Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Casual Nautical Style in a British Columbia Cottage
Coastal decor and a navy blue, white and chartreuse color palette are seen throughout this Vancouver home
“My client originally found me because his favorite animal is the fox,” says Ben Leavitt of PlaidFox Studio. That method of choosing an interior designer happened to work out perfectly. The designer transformed the 1940s Tudor-style house into a casual family home that’s fun, soft and comfortable.
Just off the front door is the homeowner’s study. It’s also the avid chess player’s very serious chess-playing room. Opposite the desk, a marlin painted white stands out against a backdrop of navy blue grasscloth.
“I used grasscloth on the walls in this house because they are plaster and have a lot of imperfections,” Leavitt says. “Because this kind of wallcovering is thicker, it hides a lot more sins, and it was easier, less messy and less expensive than sanding down the walls to make them smooth.”
The table is an antique that Leavitt refinished with a weathered gray look. He chose the striped rug because it reminded him of a beach towel. A wingback chair upholstered in a simple plaid makes a comfy reading spot. “Chartreuse works so well with navy,” Leavitt says of the pillow. Pops of this hue tie the first-floor rooms together. “The white rattan lamp is an example of how we kept a casual global feel.”
Lamp: Ralph Lauren; chair fabric: Robert Allen; rug: Plaid Fox
“I used grasscloth on the walls in this house because they are plaster and have a lot of imperfections,” Leavitt says. “Because this kind of wallcovering is thicker, it hides a lot more sins, and it was easier, less messy and less expensive than sanding down the walls to make them smooth.”
The table is an antique that Leavitt refinished with a weathered gray look. He chose the striped rug because it reminded him of a beach towel. A wingback chair upholstered in a simple plaid makes a comfy reading spot. “Chartreuse works so well with navy,” Leavitt says of the pillow. Pops of this hue tie the first-floor rooms together. “The white rattan lamp is an example of how we kept a casual global feel.”
Lamp: Ralph Lauren; chair fabric: Robert Allen; rug: Plaid Fox
The kitchen had undergone a lovely renovation recently and the client wasn’t interested in a second full eating area. So Leavitt’s work in here was adding a small area for morning coffee and tea. The cast iron table has a marble top, and pairing it with the chairs gives it a French bistro look. Burlap pillows with white stitching throw in a nautical touch.
Leavitt kept all of the window treatments inexpensive and simple to maintain a kid-friendly vibe.
Window treatments: Ikea
Leavitt kept all of the window treatments inexpensive and simple to maintain a kid-friendly vibe.
Window treatments: Ikea
The designer used grasscloth in the dining room as well, but this time in a bold chartreuse hue. “I believe that dining rooms should be colorful and more casual,” Leavitt says. “Go soft and neutral somewhere else, because this is where you want things to get lively and loud.”
White rattan chairs and a woven seagrass rug keep things casual and coastal. The Hicks pendant lamp and local antique oars keep up the nautical theme.
White rattan chairs and a woven seagrass rug keep things casual and coastal. The Hicks pendant lamp and local antique oars keep up the nautical theme.
The designer had the interlocking fish diptych custom made, based on wrapping paper he’d found in a small shop in Australia years ago and hung on to for years. It’s a great example of how well a large-scale element can work in a small space.
Painting: Cindy Lu
Painting: Cindy Lu
The designer tracked down a fox plate for his client.
Plate: West Elm
Plate: West Elm
And another fox appears over the fireplace in the living room. The designer whitewashed the fireplace bricks, which were old and stained and ugly. For the whitewashing process, he simply takes white paint, dilutes it with water and applies it with a rag. “Simply apply more where you want it whiter and scrub harder when you want it lighter,” he says.
Painting: Snowy Fox by Beverly Fuller
Painting: Snowy Fox by Beverly Fuller
Leavitt designed the cog-like mirror frames himself. They can be arranged to interlock in different compositions. The fox painting is reflected in them. “I’m a fan of putting a painting on one side of a room and a mirror to reflect on the other,” he says.
The sofa has a traditional look but is stuffed with feathers. “It will get lumpy, slouched down and look less traditional over time,” he says.
Wall paint: Owl Gray, Benjamin Moore; trim paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
The sofa has a traditional look but is stuffed with feathers. “It will get lumpy, slouched down and look less traditional over time,” he says.
