Inside a Vancouver Home Inspired by the Grandeur of a Tudor Manor
Designing for legacy requires a particular sensitivity, especially when the brief is to create something entirely new that feels as though it has always existed. InVancouver’s storied First Shaughnessy, this Tudor Revival residence achieves precisely that. Conceived as a future heirloom for a family deeply rooted in the neighbourhood, the home carries the quiet gravitas of a historic manor, yet unfolds with the ease and warmth of contemporary life.
For designer Kelly Deck, founder of Kelly Deck Design, the project was defined by an immediate alignment with her clients. “One of the first things he said was that he didn’t want an all-white home,” she recalls. “That opened the door to rich colour and heritage expression.” It was a directive that shaped the entire narrative, balancing the husband’s affinity for tradition with the wife’s preference for restraint and calm.
Architecturally, the house draws on the language of classic Tudor Revival, with copper gutters, limestone trims and finely detailed carpentry lending it a sense of permanence. Inside, this historical framework is softened and enriched through a deeply considered palette. Smoked oak herringbone floors, honed marbles and hand-carved detailing set the tone, while colour is used with confidence and intent.
A dining room wrapped in brick-red silk wallpaper sits in deliberate dialogue with the living room beyond, where deep blue walls and a monolithic stone fireplace create a sense of enveloping calm. “The softer blue we tested had none of the depth the room needed,” Deck reflects of a brief moment of doubt during the process. “It was a reminder that strong colours need to share the same emotional weight.” That instinct for balance carries throughout the home, where smoky teal cabinetry, sage green joinery and layered wallpapers unfold in a sequence that feels both cohesive and quietly expressive.
Spanning four levels, the house is designed to hold both gathering and retreat. Formal rooms on the main floor give way to more relaxed spaces below, including a speakeasy, wine room and media lounge, while the upper levels provide sanctuary for a family whose children are on the cusp of independence. Despite its scale, the interiors remain grounded in a sense of intimacy, shaped by texture, craftsmanship and a lived-in sensibility.
“The intention was never to create a period reproduction,” says Deck, “but a home that feels like an original Shaughnessy manor, beautifully restored for modern life.” It is this careful calibration between past and present, grandeur and ease, that gives the house its enduring sense of belonging.
Credits
Text by Catherine Mo
Photographs by Ema Peter