The Toronto Interior Design Show, held from January 22 to 25 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, brought a welcome flash of warmth during one of the gloomiest stretches of winter so far.
Among the more noteworthy speakers at this year’s event were Eames Demetrios, director of the Eames office and a grandson of Charles and Ray Eames, inventor of the iconic Eames chair; Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao; and Fredrika Inger, IKEA’s global chief product and commercial officer.
On the weekend, fan favourites like Brian Gluckstein and Tommy Smythe, as well as internationally recognized Canadian designer Colette van den Thillart, offered advice and inspiration.
Sofa
One of the longstanding features that distinguishes IDS from other design shows is a series of set pieces that focus on a central idea, as a way of considering design matters from a thematic rather than branded perspective. The format allows for exploration while also providing a way for smaller companies to show their wares without the expense and commitment of a booth.
Furniture Forecast presented 17 conceptual furniture pieces curated by industry experts in tandem with show organizers. Some of the more intriguing entries included a bookshelf designed by film director Pedro Almodóvar embellished with bright semi-transparent disks, created in collaboration with Roche Bobois; Peaks, a modular sofa that can be easily reconfigured in a number of ways by rearranging its triangular components; and pieces by international designer, and last year’s keynote speaker, Paolo Ferrari.
How We Work featured a trio of workplaces conceived by their designers after analyzing modern work practices and preferences. Work settings have been radically transfigured in the last decade or so by technology, the pandemic and the rise of the home office as a fully functional adjunct to the traditional workplace.
Field of Interaction was another of the show’s set pieces, an “immersive landscape” of dyed and sculpted ropes, dune-like seating and a rock bar.
Of the three installations, Moooi’s was the most fanciful, with its colourful Fluid carpeting and matching wallpaper and upholstery. But rather than merely stage a conceptual office setting, this Dutch manufacturer — best known here in Canada for its lighting, but also as a purveyor of carpeting and furnishings — preferred to offer old-fashioned TVs framed inside steel consoles, showing quirky videos on repeat. It’s the kind of loopy, Sprockets-style showcase that makes IDS fun.
Illuminate, another collaborative exhibit, presented the latest in lighting ideas from a variety of Canadian and international designers. Among them was a Vancouver company called Stackabl, which creates lighting from layers of post-industrial wool felt and other materials. According to co-founder James Monroe, the company is dedicated to minimizing its carbon use at every step, from collection and manufacturing methods to servicing, end-of-life recovery and recycling.
IKEA’s compact showcase included a comfortable dining space for “everyday hosting.”
Compared to previous IDS shows, the absence of a number of big brands like Cosentino, Riobel and LG was conspicuous this year. But it hardly dampened spirits; if anything, it gave smaller, perhaps lesser-known names, many of them Canadian, a bigger opportunity to step into the spotlight.
One notable exception was IKEA, returning to the show after an absence of several years. This time, the retailer created a 600-square-foot kitchen designed to reflect how people cook, eat and live, and offered interesting ideas for organizing, space-saving, waste recycling and other everyday tasks, using IKEA’s flexible SEKTION system. Despite its compact dimensions, the exhibit featured enough room for a hidden prep kitchen, walk-in pantry and cozy-looking dining area.
Brazilian-Canadian custom furniture maker Atriani, fresh from opening a new showroom at Designer’s Walk, filled its booth with representative pieces, since every item the company makes is built to order. Samples included a luxurious oversized sectional upholstered in buttery-soft off-white microsuede.
Quebec furniture maker De Gaspé returned for the second year with updated versions of its sleek tables, chairs, desks and the like in oak and other woods, along with chic metal outdoor furnishings, while not far away, the family plumbing business turned high-style fixture company Baril featured stylish faucets and other pieces.
The Select exhibit near the entrance to the show featured several established furniture brands, including Hollis & Morris, Ourse and others known for their innovation designs and craftsmanship.
The company’s Marie-Ève Baril grew up in the business and says that when she took the helm, her goal was to transform the company into a maker of fixtures that were not only beautiful but top quality. As she puts it, faucets are the hardest-working item in the home; they need to be up to the job but can still be high-design. One example she brought to IDS was an especially colourful minimalist collection created in tandem with fashion designer Marie Saint Pierre.
Another unique and eminently logical offering was on view at Vogt Industries’ booth: a new grab bar in a range of finishes and tones that coordinate with the Canadian fixture maker’s other collections. The principle, according to the company’s Reka Kevsehi, is that just because a grab bar is a functional device doesn’t mean it can’t also be stylish.
The Interior Design Show may have evolved considerably over its 27 years, but what has always sustained it is its willingness to push the edge just enough to be relevant to experienced design aficionados while catering to style-forward consumers as well. It’s a marriage of necessity in a small market like Canada’s, but a difficult balancing act, and always interesting to see.
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