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In a city where renovations often go modern and open-plan, Caroline Haselden knew she wanted something different for her family’s circa-1926 Dutch Colonial.

“As much as I can appreciate and admire a West Coast modern esthetic, I knew that I wanted something to reflect more of who we are,” says Haselden. “Something a little more eclectic and mixed.”

Haselden and her family had moved from the U.S. a few years prior. They bought homes in Vancouver and Whistler around the same time, then turned to local interior designer Gillian Segal to renovate both.

“It was a really interesting and fun exercise, working with the same client on two projects in two different locations at the same time,” recalls Segal. The Vancouver house was plenty the project on its own: a 4,000-square-foot character home in the city’s Shaughnessy neighbourhood.

It was the kind of place that appealed right away to a family with a wide-ranging backstory and a soft spot for older homes. Haselden grew up in Mississippi, and her husband hails from Charleston, South Carolina. They’d also lived in New York for a decade before relocating to B.C.

“We’ve never bought or built a new construction, and we’ve done projects in various places in the 21 years we’ve been married,” says Haselden. “I just like the character … I think it makes spaces unique.”

Segal set out to bring the home up to “modern living standards,” making it more functional for the couple and their three children plus dogs, while holding onto the character they’d fallen for in the first place.

On the main floor, that meant forgoing an open plan: the home’s living and dining areas retain their original, partitioned configuration. Also intact are original oak floors with walnut inlays on the main level. “We wanted to keep the original floors, even though they’re not perfect … [Gillian] totally got that,” says Haselden.

To contend with an unusually long living room, Segal carved out two sitting areas that suit how the family likes to relax and entertain, creating a cohesive space with “conversational groupings.”

“When you have a party and you have 20 people over, you’re not sitting around in a circle; you’re having little offshoot conversations,” says Segal.

The first cluster centres around a custom fluted Masana Stone fireplace. A speckled velvet loveseat, veined marble side table and an almost medieval-looking metal sconce punctuate an otherwise soft palette of creams and greys.

The second grouping, backing onto the first, feels more playful, with an art deco-leaning maroon velvet sectional, rose-toned accents and a swooping Krane pendant light from Roll & Hill.

A sunlit lounge area extends off the living room, with four low-profile lounge chairs arranged around a round coffee table, bordered by bay windows. A custom buffet complements an antique iron garden cart — now a bar – which Segal spotted and picked up on a trip to L.A.

“Gillian loves to mix newer things with old things, and she was really good at finding vintage pieces,” says Haselden.

The interplay of old, new and offbeat continues in a tiny powder room, where chocolate-hued grasscloth wallpaper meets vintage Murano glass sconces. A starkly veined marble sink draws focus, set off with a matching window frame. “We only really had room for this teeny, tiny wall-mounted sink. So we decided to make it the most fabulous wall-mounted sink that we could,” says Segal.

The dining room injects a dose of colour, with millwork and mouldings painted a dusty green (Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke), against a textured cream wallpaper. A slender Lindsey Adelman chandelier and striped Lawson Fenning dining chairs set off a weighty rectilinear dining table.

Upstairs, Segal and team reconfigured the layout to create more efficient spaces and storage. In the primary suite, custom millwork tucks into sloped ceilings. Low bouclé armchairs, breezy drapes, a muted geometric rug and over-draped bed linens give an air of unstudied calm.

Moving into the primary ensuite, the feel is more formal. Custom fluted plaster details echo the living room fireplace, adding texture to a layered palette of cream and gold. Bevelled quartzite countertops top traditional cabinetry with gold hardware, paired with art deco-inspired light fixtures.

Framed by a stone arch and enclosed with glass, the shower reads like a hidden alcove – a contemporary nod to the kind of built-in bathing niches found in some historical homes.

“Again, we really were just trying to strike this balance between a nod to the [character] of the home and traditional detailing through a more contemporary lens,” says Segal.

This balance holds throughout the home. A few years on, it’s what gives the design its staying power, says Segal: “I think it feels really timeless and fresh. So I feel like it has aged very well. To me, it still feels like we could have finished it yesterday.”

Project design:Gillian Segal Design

Project construction:Eyco Building Group

Project millwork:Sage Cabinetry

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Weekly roundup of three properties that recently sold in Metro Vancouver.

2711 Trinity St., Vancouver

Type: Six-bedroom, three-bathroom detached

Size: 2,545 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,815,000

Listed for: $1,850,000

Sold for: $2,170,000

Sold on: April 24

Days on market in this listing: Eight

Listing agent: Karley Rice PREC at Macdonald Realty

Buyers agent: Shannon McNulty PREC at Stilhavn Real Estate Services

The big sell: According to listing agent Karley Rice, the winning bidder for this six-bedroom East Vancouver property presented a subject-free offer for $320,000 over the listed price that sealed the deal. What contributed to the appeal? She cites a beautifully renovated character home that offers both charm and functionality alongside a location on Trinity Street within the popular Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood. Add to the mix a longer-than-average fully fenced 127-foot lot, and a house that displays original architectural details from its 1930s beginnings including inlaid oak floors, stained-glass windows, and a wood-burning fireplace. There are two bedrooms and one bathroom on each of the home’s three levels (including a two-bedroom suite on the lower floor) with the main level also providing a conjoined living and dining room, and a custom kitchen with an eating area and far-reaching views. The upper floor has skylights and a bespoke diamond picture window that frames the West Coast views.

