mind, pairing pale watery blues alongside nature-inspired accent
pieces, lending freshness and brightness to the home, comparable to
the shore-side itself.
When asked about the color scheme, comprised primarily of stark
white and muted accent hues, Holly revealed it to be Scandinavian-
inspired, a preference born from a few years the couple spent living
and working in Sweden. For Steeves, the choice to go mostly white
was all about making the front room brighter. “We just really wanted a
lot of reflective surfaces, so the walls are light and we stuck with light
colored fabric.” She adds, “The darkest fabric is on the sectional, which
is for practical reasons, because it’s the most used piece.”
With budget in mind, Steeves encouraged the family to incorporate
some existing elements into the redesign, including the original oak
floors, inset with a patterned border, characteristic of the 1920’s
era, and two sentimental art pieces, passed down to the couple from
their parents and grandparents. In fact, Steeves describes one of
these pieces, depicting orca whales, as her jumping off point for the
redesign.
The rest of the décor in the home follows suit as being organically-
inclined, inspired by the family’s zeal for all-things-outdoors. “We
really treasure the outdoors,” says Holly, “and we discovered we were
always drawn to the more plant-based-feeling kind of pieces.” Like
the knotted macramé ottoman, in the front room, which is reminiscent
of fishing net, and the pattern on the drapes, meant to allude to tree
branches or coral. Steeves adds, “A lot of what we do in Vancouver
has very close ties to nature and this project was no different. People
really feel close to nature here and we wanted to bring that indoors.”
Just as an artist utilizes negative space, Steeves tactically relied
on lack of color to not only enhance the existing light, but also
encourage future versatility. “I like to work with a lot of color, but
I’m very careful about how I use them, as colors do come and go.”
She adds, “We could completely transform this scheme by changing
the color of chairs, pillows, and accessories, and it would look like a
completely different space.”
Of course, plans of further transforming the Kitsilano property
are merely hypothetical for the family of four at the present. For
now, they’re enjoying their home as is, in all its breathable, beachy
splendor.