Houzz Tours
House Tours
My Houzz: A Creative Home Makeover in Canada
A Canadian couple refreshed their 1898 home with DIY updates, bold patterns and fun touches
‘A reno project that went on for years didn’t appeal to me,’ says first-time homeowner Jessica Schmid. ‘However, something that would take a few months to renovate did.’ Jessica and her husband, Kevin, found an 1898 heritage home in Strathcona, Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood, that was a rare piece of the city’s history. The house was in good shape, but it needed some upgrades. The scope of this project was therefore perfect for them. Jessica, an operations manager with an engineering firm, led the renovation process, tapping into her project management skills to delegate the design work.
‘When I choose furnishings for my home, I choose them for the space rather than choose the space for the item. I try to get a sense of the room, the perspective of view from other rooms and how the room will be used,’ says Jessica. ‘I just kind of know what a room needs to feel right for myself.’
She describes her style as a mix of traditional, modern rustic and eclectic. ‘I love adding one piece that doesn’t belong, saturated colours and restoring historical elements,’ she says
Chair with custom upholstery, Ethan Allen. Bill Murray pillow, Replaceface.
She describes her style as a mix of traditional, modern rustic and eclectic. ‘I love adding one piece that doesn’t belong, saturated colours and restoring historical elements,’ she says
Chair with custom upholstery, Ethan Allen. Bill Murray pillow, Replaceface.
Kevin, an art director in the mobile gaming industry, painted the Abraham Lincoln artwork resting on some stacked books. ‘Some nights we have drinking and painting nights with our friends. That’s just one of the casualties from that night,’ he says. ‘Just for good times, you play some music – there will be six or eight of us, and we’ll just draw or paint or whatever.’
Walls painted in Painter’s White, Behr. Wainscot painted in Chinchilla White, CIL. Vintage ship’s pulley, Vancouver Flea Market.
Walls painted in Painter’s White, Behr. Wainscot painted in Chinchilla White, CIL. Vintage ship’s pulley, Vancouver Flea Market.
The corridor features pet portraits, painted by Kevin as a gift for Jessica. Kevin framed the paintings in ornate oval frames found on eBay.
Graphic wallpaper creates an accent wall on the stairwell. ‘Because the main floor does not have enough natural light, I chose not to wallpaper all of the walls – I think this would have looked dark and busy. Instead, we did three feature walls,’ says Jessica. ‘I really love this wallpaper, but I get tired of things fast, so my guess is that I will replace it in five years or so.’
Wallpaper in Kelly’s Ikat by Kelly Hoppen for Graham & Brown, Lowe’s Canada.
Steal some of these creative ideas for using wallpaper
Graphic wallpaper creates an accent wall on the stairwell. ‘Because the main floor does not have enough natural light, I chose not to wallpaper all of the walls – I think this would have looked dark and busy. Instead, we did three feature walls,’ says Jessica. ‘I really love this wallpaper, but I get tired of things fast, so my guess is that I will replace it in five years or so.’
Wallpaper in Kelly’s Ikat by Kelly Hoppen for Graham & Brown, Lowe’s Canada.
Steal some of these creative ideas for using wallpaper
The couple added tongue and groove wainscoting in the dining room, living room and hallway.
Table, Urban Barn. Francesca dining chairs, Pier 1 Imports. Mirror, The Cross Decor & Design. Tablecloth; jug, HomeSense. Letter ‘S’ wall art, Etsy.
Table, Urban Barn. Francesca dining chairs, Pier 1 Imports. Mirror, The Cross Decor & Design. Tablecloth; jug, HomeSense. Letter ‘S’ wall art, Etsy.
The house came with built-in cabinets in the dining room. Jessica uses cut firewood as a decorative accent, along with other collections and keepsakes.
Horse figurines and sculptures like this one are seen throughout. Jessica owns a horse that resides in a barn only a 12-minute drive away. While Jessica enjoys dressage, the competitive equestrian sport, Kevin is less enthralled with the theme. ‘Horses just scare me. They’re just large animals that I’m afraid of,’ he says with a laugh.
Horse sculpture, Maynards.
Horse figurines and sculptures like this one are seen throughout. Jessica owns a horse that resides in a barn only a 12-minute drive away. While Jessica enjoys dressage, the competitive equestrian sport, Kevin is less enthralled with the theme. ‘Horses just scare me. They’re just large animals that I’m afraid of,’ he says with a laugh.
Horse sculpture, Maynards.
