Designer Jenna Josephson gives her own home an overhaul. 

There’s not a ton to love about ’90s architecture, but you can’t beat the room sizes. “The house was originally very unappealing with the typical green stucco exterior, red clay tile roof, red brick,” explains Jenna Josephson of JJ Interiors, who recently turned a 30-year-old house in East Vancouver into a modern, cozy home for her and her family with the help of Headland Construction. “The interior felt very choppy and not so functional, but the room sizes were great and having four bedrooms and two bathroom upstairs felt like every family’s dream.”

And so ultimately, fighting through the stucco was well worth it to give the Josephson clan a roomy layout (2,600 square feet in total) to call home. The designer went in and knocked down walls to open up the main floor, creating an easy flow between the formal living room, family room and a big kitchen designed with entertaining in mind. For the kids, there’s now plenty of room to play; for the parents, ample built-in storage for stowing away toys.

Josephson mixed light woods with a black and white colour palette for a minimalist base. Grey-stained kitchen cabinetry adds a subtle warmth, while pops of colour come from plants. It’s against this neutral backdrop that dramatic tile moments really sing—in the master ensuite, the powder room, and for the backsplash. The result is a modern family home that mixes Scandi cool with farmhouse chic…and no sign of the building’s oh-so-’90s past.

Photos: Inside This Inspiring East Van Reno

Soft grey millwork by Danma; hardware from Cedar and Moss.

  • Pendant lights from Feiss hang over the island.
Kitchen appliances are from Bosch, aside from the Fischer and Paykel fridge. White Attica Ceasarstone countertops is Ceasarstone White Attica make the black undermount sink from Blanco pop. Chrome plumbing fixtures from Riobel.
A sculptural light by Stillnovo hangs above the dining table.
An EQ3 sectional tops a rug from Serena and Lily; the ottoman is from Article.
The couch and living room rug are from EQ3.
Coffee table from Mobital at CF Interiors sits in front of a fireplace with work from Keystone Tiles.
  • A dramatic black faucet from Delta pops here.
  • Bathrooms featured Ceasarstone Fresh Concrete countertops
  • The dramatic stair railing was installed by Riddleworks.
The master bed from G Romano is flanked by bedside tables from Huppe.


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]