WL Design 25

WL Design 25 Winners 2025: Modern Vintage

A cocktail-forward restaurant in Vancouver makes a design splash with lush greenery, gilt mirrors and dramatic chandeliers.

By Dani Wright /
Ema Peter

Photos by Ema Peter

Taking inspiration from Belgian and Dutch libraries and apothecaries, Erica Colpitts brings both soaring drama (hello, 23-foot ceilings) and intimate details to The Watson, a cocktail-forward restaurant in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. Lush greenery, gilt mirrors and dramatic chandeliers add to the Victorian vibe, and displays behind the creamy white quartz bar are filled with vintage books and found objects (including an antique Canada Post cash register and a Dr. Watson-inspired doctor’s bag).

And the mezzanine level feels ultimately cozy: ensconced in velvet drapery and lit by sconces that Colpitts designed and commissioned, the brass-accented space is delightfully decadent. Perfect for sipping a craft cocktail, or three.

Project: The Watson
Designer: Erica Colpitts Interior Design
Collaborators: Pacific Solutions Contracting, The Shop at Pacific, 3 Dimensions Ltd., Rene Botha, Bloomier
Location: Vancouver

Meet all of the 2025 WL Design 25 winners here.

Dani Wright

Dani Wright