Organic Gardening News

The modest West Vancouver home that helped define West Coast modernism is among the stops on this year’s West Coast Modern Home Tour.

Designed by artist B.C. Binning, the B.C. Binning House has been called Canada’s first truly modern residence. A major restoration and expansion project was completed last year on the home.

Also on the tour is the Fells House. One of the tour’s architectural highlights, the cedar-clad residence exemplifies the West Coast Modern ideal of integrating architecture with the natural landscape. D’Arcy Jones Architects recently renovated the home, which was designed by renowned architect Ron Thom in 1959.

Other homes include Rockview House, designed by ABC Architecture Building Culture, 2024; Fuldauer House, designed by Erickson-Massey Architects, 1966; and Stigant House, designed by Bob Lewis, 1967.

Since it began, the West Coast Modern Home Tour has introduced visitors to more than 70 unique West Vancouver homes, from original mid-century to contemporary architect-designed dwellings.

The home tour is part of West Coast Modern Week 2026 (July 7 to 12).

When: July 11, noon to 4 p.m.

Cost : $160 (self-drive) & $180 (bus)

Tickets are on sale now at westvancouverartmuseum.ca

A quiet shift is taking shape in Vancouver homes, and across design feeds everywhere: Small, awkward spaces that used to be ignored are now being transformed. Every odd corner seems to have a purpose.

Giving awkward spaces a new purpose

Teresa Budd reworked a small landing above the entryway into a cosy dog nook, complete with a bed and a basket of toys. Frank, her wire-haired wiener dog, loves his perch as it’s perfect for peeking at visitors as they enter the home.

“Before Frank, we didn’t know what to do with the awkward space,” Budd shares.

Homeowners are reclaiming “builder shelves” that were a common inclusion in homes with vaulted ceilings in the early 2000s, transforming the once decorative dust collectors into bonus spaces.

Kaitlyn Bristowe, Canadian TV personality, podcast host, and entrepreneur, has tapped into this trend, turning an awkward upper-level loft ledge into a sitting area in her Nashville home, complete with a ladder for access.

A shift in how space Is used

To make better use of unusual spaces, designers and DIYers are creating “petite pockets” — mini-spaces optimized for work, play, or storage.

Vancouver interior designers Megan Dengerink and Neema Kulkarni, of Home|Made Spatial Design , have watched the shift unfold firsthand.

“We’ve seen this as an increased priority,” says Dengerink. “In Vancouver’s heritage houses, everybody was using all of the nooks and crannies for storage. There’s been a shift to using those spaces for something else: a small built-in bar in a closet or a home office in a corner, for example.”

On why this shift is happening, Dengerink points to housing costs. “With the rising cost of real estate, it used to be that people saw their rental place or first home as a starter spot. Now, more and more people are lifetime renters because the cost of living is so high.”

Kulkarni explains how that mindset shows up in design thinking: “Designers will look at both form and function. If there is a closet under the stairs, you’re thinking, this could be a great coat closet or storage, but your mind also goes to: what’s the potential for this beyond that?”

Designing ‘petite pockets’ in Vancouver homes

One recent project illustrates exactly how a “petite pocket” can be transformed.

“Harold’s office is a really good example. In a small bedroom, we were able to take a nook and turn it into an office,” says Kulkarni. “The space now functions as a guest room or exercise room, but the office can coexist with either. Not only is it used daily, but there is also a window that brings in additional light and makes the room feel bigger.”

Dengerink shares another example: “Maegan’s potting shed is a good example too. A small stand-alone building in the backyard, probably 60 square feet, was retrofitted into a ceramics studio.

“It takes something that was full of debris and turns it into a functional space that takes pressure off the main house and gives her an opportunity to do something she wouldn’t have been able to do at home otherwise.”

For those on a tighter budget, Dengerink suggests looking at vintage and second-hand pieces.

“There are so many options on the resale market, small mid-century corner cabinets designed to fit into awkward spaces but packed with functionality.”

For a simple DIY approach, says Dengerink: “Take the door off a closet, paint the interior walls, and it can become a library, bar, office — you name it.”

As small-space living and functional design continue to evolve in Vancouver, that space demand is also shifting.

“We’re increasingly getting inquiries from families about renovating single-family homes into multi-generational dwellings,” says Kulkarni.

“These aren’t just parents moving in with adult kids, these are families where the second generation is staying or moving back. If it’s not feasible to divide the home into separate apartments, petite pockets can be what makes that work. Creating pockets of privacy is key to successful cohabitation among adults.”

Related

• Using mirrors to enlarge your room and brighten your space
• Squeezed for space? Why not tuck into a Murphy bed?

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