Let’s be honest for a second… nobody buys a home planning to turn their lower level into an accidental indoor pool. But when a brutal winter freeze bursts outdated exterior pipes and floods your lower floor, you’re left with two choices: do a quick patch job, or grab the design world by the horns and rebuild the whole thing with unapologetic personality.
We chose option two.
When Apartment Therapy featured our home tour, they dubbed it the “Maximalist-Inspired Makeover” of a boring Vancouver house. For us, it was simply about creating a space that tells our family’s story without compromise.
Here is the real talk behind how we turned an 1,600-square-foot North Vancouver home into a colorful, eclectic sanctuary packed with custom details.
The Backstory: From Flood Disaster to Full-Home Overhaul
We originally bought this old AF (built in the 50s or 60s), 1,600-square-foot home because we fell in love with its quirky character and unconventional “upside-down” layout (bedrooms on the lower level, living space up top). It suited our family perfectly. However, when the lower-level plumbing failed, we knew we couldn’t just fix the flood zone. The whole house needed a structural and aesthetic reboot.
What started as an estimated one-year project turned into an 18-month overhaul. Permitting delays and structural surprises, including leveling floors, reframing, and electrical upgrades, pushed the budget from $450k to nearly $750k.
Hello, the unfiltered joys of renovating an older home! Instead of starting from scratch, we preserved the home’s character and made every space count.
The Design Philosophy: “I Despise Trends”
If there’s one rule in the Alicia Savin by Design handbook, it’s that design should reflect the people who live there, not copy-paste what’s trending on Instagram.
When we ripped up the old flooded carpeting, we discovered remnants of original black-and-white checkerboard tile. Rather than swapping it for standard gray planking, we honored the home’s history and put the classic checkerboard back in. It’s freezing cold on the feet, but it looks badass, respects the building’s roots, and adds instant graphic impact.
Our goal was to bring in bold colour, blend refined details with playful touches, and create a home that feels layered and personal.
Standout Details: High-Gloss, Hot Pink & Custom Chaos
A maximalist home isn’t just about throwing color at a wall, it’s about intentional curation, contrast, and craft. Here are a few favorite moments from the tour:
The High-Gloss Yellow Staircase: Painted in Benjamin Moore’s Mardi Gras Gold with a wet-look high-gloss finish, this central staircase pulls light deep into the home. Is high-gloss paint on stairs a bit slippery? Absolutely. You feel very alive after a quick tumble down the steps, but beauty takes precedence over practicality every single time (sorry, not sorry!).
The Pink & Black Dream Kitchen: We paired custom dark lower cabinetry with soft pink Big Chill retro appliances, Fireclay tiles, and Cosentino quartz counters. It’s equal parts mid-century nostalgia and modern sophistication.
Custom Kids’ Rooms (Featuring the French Fry Bed): For our boys’ bedrooms, we skipped generic bedroom sets. For one room, we custom-built a French Fry bed (literally cutting down a king-size foam mattress with an electric bread knife!) paired with food-themed wallpaper. For the other, we built a custom Skateboard Ramp bed frame with a WKNDRS mural.
Statement Hardware & Entryway: From the custom “BEER” mosaic entry tile to solid brass Buster + Punch hardware, these details complement the bold Gypsy Pink and Exotic Purple palette.
High Function, Heavy Personality
This renovation proved that older character homes in Vancouver are worth saving, upgrading, and celebrating. By leaning into custom millwork, vibrant wall coverings, and unexpected textures, we turned a generic layout into an unforgettable family home.
The finished result shows us that it’s not just a place to live. It’s an experience. It’s colorful, collected, highly functional, and built to stand the test of time for decades to come.
Check out the full photo gallery and room-by-room breakdown on our feature at Apartment Therapy.
Looking for a Vancouver interior designer to create a bold, personalized home? Reach out to explore how we can turn your trickiest renovation challenges into standout spaces.