BCBusiness
In a market where demolition is often the easy path, Steven Bailey and Katie Johnson chose restoration—breathing new life into one of Arthur Erickson’s earliest works while protecting a rare piece of Canadian design history.
When Steven Bailey and Katie Johnson set out to find a property in North Vancouver, they weren’t just looking for a roof over their heads. They wanted a family home that also reflected their neighbourhood’s rich history. What they found—and ultimately committed to—was a piece of Canadian design heritage: the 1963 Perry Estate by legendary architect Arthur Erickson.
Now, their ambitious plan to rescue the home reveals a new generation’s approach to architectural custodianship in Vancouver.
In one of B.C.’s priciest housing markets, the local couple knew their search for a perfect home would be a challenge. Johnson, who grew up learning about design and architecture from her father Douglas Johnson, wanted a detached home that embraced West Coast modernism. When the Perry Estate came onto the market, curiosity drew in the couple immediately.
Steven recalls the first time they visited the historic property. “It’s like a museum or a time capsule. When you walk into it, you truly feel like it’s almost a house from 1962 that’s been preserved the way it has.”
The 2,528 square-foot property is a mix of Indigenous and Japanese elements. The Perry Estate is fitted with mostly teak and fir interiors, and even a door intricately crafted by renowned Indigenous artist Bill Reid (who was a former resident of the Perry Estate). Situated on a lush 17,462 square-foot lot surrounded by cedar trees, the property feels secluded despite its place in a busy neighbourhood.
“[Delbrook is] a quiet neighbourhood with a lot of single-family homes, but even when you’re at the Perry Estate, it has this way of separating yourself even from that more dense neighbourhood,” says Steven.
With no major renovations over the years, the Perry Estate retained its original charm, but also presented significant structural issues. Most notably, the estate’s foundation had deteriorated over the years due to substantial water ingress and flooding issues. Rather than tearing it down, the couple—guided by Douglas—saw an opportunity: move the house onto a new foundation and subdivide the large lot. This approach would finance both restoration and preservation while also protecting the estate from replacement by multiple new builds.
As part of the restoration, all the essential systems from HVAC to plumbing will also be updated to meet current codes. Douglas notes that the landscape surrounding the house is also an important aspect of the Perry Estate that needed to be preserved.
“This particular house has almost a Frank Lloyd Wright feel to it—through the use of wood, the detailing, the light and the integration of the inside and the outside” he explains. “So how we treat the landscape and how we integrate that house into that landscape is going to be really important.”
Intent on honouring Erickson’s design, the family worked with a heritage consultant to identify key features for preservation: cedar plank exteriors, the Japanese-inspired stone roof and the serene zen garden accessible through the secondary bedroom. Most of these elements will be restored or sensitively updated to meet modern codes, with the aim that the renovated estate remains authentic in both appearance and spirit.
For Steven and Katie, the project is about more than construction. It’s a way to preserve North Vancouver’s architectural story to show how thoughtful restoration can bring new life to heritage homes. They are also collaborating with a friend to document the journey in hopes of sharing the legacy of Arthur Erickson, Indigenous art’s role in the region and the importance of preservation.
“What happens a lot of the time is that our history just gets demolished,” Katie says. “Vancouver is a new city, but there are still elements that deserve to be preserved.”
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