Home Tour: Inside the Playful West End Apartment of Dilly Dally’s Owners

Commercial Drive’s Dilly Dally Kids is a whimsical space, for obvious reasons: that’s just how toy stores tend to be. But stepping into the low-rise West End apartment of owners Claire Hutchings and Tyler Quantz (and 10-year-old son Otis) is an equally playful experience, chockablock with colour, vintage-inspired touches and (of course) plenty of toys.

Hutchings and Quantz—who grew up in Victoria and fell in love in high school—have been residents of this late-’70s building for three years, but it wasn’t always this cute. For instance: the initial state of their kitchen, located at the back of the unit, was gloomy and uninspiring. “It was white subway tiles, with dark early 2000s Ikea cabinetry,” says Hutchings. “Pretty ugly, boxy and not the most functional to be honest. It felt very dark and heavy.”

The couple tapped Kelly O’Quinn of PlaidFox Studio to help them turn the tiny space into something fun and welcoming that “felt great to cook in,” says Quantz. The once cramped kitchen now tells a story of brightness, colour and texture—the ’50s and ’60s, but seen through the lens of a hip millennial couple. The kitchen’s aquamarine cabinets are paired with butcher-block counters and open shelving in natural wood. “We love the warmth wood brings. It gets dinged up from wear and tear, but we still like the way it looks. We didn’t want a material we had to be too precious with,” says Hutchings.

The vintage-inspired backsplash tiles, with their raised circles that look like Lego pieces, add a playful texture. The dining area, tucked under the pink stairs, features a custom-made banquette and table base (from Etsy, like many things in the home), paired with Blu Dot chairs from Victoria. “We built a cozy eating booth to maximize space but still be able to fit a good number of people around the table for dinner,” Quantz says.

One more thing the family has been able to fit in: a collection of favourite toys from the shop, including a selection of tiny mice dolls that are peppered throughout the space (the cutest mice infestation you could ask for). Otis, unsurprisingly, is eager to join the family business. “He’s constantly checking the children’s labour laws about when children can work,” laughs Hutchings.

Time Warp

The base of the dining table was found on Etsy, giving the table new life. The custom banquette seating designed by O’Quinn and chairs share a similar vintage aesthetic, though they’re new.

Pretty in Pink

Accents throughout the home, like the staircase, baseboards, doors and dining chair seat cushions, are a complementary blush pink that gives the whole look that ’50s dream glow.

Spot of Tea

Hutchings picked up the teapot on the lower shelf on a trip to Czechia. “It was Czech Republic then, maybe 25 years ago,” she says. Another teapot from the collection was an inherited gift originally intended for her parents, and a third is Japanese. “Over time it takes on the flavour, so it makes better tea the more you use it,” says Hutchings.

 

What’s Cooking?

Among the collection of cookbooks is a vintage tome about throwing parties, a gift from Quantz’s parents. “It’ll be themes like ‘Strawberry Cream Sandwich Party’ and random 1930s ideas,” says Hutchings.

Canned Goods

A large entry closet across from the kitchen was converted into a pantry. “It added lots of shelving to make it an extension of the kitchen, making it a huge improvement for our lifestyle,” says Hutchings. The pantry, with its custom cabinetry and open design, is too nice to be hidden behind a door.

Classroom Nostalgia

The old classroom poster hanging in the kitchen feels like an old-timey Where’s Waldo. “It was used in Dutch schools—maybe from the ’40s—as a teaching tool,” says Quantz.

Creature Comforts

The little toy mice—made by Maileg, a Danish brand—that sit in the kitchen (and throughout the home) are from Dilly Dally. “It’s our most popular toy line,” says Quantz. And the little toaster? “A vintage ’60s kids’ toaster.”

Small Space Wisdom

On Living with Kids: “Being close to Stanley Park and the beach is huge for us. Even though we have a small space, our almost-backyard is filled with beaches, big trees and clean air so we spend a lot of time outside,” says Quantz.

On Creating Intentional Storage: “We have a lot of stuff between our vintage and toy collections and all the things you seem to accumulate when you have a kid, so we have shelves everywhere to house all our treasures,” says Hutchings.

On Urban Living: “We are happy living in a smaller place since we have a good amount of outdoor patio space and the huge backyard of Stanley Park only two blocks away,” says Quantz. 

Shop Hopping with the Owners of Dilly Dally

Konbiniya Japan Centre

Hutchings and Quantz lived in Osaka for a year and turn to this “ode to convenience stores in Japan” for their favourite treats and ingredients.

Old Faithful

Though they’re typically seeking out vintage pieces when they shop, the couple regularly pops into this homewares boutique to scope out the Japanese and Scandinavian design.

Vancouver Special

The Main Street furniture and accessories store stocks pieces from beloved design brands like Alessi, Hay and Normann Copenhagen.