WL Design 25 Winners 2025: Small Space, Big Punch

Photos by Courtney Molyneaux

This is a kitchen that’s both a celebration of a great and moody palette of materials and a nod to the home’s history—without becoming too locked in by it. Designer Amanda Hamilton pairs warm cognac and richly stained onyx-coloured wood cabinets with textural Brazilian arabescato counters to strike a balance between otherwise heavily contrasted finishes and materials.

It’s a relatively compact space, so that onyx millwork conveniently houses the appliances at one end of the kitchen. And at the other, separating the kitchen from the front foyer, a custom banquette and table (the latter with excellently geometric, mismatched legs) is flanked by a striking metal screen that recalls the mid-century origins of the home. A lovely space that proves a modest footprint doesn’t have to mean modest design.

Project: Sunset Residence kitchen
Designer: Amanda Hamilton Interior Design
Location: Calgary

Meet all of the 2025 WL Design 25 winners here.