Western Living Magazine
2026 Kitchen Design Tip #5: Make a Modern Kitchen Feel Original With Traditional Materials
2026 Kitchen Design Tip #4: Use Bulkheads to Cleverly Disguise Plumbing Systems
2026 Kitchen Design Tip #3: Embrace the U-Shaped Island for Entertaining
Recipe: Hopcott Farms Beef Short Ribs with Black Pepper and Sweet Soy (Sườn Bò Nướng)
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Edmonton's Melissa Ennis shows how a few high-end pieces and sophisticated textures elevate a classic white kitchen.
Designer Snapshot: Melissa Ennis, Melissa Ennis Design
It can be easy to go overboard when building your own dream kitchen. But for Edmonton interior designer Melissa Ennis, it was all about balance: natural wood textures that soften harder lines for a cool West Coast vibe; bargain finds like the oversized pendant lights and slick bar stools that complement pricier pieces for a satisfying mix of high and low; and reflective elements, such as rain glass inserts, penny-round backsplash tiles and polished white quartz countertops, that ensure an open and bright feel despite a lack of windows. I'm not a super morning person, so I need all the light I can get! Ennis laughs. Of course, the airy aesthetic is balanced with her foodie husband's need for function, too. We planned everything to the last detail, she says. There's a drawer for everything.
1. The sleek shape of the Delta Trinsic faucet ($500) adds a modern sensibility. deltafaucet.ca
2. Delicate penny round tiles ($22 per square foot) add another level of pattern. juliantile.com
3. The sleek KitchenAid wine cooler ($1,750) keeps the kitchen well stocked for entertaining. kitchenaid.ca
4. Hits of blacklike these Ikea Hektar pendant lamps ($70 each)help ground the space. ikea.ca
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