AVD INSPIRE with Aly Velji
by Alykhan Velji Designs
AVD INSPIRE is where global interior design meets unfiltered creativity. Hosted by designer and creative director Alykhan Velji, this podcast goes behind the scenes of the design industry with editors, makers, and artists redefining the spaces we live in. Each week, Aly lights a candle to spark the creative process and dives into raw, inspiring conversations about staying creative through the chaos. From big wins to flops—this is interior design with heart, humor, and zero ego. Think weirder. Design better. Trust your gut again. This isn’t just a podcast—it’s your creative spark.
Episodes
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The Power of Community, Staying Individual, and Navigating Market like a Pro — with JULIANA EWER
Season 3 of AVD Inspire continues from the heart of High Point Market. This week, Aly sits down with Juliana Ewer—the award-winning powerhouse behind J Squared Home Designs, President of the Interior Design Society (IDS) Houston Chapter, and a 2026 HPMKT Style Spotter. In this lively and…
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Style Spotting, Community, and Design with a Purpose — with RHOBIN DELACRUZ
Season 3 of AVD Inspire continues from the heart of High Point Market. This week, Aly sits down with Rhobin DelaCruz—founder of Rhobin DelaCruz Designs, co-founder of the award-winning nonprofit The Design Besties, and one of High Point Market's newest Style Spotters. In this candid conversation,...
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Building a Business Brain in Interior Design — with ANASTASIA CASEY of THE INTERIOR COLLECTIVE
Season 3 of the AVD Inspire podcast continues from High Point Market! In this episode, Aly is joined by Anastasia Casey—the powerhouse founder and CEO of The Interior Collective, IDCO Studio, Kwin Made and Design Camp. Anastasia has dedicated her career to helping interior designers transition…
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Quiet Refinement and Finding the Heart of Design — with JEN DEAN of JEDE INTERIORS
Season 3 of the AVD Inspire podcast continues from High Point Market! In this episode, Aly is joined by Jen Dean—the founder and principal designer of Utah-based luxury interior design studio, Jede Interiors, and a featured creator on this market's Design Influencers Tour. Jen’s path to building...
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Designing with Soul, Strategy, and Visibility — with ARIANNE BELLIZAIRE
Season 3 of the AVD Inspire podcast continues live from High Point Market! Aly is joined by Arianne Bellizaire—interior designer, television personality, and co-host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Arianne's career journey started in marketing strategy before she fell in love with the art and...
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Designing a Legacy - with SARA & MOE JR. SAMIEIAN of MOE'S HOME COLLECTION
Season 3 continues with an exclusive look into the heart of a design empire! We are coming to you live from the High Point Market, tucked inside the stunning Moe’s Home Collection Showroom. In this episode, I’m joined by the sibling duo and Co-CEOs driving the brand forward: Sara Samieian and Moe...
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The Power of Immersive Interiors & Market Trends - with DANIELLE CHIPRUT of DANIELLE ROSE DESIGN CO.
Season 3 is officially here, and we are kicking things off with a bang—live from the High Point Market! I’m hanging out in the gorgeous MOE’S Home Collection lounge with the fabulous Danielle Chiprut, founder of the Long Island-based Danielle Rose Design Co. Danielle is a powerhouse who made the...
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Authentic Living & Timeless Design with MAURA DINEEN of MOE’s HOME COLLECTION
The Season 2 finale of AVD Inspire is extra special — we took AVD Inspire on the road to IDS Vancouver and recorded live on the Main Stage. And joining me for the finale is the incredibly talented Maura Dineen, Creative Director at Moe's Home Collection. Maura pulls back the curtain on what it...
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When Beauty Is the Awakening - The Soulful Path to Her Next Chapter: ODETTE by KELLY DECK
Award-winning Vancouver interior designer Kelly Deck joins Aly live at IDS Vancouver to talk tranquil luxury, the renaissance of decoration, and the launch of her new wallpaper brand, Odette by Kelly Deck. They dive into how the best rooms evolve in layers, why “happy accidents” become defining...
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The Art of Brushstrokes and Breakthroughs - with artist ZOË PAWLAK
Vancouver artist Zoë Pawlak joins Aly Velji to share her journey as an artist, creative collaboration, and how she pushes herself to expand herself beyond the traditional canvas. We get into original art vs. planned obsolescence, fashion and rug collaborations, collecting with intention, and why...
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Confessions of a Design Powerhouse - with KARIN BOHN of HOUSE OF BOHN
Award-winning Vancouver designer Karin Bohn—founder and creative director of House of Bohn and host of Netflix’s Restaurants on the Edge—joins Aly Velji live from IDS Vancouver to talk about creativity, collaboration, and the courage to scale back to move forward. This conversation dives into the...
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Timeless Design & West Coast Soul - with Vancouver Interior Designer SOPHIE BURKE
This week, my fellow design lover and friend Sophie Burke, joins me for another AVD Inspire episode inside our custom recording booth by Bureau x IDS Vancouver. She is the founder of Sophie Burke Design, an award winning Vancouver interior designer known for West Coast interiors with quiet…
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Confessions of a Lighting Genius - with Founder/Creative Director MATTHEW MCCORMICK
Season 2 of AVD Inspire continues live from IDS Vancouver inside our custom recording booth by Bureau and this one’s a total glow-up! Aly sits down with Matthew McCormick, the brilliant mind behind Matthew McCormick Studio, to talk about all things light, creativity, and collaboration. Known for...
