Nothing about this project was standard. When Aly Veljy, Principal at Alykhan Velji Designs and his firm’s Senior Designer, Katie Nelson, met with their new clients they soon realized that this was going to be an exciting collaboration to work on. “The homeowners are a couple with two young children,” Katie explained. “They are Calgary ‘enthusiasts’ who love to shop and eat local so they were excited to make the move to a central, vibrant neighborhood in Calgary.”
The AVD team worked with the builders and architects from Alloy Homes to create the dream space for their clients. The lot, centrically located, required a structure with unusual angles creating an opportunity for the designers to make strategic design decisions. “Most new builds are square and perfect, but this one was different, and we loved that,” Aly shared. “Making quirky spaces work is our specialty and we love being challenged.” As you enter the home, you come into the ground level that has a mudroom leading off to the garage, as well as a lounge/TV room. Up just one flight of stairs takes you to the kitchen, living, and dining room as well as a powder room for guests.
“Wood-tone cabinets mixed with white cabinets for the kitchen help to give the home a mid-century vibe and help warm up the space,” Aly said. “The floor was kept neutral but in a slightly darker shade to add some contrast with the wood cabinets.” They added a geometric tile from Daltile for the backsplash to continue that modern feel that the homeowners wanted, while adding texture and interest. Instead of a formal dining area, Katie and Aly decided to create a custom banquette for their clients: “Not only did it allow for more storage, but a great place to lounge and enjoy a book as well,” the firm’s Senior Designer said. To ground the dining area, they decided to use a vintage dining table and chairs – creating a perfect place for the homeowners to enjoy breakfast and people-watch from the window.
Over in the living space, the designers were aware of their clients’ two young children and preference for a comfortable useable space. They selected performance fabrics for the upholstery as well as natural materials such as linens and rattans that are forgiving to use. The round coffee tables were designed by AVD themselves.
Up the stairs, a landing with a custom built-in desk then leads you up one more flight to the master bedroom, master bathroom, two secondary bedrooms, guest bathroom, and laundry room. “In the master bathroom, we paired a soft olive green geometric tile with modeled subway tiles to bring in the same organic and mid-century vibes we have in the rest of the home,” Katie explained. “We selected black plumbing fixtures throughout the home to add a modern touch and contrast the softer, muted colors we selected for the millwork and tile. We also selected several lights from Cedar & Moss – a lighting company that we love to source from.”
The homeowners had been significantly involved in the whole design process. “They were very interested in the education and background process of our design decisions, which was an exciting thing for us to have in clients,” Katie shared. When the homeowners finally saw the project completed they were delighted. “One of our favorite parts of the job is when we get to see the clients’ faces when they walk into a fully completed space,” Aly smiled. “It is just like a TV reveal and we would not have it any other way!”
