A Seven-Bedroom Pied-a-Terre Designed to Bring Family Together

After seeing this 4,595-square foot Vancouver vacation home designed by DesignLab Interiors for a multi-generational family, we would like to formally request to be adopted, please.

Each of the seven bedrooms was designed to reflect a different family member, with unique light fixtures, drapery and decor specific to each person — but while the private, quiet moments are lovely, this home is really about gathering.

“The goal was to create a multi-generational family home for an out-of-town client who likes to come to town throughout the year to enjoy Vancouver at their leisure,” explains DesignLab founder Alexis MacKay-Dunn. “One of the key concepts was to create a large and open living, dining, and kitchen area for everyone to gather.”

Throughout the home, MacKay-Dunn used luxurious neutrals (like light oak floors from Burritt Bros and custom-stained oak millwork) and let rich textures and personal artwork do the talking. A slat wall on the backside of the staircase for instance, which is repeated on the kitchen ceiling. It creates visual interest and a sense of intimacy, bringing the ceiling down and layering in warmth.

The main living area is designed with both quiet moments and boisterous family gatherings in mind, featuring pieces from Once A Tree Furniture. “It’s designed to allow the client to make memories with loved ones for years to come,” says MacKay-Dunn. Here, millwork accents and unique light fixtures create a striking space that radiates warmth. Drapery from Window Works adds another layer of coziness.

The kitchen, meanwhile, is crisp, white and bright, with Vicostone Carrara countertops. It offers a refreshing contrast to the opposing dark millwork and fireplace wall opposite. In the bathroom, Caesarstone in Cloudburst and Symphony Grey keys the dreamy, neutral vibe.

The home is beautiful and serene, but the design-build process had its challenges. For one, the homeowners were based in Hong Kong. Then, there was the issue of the pandemic, which made communication and execution an ongoing struggle. And on top of it all, MacKay-Dunn also was dealing with both a pregnancy and health issues: she went through a kidney transplant in the thick of it all.

But in the end, everything came together as planned—and MacKay-Dunn even suspects the challenges helped designer and client bond. “We had to establish a high level of trust,” she says. “This project represents a true labour of love and it was a lot of fun along the way, despite the growing pains.”

PROJECT CREDITS
● Millwork: TMW Custom Millwork
● Builder: Ronse Massey Developments 
● Architect: Alexandre Ravkov 
● Landscape Architect: Ron Rule

To donate to the Kidney Foundation, please visit kidney.ca.