There are few things a designer loves more than a house with great bones. However, in her 1880 heritage home, our designer Vanessa Bruce Little had quite a few quirks to accompany all that character.

Through thoughtful collaboration with local architecture firm Habit Studio, Vanessa reimagined what was once a cramped corner kitchen and chopped-up layout, creating a new, functional main floor for her home. The redesigned space incorporates a new mudroom, powder room, and open kitchen, finally making the home work for a busy young family of five.

As Team B+B’s chief commander of pattern and colour, Vanessa not only greatly improved the function of the home with integrated storage solutions and an improved layout for modern living, but also amped up its character and personality through a unique curation of textiles, wallcoverings, and bold colour choices. The result feels equally fresh and perfectly at home in this South End charmer.