Best view in North America

They talk it up on CBC's Dragons' Den, but do they live it up at home? Here's an­other look at the lairs of the five business moguls who bring hope -- and fear -- to entrepreneurs across Canada. Today: Jim Treliving.

JIM Treliving is used to making quick decisions. On CBC's popular TV show, Dragons' Den, he has just minutes to decide whether to invest in a business. Yet even he was fazed by hav­ing just 48 hours to buy his two-storey Vancouver penthouse.

Five years ago, a friend called to say a new building was going up, but Treliv­ing would have to decide that day or the next. There was only a hole in ground, so he went up in a construction elevator to gauge how high the 23rd floor would feel. I didn't want to be 50 storeys high, he said.

Treliving had previous homes in West Vancouver and White Rock, B.C., but moved to Toronto in 1998 and Dallas in 2001 to set up the Boston Pizza business in the U.S. He and his wife, Sandi, also have a home in Palm Springs and travel constantly. They spend just 65 to 70 days a year, four or five days a visit, in Vancouver, location of the head offices of Boston Pizza International and Lube, another Treliving business.

Eventually, Treliving began thinking about investing in Vancouver real es­tate, in case they ever returned. Now he says buying the Vancouver home was one of the best decisions he ever made. "Apart from me," says Sandi Treliving, giving him a hug.

On the Vancouver waterfront, with soaring windows overlooking Coal Har­bour, the home has spectacular views of Stanley Park and the North Shore mountains. HGTV rated it the best view in North America.

"Even on a day when you can't see the mountains, the view is wonderful, ever changing," Sandi says.

"The Olympic rings were right out front," Jim adds. "There's always some­thing going on. The harbour is always busy, in the evening the North Shore lights come on, and, most evenings, you can see Grouse (Mountain)."

Designer Robert Ledingham, who worked with Sandi on the interior, ad­vised that the view, rather than paint­ings, should be their artwork. The liv­ing- room fireplace is transparent, and even the glass wine room separating the entry hall from the living room has Plexiglas shelves to reveal the scenery. They do collect art, however, includ­ing backlit glass wallpieces by native artist Bill Weber, a glorious Sylvain Voyer painting of butterflies against a brilliant blue sky in the dining room, a series of Fred Herzog photos in the hallway (it makes it look less like a hall, Jim says) and a John Ogilvy painting of Vancouver, which Sandi gave her hus­band for his birthday, in the kitchen.

Despite the expansive glass and space -- about 10,000 square feet, in­cluding the decks -- the home is as warm and inviting as the Trelivings themselves. They wanted a West Coast look, they told Ledingham, and it had to be comfortable. The walls are panelled throughout in makore wood, suggested by Ron Gerrard of Heron Construction, who did the millwork.

Sandi says Jim teases her about al­ways wearing the same earth-tone col­ours, and she uses them in the home, as well. Metallic touches -- bronze silk cushions and brass lamps in the living room, bronze mosaic tiles in the bath, shimmering glass bead wallpaper in the powder room -- add more warmth and a touch of glamour.

The couple entertains frequently, with parties of 60 or more guests. Dur­ing the Olympics, they hosted the entire Team Canada hockey team. What an honour, Sandi says. On their latest visit to Vancouver, they had a dozen people to dinner for their charity, the Boston Pizza Foundation.

The living room and dining room fill the north side of the home. The fire­place was lifted in by helicopter, and the grand piano and dining table came up perched on top of the elevator, re­quiring more quick decisions to co-or­dinate with construction timelines. The limestone, used on the floors, for the living room fireplace and in the three bathrooms, was shipped from Italy.

The Trelivings convinced the de­veloper to allow them to customize the layout and finishes to suit their taste and lifestyle. In the original plan, the entry wasn't separated from the living room. "It's so much more interesting when you can walk a bit and say, 'Wow,' " Sandi says.

They also switched the location of the roof decks, moving the smaller one with its reflecting pool and fireplace to the east side, which gets morning sun, and the larger one to the west side. With a built-in barbecue (lifted in by crane), hot tub, dining table, fireplace, lounge area and kitchen, it has a dumbwaiter to the main kitchen for entertaining. The glass canopy was extended beyond the original plans. The Trelivings and their guests sat outside late one even­ing without realizing it was raining. "Of course, we had had a few glasses of wine," Jim says.

In the afternoon, Sandi often relaxes on the upholstered seating surrounding the dining room skylight, answering emails and taking in the view. "There are not a lot of spaces like this in the city," she says. "We're very fortunate."

Both big sports fans -- they have season tickets to the Dallas Cowboys games -- they make good use of the family room television and fireplace. They are also thrilled with the spacious yet cosy master bedroom, with fire­place, sitting area and thick curtains that open by remote control so they can check the weather, and take in the view, without getting out of bed. The his-and­hers dressing rooms and master bath with steam shower and limestone bath and vanity were also No. 1 on HGTV's Top 10 dressing rooms list.

This is where they relax. "It's really our home," Treliving says. "We feel comforted, being here."

Since Dragons' Den, Jim has become a celebrity recognized in the street. He particularly enjoys the living room and outdoor space after a long day. "You can kick your shoes off and let the world go by. This scene here, you sit and think, 'Wow.' " CBC's Dragons' Den is on Wednes­days at 8 p.m.

-- Postmedia News