House Tours
1900s Craftsman home gets a bold, glamorous makeover
Cozy living room with a subdued palette
House Tours
1900s Craftsman home gets a bold, glamorous makeover
This love story, starring a family and the house of their dreams, has a standing-ovation-worthy ending.
Like most love stories, this one includes a chance encounter, years of yearning and – spoiler alert! – an eventual reunion. But before we reveal the happy ending, let’s rewind to the mid-’90s, when Quentin and Linda Adrian used to walk past an early 1900s Craftsman home in their Vancouver neighbourhood of Kitsilano. The couple was smitten with the five-bedroom, three-bathroom charmer, but at the time, it wasn’t meant to be. “We thought we could never dream of owning it,” recalls Linda.
Fast-forward to 2013, when the Adrians were looking to move into a bigger space that would accommodate their family, which includes their 14-year-old daughter, Isabella, and dogs, Loulou and Cedric. As they began their real-estate search, there it was: the same shingled house they’d loved years ago. “We were thrilled to be able to buy it,” says Linda. “It’s located in an area full of character homes that’s close to the beach.”
It turned out that the 2,700-square-foot house hadn’t been renovated since the days when the couple used to stroll past it. They were challenged to refresh the space, with its small dark outdated kitchen and mish mash of flooring throughout, from terracotta tiles to carpeting to wood. “The interior was a little busy – we didn’t know where to look,” says Linda.
The family lived in the house for one year before hiring Carrie McCarthy of Carrie McCarthy Studio and Tanja Hinder of Marrimor Studio. The designers were tasked with unifying the interior – minus a few walls here and there – and making it the Adrians’ own. “The new look is timeless glamour,” says Carrie. “We added strength and boldness, as well as some sparkle.”
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