Quirky, Colorful Vancouver Heritage Home
Located paintings inspire designer Jennifer Scott. “Classic pieces provide so much character, and I love repurposing and reloving an older uncover,” she says. The creator of interior design style consulting studio A Good Chick To Know, Scott approaches interior and wardrobe styling projects in the same manner — blending classic using fresh. Naturally her family home, that dates back to the early 20th century, is now a place for her to flaunt and experiment with her keen eye and flair to the found.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Jennifer and Trevor Scott and their daughter, Sienna
Location: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Size: 1,600 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Built in: 1910
Megan Buchanan
“I am supernosy and love seeing other people’s ideas, so I am constantly hitting up open homes even if I am not on the market,” Scott says. She and her family had just sold their past home and were seeking to lease a space in the area for a couple of years. “Three days after we closed on our previous place, we popped to an open house and purchased it,” she says. “We knew it’d be a lovely place to raise our daughter and invest some time.”
Megan Buchanan
The previous homeowners had renovated the main living areas of the home, so when the family moved in, they did not have to make very many structural alterations. “We simply added paint and wallpaper,” Scott says. At the front entryway, she picked a bright floral metallic pattern to set the tone for the remainder of the home.
Wallpaper: Layers&Layers, Anne Starr Agencies
Megan Buchanan
Scott used leftover background from projects to creatively liven up the stair risers. She included classic address numbers as an enjoyable way for her daughter Sienna to interact with the space while she’s learning to count.
She is not completed painting and wallpapering. “By the time I finish, I’ll likely want to change it all again,” she says. “That is the trouble with designing homes for a living I see a lot of cool theories and things that I wish to try, that as soon as I’ve done it I am ready to proceed to the next.”
Megan Buchanan
“The biggest challenge I confronted in this home was that the structured space arrangement,” Scott says. Homes from 1910 often have smaller rooms with many walls and doorways, therefore there were just a couple of choices for furniture layout. “I’ve got a new idea every week and would love to rearrange the space frequently,” she says.
This is a challenge to produce the layout work, because their couch or bed could just go in one area. “I compensate for this by constantly swapping accessories out or fabrics to change the sense of this space,” says Scott.
Megan Buchanan
Back in Sienna’s bedroom, Scott used a fresh color scheme and painted playful stripes on the ceiling. The slick wood-frame bed is a Craigslist find, and the mirrored disco ball reflects patterns of light throughout the space.
Cabinets: Stockholm Blad, Ikea
Megan Buchanan
Downstairs, Scott created a playspace for her little one to work on imaginative endeavors of her own. The older school desk — now seating an oversize stuffed animal — has been a fantastic garage sale rating.
Shelving: Expedit, Ikea
Megan Buchanan
The living area is the first space that greets visitors entering the home. The playful, styled space is Scott’s favorite room in the home. “We’ve got a living area and play area downstairs to maintain my husband and daughter happy. I adore this space because I get to put my favorite furniture and finds in it,” she says.
One of Scott’s prized home pieces is this France & Son couch. “If there was a fire, I guess that I can’t really just grab a couch, but that couch would be the first thing I’d get out” She says.
Megan Buchanan
With the exclusion of her daughter’s room, Scott maintained the total color palette for those walls neutral, adding in colour through vibrant classic accessories and art, like this airplane print. The classic tan sofa chair is just another of Scott’s favorite furniture pieces.
Megan Buchanan
The formal living room adjacent to the entrance reflects Scott’s mix and match layout style. “My motto when styling a room is to play with colour, scale and pieces you love,” she says. “Crucial pieces showcasing your character and which have a story are the best way to decorate.”
Two stainless units on both sides of the window home a record set, and also a refurbished record player sits on top of an antique trunk. A framed neon pink Elvis print reads, “hunka-hunka-burnin-love.”
Megan Buchanan
Scott’s favored go-to places to look for her home are ReFind and Space Lab, two neighboring classic boutiques. “I always find something to inspire me and finally discover that one amazing bit I can’t live without that I did not even know I was looking for,” she says.
Megan Buchanan
Original built-in cabinets with glass doors comparison a contemporary light fixture in the dining area. Patterned curtains in a citrus colour help tie into the orange of this ring lamp.
Megan Buchanan
Scott says she would love to splurge on heated, polished concrete flooring throughout the home. Additionally, while she loves her modern kitchen, she would love to redesign it into a more industrial fashion.
Megan Buchanan
The bathroom includes a stylish black and white whirlpool bathtub, original to the home. A picture shower curtain, cool marble floors and subway tiles complement the monochromatic colour scheme.
Megan Buchanan
Scott reinserted a stairway to the basement level to create a bigger living space and home office. The space functions as the most important TV and lounge area. Original large-format photographs function as a focal point in the space over a tufted leather sectional. “The mini Eames-inspired rocker was too adorable to resist,” says Scott.
Megan Buchanan
A chandelier, furniture and art make the patio feel as a second living area. The family loves evening cocktails and silent morning java out here. The large toucan painting has been a surprise find near a Dumpster.
Megan Buchanan
Stairs in the patio lead down into a gorgeous backyard. Lane access at the back of the home and to the garage is a storage bonus as well as a room to maintain the couple’s bikes. LED wrap light illuminates the greatest tree in the yard, making a nice ambience in the evenings. A retreatlike seating area with a water feature was made among the lush bamboo, rhododendrons and wild flowers.
“I spent five years in Toronto, and I absolutely overlooked the pure beauty of Vancouver,” Scott says. “I also adore the keen, developing artwork and design culture we’ve got here. There’s such an innovative, supportive community of individuals who desire it to develop — it is inspiring.”