Home Decor

At Home With Canucks Forward J.T. Miller and Interior Designer Natalie Miller in Vancouver

Interior designer Natalie Miller and her husband, Canucks forward J.T., have found a home on the West Coast after several years stateside.

By Nathan Caddell /

While J.T. Miller is on the ice with his Vancouver Canucks teammates this season, there will be many nights in which his wife, Natalie Miller, principal of Natalie Miller Interiors, is putting on a show of her own: when the team is away, the players’ significant others often gather to watch the games, and the Miller residence has become the go-to spot. “I host the most out of everybody,” she says. “And I like this space because it’s big enough to host 18 of us but it can also feel cozy.”

Pillow Talk

The massive white sofa serves as the centrepiece of the living room. In addition to guests, it often supports the Millers’ three kids and the family’s two dogs. Despite that, only one part of it looks at all worse for wear: J.T.’s well-worn spot on the large sectional. “The dogs can both lie on me from there and I can put my drink on the table,” he says.

Western Promises

The Millers are originally from Pennsylvania (they still go back in the off season) and lived in New York and Tampa Bay when J.T. played for the Rangers and the Lightning, respectively. For their current home, Natalie went with a decidedly West Coast vibe. “Vancouver gives me opportunities to bring in more coastal pieces,” she says. “This house is more modern than our past ones, so I brought in some textures that make it feel more lived in.”

Home Arena

This season is the couple’s sixth in Vancouver and both Millers feel at home in the Lower Mainland. “My parents get mad because I don’t call [Pennsylvania] home anymore. But what Natalie’s done with the house—she’s transformed it in the time we’ve been here; it really feels like home now,” says J.T. before taking a playful shot at his wife. “I think she has really great taste… but I’m not sure about trees in the house.” Natalie, posing for the camera, doesn’t miss a beat: “Smile if you still have all your teeth.”

Object Permanence

J.T. was traded to Vancouver in 2019 but didn’t sign a long-term contract extension with the team until 2022. Once the ink was dry on his seven-year deal, Natalie moved quickly to make things feel more permanent in their home. “When we first moved from Tampa, we had a completely different array of furniture from other cities,” she says. When J.T. signed his extension, Natalie donated all their old furniture to Habitat for Humanity. “I took a few seasons to fill it with new stuff and make it feel like home.”

Lightning in a Frame

There is one thing from Tampa that the Millers will never get rid of—a set of three photos that commemorates their time down south. “We had a photographer in Tampa who did all the family photos when we lived there,” Natalie says. “Obviously my son’s not in it, but I feel like it goes with the vibe of the house. It reminds me of the time we were in Tampa and our little family.”

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