Kait Kucy

A heritage space in Victoria Park gets a restorative reno inspired by its restaurateur (and hobby-surfer) owner.
Jeff Hines knows how to create a mood. For seven years now, the restaurateur has been serving up sunny and quirky Mexican taquerias—with a side of top-shelf tequila—to Calgarians with his Beltline restaurants Anejo and Blanco (and soon-to-open Reposado). Hines, a tequila aficionado who moonlights as a hobby surfer in Sayulita, Mexico, is intent on bringing the laid-back vibe of his...

Taking the entire top floor of a new condo building in Hillhurst, this penthouse has been transformed into a home with heart and soul, plus a touch of glamour.
When interior designer Ijmal Haider of Haider Design Group first stepped into the new Hillhurst condo owned by John Eresman and Ali Walker, it felt like the proverbial blank canvas, ready for his paintbrush.
The home encompasses the entire top floor of the building, complete with stunning, nearly 360-degree skyline views. Haider’s task...

This tiny 22-seat watering hole is pretty in pink.
If you blink, you might completely miss the blush-coloured door that leads into Bar Annabelle. That’s because the wine and tapas bar is quietly tucked alongside its big sister, Blink Restaurant and Bar, one of Calgary’s staple eateries in the heritage district of Stephen Avenue Walk. But seeking out that pink entrance is worthwhile: behind it, you’ll find the ideal spot for a modern-day flâneuse to perch with a glass of rosé at a sparkling on...

Local Valentine's Day gift ideas from lifestyle expert Kait Kucy.

Sarah Ward built her company up to a team of four over the past five years with noteworthy clients such as Two Penny Chinese, Donna Mac and Proof Cocktail Bar, among countless others. The 1,200-square-foot space where the vision and planning for such projects unfold is a beautiful snippet of what the Sarah Ward Interiors team can create for their clients. Ward shares her inspiration and design direction for her Beltline studio.
Location, Location, Location
“I really loved the idea of setting ...

Taste your way around the offerings at Last Best Brewing. (Photo: Courtesy of Last Best Brewing)
Eat + Drink
While taprooms and microbreweries have long been a staple in cities like Toronto and Vancouver, thanks to some governmental red tape specific to the Province of Alberta, Calgary’s potential to incubate an industry of innovative, small-batch craft beer was stifled for years and years.
“There were these crazy laws in place that said that in order to even apply to become a brewery, you ha...

When Victor Diep moved into his 910-square-foot modern, contemporary condo in the Guardian Tower in 2016 he was excited to work with a blank slate. While the fixtures and colour palettes were standard to the building, Diep created a space that is anything but cookie cutter. Diep is a full-time accountant and spends his free time learning as much as he can about interior decorating and design. This self-proclaimed Homesense shopping expert documents his interior design adventures on Instagram ...

Shop Local
Writer and lifestyle expert Kait Kucy brings us gift ideas for those who want to shop local vendors this holiday season.

A new apothecary is open in Kensington. Pranic Forest, specializes in organic botanical skincare, natural treatments and a variety of organic apothecary products. It’s welcoming new clients, natural healing enthusiasts and folks curious about learning more about herbal remedies.
Pranic Forest’s owner Amanda Spicer is a master herbalist, aromatherapist, intuitive energy channeler, cosmetologist and artist. Everything you find in within the apothecary is made in small batches. The apothecary st...

When Sharon Schuld bought her Mount Royal condo in 1989, she knew she had found a treasure worth keeping. Schuld had always loved the area and knew it was where she wanted to establish her roots. Nearly 30 years later, her love of the neighbourhood and the condo has grown exponentially.
The avid knitter and owner of Pudding Yarn, a knitting, textile and needle-arts shop located just off 17th Avenue S.W., brings the creativity and passion she has for her work into the design of her dream home....

When Christina Fast purchased her Crescent Heights home in 2011, it was like the century-old home had been waiting for someone like her to add their touch to bring the 1911 character back to life.
Complete with a secondary suite off the back and a basement that she recently renovated for her roommate, the house is surprisingly spacious for an older home and full of quaint nooks and crannies. Fast, who is the founder of SPECT (Sterile Processing Education Charitable Trust) spends a good amount...

Dark and Light
Empty nesters Karen and Ron Ryan were looking to downsize from their suburban family home. Instead of opting for a turnkey condo or infill, however, they decided to redesign the 935-square-foot Mount Royal bungalow that had previously been a showroom and office for Karen’s interior-design business. With the project, Karen had carte blanche to create a new space. She knew that dramatic changes would be necessary to accommodate the couple’s modern lifestyle but she also wanted to...

Ages: 33 (Erickson), 32 (Kennedy)
Job titles: Co-owner, Studio North (Erickson), Co-owner, Studio North (Kennedy)
Why they’re 207 Top 40 Under 40s:
Studio North champions (and builds) laneway housing in Calgary, along with other projects that have grown the two-person partnership into a boutique firm of seven employees in under five years.
After completing their master’s of architecture degrees at Dalhousie University, Mark Erickson and Matthew Kennedy returned to Calgary in 2013. They brough...

Age: 35
Job title: Founder and Creative Director, Amanda Hamilton Interior Design; Director, The Loft by Amanda Hamilton
Why she’s a 2017 Top 40 Under 40:
Hamilton’s keen eye and attention to detail has positioned her as a leader in Calgary’s interior design community. Beyond her flourishing interior design practice, she regularly mentors young entrepreneurs and emerging interior designers.
When interior designer Amanda Hamilton left her first employer, McKinleyBurkart, to start her own compa...

Eat + Drink
Calgary’s food scene is constantly growing, regularly becoming more diverse as more ethnicities are represented and restaurants approach the idea of dining out in new ways.
This city’s chefs are known for a willingness to take risks on new concepts, and foodies are hungry to experience all that’s up their sleeves as they decide where to eat in Calgary.
Here are 10 sweethearts of the Calgary food scene to check out.
With a plant-forward menu and a plant-filled interior, Ten Foot He...