BEFORE The appliances in the existing kitchen were rearranged to accommodate a dishwasher.
AFTER Everything was replaced in their kitchen renovation. The couple hired Modus Enterprises, a company that specialises in Ikea kitchen installations. The new splashback tiles have a unique handcrafted appearance, contrasting nicely with the new Ikea cabinets. ‘I spent hours searching for the perfect splashback,’ says Jessica. ‘I wanted something that would stand out but not be so trendy that it would be out of date in a few years.’
Splashback tiles by Tuileries, Walker Zanger. Cabinets; appliances; quartz worktop, Ikea. Equine Markings tea towel, Anthropologie.
Splashback tiles by Tuileries, Walker Zanger. Cabinets; appliances; quartz worktop, Ikea. Equine Markings tea towel, Anthropologie.
BEFORE Seen here is one of the couple’s cats pausing in the original kitchen, which had underused space in front of the window.
AFTER The only configuration that allowed for a dishwasher involved installing the sink in front of the window. Now they can enjoy sunlight and views when washing their pots and pans. A small sideboard is used to store vintage crockery.
Sideboard, Pier 1 Imports. Exeter 5-Jar Pendant light, Pottery Barn.
Sideboard, Pier 1 Imports. Exeter 5-Jar Pendant light, Pottery Barn.
The couple grow basil outside their kitchen window in flower boxes. The textured wall of a neighbouring heritage home serves as a colourful backdrop.
Inspired by an article that she had seen years ago, Jessica used a collection of wooden wine boxes to decorate a kitchen wall. ‘We have a friend who collects wine – some of those crates he has lugged around with him for more than 25 years,’ she says. ‘When he saw I was collecting old wine crates, he gave me some really cool ones, such as the 1982 Opus.’
Because the house had almost no storage, the couple had to get creative. A small room near the kitchen was transformed into a pantry.
Custom pantry shelving, Arbutus Furniture & Closets.
Check out these stylish pantry ideas
Custom pantry shelving, Arbutus Furniture & Closets.
Check out these stylish pantry ideas
BEFORE The kitchen leads out to a compact garden. When the couple moved in, this space was lush and green but difficult to use. ‘When it came to the landscaping, the front and back gardens were overgrown and looked neglected,’ says Jessica.
AFTER Jessica and Kevin worked with De Haas Landscape Design to transform their outdoor area into a more usable oasis. The result is a lovely patio, with sun shining through the branches of the climbing jasmine vine and butterfly bush.
Outdoor furniture and birdcage, Walmart.
Outdoor furniture and birdcage, Walmart.
The space is now usable and easy to maintain. A large butterfly bush acts as a leafy canopy over the patio. ‘In the summer it gets all these purple flowers all over it. It’s beautiful,’ says Jessica.
Globe fairy lights, Pottery Barn.
Globe fairy lights, Pottery Barn.
Jessica also refurbishes furniture through her small business, called Little Chihuahua Design. She revamped this vintage dresser with new paint.
She also hand-painted this eye-catching stencil pattern on the guest bedroom wall. ‘It was definitely a pain, and it took me probably a couple of weekends to do it, just because it was so finicky,’ she says.
Wall stencil, Etsy. Wall painted in Painter’s White, Behr. Stencil paint in Neutral Gray Value 5 acrylic, Liquitex.
She also hand-painted this eye-catching stencil pattern on the guest bedroom wall. ‘It was definitely a pain, and it took me probably a couple of weekends to do it, just because it was so finicky,’ she says.
Wall stencil, Etsy. Wall painted in Painter’s White, Behr. Stencil paint in Neutral Gray Value 5 acrylic, Liquitex.
The basement bathroom was gutted, refitted and retiled. Having a shower in your basement is not ideal, Jessica says. ‘But with these old homes, you just have to have patience with the weird layouts.’
Wall and floor tiles, Daltile. Glass shower enclosure, bespoke.
Take some inspiration from these basement conversions
Wall and floor tiles, Daltile. Glass shower enclosure, bespoke.
Take some inspiration from these basement conversions
The floors and stair treads were well worn as a reminder of the many occupants who must have passed through this house over the decades. These stairs were given a fresh coat of paint.
The upper floor features vaulted ceilings with ample daylight. The couple take advantage of the wall space by hanging art both low and high.
Headboard, Joss & Main. Bedding, HomeSense and Ikea. Pillows, West Elm and Ikea.
