Houzz Tours
My Houzz: Sentimental Favorites Warm Up a Vancouver Home
Keepsake furniture mixes with contemporary decor in a transitional-style home for a Canadian family with a baby
Marc Herman moved from England to Canada four years ago seeking adventure and a life change. He got both. Now he's happily married to Leah Bailey, and the two have welcomed a baby girl, Lily, into the world. Six months ago the couple gave up their Yaletown loft space for a more family-friendly home in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver. The second the couple walked in the front door, they knew they wanted to live there. "It instantly had such a warm, inviting feeling about it," Bailey says. "It felt like home."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Marc Herman, Leah Bailey, daughter Lily, dog Friday and cats Tom and Bill
Location: Kitsilano area of Vancouver
Size: 1,100 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, den
That's interesting: The dining table top is made from a door from the first train in Vancouver.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Marc Herman, Leah Bailey, daughter Lily, dog Friday and cats Tom and Bill
Location: Kitsilano area of Vancouver
Size: 1,100 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, den
That's interesting: The dining table top is made from a door from the first train in Vancouver.
Bailey's grandmother's chair, updated with a graphic patterned fabric, provides a retreat for family dog Friday. The family heirloom sits next to an end table found on Craigslist.
Striking red artificial silk rose stems from Chintz & Company accent the custom-made table. The tabletop was once a door to a freight train from the early days of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The cheeky painting was purchased from a (now-closed) local restaurant.
Chandelier: Restoration Hardware
Chandelier: Restoration Hardware
The living room on the main level was the first room the couple decorated, as it's where they spend the most time as a family. Bailey's father, Jerry, whose hobby is building furniture, made the coffee table from reclaimed lake driftwood and antique iron wheels.
Sofa: Restoration Hardware; carpet: wool, Joss and Main
Sofa: Restoration Hardware; carpet: wool, Joss and Main
It wasn't until the living room was fully decorated that the couple felt truly at home. Their favorite feature is all the windows, which let in plenty of natural light. Meanwhile, the fireplace is put to good use on cold winter nights.
This console table in the front hall was also designed and built by Bailey's father. A driftwood top sits on iron legs that are from Bailey's antique Singer sewing machine.
Bailey says, "Our decorating philosophy is to mix the old with the new." The couple enjoys finding interesting pieces; one of their favorite places to shop is The Found & the Freed in Gastown.
Chalkboard with frame: Stepback
Bailey says, "Our decorating philosophy is to mix the old with the new." The couple enjoys finding interesting pieces; one of their favorite places to shop is The Found & the Freed in Gastown.
Chalkboard with frame: Stepback
A sun-drenched front porch is filled with white wicker outdoor furniture and cheerful yellow cushions. Bailey says, "We love all the beautiful large trees and flowers in the summer. It's such a family-oriented neighborhood and a very convenient location, with the beach and great shops nearby."
The previous homeowners updated the kitchen, including adding undercabinet and recessed lighting.
The refinished claw-foot bathtub on the main level was original to the house and salvaged during the previous homeowner's renovations. Combined with black and white floor tiles and crisp white tile wainscoting, it gives the bathroom timeless charm.
Upstairs, the master bedroom is done in soothing powdery hues of blue, white and brown. A simple gallery wall of frames fills the space above the headboard.
Headboard: HomeSense; bedding: Bed; frames; Stepback; bedside tables: Chintz & Company
Headboard: HomeSense; bedding: Bed; frames; Stepback; bedside tables: Chintz & Company
Herman and Bailey wanted their daughter's nursery to be sweet and feminine, with sentimental touches. Bailey's own white baby shoes are displayed on this side table from Young America, lit by a table lamp covered in ribbons and roses from Glenna Jean.
Bailey's most cherished item in the nursery is this refinished wood rocking chair, which belonged to her grandmother.
Crib: Westcoast Kids; chandelier: Baby&Child (Restoration Hardware); linens: Glenna Jean; changing table: Young America
Crib: Westcoast Kids; chandelier: Baby&Child (Restoration Hardware); linens: Glenna Jean; changing table: Young America
Herman and Bailey wanted to keep the color palette and feel of the nursery consistent with the rest of their home but still let it be adorable and pretty, just like their little girl. They achieved this with paint and fabric in shades of tan, white and soft pink; heirloom pieces combined with chic furniture; and a touch of sparkle.
This mix of styles can be seen in the dining room, where the rounded profiles of blue chairs, passed down from Bailey's grandmother, contrast nicely with the straight lines of Herman's Louis Ghost Chair by Philippe Starck.
Ghost Chairs: Kartell, from Inform Interiors