Decorating & Design
Rosie Daykin Gives Her Mid-Century Vancouver Bungalow A Soulful Update
Updated on June 24, 2025
Designer Rosie Daykin has been a familiar face in the pages of House & Home. Over the years, we’ve featured her two storey 1920s home and, later, her ranch-style bungalow, both in Vancouver. We’ve watched her career shift to baking — for 14 years she owned Butter Baked Goods — and we’ve celebrated her cookbooks and love of gardening.
Recently, Rosie has returned to her first passion, design. There was no better place to start than with her own home, where she and her husband, Paul, have lived for 18 years. They grappled with selling the 3,000-square-foot bungalow to downsize to a condo, as many of their friends had done. “Financially, it made sense to invest more into our house to get exactly what we wanted,” says Rosie. “We love our home: it’s the perfect size for two, and I couldn’t give up my chickens!”
Rosie had floated the idea of refreshing the house, but Paul countered that it was fine the way it was. “We just moved in a few years ago!” he said at the time. “Then, she reminded me that that was back in 2007.”
Her goal was to update the home to reflect her authentic style. “My love for old things, layered rooms and the balance between old and new are what come naturally to me.” She wanted to feel cocooned, grounded and comforted. For Rosie, that meant adding colour, pattern, texture — and wallpapers — throughout.
The project started with a principal ensuite redo. That to-the-studs bathroom reno saw metres of contemporary mosaic tile replaced with a handmade tile Rosie saw in New York’s La Mercerie (it took her years to track down the source). Wide-plank oak flooring in a herringbone pattern grounds the new curvy tub. Rosie loves the pastiche of the floral wallpapers.
The custom brass vanity was inspired by one Rosie had seen in Stockholm’s Ett Hem hotel; the mirrors conceal medicine cabinets.
In the principal bedroom, a scenic mural was removed in favour of this wallpaper with matching drapes. A sculptural pendant draws the eye up.
Next, Rosie tackled their daughter India’s former bedroom (it housed a Peloton bike and ballet barre during the pandemic, and served as a studio when she shot her latest cookbook, The Side Gardener). She reimagined the space as a cosy den by applying boards to the walls to mimic panelling — a bargain design move at $400 — then painting them a moody grey-brown. A custom chestnut mohair sofa and offset art complete the space.
When Rosie and Paul bought their place, she had embraced the contemporary aesthetic that was popular, choosing a sleek, lacquered coffee table and remote blinds for the living room. “Many of the details I originally included in the house were exciting in the moment but came to feel a bit soulless, impractical and, more importantly, not very me.”
For the living room refresh, Rosie balked at reupholstering the twin sofas’ luxe pink mohair, opting instead for floral mini-print slipcovers. She updated the patterned patchwork rug by adding a larger jute rug underneath to pull the room together — and give their senior dog, Pickle, more traction on the vein-cut travertine floor. She swapped the blinds for lush drapes, added a reclaimed coffee table and opted for a quirky ceiling fixture. Newly painted panelling injects texture into the space.
The once contemporary kitchen got a dash of English farmhouse style with brass lighting and faucets, and the Calacatta marble waterfall gables were removed on the island to help “quiet” the space.
Rosie further updated the kitchen by painting the cabinets a creamy colour and adding new pulls. The throughline for the reno is not only its unique curated and collected aesthetic, but Rosie’s respect for artisanal workmanship. “Hand-stitching on a pillowcase, the trim on a lampshade or fine pleating — all of it speaks to a quality and human touch that gives a home character and depth.”
The dining chairs were found in a Cotswolds antique store and pair well with a new oak campaign dining table.
The new micro-print wallpaper, antique stool and bench refresh the foyer. “I’m in a stage of my life where I don’t care about trends,” says Rosie. “I want things to stand on their own, for their shape or their design, and I want to create spaces that are not only visually pleasing, but offer convenience and comfort.” For example, she loves having a lamp close by so you can do a crossword puzzle, or a small table to put down a book and teacup.
A mini-print botanical wallpaper in the powder room is brought to life with art.
Spaces were further refreshed by shifting the location of some of the artworks. “Art doesn’t have to stay where it always sat,” says Rosie. “Moving art gives pieces new life.” Dreamy green-grey paint on the panelling and a new woven pendant enliven the stairwell.
