Vancouver designers rethink festive decor at Homes for the Holidays

Forget perfectly matched ornaments and traditional red-and-green colour schemes. This Christmas, Vancouver’s interior designers are embracing unexpected colours, nostalgic treasures and some festive whimsy.

From chartreuse and hot pink to vintage decorations and handmade paper Christmas trees, this year’s Homes for the Holidays event invites visitors to rethink festive decorating.

Taking place Nov. 21 and 22 at Vancouver’s historic Cecil Green Park House, the annual fundraiser brings together local designers who transform individual rooms into their own interpretations of Christmas, all in support of YWCA BC’s Housing Action Fund.

For Trish Knight, interior designer at Knight Varga and chair of Homes for the Holidays, the magic is in seeing how differently each designer approaches the season.

“One of my favourite things about Homes for the Holidays is seeing how designers can walk into the same historic house and come away with completely different ideas about Christmas,” says Knight.

“We give them the creative freedom to interpret the holidays in their own way, and the results are always a wonderful mix of traditional, unexpected, elegant and sometimes a little whimsical!”

This year, designer Phyllis Lui, who recently launched PippyLui Design Studio after many years with Kalu Interiors, is transforming the house’s Yorkeen Room into a colourful Christmas celebration she calls Merry & Bright.

Her inspiration came from an unlikely source: a friend’s clothing.

“I was drawn to the colours and the way they worked together, and it sparked an idea that I could translate into a festive interior. It is a reminder that inspiration can come from anywhere and sometimes the most unexpected places,” says Lui.

Working with the room’s existing butter-yellow walls, Lui is using chartreuse yellow, Kelly green and fuchsia for a bright, playful alternative to traditional holiday colours.

Walnut furniture from Portside Interiors grounds the vibrant palette, while custom pillows, floral arrangements from The Flower Factory and a playful sheep sculpture add warmth and personality. A custom artwork by local artist Dana Mooney will also be available through the event’s silent auction.

“For me, great design is about creating an emotion, not just a beautiful room. With ‘Merry & Bright,’ I wanted people to walk in and instantly feel a little happier!” says Lui.

Her approach reflects a broader trend Knight is seeing in holiday decorating, where adventurous colour combinations coexist with a renewed appreciation for family heirlooms and treasured ornaments collected over decades.