It’s back! Western Living‘s WL Design 25 awards are returning for a third year to celebrate the best new designs of the year.

Entries are now officially open—but first, a little reminder about just *what* the WL Design 25 is…

What is it?

The WL Design 25 awards celebrate 25 of the best new designs of the year.

While our WL Designers of the Year awards celebrate a body of work, the WL Design 25 awards are designed to focus on specific projects: from an inviting bedroom to a perfect chair, an elegant office space to a sustainably crafted coffee table.

Each of the 25 winners on our WL Design 25 list represent the best of Western Canadian design in 2026. (Check out our 2025 winners here.)

The 25 winners will be announced in the March/April 2026 issue of Western Living and promoted on westernliving.ca and across our social channels.  

BONUS! This year, your entry fee to the WL Design 25 awards includes subscription to the Western Living print edition!

What are the categories?

The WL Design 25 celebrates both the design of rooms and products. For example… 

Rooms  

Any single space, residential or commercial, can be entered: from an airy, modern kitchen to a funky, playful kid’s room. The category is intentionally broad to make eligibility as accessible as possible. Here are a few examples:

Bathroom • Home Office • Guest Room • Kitchen • Commercial Space: Restaurant, Hotel, Spa • Outdoor Room • Bedroom • Kids Room • Bar • Laundry Room • Living Room • Dining Room • Games/Rec Room • Entryway • Mudroom • Closet/Storage Room

Products

This category encompasses single products that can be defined as furniture or home decor. Like the “Rooms” category, it’s intentionally broad—if it’s design-forward and helps us live better in our homes, it can be entered! Here are some examples:

Seating • Tables and Desks • Storage • Other Furniture • Wallpaper, Rugs and Textiles • Accessories • Lighting • Gadget • Wildcard   

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Deadline for entries is extended (with late fee) to October 7, 11:59 p.m. Subscribe to our newsletter for reminders leading up to the deadline.

Entry Fee

You may enter up to five (5) projects on one form. Each project will be judged individually.

• Early Bird Entry Fee (payable upon submission), August 11 to September 7: $150 (plus tax)
• Standard Entry Fee, September 8 to September 30: $175 (plus tax)
• Late Entry Fee, October 1 to October 7: $225 (plus tax)

Entries not accepted after October 7—no exceptions. Deadline will not be extended past this date.

If you’d like to enter more than five projects, you’ll need to start a new form and pay a new entry fee.

Eligibility 

Projects must have been completed within the last four years.

Prototypes/renderings are not eligible for entry. 

Entries must be received by Monday, September 30, 11:59 pm. 

Entrants must be residents of one of the four Western Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba).

Projects can be located anywhere. 

Judging Criteria

Each entrant will be judged according to the following criteria:

• Form: Is the design aesthetically attractive, design-forward, elegantly crafted, well executed, poetic? Are there moments of delight, pause for thought, beauty in the execution?
• Function: Does the space or product work the way it is intended? Is it practical, well thought out in its execution? Is it ultimately successful? (Selection, quality, combination of materials; unique techniques and processes; technical proficiency)
• Innovation: How innovative is the design? (Fresh, forward-thinking design; unique niche in the field or market; solves problems creatively)
• Sustainability: What is the origin story of the materials sourced? Is it designed to last?

How do I enter?

You can enter up to five (5) rooms or products on one entry form.

Your entry will require the following information (we’d recommend gathering it up before you start!): 

For Room Subcategories 

• Designer/firm name 
• Contact info  
• Max 500-word bio and philosophy 
• Room/project name 
• Project designer(s) name and title
• Date completed  
• Location of project 
• Design brief/description of project 
• Budget (less than $25,000, $25 to $100,000, over $100,000)  
• Floor plan  
• Sustainable design choices 
• Other collaborators on the project 
• Up to 5 photos  (300 dpi, ,jpg or .tiff) 
• Photo credits 
• Photographer contact info
• Do you have homeowner permission to publish this project? (Yes is required to enter)

For Product Subcategories: 

• Designer/firm name 
• Contact info  
• Max 500-word bio and philosophy
• Product/project name 
• Product designer(s) name and title
• Date completed  
• Materials used
• Retail price  
• Design brief/description of project  
• Sustainable design choices 
• Other collaborators to credit
• Up to 5 photos  (300 dpi, ,jpg or .tiff)
• Photo credits
• Photographer contact info

Questions? Check out our FAQ page

Ready to enter? Head to our entry forms now! You’ll want to fill out a separate form for each project you enter.

• Product Competition entry form

• Room Competition entry form