Vancouver's whimsical 'Fluevog House' will make you stop and stare
There’s a rooftop bathtub, triangle windows, and more colour than your average Vancouver block. Some call it ‘The Fluevog House’ — but for its owners, Adrian and Ali Fluevog, it’s simply home.
Just a few doors off Trout Lake sits a home that has quietly become a local landmark. Its cheerful yellow staircase, sloped rooflines, and whimsical details have earned it an unofficial nickname tied to one of the country’s most famous names in fashion.
Janis Nicolay Photography
But Adrian Fluevog, son of legendary Canadian shoe designer John Fluevog, founder of the quirky shoe brand by the same name, didn’t set out to build an iconic home.
“We just called it the Lakeside House,” he told Daily Hive. “But once your last name is Fluevog in Vancouver, it kind of sticks.”
Designed by MA+HG Architects, the 2795 sq. ft. home is not only playful and full of personality, but also environmentally ambitious. Built to net-zero standards (meaning a home produces as much energy as it consumes over the course of a year), it blends creativity with technical precision.
That precision extended beyond design — general contractor Jonathan Pulice, owner of Rain City Homes Ltd., who also framed and finished the home by hand, helped bring many of the architectural ideas to life with inventive, budget-conscious solutions.
“The builder we picked actually lives half a block away from us,” Adrian says.
“He was on site every day, and the attention to detail he had was incredible. I feel like we had a dream team who built our house.”
The Fluevog House is built with intention
The Fluevogs were already living in East Van when a nearby empty lot caught their eye.
The market was full of generic homes, and none of them felt quite right. Instead of compromising, they decided to build something custom.
A rendering image of the home. (MA+HG Architects)
“I’ve opened a lot of Fluevog stores, so I’m used to shaping spaces,” Adrian says. “If you’re putting that kind of money into something, it should really speak to you.”
That instinct led them to architect Marianne Amodio, whose values around colour, form and sustainability closely matched their own. Along with project architect Adrienne Rademaker, the team quickly found creative alignment.
“There was just this synergy,” Amodio says.
“Our design language matched theirs in a way that felt effortless, but deeply considered.”
A house inspired by shoes
From the very start, playfulness was a priority, but so was rigour.
The team explored the design like a Fluevog shoe: creating 2D mockups and folding them into 3D forms. The exterior seams of the house mimic stitching.
MA+HG Architects
The vibrant stucco and millwork colours were chosen within tight budget constraints, but arranged for maximum impact.
“There’s this myth that playfulness means lack of seriousness,” explains Rademaker.
Janis Nicolay Photography
“But this house was deeply considered– technically, emotionally, environmentally.”
A standout is the powder room, wrapped in custom Fluevog-patterned wallpaper.
Janis Nicolay Photography
“It’s like stepping into a shoe,” Rademaker jokes. “A really funky one.”
Other moments came through collaboration: a circular window folded into a rooftop cutout, solar panels driving the form, and a slab-on-grade layout that removed the need for a basement — all while keeping the house connected to the outdoors.
A net-zero home that feels light
While the home is playful, its environmental goals are serious.
It is fully electric, with rooftop solar panels, high-performance windows, and strong insulation. Built without a basement due to the Trout Lake peat bog, it sits on micropiles and opens directly to the backyard.
The decision to go slab-on-grade not only supported the landscape but also helped connect the family to the outdoors.
The result is a net-zero home that feels grounded and spacious without adding square footage.
Janis Nicolay Photography
“We don’t feel like we need to leave the house to relax,” Adrian says. “It’s peaceful. We feel at home.”
Life inside a joyful home
Over a year and a half in, the Fluevogs say the house has reshaped their family rhythms.
“We love it,” Adrian says.
“Even the staircase, the way light hits it in the morning, feels like it was meant to be.”
Each floor has its own “moment”: a family room that flows into the backyard without steps. A second floor lit by a triangular clerestory window.
The top floor is just for Adrian and Ali, with vaulted ceilings, a massive patio, and — yes — a sunset-facing outdoor bathtub.
Their advice? Don’t fear colour
So what’s the secret to bringing a little “Fluevog House” magic into your own space?
“Don’t be afraid of colour,” says Rademaker. “Let the colours clash. Let your home express who you are.”
As for Adrian, he’s just happy to share a space that feels like them.
“It’s fun. It’s warm. It reflects who we are. That’s all we ever wanted.”
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