WL Home of the Year

Announcing Our 2019 WL Home of the Year!

Two disparate design themes find harmony in this Vancouver home.

By Anicka Quin / December 18, 2019

Over the last few weeks, you’ve voted. Fifteen homes became five, and now, the final vote are tallied and we have a winner!

Western Living's Home of the Year 2019 is:

When Minimalism Met Maximalism

Designer Ben Leavitt of Vancouver's PlaidFox Studio designed the home for himself and his partner, Vishal Anand. Under less skilled hands, the design problem could seem insurmountable: Anand is a staunch minimalist, while Leavitt is all about more, more, more. With my job, I'm constantly inspired, says the designer and president of Vancouver's PlaidFox Studio. So I want my home to push my boundariesthe more colour, the more pattern, the more thingsthe better.

It's a gorgeous space that cleverly balances both minimalism and maximalism. The main living space, for example, is quiet and modern, with modest pops of colour in the form of a yellow Bensen wingback, a navy-blue sofaand dramatically, a seven-foot terracotta warrior sculpture. Although at first this room seems ultra-modern, if you look at each of the individual pieces, they are all from different time periods and from different countries, says Leavitt. It's a modern take on an eclectic global home.

Leavitt kept Anand away from the reno until it was complete, so that the space was a surprise to walk in the door. No surprise, however, that he was as delighted with the space as Leavitt was. It was a smart move to keep Vish away during renovations, but the longer that he lives in the house and the longer he spends with me, the more he sometimes says, Do you think we should add a bit more colour? or Do you think we should do this? He's on board for the evolution of our home as much as I am.

Congrats to Ben Leavitt and PlaidFox Studio for being named the WL Home of the Year for 2019! Scroll through the pics below for a peek at the winning design, and read the whole story here.