Photos by Janis Nicolay

It didn’t take long for designer Kendall Ansell and her client to realize they were a perfect match to team up for the Kids Help Phone Homes for the Holidays tour  in Vancouver. “We’re both obsessed with Christmas,” laughs Ansell. The annual tour pairs designers with homeowners who are game to have their spaces transformed into winter wonderlands for the weekend, and allow ticket holders to experience a little holiday spirit, too, as they visit the homes. And Ansell wanted those guests to be wowed. “We wanted it to be over the top,” she says.

Working with the homeowner’s existing home colour palette of cool greys and soft neutrals, Ansell opted for a silver and pale pink decor theme throughout. A flocked tree felt like a perfect fit, and it’s Ansell’s favourite moment in the room. “It’s filled with little animals—dancing ballerinas, stuffed pigs, some owls, a few hot pink balls,” she says. “It’s a theme that carries through the home—there are a lot of features, and little hints of gold everywhere.”

While Ansell worked with partners like Kerrisdale Lumber and Hunters Garden Centre to bring in a lot of the holiday decor, many of the pieces came from the client herself.  “What I loved is that they’re all pieces that have been acquired over the years,” she says. “Every piece there has a story—that’s what makes a home really feel like Christmas.”

Originally published November 2019