A New Build Tudor-Style Vancouver Home With Old-World Charm
Brand-new houses don’t often feel like they have this much past. But step inside this Tudor Revival home in Vancouver’s First Shaughnessy neighbourhood, and you’d be forgiven for thinking it has been here for decades.
Defying all expectations of a new build, designer Kelly Deck, founder of Kelly Deck Design, was tasked by the homeowners to make this 9,000 square-foot house design feel as if it had always belonged.
With roots in the area, their brief wasn’t about trends, but feeling and legacy. ‘The intention was to create a home that feels like an original Shaughnessy manor beautifully restored for modern life – not antiquated, but deeply atmospheric,’ says Kelly. Combined with a brief that rejected all-white minimalism in favor of color and heritage, the result is a Tudor-style family home that feels storied yet entirely liveable.
In this rich dining room, left, a deep red grasscloth from Metro Wallcoverings was chosen to bring texture and tone to the airy space, while the vintage rugs bring the interconnecting rooms together.
(Image credit: Kelly Deck Design / Photography Ema Peter / Styling Debbie Frederickson)
Set on one of First Shaughnessy’s wide, tree-lined streets, the home was commissioned by long-time residents with a personal connection to the area. ‘The home is located in one of Metro Vancouver’s most historic and prestigious neighbourhoods,’ Kelly explains.
‘The homeowner grew up in Shaughnessy and later raised his own children here, giving the project a strong sense of legacy’ – and that sense of belonging shaped the design from the outset.
The biggest challenge? Designing a new home that felt authentically historic, without becoming a period reproduction. ‘Finding craftspeople who understood this nuance was essential,’ Kelly continues. ‘We created countless mock-ups, drawing on its archive of Shaughnessy heritage photography. The project spanned approximately two years of design and two years of construction for this family of six and their two beloved dogs.’
The bones of the home were designed by Wiedemann Architectural Design and built by Feature Projects, complete with heritage wood windows, a hand-carved staircase, and extensive Tudor-style carpentry, as seen here in the grand entryway.
(Image credit: Kelly Deck Design / Photography Ema Peter / Styling Debbie Frederickson)
‘One of the first things he [the homeowner] said was that he didn’t want an all-white home, which opened the door to rich color and heritage expression,’ Kelly explains.
While that might sound like music to an interior designer’s ears, Kelly also had to work with two fairly opposing interior design styles. She was sure to carefully balance the husband’s love of tradition and nostalgia with the wife’s preference for ‘simplicity and quiet refinement’ – a contrast that ultimately defined the home’s layered, heritage-inspired palette.
‘The balance between his love of pattern and her preference for restraint shaped the design narrative,’ says Kelly. That blend of aesthetics is felt immediately upon entry. A formal entryway sets the tone, lined with an elegant silk Pierre Frey wallpaper that then leads into the living room.
In the living room, painted in Knoxville Gray by Benjamin Moore, a contemporary painting – Iris 3 by Hens Cyberdings at Odon Wagner Gallery – was chosen to create a dialogue between old and new. ‘We were immediately drawn to its balance of nostalgia and modernity. It allows an elegant, feminine presence above the fireplace while remaining unmistakably contemporary.’
(Image credit: Kelly Deck Design / Photography Ema Peter / Styling Debbie Frederickson)
Wrapped in gray-blue paint and anchored by a fireplace carved from a single block of stone with a strong blue-grey vein, the living room is the start of the color story in this home.
In this space, however, a moment of doubt crept in for Kelly. ‘One of the funniest moments on the project came when our painter – someone whose eye and honesty I deeply respect – called to tell me he thought the living room blue was far too dark. In a moment of self-doubt, I told him to go ahead and try a lighter shade.’
The mistake was immediately clear. ‘The softer blue looked completely out of place; it had none of the depth, presence, or grounded energy the room needed, especially given its connection to the brick-red dining room next door. It was a perfect reminder that when you’re working with strong colors in adjacent rooms, they need to share the same emotional weight.’
‘I asked him to return to our original specification, and when the room was finished, we all stood there, laughed, and agreed the first instinct had been right.’
In this timeless kitchen, Kelly and her team chose Vapor by Benjamin Moore for the cabinetry paired with Sommelier by Sherwin-Williams to provide a rich wine-red contrast on the island.
(Image credit: Kelly Deck Design / Photography Ema Peter / Styling Debbie Frederickson)
At the heart of the home, the traditional kitchen balances that same sense of grandeur – thanks to the expansive height and millwork – with day-to-day practicality, designed to support a family who gather and host here daily.
While the surrounding rooms lean confidently into heritage hues, the kitchen is deliberately lighter to provide a moment of relief and ‘feels timeless in character and effortless to live in.’
In contrast, the deep red kitchen island topped with honed Calacatta Viola marble gives the room its main character moment, while providing a natural gathering point softened by upholstered stools, vintage rugs, plenty of brass accents, and classic lantern-style pendants.
Above the oversized island hang the Dover Bell pendants from Urban Electric, while the banquette mixes two subtle fabrics from Anne Star: Aubergine and Latitude Rust.
