Name: Jessica
Location: Kerrisdale — Vancouver, BC
We found this gem of a character building in 2010, while hunting for a new, pet-friendly space and something to get us out of the suburbs and a little closer to work downtown...
The SO good!:
This building blew our minds, 1200 square feet, late 1920's - early 1930's character, built in glass door cabinet, wood floors, 10 foot ceilings, working fireplace, window seat, cat and dog friendly, above an amazing candy store (!!) AND we were given free rein to paint and decorate as how we saw fit. Pinch me!
The not-so-good-but-we-make-it-work!:
-The lack of working electrical outlets has posed a bit of a challenge! Lots of trickery involving extension cords happening here!
-No spot for a dinner table, we tried it and it was just awkward, so out it went!
-Typical character building: Drafty in the winter, boiling hot in the summer, lots of firewood stocked till March, few good fans for the summer!
-Location: Kerrisdale is a somewhat upper crust, wealthy neighborhood, not exactly our lifestyle (*AT ALL!*), but the place was too good to pass up, even if our friends complain about it being wayyy on the west side :)
Aside from the very few challenges, this place has been a dream and I still pinch myself when I look around, I actually cannot believe I get to live here. The charm it has built in, has really opened up a new creative outlet for me, and the things I love just happen to fit! Luckily my husband trusts my vision, even when he is skeptical of my projects.. ie: painting the coffee table turquoise, it works out in the end :)
My inspiration basically comes from thrift shop finds, flea markets, checking out other people's apartments, old advertising and vintage posters and of course craigslist! I also really love the history this neighborhood has, and the fact that my dad grew up here and went to the school across the street from us, it all reminds me of family and I feel we were just meant to live here for some reason.
Thanks, Jessica!
• HOUSE TOUR ARCHIVE Check out past house tours here
• Interested in sharing your home with Apartment Therapy? Contact the editors through our House Tour Submission Form.
100 DIY Ideas for the 3-Day Weekend
Danielle's Charming, Classic Walk-Up
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
White Enamel Flatwa...
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
Perfect Summer Cocktail Recipe: Honey Bourbon Lemonade
I love your home. It's stunning. I also love to use turquoise as an accent colour. In fact, I just blogged about it. :)
love the colors. that black chair is to die for!
saraalana.wordpress.com
Very lovely, fresh and understated!
House tour please!!!!
Oh my gosh this is my dream apartment, I'm in love with every inch of this room!
Love!
Beautiful!! I'm stealing your ideas!!
Haha... Love that "jerk" note on the fourth pic...
great space! Would you mind sharing the paint colour, and how you did the trees behind the sofa?
JP - cointrin.ca
What a lovely place!
My only comment would be: in 1200 square feet, there's no room for a dining table?
I too think it looks amazing and would love to see more pictures!
I'd love to know the name of the living room paint color.
I love the pops of color (especially the orange mixer!).
I like it although it's a little "put a bird on it" for my tastes.
Really Nice! Full tour please!
House tour please. Beautiful space!
I like the color scheme. It gives it a slightly eclectic, vintage charm.
oh my gosh! this is my house! Im kind of in shock! haha! thank you for the kind words!!! :) Haha put a bird on it, that just cracked my husband and myself up! The gray is Sherwin Williams: Proper Grey! The trees are an Etsy score! wow. I have to show my mom this! haha
I like your vintage artwork.
Amazing Jess! So happy your house is on here!!! It looks amazing..well done my friend.
That red dresser plus tv plus tree painting made that corner come alive.
very nice house, would love to see more.
The pops of color make it even prettier.
love love love the black armless chair! where is it from?
Thank you <3!! The chair is actually just an ikea one! Part of the "Stockholm" collection. I got mine off of craigslist though :) I wish thus was a house tour! Haha
I love it. I wish I could see more of it.
I was considering painting my living room a similar gray color, and now I'm really inspired by your lovely home. I love it.
Jessica, my wife and I have a very similar place in Toronto (built at the turn of the century, 1250 sq feet, very very old in terms of electrical, plumbing and pretty much everything else). No one has done any work on this place in years, so my wife and I are redoing each room again. I love the way yours turned out, especially the fireplace. We have a nice huge mantle like yours, so nice to know what the final product will turn out like. Great job in terms of colours and style too, a very good inspiration for us right now.
@Dale: that is so exciting! Even with all the bumps and problems and lack of luxuries newer places have, we wouldn't give up our character space! Submit to AT when you are finished! I'd love to see it :)
OMG. I've been viewing this site for so long and I finally see an apartment in my own neighbourhood. I live about 10 blocks away from this apartment, and have always wondered what they looked like inside. Love it!
@trufflesauce
Ha! I had the same idea, reminded me of "put a bird on it", still very pretty, but this style is so overdone on the westcoast
I have ONE pillow with birds on it! BTW I am a huge fan of portlandia. Annnd I really like my $24 bird pillow, its nice and smushy. :D
Wow! Your place is amazing. What is the name of that paint color? I'd love to know! It makes your place have a very soft feel. Every gray I have used looks cold. Just gorgeous!
Haha Jess, it was the bird pillow AND the trees that made me think of it. Sorry! But yeah, still very cute. Love your kitchen and the jadeite and milk glass.
Wow, an actual TV in the picture! I'm redoing my living room and have had an awful time finding inspiration photos of cute living rooms with functional televisions in them. And the color scheme is really cute! Good job!
Where abouts in Kerrisdale is the building? We live in Kerrisdale, too! - older apartment building (so nice hardwood and big windows), but it would be nice to get something bigger... and with the option to have pets!!!
Yes your torquoise table turned out well. I love torquoise and red together. In one of the pictures, the wall looks crinkled? How did that happen?
@House Voyeur: ahh! my wrinkly walls! My guess: layers and layers of old wallpaper, being that it is an old building!
@Moira_P: So cool to see locals on here! 37th and W. Boulevard, I'm making good use of the location and hitting up every saturday farmers market across the street!!!
Jessica You nailed it!
@jessica604: We're neighbours :) We're on 37th and Yew!