From east Asia to New York City, the four corners of the world have laid roots on Uptown 17th Avenue S.W. Culture, cuisine and couture come together making this trendy neighbourhood the ulti­mate shop­ping destination for everything eclectic, dynamic and unique.

With an abundance of clothing stores, galleries, restaurants and specialty shops to choose from 17th Avenue offers something for everyone from all walks of life, especially when it comes to finding the right items to turn your home into a work of art.

The fact that 17th Avenue caters to people of all ages and backgrounds makes the area ideal for home décor shopping, says interior decorator Alykhan Velji.
“The people and diversity of culture is what makes it great. It doesn’t just cater to one type of individual,” he says.

While 17th Avenue spans a significant portion of the city’s southwest, it’s the area between 4th and 14th Streets that offers the most to any-­one interested in creating a designer space.

One of the best places to begin is 4 Living. Open for about four years, 4 Living can outfit every room in your home, condo, or townhouse with some of the most modern, streamlined furniture and accessories available.
The contemporary store features Canadian-made furniture in all shapes and sizes, including custom furniture made to fit your specifications.

“We wanted to put Canadian designers in the forefront rather than go abroad. People want that Canadian feel, and the quality is superb,” says Karen Punia, owner.

The staff is made up of trained interior designers and those with an interior design background. For no additional charge the designers will work with individuals’ floorplans to help create an ideal living environment to suit a person’s needs.

“It’s very eclectic. If you want to find modern pieces it’s a good place to go,” says Velji of 4 Living.

Located near the corner of 14th Street and 17th Avenue, 4 Living is one of several retail spaces found at the base of one of the strip’s newest and most elegant condominium complexes, Bella Vista, at 1800-14A Street.

Along the same vein as 4 Living is Inhabit Interiors, located on 16th Avenue in Mount Royal Village. Customers can enjoy gourmet coffees and drinks from its in-store barista while checking out the wide variety of traditional and modern furniture and accessories to suit all tastes.

With new condo developments such as Emerald Stone at 836-15 Avenue S.W. being constructed throughout the area, both 4 Living and Inhabit are great places to find the right pieces to suit any condo space.

Home is not complete unless you have something soft to rest your head upon. Valerianne of Calgary on 15th Avenue and 7th Street offers a wide selection of luxury linens to make every night’s sleep more comfortable than the last.

Selling high-end sheets, duvets and pillows, the fabric store also carries cashmere robes, vases, picture frames, mirrors, and an array of crystal, brass, and porcelain accessories.
Even though the store features product for traditional tastes, owner Glenda Wiens says it attracts a diverse crowd of customers due to 17th Avenue’s foot traffic.

“We have a variety of people coming through. I try to carry something for everyone. I look for unique products that are (high quality) and I look for products that are extremely high end.”

But there’s more to the area than furniture and bedding. If you want something to add colour, culture and conversa­tion to your abode be sure to check out one of Calgary’s best kept secrets, only a few doors down from Inhabit.

Downstairs in Mount Royal Village is Buhran Gallery, which features one-of-a-kind, handcrafted Asian antiques.

For the past seven years, owner Zubin Gillespie has travelled back and forth between Calgary and Asia to find historic furniture, architectural pieces, and accessories from countries such as China and India.

Many of the pieces are more than 100 years old and have been personally hand-restored by Gillespie in his studios in Calgary and India.

“I started collecting (the pieces) for myself to build into a house one day,” recounts Gillespie. “These pieces are very exotic salvage goods … We carry pieces with details that offset the other more contemporary modern pieces.”

Buhran carries everything from collectible mah-jongg sets to a traditional Chinese wedding bed, living room furniture, and rugs. Some of its more unique pieces include large columns, screens, wall panels and doors made of exotic woods such as rosewood, teak, or satinwood.

Surviving primarily on an established clientele and foot traffic off of 17th Avenue, Velji says cust­omers at Buhran should not be intimidated by the grandeur or architecture of the store’s merchandise. Incorporating choice pieces such as a Feng Shui compass or an Indian screen into a home adds colour and contrast to a room, regardless of the style.
A great example of diversity in style is Rubaiyat on 17th Avenue and 7th Street.

A feast for the eyes, Rubaiyat has prided itself as being both a gallery for its customers as well as a retail store. Featuring an array of hand-crafted merchandise such as blown glass, wood, and metals, the 35-year-old shop is a staple of the avenue and a favourite of many passersby.

“We’ve always had a very diverse clientele of people that are, generally speaking, pretty well-educated and well-travelled. They are people who like to go to museums and galleries and they know what they’re looking at,” says Pam Haight, who co-owns the store with husband, David.

When the store first opened it sold primarily hand-crafted Canadian work. Moving to its current home on 17th Avenue about 28 years ago, it’s repertoire of merchandise has expanded to include work from around the world.

Rubaiyat’s merchandise is very diverse, selling accessories such as bath salts and room fresheners to furniture, hand-blown glass bowls, collectibles, outdoor furniture, and jewelry.
“It brings something different,” to the Avenue, says Velji, who admits the store is one of his favourite both personally and professionally. “Rubaiyat has a very ethnic and exotic feel.”

Owning the building Rubaiyat is located in, Haight says she can’t imagine leaving the 17th Avenue area. Aside from developing a loyal client base, she says the vivacity of the strip is what keeps Rubaiyat successful. The avenue attracts people from so many different walks of life it keeps Haight on her toes when buying new product for the store.

With design and décor being just one of the many attractions to 17th Avenue, the others being its independently-owned businesses, fashionable clothing, and restaurants, Haight says she can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to make 17th Avenue their shopping destination.