TALL ORDER
Artful design touches turn this highceilinged living room into a cozy entertaining space with nothing to detract from its expansive view.
Artful design touches turn this highceilinged living room into a cozy entertaining space with an expansive view
THIS CALGARY COUPLE had three main requests when they asked designer Alykhan Velji to decorate the living room in their new home: Make it family-friendly, make it warm and inviting, and make it perfect for entertaining. But a wall of stunning 19-foot-high windows presented one major challenge. Though they filled the room with light, they also made it feel vast and empty – the exact opposite of the warm and intimate ambience the owners were looking for.
Window coverings went a long way toward fixing the problem. “A lot of people think drapery has to extend all the way to the ceiling – especially if they have windows that stretch two storeys tall – but that’s not the case,” says Alykhan. “We ended the drapes at the first storey to help delineate the space and prevent it from feeling so vast.”
By contrast, notes Alykhan, the feature wallpaper above the wainscotting extends all the way to the ceiling to ensure continuity – the designer didn’t want the vertical space to feel totally broken up, and the different height lines keep the eye engaged.
To maintain focus on the gorgeous view, Alykhan adopted a muted palette of whites, greys and blues, and brightened the black fireplace with a gleaming marble surround to reflect light. He also chose only furniture with a low profile to maintain open sightlines.
Mixing texture and prints was initially out of the wife’s comfort zone, but Alykhan coaxed her toward graphic wallpaper in a quiet colourway, a casual leaned gallery wall and a patterned rug, throws and toss cushions – easy pieces to remove should the homeowners desire – to create a sense of inviting warmth. To increase the cozy factor even more, he chose varied textures, such as velvet, linen and leather, to create a subtle yet dynamic tension.
Seating was another top priority since this couple frequently hosts their large extended family, so Alykhan incorporated plenty of it: A sectional, two stools, two sidechairs and a plush coffee table-ottoman that also serves as a place to sit allows at least nine people to chat here without feeling crowded.
It’s a fine balance – the perfect place to entertain, where expansive windows don’t detract from the sense of welcome, and the subtle yet compelling design doesn’t draw attention away from the stunning ravine view. It’s exactly what these homeowners wanted.