Western Living Magazine
8 Beautifully Curated, Art-Filled Homes
Bathroom Design Tip 6: Preserve Warmth (and Your Hardwood) with a Landing Pad
Bathroom Design Tip 5: Create an Outdoor Bathing Experience—Without Going Outside
Recipe: Traditional Taiwanese Chow Mein (Gu Zao Wei Chao Mian)
Recipe: Fried Shallots
Recipe: Garlic Enoki Mushrooms (Suan Rong Nen Zheng Jinzhengu)
A Relaxing Getaway to San Juan Island: Wine, Alpacas and Farm-Fresh Finds
Black Creek’s Sauna Retreat Is the Ultimate Rural Escape
Local Getaway Idea: Kingfisher’s Healing Caves Redefine Wellness and Escape
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
Designer Alykhan Velji seamlessly combines modern colonial influences and Asian accents at Chef Duncan Ly's new Calgary restaurant.
When celebrated chef Duncan Ly decided to open a restaurant in Calgary, he went straight to YYC local (and 2016 Designers of the Year finalist) Alykhan Velji, principal and senior designer of Alykhan Velji Designs.Ly wanted his restaurant, Foreign Concept, to look like it had been there forever: he wanted “to create a dining experience that was casual and comfortable, but refined,” say Velji, who brought the vision to life by combining modern colonial influences with Asian accents.One challenge with any large space—Foreign Concept measures 3,500 square-feet and seats 110 patrons—is creating an intimate dining area, so Velji and his team selected a warm, inviting colour palette that’s not “too edgy or modern—it’s somewhere people feel comfortable to come for a nice drink or dinner.” Ly’s menu also came into play: like the food (pan-Asian cuisine with a French flair), the design is “a nod to the Asian, but not over the top,” says Velji. “You can see the elements of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.”Velji opted for natural wood tables and brought in a handful of custom pieces (wall murals, metal screens, brass-and-oak floors) to create a “unique dining experience depending on which area you’re seated in,” he says. Everything comes together to form an elegant and cohesive space that feels as if it’s always been there. Velji and his team designed the motif that appears on the metal screens (used to divide the dining spaces from the lounge) throughout the restaurant. The screens align with the modern colonial theme while allowing natural light to shine through. One custom hand-painted mural is seen as soon as you walk in the space; Velji sourced the image, inspired by traditional Chinese chinoiserie, online. A wall of antique moon cake molds were brought in from China to decorate the lounge. Two custom wall murals are seen in the dining spaces. The photos were enlarged and had colour added to them (primarily a deep turquoise) to better match the palette of the restaurant. The colours were picked to be “warm and inviting with a modern touch,” says Velji Custom wood work (like the dark oak and brass floors) can be seen throughout the space. The tables were designed in collaboration with local furniture designers Room B
1011 1 St. SW, Calgaryforeignconcept.ca
Are you over 18 years of age?