PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Kitsilano Multi-Generational Home
KITSILANO, VANCOUVER, BC
A family home renovated to hold three generations under one roof — each with a home of their own, and every reason to still gather together. The design took two distinct directions, one for each generation. The parents’ legal suite was designed to feel bright, calm, and timeless — layers of whites and off-whites, natural textures, and as much daylight as the lower level could hold.
Upstairs, the main home was refreshed to honour its character while feeling unmistakably contemporary. Having grown up in the house, the daughter wanted to respect what it always was while making it feel like her own family’s home — not a renovation done to someone else’s memory of the place.
TYPE OF PROJECT: Whole Home Renovation & Legal Suite
LOCATION: Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC
SITE: North shore of Burrard Inlet
DESIGNER: Nisha, Kerr Design Build
STATUS: Completed
SIZE: Whole Home Renovation · Legal Basement Suite · Structural Renovation
Where Everyday Life Comes Together
The Great Room
On the main floor, a large structural wall came down to connect the kitchen and family room into one open great room — the heart of the upstairs home, built for a family of five to actually gather in.
The Legal Suite
Downstairs, the design prioritized garden access and additional windows — turning a basement suite into a bright, inviting home in its own right, not an afterthought to the main house above it.
Two Kitchens, Two Hearts of the Home
Both families invested real thought into their kitchens — custom millwork, enhanced storage, and details built for everyday use, not just how they photograph. A shared, neutral, timeless material palette ties the two homes together without making either feel like an extension of the other.
A Thoughtful Example of Multi-Generational Living
The renovation changed how this family lives together. Each generation has its own independent home — and everyday interaction and family gatherings still happen naturally, because the distance between them is a staircase, not a drive across the city.
Room by Room With Nisha, Our Designer
Photos show the finished result. This video shows how it works. Nisha walks through the completed home herself — the great room built for a family of five, the legal suite designed to feel like its own home, and the details that make this multi-generational renovation function for three generations living under one roof.
DESIGNED BY
Nisha, Kerr Design Build
“This project is especially meaningful to me — it’s one of the final homes I designed before moving into my current role as Project Consultant at Kerr Design Build. Seeing the design come to life, and continuing to work closely with this family through construction, made it both professionally and personally rewarding.”
See What’s Possible for Your Family Home
More Vancouver families are choosing to renovate together rather than start over separately — and doing it well takes more than adding a suite. It means designing two homes that function independently under one roof, without either one feeling like an afterthought. Kerr Design Build has the in-house team to take a project like this from first conversation to final walkthrough.