Guy goes to IDS
The weekly micro-decorating newsletter * Issue 2 of 13, W25 *
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The Interior Design Show is well-timed: just as January's newness fades, this four-day extravaganza brings fresh energy to the city. I always walk away brimming with ideas about how to change up my home for the better.
As you'd expect, I'm not there for the countertops or bathroom fixtures, but for the unique objects that bring a room to life. Most of those are found on the periphery, in an area called The District – a marketplace of home goods – and in another called Studio North – where indie designers showcase their creations. So, here are some of my favourites from those areas.
In The District, I took a liking to Line's tote bags and pouches made from upcycled sails:
Their surfaces are appealingly crumpled, and zig-zag stitching adds further interest:
Silvia Taylor's blown glass vases and carafes also caught my attention, their delicate forms reminding me of soap bubbles:
Silvia assured me that they're sturdier than they look. I admired the presentation here too, with understated pedestals creating groupings.
Another discovery was foli, a company that spreads the joy of plants across Canada via online ordering:
Their commitment to their mission shows through in their beautifully packaged plant care products.
Over in Studio North, Le Tenon & La Mortaise impressed me with its simple, well-crafted home furnishings:
The playful shapes and colours were hard to resist:
Benoit St-Jean gave me a demo of one of the Lazy Susans, wall-mounted for the fun of it:
When I arrived at Mima Ceramics, I felt like a kid in an ice cream shop unable to choose a flavour:
Michelle Organ's decision to group vessels of roughly the same size was effective in showing off the range of patterns, with their varying optical delights.
At Studio.Kwan, examining a row of hatstands was like witnessing the evolution of a new life form:
Like the best works of design, these pieces don't need to perform their duties to be appreciated.
Jenny San Martin's new collection of wall coverings, titled Infinite Trouble, drew me in with its personal mark-making:
It got me thinking about how the industrial and the handmade can be brought into harmony in our homes.
Daring red display units at object/interface stopped me in my tracks:
On closer viewing, companion pieces emerged, including stackable candle holders...
a clever plant caddy...
and geometric coat racks:
Designer Ryan Taylor has a knack for creating a family of designs that make sense together.
Mark Khoury also showed a suite of products, unified by the use of wooden dowels:
After hours at the show, I happily obeyed his command to "sit back and relax" and sure enough, the swivelling chair back and comfy footstool delivered on their promise.
The wall shelves were a great example of allowing a small space to accommodate flexibility and change with a minimum of fuss.
I fell for the intricately stitched quilts at Esbe Studio:
My photos couldn't do the pieces justice, so try to imagine the soft yet articulated feel of these designs:
A collaboration between Brett Paulin and Alisha Sturino led to a collection called Rooted, including this table:
Presented on a mirrored surface, it had the structured intrigue of an architectural maquette:
Speaking of reflections, the piece I most wanted to take home with me (and I don't think I was alone!) was this armchair by Yury Goncharov:
Its funhouse-mirror surface looked great from every angle:
Throughout the show, a collection of Gaetano Pesce and Enzo Mari vases from Bonne Choice made a scene in the VIP Room:
This colourful grouping seemed a sly parallel to the folks in the room themselves, with their peacock finery. If a gaggle of design influencers turned into vases, would they look something like this?
When I finally arrived home and set aside my badge, I felt grateful for how the invention that goes into making our homes is truly endless.
Follow the links above to bring some of the best recent examples into your own space.
I'll leave the last word to Samuel Kwan of Kwan.Studios, from his Instagram profile:
Thank you for reading.