Headboard, Joss & Main. Bedding, HomeSense and Ikea. Pillows, West Elm and Ikea.
Framed images of past horses and pets create a gallery wall next to the stairs. ‘Some of those pictures of the horses feature my grandma’s cousin, who was a travelling stunt rider. His name was Montana Steve, and his horse was called Flicker,’ says Jessica. ‘He was actually from Saskatchewan, but when my dad asked him why he called himself Montana Steve, he said it’s because the rodeo tours were in the US, and Americans do not want to watch Saskatchewan Steve! He’s still alive and in his 90s.’
Wall painted in Gray Wisp, Benjamin Moore. Picture frames, Michaels.
Check out these quirky spaces for the family pet
Wall painted in Gray Wisp, Benjamin Moore. Picture frames, Michaels.
Check out these quirky spaces for the family pet
A small room, with access off the master bedroom, was formerly used as a nursery. Jessica says, ‘The walk-in wardrobe was originally counted as the fourth bedroom, and was intended to be a nursery in the original floor plan. It’s a tiny room and works perfectly as the walk-in.’
The couple transformed this space into a custom wardrobe, filled with daylight and plenty of space to organise their belongings.
Custom wardrobe, Arbutus Furniture & Closets.
The couple transformed this space into a custom wardrobe, filled with daylight and plenty of space to organise their belongings.
Custom wardrobe, Arbutus Furniture & Closets.
‘My favourite feature of the house is the old fir floors,’ says Jessica. ‘They feel so warm and inviting. There are not too many homes in Vancouver left from the 1800s, so I cherish their originality and the stories they tell.’
Footstool, Little Chihuahua Design.
Footstool, Little Chihuahua Design.
The main bathroom needed only some light updates. The toilet had to be replaced, and some existing vinyl floor tiles were stripped. The rest was in good shape.
This upstairs space is Kevin’s office and a room he calls his man cave. The couple worked with Vancouver Reclaimed to install a floor-to-ceiling reclaimed-wood accent wall. They were given a few options for colour, and they decided to do a mix. ‘That’s actually an old barn on our wall,’ Jessica says. The wood planks have a hand-sawn texture and were only lightly sanded to remove splinters. The wood helps to accentuate the height of the room and brings visual warmth to the space.
Strandmon armchairs; Lövbacken side table, Ikea.
Strandmon armchairs; Lövbacken side table, Ikea.
Wood from the same barn was used to fabricate an 8ft-long work table for Kevin, custom built to accommodate his computer monitors.
The house was originally built as part of a six-unit rental housing block (their house is on the right). Four of the six houses remain, and two were rebuilt in 1987 to match the existing buildings. The couple worked with De Haas Landscape Design for new landscaping in the front garden that would require little maintenance, with no grass to mow. A sculptural arrangement of chopped and cured firewood is stacked on the porch, giving the house a rustic cabin feel.
Here’s the lawn-free pavement treatment, featuring river rocks and large concrete pavers, with Kevin’s orange 1969 Firebird.
‘I adore everything about the house and the design choices we made,’ says Jessica, pictured here with their chihuahua, Lucy. Hunter the cat is perched behind her, and Kevin is with Sullivan the pug. ‘It feels warm, and it feels like home. I’m proud of what we achieved and feel like we helped preserve a little part of history.’
TELL US…
What do you think of this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
TELL US…
What do you think of this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here Kevin and Jessica Schmid, chihuahua Lucy, pug Sullivan and cats Gibson and Hunter
Location Vancouver, Canada
Size 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Year built 1898
The house was last renovated by previous owners in 1987. The main floor had a plain appearance and was screaming for a makeover.
‘This floor has a more traditional vibe, but I kept it fun by throwing in elements such as the bold wallpaper, the cowhide rug, sassy pillows from various Etsy sellers, saturated colours and unique artwork,’ says Jessica.
The corner sofa is a favourite lounge zone for the couple’s two dogs, and is a practical choice. ‘I would absolutely love to have an aubergine upholstered sofa in the living room. However, with four pets, this is unrealistic,’ she says. ‘Any sofa we have has to be replaced every few years and has to be durable and easily cleaned. I have to balance function with desire.’
Floor lamp, Ikea. Sofa, The Brick. Isala coffee table painted in Pencil Point by Behr, Ikea. Terrarium oversized glass jar, HomeSense. Terrarium kit, Twig Terrariums. Chandelier, vintage. Decorative deer head, The Cross Decor & Design.