From a dramatic, colour-infused West Van crib to a Spanish-Colonial revival in the desert, these are the spaces that captured our hearts€”and attention€”this year.

(Photo: Jamie Anholt)

A Playful, Modern Home in Calgary

I’m all about colour when it comes to creating a cozy, lived-in crib, which explains why I love Alkarim and Majida Devani’s beautiful family abode. The couple, who are the creative minds behind former WL One to Watch RNDSQR, introduce personality and texture to their mostly minimalist space with plush Persian rugs, kaleidoscopic cushions and offbeat toys and figurines nestled in the most unexpected of places. And that light-diffusing hammock above the entryway? Just genius.—Lucy Lau, style editor (Photo: Ema Peter.)

This Dramatic West Van Dream House by McLeod Bovell

Every moment in this striking modern home inspires me to murmur, “Are you kidding me?!” and double check with our art director that nothing here has been photoshopped. Is it physically possible for a pool to be so beautiful? Am I in danger, medically, from the envy that is sparked from a patio that blurs the line between indoors and out? Is that bathroom wall that stretches to an open skylight lined with tile or precious jewels?! Of course, among a bevy of questions, there’s really just one that really matters: When can I move in? —Stacey McLachlan, executive editor (Photo: Eymeric Widling)

A Vintage Beauty in Calgary by Martine Ast

Designer Martine Ast has a thing for finding untouched homes in Calgary from the ’60s to transform into gorgeous, modern interpretations of the era. (Her first home was a riot of pattern and colour in the Dalhousie neighbourhood.) This one, in nearby Varsity Estates, once again inspires me to get a little bolder in my own colour decisions at home—plus, her son Hugh such a charmer in these pics, I keep revisiting the shoot to admire his cute bedhead.—Anicka Quin, editorial director (Photo: Dominique Vorillon)

This Mountain-High Spanish-Colonial Revival

One of the key elements for me to get excited about a house is imagining myself living there. So when I see a minimalist architectural marvel cantilevered over the West Van mountainside, I think, “That’s so cool. But even if I did have a spare $9,000,000, it probably wouldn’t suit my wife and two active children’s lifestyles.” But when I first saw this Spanish Colonial in Palm Springs, courtesy of James McIntyre? I thought, “I can picture living there.” Partly, it’s about the money since even swank houses in the desert cost about one-quarter of what they do in Vancouver. Mostly, however, I love how this house works itself right into the desert environment. There are no neighbours on either side, so you could, in theory, grab a Nalgene and your hiking shoes and just wander off into the San Jacinto Mountains.—Neal McLennan, travel editor