530 — 3563 Ross Dr., Vancouver

Type: Two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment

Size: 936 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,245,000

Listed for: $1,229,000

Sold for: $1,137,000

Sold on: March 28

Days on market in this listing: 30

Listing agent: Shafik Ladha PREC at ReMax Westcoast

Buyers agent: Michael Tudorie at ReMax Select Realty

The big sell: The Residences at Nobel Park were constructed by Polygon in 2020 within the award-winning master-planned community of UBC’s Wesbrook Village next to a treed greenway and parks, and surrounded by vibrant amenities. Comprising a mix of apartments and townhomes, the complex also provides a fitness studio and lounge for residents. This bright two-bedroom, two-bathroom south-facing corner home bathes in panoramic treed vistas from every room and features an open-concept floorplan with nine-foot-high ceilings, oversized windows, engineered wood floors, air conditioning, and premium stainless-steel appliances, a marble tile backsplash and a breakfast bar peninsula in the designer kitchen. Additionally, the home comes with a wraparound balcony, a parking stall in the underground garage, and a monthly maintenance fee of $427.25.

855 Pacific Dr., Tsawwassen

Type: Three-bedroom, three-bathroom detached

Size: 2,748 square feet

B.C. Assessment: $1,905,000

Listed for: $1,850,000

Sold for: $1,850,000

Sold on: Feb. 10

Days on market in this listing: Five

Listing agent: Aileen Noguer PREC at ReMax Westcoast

Buyers agent: Todd Hart at Macdonald Realty Westmar

The big sell: It took just five days to sell this three-bedroom Tsawwassen house for the full asking price. What was on offer is a 2,700-square-foot three-level 1960s home on a sizable 17,815-square-foot lot. According to listing agent Aileen Noguer, the residence had been meticulously cared for by the long-term owner who had completed updates to the roof, hot water tank, and furnace. Inside, the rooms are spacious with a 25-foot-long living room complete with stone-surround fireplace, a formal dining room, and a white kitchen with an adjacent eating area. All three bedrooms are located upstairs including a primary bedroom with a full ensuite bathroom and a southern-exposed balcony. The lower floor has a family room, a wet bar area, and a third bathroom. Outside, there is an oversized double garage accessed via an expansive semicircular driveway, and a garden with mature landscaping and multiple seating areas.

These transactions were compiled by Nicola Way of BestHomesBC.com.

Realtors — send your recent sales to nicola@besthomesbc.com

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Father’s Day is coming June 21, and if the gift card aisle is feeling a little stale this year, we’ve got five homewares that are sure to make your dad smile. Note: there are no hammers or beer coolers on our list — instead we look at the best gadgets and gizmos to make cooking more effortless, gardening more exciting and sleeping more sound.

Bundlpro Kitchen Tweezer Tongs

Pops might not know he needs a set of precision kitchen tweezers tongs until he has them. Four sizes tackle everything from flipping meat on the grill to grabbing that last pickle at the bottom of the jar. Built from rust-resistant steel, dishwasher safe and easy to grip, these tweezer tongs bring surgical precision to everyday cooking.

Amazon $33.99

Bee Cups Watering Stations

For the dad who loves his garden, this might be the sweetest gift you’ll find. These handcrafted porcelain flowers double as tiny drinking stations for bees, featuring a unique ultraviolet glaze visible only to pollinators, drawing them in the way real blooms do. Artful and eco-conscious with no plastic in its production and packaging, it’s a gift that gives back to nature too.

Amazon $12.80

Swiss Diamond Frying Pan

Give dad the gift of effortless cooking. These Swiss-crafted skillets have actual diamond crystals embedded in the coating; a gold medal-winning innovation that makes food glide off cleanly while the pan heats evenly edge to edge and holds up meal after meal. Compatible with all modern stovetops, it’s a Father’s Day upgrade he’ll reach for every single day.

Amazon from $97

Hazaki 4 Piece Steak Knife Set

Dinner will never be the same with this cool steak knife set on the scene. Forged in Seki, Japan, and finished with Canadian wood handles in Montreal, every detail reflects true craftsmanship. With balanced heft, the smooth, straight edge of these knives slices cleaner than serrated alternatives and stays sharper longer.

Knifewear $100

Endy Memory Foam Pillow

Great sleep is the gift that keeps on giving all day long. Engineered to cradle the head and neck, Endy’s memory foam pillow transforms an ordinary sleep into real recovery time. Breathable, cool and built to hold its shape long-term, the Endy pillow supports proper upper-body alignment, which means better sleep posture, and, yes, quite possibly quieter nights for everyone.

