Western Living Magazine
Kitchen Design Tip 4: Yes, You Can Embrace More Than One Design Style
Kitchen Design Tip 3: Bring in Contrast with Both Colour and Texture
Kitchen Design Tip 2: Use a Bold Backsplash for a Statement-Making Border
A January Blessing: A $25 Pinot That Tastes Like it’s $45
Recipe: Braised Five-Spice Beef (Hongshao wuxiang niurou)
Recipe: Chili-Lime Skillet Shrimp
Local Getaway Idea: Kingfisher’s Healing Caves Redefine Wellness and Escape
Editors’ Picks: Our Favourite Western Living Travel Stories of 2024
Winter Getaway Guide 2024: Wine, Bavarian Charm and Luxe Lodging Without the Skis
The Secret Ingredient to Creating the Perfect Kitchen: Bosch
Everything You Need to Know About the New Livingspace Outdoor Store
New and Noteworthy: 11 Homeware Picks to Refresh Your Space in 2025
Over 50% Sold! Grab Your Tickets to Our Western Living Design 25 Party Now
Join Us for Our First Western Living Design 25 Party!
Announcing the Finalists for the 2025 Western Living Design 25 Awards
Alykhan Velji Designs said no wallpaper, no problem.
As part of a long-term age-in-place plan, this black and beautiful powder room in Calgary also hosts a shower, for a time when the homeowner’s office might convert into a bedroom. “Because this was a powder room, we wanted to make an impact,” says designer Aly Velji of Alykhan Velji Designs. “But because there was a shower attached to it, we couldn’t wallpaper like we normally would—we wanted something more durable.”
To keep the drama focused on the walls, Velji went with a dark grey matte paint on the millwork for the vanity, while a splash of gold on the brass faucets and lighting warms up the room. “Everything in here is hard edged, so doing this circular mirror moment, plus the globe light fixture, helps to break up all of those hard lines. It makes it less masculine and gets a bit of that softness in there.”
Velji’s team worked with porcelain tile throughout that features dark blue and white veining, similar to a marble—but more durable and cost effective than natural stone. “It’s really unbelievable what porcelain tiles can do now,” he says. “The possibilities are endless with porcelain, and you have more budget to do what you want with it.”
Are you over 18 years of age?