Homes

A Playful, Pattern-Filled Home Inspired by a Love of Marimekko

Patterns aplenty.

By Stacey McLachlan /

Photos by Bright Photography.

For a homeowner in Dawson Creek, B.C., with a love of Marimekko, incorporating bold patterns wasn’t even a question. “The client had some great existing pieces, and a love for fun colours,” explains Gwyntie van Tuyl Weswick of Emerge Design, an interiors firm based on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast. “We wanted to incorporate many elements into the home by using bold patterns and prints.”

Atop the 1,600-square-foot, four-bedroom home’s neutral backdrop, hits of yellow pop and wild designs adorn cushions, walls and carpet. Mid-century modern furniture fills the home, including an Eames chair in front of the fireplace. 

At breakfast, the family squeezes into the cozy breakfast nook, but for dinner parties, they gather ’round a solid walnut table, custom finished by a family friend. The kitchen cabinetry is a matching rich walnut veneer, paired with a classic marble countertop. Emtek Hex pulls add a cool geometric detail here, and the gold Aquabrass kitchen faucet echoes the metallics. Here, pattern is infused via the backsplash, made with Ciot 3DHEX tiles in both black and white.

Van Tuyl Weswick didn’t skimp on the wallpaper. In the girls’ room, a Hygge and West Pineapple print decorates the wall; in their bathroom, it’s Daydream, from the same brand. Over in mom and dad’s room, meanwhile, Emerge Design installed a Walls Republic Modern Geometric pattern. 

The rural location of the home slowed the project down considerably. “The most challenging part of the project was delivery of furniture,” says van Tuyl Weswick. “Items often arrived damaged, prolonging the final touches.” But that remote site is also what makes the house so special. “When you arrive to the house, you’re surrounded by nature… and the exterior is subtle and does not provide any indication on what treasures are inside,” says the designer. “The interior speaks greatly to the personality of this family and their adventure and creative lifestyle.”

More Photos of This Pattern-Filled B.C. Home

Stacey McLachlan

Stacey McLachlan

Stacey is a senior editor at Western Living magazine, as well as editor-in-chief of sister publication Vancouver magazine. She loves window shopping on the job: send your home accessories and furniture recommendations over to [email protected]