Endy | Amazon $145

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What do Vancouver’s Fairmont Waterfront, Mexico’s Rosewood Mayakoba and Victoria’s Rosemead Hotel have in common? Each of these design-led hotels have a deep connection with their local surroundings. Find out how to unpack their five-star style at home.

Coastal luxury

When you first enter one of the newly renovated suites at the Fairmont Waterfront , the narrative that informed its reimagining immediately becomes clear: A panoramic vista of the mountains, the ocean and the endlessly shifting light of the Vancouver sky instantly takes over.

That’s entirely by design, says Karine Bannon, designer behind the hotel’s fresh take and senior project director at Montreal’s CAMDI Design. The renovation of 96 guest rooms across the top four floors is the first phase of a longer transformation happening over the next four years at Fairmont Waterfront.

Bannon describes the guiding design concept as one rooted in place rather than convention. Instead of reaching for the obvious nautical references one might expect from a waterfront property, team CAMDI went deeper with a more atmospheric, sensory approach.

“The idea of coastal luxury was integrated into a palette and material selection that feels both refined and deeply connected to the surrounding Vancouver landscape,” says Bannon. “[We pulled] from the surrounding mountains, the driftwood, the fog, the natural light, the reflections from the harbour.”

The result is a suite that feels restorative and coastal. Strong stone finishes next to soft woven textures in dusky blues, greys and greens meet the warm modernism of sculpturally curved wood-toned furniture. Brushed gold accents cast a honey glow throughout.

Tropical modern

There’s a very good reason why visitors have been checking in to Rosewood Mayakoba in Mexico’s Riviera Maya since it opened in 2008. Spacious villas boast private plunge pools and overlook winding lagoons and dense jungle beyond. White sandy beaches are within easy reach via the vintage-inspired cruiser-styled bicycles parked at the front door.

The evolution of this five-star property is also a compelling study in creating an authentic sense of place. Studio Bando x Seidel Meersseman consulted anthropologists for a multi-million-dollar renovation to create decors inspired by Mayan culture and esthetics — but through a contemporary lens. Villas showcase a calming material palette of natural woods, and grounding terracotta, stone and beige neutrals. Many accent pieces — such as clay pots, embroidered textiles and woven baskets — are sourced directly from the Mexican communities that have produced them for generations.

Vancouver’s Treana Peake , founder of ethical lifestyle brand Obakki, has spent nearly 20 years sourcing handwoven textiles, ceramics and stone objects directly from these artisans. Her Rosewood Mayakoba x Obakki Artisan Marketplace collaboration sells pieces at the resort and online, with part of the proceeds supporting K’iin Beh, a bilingual non-profit school for local children.

Heritage maximalism

Rosemead House is Aragon Properties’ boutique hotel on Vancouver Island. Part of the redevelopment of The Olde England Inn estate in Esquimalt, the original family home was designed by Canadian architect Samuel Maclure in 1906. The Tudor-Revivalist manor changed hands many times, until Aragon’s president and founder Lenny Moy acquired its four-acre site in 2015. Ten years on and the property’s transformation comprises a hotel with 28 unique guest rooms, a spa, and a restaurant, as well as a residential development called Oakwoods .

Rather than leaning too heavily into a themed “English manor” esthetic, Aragon’s in-house senior interior designer Karen Wichert drew inspiration from its traditional interior while mixing in modern elements that maintain its character and elegance.

“The [esthetic] is more of a maximalist style that blends the antiques, the artwork, the wall coverings and the finishes, bold patterns and colours and details,” says Wilchert.

The palette features classic tones such as ivory, deep greens and blues. No two rooms are the same, and finishes include classic William Morris-patterned wallpaper alongside contemporary textiles to keep the look cohesive rather than overly decorated. Antiques curated from the Savoy and Dorchester hotels in London and clawfoot tubs are seamlessly blended with modern luxe creature comforts such as Duxiana king-sized beds and heated bathroom floor tiles.

The goal isn’t to recreate the room — it’s to recreate the feeling

We asked interior designer Nikki Renshaw, program director at Vancouver’s Interior Design Diploma and Certificate department at The Cut Design Academy, how to achieve a similar five-star style at home.

Her advice is to invest in timeless base pieces, not trend driven shapes. “If you’re spending money on a sofa, keep it neutral,” says Renshaw. “Trends change quickly. You don’t want to be stuck with something that dates your space.”

Instead, layer in personality through pieces that are easy to update, such as cushions, throws, wallpaper or paint, she explains.

“You’re looking for high-impact, easily changeable ways to transform your space,” adds Renshaw. “That’s where you can have fun with trends.”

She also suggests maintaining visual continuity between rooms with consistent colours, as keeping sightlines open and uncluttered creates a sense of flow.

“Make sure that what you can see from one room… supports the look you’ve got going on,” she says. “It creates this feeling of openness and airiness.”

When mixing heritage with modern, build intentional vignettes — groupings of threes and fives — and leave negative space so the eye can rest, says Renshaw.

To avoid a period-piece feel, she suggests blending modern elements with heirloom pieces.

“It should feel like it’s evolved over time. Not like a [theatre] set.”

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