WL Design 25

WL Design 25 Winners 2024: The Playmaker

A peek into Studio Roslyn's It's Okay bar, one of the winners of our first annual WL Design 25 awards.

By Alyssa Hirose /
Conrad Brown

How do you embrace all the friendly, laid-back charm of a neighbourhood sports bar while also incorporating modern, elevated design elements? Studio Roslyn principals Kate Snyder and Jessica MacDonald (along with senior designer Courtney Hundseth) can get your head in the game.

Photo: Conrad Brown

East Vancouver’s It’s Okay bar embraces a bygone era with retro checkered carpet, a curtained bar canopy and disco ball decor. Those bold details (and the giant collage of Magic Johnson) are balanced by a muted palette of reds, purples and dark wood. It’s cozy but not cramped; eclectic but not messy; nostalgic but not dated—a slam dunk.

Photo: Conrad Brown

Project: It’s Okay Bar
Designer: Studio Roslyn
Collaborators: Sequoia (millwork), Bamff Studio (brand and identity)
Location: Vancouver

Meet all of the 2024 WL Design 25 winners here.

Alyssa Hirose

Alyssa Hirose

Alyssa Hirose is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, illustrator and comic artist. Her work has been featured in Vancouver magazine, Western Living, BCBusiness, Avenue, Serviette, Geist, BCLiving, Nuvo, Montecristo, The Georgia Straight and more. Her beats are food, travel, arts and culture, style, interior design and anything dog-related. She publishes a daily autobiographical comic on Instagram at @hialyssacomics.