Which Vancouver Home Tour is Right for You?

A question for the ages. Check out our comprehensive guide and mark your calendars now.

Ah, home tour season: our favourite time of year. (Look, we wouldn’t have gotten into this business if we weren’t secretly big ol’ snoops.) From early June through mid-November, Vancouver offers ample opportunities to sneak a peek into gorgeous homes all over the city, from lovingly preserved pieces of architectural history to inspiring modern spaces done up by the West Coast’s top interior designers. Wondering which open-house crawl is right for you? We’ve broken it down below (because we wouldn’t have gotten into this business if we weren’t also secretly big nerds who love making lists).

5 Must-Do Vancouver Home Tours

If you like homes with plenty of history…

… you’re going to want to check out the Heritage House Tour, put on by the Vancouver Heritage Foundation. They work year-round to convince the owners of those beautiful craftsman and 1920s bungalows to let strangers traipse through their homes. This year, expect to peek into gems like this Art Moderne home on the self-guided tour. When: June 5, 2016

If you want to peep magazine-worthy interior design…

…the Vancouver Modern Homes Tour is for you. You might be checking out houses, townhouses or condos, but each stop is sure to be a stunning example of modern interior design. The list of past designers involved—Kelly Deck, Denise Ashmore and One Seed—is a who’s who of regular Western Living collaborators. When: September 2016. 

 If you’re a mid-century modern junkie…

…then you probably already have tickets to the Mid-Century Modern House Tour, another Vancouver Heritage Foundation production. The tour focuses on Vancouver homes designed in the ’50s and ’60s, so indulge your Mad Men fantasies with self-guided tour or site-to-site bus journey through period-perfect and modern restorations. When: September 2016. 

If you’re looking for a little holiday cheer…

…get your ticket to Homes for the Holidays. You’ll hop from beautifully decorated home (like the Janine Hungerford-designed space pictured above) to beautifully decorated home (just check out this past feature house, a minimalist expression of Christmas spirit from Falken Reynolds). It’s the fastest way to get in the mood for the holiday season, and all proceeds go to Kids Help Phone, so expect an extra boost of warm fuzzies when you buy your ticket. When: November 2016.

If you prefer your architecture with a West Coast spin…

…put the West Coast Modern Home Tour, presented by the West Vancouver Museum, on your calendar. Expect stops at homes designed by iconic Canadian architects like Ron Thom and Arthur Erickson, as well as modern interpretations of West Coast modernism from contemporary designers, most equipped with views to thrill thanks to their West Van location. (Here’s a look at one of the feature homes from last year’s tour, a ’70s gem originally designed by Gardiner Thornton Gathe and Associates) Grab a map for a self-guided tour, or book your seat on the shuttle. When: July 9, 2016. 

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