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The Art of Capturing Raw Emotion - with Photographer EMA PETER
We’re keeping the Design Confessions rolling, recorded live from IDS Vancouver inside our custom recording booth by Bureau. Today I’m joined by the incredibly talented Ema Peter - an award-winning architectural and interior photographer whose images make you feel something. Ema’s work has that...
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Magazines, Mentors & Modern Design - with ANICKA QUIN of WESTERN LIVING MAGAZINE
Season 2 is here, design lovers! And I couldn’t be more excited to kick things off with someone who has been such a champion of my work and the Canadian design scene: Anicka Quin. She’s the VP of Content at Canada Wide Media and the powerhouse behind Western Living, Vancouver Magazine, BC…
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Shaping the Future of Design — with WILL SORRELL of IDS
For our season finale of AVD Inspire, I’m joined by someone who’s not only curating Canada’s biggest design stage but also shaping where the industry is heading: Will Sorrell, National Director of the Interior Design Show (IDS). Will’s journey is a story of global vision meeting Canadian design....
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Craft, Culture & Creative Roots — with LAURA NORIEGA of TRIBUTO
This week on AVD Inspire, I’m joined by the brilliant Laura Noriega — Founder and Creative Director of TRIBUTO, a design brand that celebrates Mexico’s cultural heritage through timeless, handmade objects. Laura’s story is all about leaving, returning, and rediscovering her creative roots. She...
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Woodwork, Legacy & Leaps of Faith — with TJ EDMONDSON
This week on AVD Inspire, I’m joined by the inspiring and grounded TJ Edmondson — President & Owner of Windsor Workshop and Co-Founder of Local Made Market. His story is a masterclass in following your gut, taking the leap, and building a life with your hands, your heart, and a whole lot of...
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Weaving Identity, Art, and Power — with SIMONE ELIZABETH SAUNDERS
This week on AVD Inspire, I’m joined by the brilliant and bold Simone Elizabeth Saunders, one of Canada’s most celebrated contemporary textile artists. Her hand-tufted portraits are more than art — they’re powerful statements rooted in Black womanhood, visual storytelling, and ancestral…
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Lights, Grit, and Taking the Leap — with KATE MACNEILL of Concord Custom Lighting
This week on AVD Inspire, Aly sits down with lighting designer and creative entrepreneur Kate MacNeill, founder of Concord Custom Lighting — the all-female Canadian studio known for crafting bespoke light fixtures for luxury residential and high-end hospitality interiors. In this episode, we dive...
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From Science to Soulful Spaces with STANLEY SUN of Mason Studio
This week on AVD Inspire, I’m sitting down with one of my oldest (and most fabulous) friends — Stanley Sun, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Mason Studio. Before he was designing hotels, restaurants, exhibitions, and retail spaces around the world, Stanley was deep in the world of…
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Design, Drag & Doing the Bold Thing — with JONATHAN SOTTO of Yabu Pushelberg
This week on AVD Inspire, Aly Velji sits down with Jonathan Sotto — Director of Business Development at the Global Creative Design Studio Yabu Pushelberg — for a conversation that’s equal parts style, soul, and show-stopping resilience. From cold-calling firms straight out of school to now…
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The Art of Starting Fresh: Artist MURRAY DUNCAN on Letting Go to Create Freely
What happens when you step away from something safe to pursue something soulful? In this inspiring episode of AVD Inspire, Aly Velji sits down with Toronto-based contemporary artist Murray Duncan to talk about creativity, courage, and the choice to start again—this time with purpose. After years…
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Style, Soul & Reinvention - with Stylist & Fashion Icon PETER PAPAPETROU
What is style, really? In this vibrant, heartfelt and hilarious conversation, Aly Velji sits down with legendary stylist and creative force Peter Papapetrou to talk about how fashion, identity, and creativity evolve across decades, cities, and life chapters. From the basement fashion shows of his...
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Full Circle with MARILYN DENIS : Legacy, Laughter & Letting Go
To launch the AVD INSPIRE Podcast, Aly Velji sits down with none other than Canadian media legend Marilyn Denis — in a heartfelt, full-circle moment that’s as personal as it is powerful. From her 49-year reign across Canadian radio and television to her timeless wisdom on reinvention, legacy, and...
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Welcome to AVD INSPIRE | A Creative Podcast by ALY VELJI for Design, Bold Moves & Staying Grounded
This is where creativity gets lit. Interior designer and creative director Aly Velji invites you into the vibrant, real, and sometimes messy world of artistry, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. In this AVD Inspire teaser, Aly shares what sparked this passion project, what’s in store for…
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About this show
AVD INSPIRE is where global interior design meets unfiltered creativity. Hosted by designer and creative director Alykhan Velji, this podcast goes behind the scenes of the design industry with editors, makers, and artists redefining the spaces we live in. Each week, Aly lights a candle to spark the creative process and dives into raw, inspiring conversations about staying creative through the chaos. From big wins to flops—this is interior design with heart, humor, and zero ego. Think weirder. Design better. Trust your gut again. This isn’t just a podcast—it’s your creative spark.
Hosted by
Alykhan Velji Designs