The guest bathroom has English flair with floral wallpaper, unlacquered brass fixtures and a mosaic floor tile motif designed by Rosie. The pedestal sink was a steal at $200.
Outdoors, Rosie invested in a petite greenhouse by BC Greenhouse Builders during the pandemic that fit neatly over an existing bed. Soaring cedars shade the structure, which is framed by pea gravel.
She also had the patio’s poured concrete floor covered with natural bluestone tile and the raw concrete walls covered in basalt. The zinc table and chairs match the tile and walls and are augmented with two new wicker chairs.
In 2006, Rosie had new sliders and windows installed and transformed the front yard into a courtyard overlooking her English-style garden.
To update the front porch, Rosie stuccoed the brick built-in planter and replaced the black slate with porcelain checkered tile — the tile matches Pickle, her rescue pup.
Mood board by Rosie Daykin
Rosie’s Design Notes
“To me, travel is an education. Finding the right layers and combinations of patterns always gets me fired up. There’s an awful lot of beige places in Vancouver, and they all look the same tot me. My home feels so comfortable and warm — it’s all of those layers versus neutrality,” Rosie says.
1. Ensuite wallpaper: Indian Flower wallpaper in Brown by Michael S. Smith, Y&Co.
2. Bedroom stool upholstery in pale blue floral: Folies Bergère fabric in Ermine, Howe at 36 Bourne Street.
3. Bedroom stool upholstery in cabbage rose floral: Bloomsbury fabric in Merlot, Rose Tarlow Melrose House.
4. Principal bedroom wallpaper: Dog Rose wallpaper, Robert Kime.
5. Brown dining room chair upholstery: Moxie Mohair fabric in Mocha by S. Harris, Fabricut.
6. Living room drapes: Wild Thing fabric, Lewis & Wood.
7. Living room ottoman upholstery: Grace fabric in Cyan by Jasper Fabrics, Michael S. Smith.
8. Living room sofa throw pillow fabric: Poppy Sprig fabric in Ochre by GP & J Baker, Kravet Canada.
9. Foyer wallpaper: Gaia Hazel wallpaper, Robert Kime.
10. Living room sofa slipcover fabric: Indus Flower by GP & J Baker, Kravet Canada.
11. Gingham chair upholstery in Rosie’s portrait: La Seyne Fleuri fabric in Stone Blue by Brunschwig & Fils, Kravet Canada.
12. Guest bathroom wallpaper: Gilly Flower Blue wallpaper, Robert Kime.
13. Den ottoman upholstery: Willow fabric in Ink, Beata Heuman.
14. Principal ensuite tile: Field tile 3-30, Bantam Tileworks.
15. Den sofa upholstery: Velvet fabric, Rose Uniacke.
16. Powder room wallpaper: Rambling Rose wallpaper in Mauve, Howe at 36 Bourne Street.
17. Den lumbar pillow fabric: Mansfield Linen fabric in Woodlan by Lee Jofa, Kravet Canada.
18. Den striped pillow fabric: Selune Stripe in Brown by Brunschwig & Fils, Kravet Canada.
Then & Now: Living Room
A. A sleek glass pendant was replaced with Beata Heuman’s feather-topped Dodo Egg lantern.
B. Rosie painted the white panelling a pale, atmospheric green.
C. Near the existing console, comfy armchairs and an ottoman in a punchy upholstery creates a quiet reading nook.
D. The original patchwork rug was freshened by layering a jute rug underneath.
GET THE LOOK
Numbered RhodaCeram Stoneware pitcher, Elsie Green; Dodo Egg lantern, Beata Heuman; Cromarty (285), Farrow & Ball.
Then & Now: Dining Room
A. Built-in hutch fronts were painted a moody brown and updated with new kicks and hardware.
B. A classic bracket pendant with shades suits the English vibe of the dining room.
C. The rustic dining table was replaced with Rose Uniacke’s sleek oak campaign table with folding legs.
D. Antique chairs found in the U.K. get new life from mohair upholstery.
E. New panelling and drapes warm up the dining room’s former Scandi look.
GET THE LOOK
Chiltern On bracket pendant, The Urban Electric Co.; Brass Cup pull, deVOL Kitchens; Broccoli Brown (198), Farrow & Ball.
Andrew Montgomery
House & Home
Rosie Daykin