Second Act: The Little Ron Thom House That Could

If an architect had penned the classic children’s book The Little House, it would read much like the story of this abode. Constructed in the early 1950s by the legendary architect Ron Thom as a compact one-and-a-half-storey, this wooden Little House shone as an ode to mid-century design on its large South Vancouver lot. But as the years went by, all the Little House’s neighbours were torn down, replaced with large two-storey mansions built to the maximum allowable square footage (and frequently with a minimum nod to aesthetics). Soon, its thoughtful facade fell into disrepair and dense foliage obscured it from the street, such that a passerby might not even know that the Little House was still there.

But three heroes—the owner, the architects and the contractor—worked together to bring the house back to its former glory. That owner is Ken Wai, a developer and occasional restaurateur (he founded the luminous Lumière with Rob Feenie back in the 1990s). Wai was living in a fourplex he had built near the water in Vancouver’s Kitsilano neighbourhood, but the space was proving too compact and he was looking for a property with a bit more breathing room. He’d been aware of this home for ages—he had seen it years before buying it, and while he was intrigued, the combination of pricing and timing wasn’t right. But the Little House—and its endless potential—stuck in his builder’s mind (he had a high school friend who lived in a Ron Thom house) and he eventually pulled the trigger on what he knew was going to be a multi-year restoration. All in the middle of the pandemic.

Luckily, with his background, Wai had no illusions about a reno of an important house being a cost saver. “There’s no doubt building from scratch would have been cheaper,” he says—but, having been living in a very modern concrete and glass home, he was entranced by the home’s warm, mid-century patina. All he needed were the right partners to help him on his journey. His friend, the gallerist Monte Clark, recommended architects David and Susan Scott of Scott and Scott. Wai recognized them from their extensive restaurant work (Torafuku, Mak N Ming, Kin Kao)—and they hit it off right away.

READ MORE: 5 Homes with Picture-Perfect Pools

The wish list was clear: Wai wanted to take advantage of the huge lot by adding a pool and a pool house that would mirror the main building. Everyone on the team agreed that the structure would need major work just to get it up to code and that the marching order would be to preserve the essence of the building without being slavishly devoted to every tiny decision: “The overriding ethos was respect not reverence,” recalls Susan. “Our job was to weigh what made this house special and then figure out a way to emphasize it.”

And, finally, the contractor. Stephen Nestmann of Nestworks Construction was able to synthesize the wants and logistics even when the bulk of the work was during Covid. The hallmark of all this design work is that it’s now nearly impossible to tell what was original and what has been reconstructed so precisely as to look original. Take, for example, the stunning brickwork: it flows from the living area to the pool deck, just like Thom imagined, right? Er, not exactly. Yes, Thom had used large, six-by-six terracotta tiles, but the new look emerged from Wai taking that idea and scouring the internet for brick inspiration—and then the Scotts finding a way to take that idea and make a striking large-scale adaptation out of it. When everyone agreed the period-perfect timbers had to be preserved, Nestmann somehow sourced three-by-six ceiling timbers, which would channel the original design while also being seismically sufficient for 2025.

But of course, there were changes. The pool, for example: while it looks like it’s been there from the beginning, it’s new, as is the visual boomerang of a pool house. The Scotts also relocated Thom’s original staircase for a more clean and bright visual connection from front to back inside the house. The result is a space that has much more light, allowing for a deeply levelled, period-specific approach to furnishing and colour: a showstopping canti­levered concrete sofa softened with rich green velour cushions, for example. That deep green—playing off the lush evergreen surroundings of the lot—shows up again in the green glazed porcelain tile that covers the back wall of the clean, minimal kitchen. And the stunning combination of the deep green, red brick and deep cedar, equal parts warm and striking, may be the second most successful collaboration in this job

READ MORE: In Living Colour: 8 Moss Green Home Finds We Love Right Now

Wai couldn’t be more happy with the result. He’s living in a piece of our architectural history, but has modern conveniences surrounding him. He has an indoor-outdoor oasis that feels like it’s located deep in the forest, but is in fact in the middle of the city. But as much as the home is a showpiece, it’s the team who got it to this place that he reserves his highest praise for: “Scott and Scott were the easiest collaborators of any architects that I’ve had the pleasure of working with… I couldn’t be more grateful for having had the opportunity to resurrect this house with them.”

And the Little House lived happily ever after.

READ MORE: 6 Homes That Have Perfected the Art of Indoor-Outdoor Living

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Susan and David’s LOCAL FAVOURITES

For coffee

Liberty Bakery in Vancouver has amazing staff, delicious coffee and scrumptious baked goods—and it’s three blocks from our house.

For lunch

Coco et Olive has amazing staff, delicious coffee, scrumptious baked goods—and sandwiches—and it’s also three blocks from our house.

For dinner

Kin Kao Song: fresh delicious food, friendly staff and it’s 10 blocks from our house.

For shopping local

Welk’s on Main Street has everything you need and everything you want—and it’s just a block from our house.

For a favourite “undiscovered” spot

Acadia and Tower Beaches: they’re wilderness right in the city and you can bring your dog in the winter. It’s 20 minutes from our house.

For a boutique hotel

Seine Boat Inn in Alert Bay:  sleeping overtop of the ocean, wonderful views, incredibly clean sheets, hikes, museums and whales! It’s seven hours from our house.