Open-Concept Kitchen Yaletown, Vancouver
We took out the wall around a closed galley kitchen and opened it to the views, with a quartz waterfall island, a built-in wine fridge, new engineered floors and smooth ceilings.
- Wall removed
- Quartz waterfall island
- Wine fridge
- Engineered flooring
Project story
Opening up a closed condo kitchen in Yaletown
This high-rise condo on the False Creek side of Yaletown had big views, but the kitchen couldn't see them. It was a closed galley behind a wall, with a small pass-through opening into the living room, white shaker cabinets and a narrow cooking wall with a small hood.
We took the wall out and opened the kitchen to the living space and the windows. In its place is a long quartz waterfall island that we extended into what had been storage space. The island holds a black undermount sink, deep drawers and a built-in wine fridge, with three pendant lights above.
Behind it, new flat-panel cabinets in a light wood grain run floor to ceiling, with a panel-ready fridge built into the tall wall. The cooking wall has an induction cooktop, a wall oven and a stainless hood, set against a textured brick-format tile backsplash.
We also replaced the floors with custom engineered hardwood over an acoustic underlay, removed the popcorn ceilings and painted the space. The renovation was completed in 2023 and came in at about $80,000. See more condo kitchen renovations in Vancouver.
What we did
- Removed the wall between the kitchen and the living room
- Quartz waterfall island, extended into former storage space
- Built-in wine fridge and black undermount sink in the island
- New kitchen cabinets in a light wood-grain flat panel, with a panel-ready fridge
- Quartz countertops and a textured tile backsplash
- Induction cooktop, wall oven and stainless hood
- Custom engineered hardwood flooring over acoustic underlay
- Popcorn ceiling removal and painting throughout
Before and after
From a closed galley to an open kitchen with a view
The wall is gone, and the kitchen now opens onto the living room and the windows.
The wall that came down
Before
AfterThe sink
Before
AfterThe cooking wall
Before
AfterGallery
Explore the finished Yaletown kitchen
The neighbourhood
Kitchen renovations in Yaletown
Yaletown grew from a rail-yard warehouse district into one of Vancouver's most popular condo neighbourhoods, with heritage brick warehouses at its core and glass towers along the False Creek seawall. Many of those towers went up in the 1990s and 2000s, and their original kitchens were often closed galleys like this one.
Seawall living
The False Creek seawall, David Lam Park and the marina are right outside, so kitchens that open to the view make the most of these homes.
Mainland and Hamilton
Yaletown's restaurants and shops line Mainland and Hamilton Streets in the old warehouse district.
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre and the Yaletown–Roundhouse Canada Line station anchor the neighbourhood.
Strata rules
Yaletown towers have strict strata rules on work hours, elevators and flooring underlay. We plan around them from day one. See our Downtown Vancouver loft kitchen too.
Planning your own? Read our guide to kitchen renovation cost in Vancouver.
FAQ
Yaletown condo kitchen questions
Common questions from Yaletown and downtown condo owners planning a kitchen renovation.
How much does it cost to open up a condo kitchen in Yaletown?
This Yaletown kitchen came in at about $80,000. That included removing the wall, a new quartz waterfall island with a wine fridge, new cabinets and appliances, engineered flooring, popcorn ceiling removal and painting. Complete Vancouver kitchens commonly fall within a $40,000–$80,000+ planning range, and opening up a closed condo kitchen usually puts a project at the upper end.
Can you remove a kitchen wall in a Yaletown condo?
Often, yes. Interior walls around condo kitchens are frequently non-structural partitions, but they can hide plumbing, wiring or ducting that has to be rerouted, so each one has to be checked. The strata also has to approve the work before it starts. We confirm all of this before the design is final.
What does strata approval involve for a condo kitchen renovation?
Most Vancouver strata corporations require a written renovation request, proof of insurance and a WorkSafeBC clearance before work begins, plus rules on work hours, elevator bookings and flooring underlay. On this project we handled the strata application, insurance certificate and WorkSafeBC clearance, and used an acoustic underlay under the new floor.
Is it worth removing a popcorn ceiling during a kitchen renovation?
If the room is already being renovated, it is the most efficient time to do it, before new floors and finishes go in. Ceilings in older buildings should be tested for asbestos before removal. Here, we removed the popcorn ceiling and painted the space for a smooth, modern finish.
Do you renovate condo kitchens across Yaletown and downtown?
Yes. QUAY renovates condo kitchens across Yaletown, Downtown Vancouver, Coal Harbour, the West End and False Creek.
Is the work warrantied?
Yes. Every QUAY renovation is backed by a 365-day workmanship warranty.
Planning a condo kitchen in Yaletown?
We handle the strata paperwork and the build, managed start to finish by one QUAY team.