Wall paint: Owl Gray, Benjamin Moore; trim paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
A second matching sofa rounds out the seating area. The long rug ties everything together from one end of the room, which runs the width of the house, to the other.
“Using a rug with just two colors looks less busy and more updated,” Leavitt says. “By using one long rug, the space feels longer and cohesive, not chopped up.” The rug is a piece of cut-and-bound wall-to-wall carpeting. A toy chest and play area are tucked behind the sofa.
“Using a rug with just two colors looks less busy and more updated,” Leavitt says. “By using one long rug, the space feels longer and cohesive, not chopped up.” The rug is a piece of cut-and-bound wall-to-wall carpeting. A toy chest and play area are tucked behind the sofa.
At the other end of the room is another chess spot for more casual games. The designer used a dining table, and the wingback chairs can be pulled closer to the sofas for extra seating when the homeowner is entertaining.
“If you’re going to go dark on the walls, go dark in the bedroom,” Leavitt says. Dark paint provides contrast to the light bedding, rug and nightstands in this master bedroom. “Again, in here it was about keeping it casual,” Leavitt says. The headboard is woven, the off-white nightstands are coastal, the herringbone pattern on the rug is looser, almost like a basketweave, and the quilt is more relaxed than a typical duvet.
Sheepskin pillows add a little New Zealand, while the navy velvet pillows were inspired by the home’s 1940 vintage. The red linen and burlap pillow keeps things nautical.
Wall paint: Amherst Gray, Benjamin Moore; rug and bed: Plaid Fox
Sheepskin pillows add a little New Zealand, while the navy velvet pillows were inspired by the home’s 1940 vintage. The red linen and burlap pillow keeps things nautical.
Wall paint: Amherst Gray, Benjamin Moore; rug and bed: Plaid Fox
The bedroom of the client’s 2-year-old daughter was decorated on a small budget, Leavitt says. A canopy dotted with gold dots inspired a playful and beautiful wall treatment. Best of all, the whole thing cost $40 and took under an hour to do. Leavitt found the removable gold decals on Amazon and covered the walls and ceiling with them. He faux-painted her bed to look like it was gold-leafed to match.
“The closet door had been a mirrored door but it was covered with Justin Bieber stickers and it was a mess,” Leavitt says. Sorry Beliebers, but this Canadian icon had to go. Leavitt removed the mirror and coated the door in chalkboard paint for doodling.
Canopy: Restoration Hardware
“The closet door had been a mirrored door but it was covered with Justin Bieber stickers and it was a mess,” Leavitt says. Sorry Beliebers, but this Canadian icon had to go. Leavitt removed the mirror and coated the door in chalkboard paint for doodling.
Canopy: Restoration Hardware
After saving so much on the walls, Leavitt was able to splurge on two custom oil paintings, referred to as “The King and Queen.” He had his own French bulldog pose for the one on the left.
The rug is new but made to look like it’s an overdyed antique. “It’s nylon and inexpensive, which is great for a kid’s room,” Leavitt says. “It also makes it seem like it’s a pink room but it’s not — people always want to paint the walls pink, but you can leave them white and get about the same effect from bringing in a pink rug.”
Paint color: Simply White, Benjamin Moore; paintings by Kelly O’Quinn, Plaid Fox; rug: Plaid Fox; dresser: Ikea
The rug is new but made to look like it’s an overdyed antique. “It’s nylon and inexpensive, which is great for a kid’s room,” Leavitt says. “It also makes it seem like it’s a pink room but it’s not — people always want to paint the walls pink, but you can leave them white and get about the same effect from bringing in a pink rug.”
Paint color: Simply White, Benjamin Moore; paintings by Kelly O’Quinn, Plaid Fox; rug: Plaid Fox; dresser: Ikea
Leavitt outfitted the Ikea dresser with a mix of animal and crystal drawer pulls from Anthropologie. The home is now a relaxing, colorful and happy spot.
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Houzz at a Glance
Location: Jericho Beach neighborhood of Vancouver, British Columbia
Size: 2,300 square feet (214 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Designer: Ben Leavitt of PlaidFox Studio
“This neighborhood is coastal and has a distinctly nautical feeling — lots of sailboats and yachts and rowing,” Leavitt says. The location influenced the design inside.
The client hails from New Zealand. “He wanted the house to feel like an old traditional New Zealand beach house,” Leavitt says. “He didn’t want anything to look too formal or too Canadian or too American.” The result is nautical meets British Colonial style.