow, Scotland. “My older piano is indeed full of character and history — glass stains on the wood, a few broken ivories. It’s wonderfully out of tune, but when performed expertly, it’s a profound, haunting sound that is really beautiful.”
Heather Merenda
Punchy DIY art made with vinyl mounted on black foam coreadds a playful statement against whitewashed brick. Tink says that the”Ka-Pow” piece was initially a prop out of a movie. “I modeled for a cardboard cutout that has been used at a seminal scene. After the movie wrapped, I had been gifted with one of the four cutouts, and the rest traveled to L.A. together with the director and producers. I thought I’d add the words to play up on the gun theme and give it a broader scale.”
The living room TV console has been made with a 16-foot extended Parallam beam that rests on upside stainless steel planters.
The iron figurines on the other side of the couch are actually lightning sticks, which were once on the roof of Tink’s great-great-grandparents’ hunting manor at the foothills of southwest Calgary, Alberta. The ancestral house still exists as a private retreat but was reconfigured, and these pieces were replaced with larger ones.
Parallam beam: Standard Building Supplies
Heather Merenda
This giant”Tink” mural was a present from his crew on an earlier show. It’s composed of six petroleum panels that were originally laid out with a 6-inch gap separating them. “I set all of them directly against each other and loved the slightly off composition that led,” Tink recalls about their setup. “That is how they will hang from now on.”
Heather Merenda
Tink hired Vancouver scenic painter Chris Bennett to assist with his inside. “The sun has a cool color temperature to it here, so I wanted to create something hot,” Tink says. He gave Bennett illustrations of color tones and parchment and leather samples to work with. “The whole area looks much more cohesive,” he adds. “In any sort of mild, my space is superbly warm and bright.”
Heather Merenda
A copper dish collection, which was a special gift from Tink’s mother, is proudly displayed over the frosted kitchen cabinets. LED undercabinet lighting illuminates the contemporary stainless steel backsplash and counter tops.
Heather Merenda
Toy cars parked at the kitchen are a small selection of Tink’s toys out of his childhood. “My household is car nuts, so because I was tiny, I’ve had a natural affection for them. Seeing those toys daily makes me very happy,” he says.
Heather Merenda
The couches are first Le Bamboles out of B&B Italia. The minimalist living room is often where Tink is found relaxing. “I was a rigorous minimalist, but then a visit to a gorgeous hand-crafted pueblo at Montecito, California, awakened me to the pleasure of hand-crafted particulars and artwork,” he says. “I now incorporate this into my space; very few items, but pretty much everything is quite unique.”
A newspaper lamp out of German designer Ingo Maurer sits behind the couch on top of a classic ice cream barrel that was once used on a movie set.
Paper blossom: Lampampe, Inform Interiors;pillows: mattress
Heather Merenda
The gallery-like hallway features photographs by London artist Jamie Griffiths and also a painting by L.A. artist Sean Day Michael.
Oak wood flooring complement the paint finishes and are a nice contrast to the concrete accent wall together with the entrance. Tink luckily had access to the suite per week early, which is when the walls have been painted. “Because I work in movie and I am used to my crews creating a distance and presenting sets, I was quite organized with the move,” he says. Overall he had been settled in about fourteen days.
Heather Merenda
The programmers included these handy built-in closets in the bedroom and sliding glass doors throughout. The door panels are illuminated from the bathroom behind. Organic cotton bedding has been purchased at mattress in Vancouver’s Kitsilano area. Tink is a massive fan of the local firm. “I love their bedding — so very comfortable, plus cozy and warm in the winter and cool in the summertime,” he enthuses.
Heather Merenda
A Time Out London magazine cover depicting a piece by artist Banksy is framed at the unit only full bathroom. A silver mesh shower curtain with black vertical stripes plays on the stripes of the vase.
Heather Merenda
At Tink’s home office, he also made a stand out of Hexacomb cardboard. The design came about from a desire to use the material in a fun and unconventional manner. “My previous desk was a Norman Foster glass high-tech piece,” he says,”and this time I wanted something a lot easier to deal with; the glass shirt was always smudging.”
Locker console: PS Cabinet, Ikea; desk lamp: Format, Ikea
Heather Merenda
“I love that the Gastown area and the amount of light I get inside during the daytime,” says Tink, shown here. He keeps his decorating strategy straightforward but always includes elements that imply a lot. “My final dream house thing is your Lamborghini Marzal concept car from the’60s as an art piece in a sitting room,” he says.
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