(Image credit: Kelly Deck Design / Photography Ema Peter / Styling Debbie Frederickson)
The adjoining eat-in area is one of the home’s most charming spaces: a generous banquette tucked into a light-filled breakfast nook, windows dressed with relaxed roman blinds and layered with cushions, textiles, and vintage rugs. It feels like a place intended for slow mornings, homework sessions, and informal family meals.
The aim was to ‘imagine an original Shaughnessy manor that had been beautifully restored and appropriately renovated for a contemporary family, rather than creating a time capsule.’
The color scheme for the home is more about saturation and texture rather than stark contrast, and nowhere is that more evident than in the kitchen, where the authentic materials do much of the storytelling with a backdrop of neutrals.
Additionally, smoked oak herringbone floors with a waxed finish run throughout the main level, grounding the space with warmth and patina.
The butler’s pantry, left, has been color-drenched in Pigeon by Farrow & Ball, a cozy blue-gray tone, paired with Morris & Co.’s Montreal wallpaper, while in the mudroom, right, Knoxville Gray by Benjamin Moore makes another appearance.
(Image credit: Kelly Deck Design / Photography Ema Peter / Styling Debbie Frederickson)
In contrast, the bijoux butler’s pantry gets more of a color story, finished with sage green cabinetry, ornately profiled marble countertops, and an accent ceiling in Morris & Co. wallpaper – a moment of whimsy tucked just out of sight.
The mudroom (complete with dog wash) is equally as hardworking yet no less striking. Designed as a threshold between outdoors and in, the heritage blue cabinetry balances utility with warmth in a way that feels bold and alluring. For a family with four children and two dogs, this room plays a crucial role in accommodating muddy boots, coats, and daily comings and goings without disrupting the home’s sense of calm.
‘Room-to-room colors are intentionally linked for continuity,’ Kelly notes of the blue tones carried throughout, allowing each space to feel distinct while remaining connected.
To create a sense of calm in this principal suite, Kelly chose Pure Marigold by Morris & Co to give the room a tranquil yet traditional pop of print in the bedroom, left, while in the adjacent bathroom, right, Calacatta Gold Extra from Ann Sacks is paired with the Bryant Large Tail Sconce.
(Image credit: Kelly Deck Design / Photography Ema Peter / Styling Debbie Frederickson)
Upstairs, the palette softens into lighter tones and serene neutrals, allowing the private spaces to feel restful. The hotel-style principal suite pairs Morris & Co. wallpaper with classic moldings, creating a bedroom that feels calm, considered, and designed for recharging.
‘Shaughnessy Manor was one of the most traditionally inspired homes our studio has created,’ says Kelly. ‘While sourcing wallpapers for it, I found myself studying historic patterns with unusual intensity – and quietly imagining what it would mean to design my own.’
‘A few years later, that idea morphed into Odette by Kelly Deck, a boutique wallpaper house inspired by antique European motifs and brought to life following a formative trip to Paris,’ she adds.
When asked about the desired atmosphere she wanted to bestow on this relaxing bedroom, Kelly says: ‘Elegant, elevated, and approachable. Richly layered furnishings and a timeless atmosphere. The home feels restored rather than recreated – historical in spirit, modern in ease,’ she describes.
To dial up the atmosphere in the lower levels of this sprawling home, darker tones and materials were selected. In the home office, left, the window seat was upholstered in Wentworth Check by Kravet. In the powder room, right, Morris & Co.’s Snakeshead wallpaper was chosen.
(Image credit: Kelly Deck Design / Photography Ema Peter / Styling Debbie Frederickson)
While the main floors of this four-floor property adhere to a more traditional plan, the lower level loosens its formality. Down here in the office, powder room, speakeasy, and media room, the mood shifts notably darker and more atmospheric.
The home office is clad entirely in dark-stained wood wall paneling for a cocooning feel that gives the space an old-world sensibility, while the contemporary artwork and layered textiles keep it from feeling too heavy.
Nearby, the powder room delivers a striking contrast – bold, blue, and dramatic. In here, Kelly has once again chosen a richly patterned wallpaper and has paired it with glossy, hand-glazed tile to give the space a jewel box effect that is only enhanced by the gilt mirror and marble bathroom vanity.
Like so many spaces in the home, it feels collected, layered, and confident.
Designing a new home that feels authentically historic required trust – between designer and client, and across every trade involved. ‘The clients’ warmth and trust made the collaboration instantly appealing,’ Kelly adds. ‘What I loved most was how much everyone cared, from the painter to the carpenters; every trade was invested in getting it right.’
This Vancouver home feels like a far cry from a new build. ‘Heritage in spirit, modern in its ease, and perfectly at home in First Shaughnessy,’ says Kelly. The result is a home that is richly layered while speaking to the homeowners’ story, their way of living, and manages to combine the history of the neighbourhood in a way that feels warm and inviting.
link
:strip_icc()/BHG195802032-50s-yellow-kitchen-fd8829b527a645818b1b737f909a5d6d.jpg "100 Years of Interior Design Trends that Transformed Our Homes")
