Artful Home Design Highlights from IDS Toronto 2017
Canada’s premiere design show, The International Design Show Toronto, did not disappoint in 2017, with plenty of creative products from small makers, national furnishing companies and international appliance manufacturers. From lighting to flooring to furnishings and fireplaces, new technologies and designs dominated the offerings. The many special features at the show included a fantastical world of furnishings created by Caesarstone, The LAB showing where technology and design meet, as well as The Partisans Factory, which spotlighted the design team hand-sculpting their lights.
Homedit picked out some of the most interesting pieces and designs, starting with the Partisans Factory. The creators of the Gweilo light, produced in conjunction with Light Form. By heating a gridded acrylic sheet, artists fold the the material into sinuous forms that stand on the floor or table. Once power is plugged into an LED strip that is placed along the straight edge of the piece, the light is carried through the material by the scored grid giving the entire sheet a luminous glow.
There was lots of other intriguing and stylish lighting. This is the Transforma chandelier from Jacob Antoni that expands and shifts into different forms, such as a flower shape, a triangular design and this rectangle.
This fun wooden pendant features an obsolete bicycle rim and spokes as the centerpiece of the light. It is part of the Cut Ups Collection by the Brothers Dressler, who make bespoke furniture and pieces from reclaimed, found, ecologically friendly and responsibly harvested materials.
Jenny San Marten hand draws and then digitizes her designs to create delightful lampshades with original artwork. Some soft and pastel, other dark and bold with graffiti-like designs, they are distinctive and homey.
These lights are very cute on their own or in a little grouping. Called the Taco, it comes in different colors and is from This or That Studio.
Matt MacDonald uses computer-aided design in his traditional furniture crafting that uses both natural and synthetic materials. This is his Ovoid Lamp, which is very intriguing thanks to the larger layer of spaces over the smaller one.
Among the unique furnishings was this table of carved and inlaid wood, make to look like a guitar. Created by Detente Custom Design, it is a whimsical piece for music lovers.
Caesarstone is mainly associated with kitchen and bathroom surfaces, but artist Jaime Hayon’s “Stone Age Folk” uses Caesarstone in the creation of a whimsical fantasy that is also functional. This was the launch of his year-long collaboration with Caesarstone, which will also be featured at a major event during Milan Design Week.
Surface trends were well represented at the show, including innovative new tiles. This colorful mosaic tile is from Surfaces & Company which showed a variety of stone, glass and porcelain options.
One of the newest innovations in tile is this large format porcelain tile that looks like marble, in a size of one meter by three meters. It allows for installations with few or no seams, perfect for large spaces and for small ones. Presented by Vos Gres, it was one of their most popular new items.
According to exhibitors, gray floors have not waned in popularity. Listone Giordano has this new plank shape that mimics the shape of a towering tree, tapering off at one end. Of course, it’s offered in the popular color.
Wood was also featured for countertops and cutting boards by Larch Wood. Their unique construction of the wood pieces highlights the different directional grains. The result is a spectacular design that is as smooth to the touch as silk. Larchwood representatives explained that this is from their sanding and polishing process, which uses beeswax, making the surface food safe.
Ontario Wood is always one of our favorite booths and this year’s exhibitors showed a wide array of gorgeous pieces. This undulating table base from Merganzer Furniture is part of their Wave series of coffee and side tables.
These artisan canoe paddles from Norquay make beautiful rustic art pieces. The colorful, graphic designs are bold and would be perfect accents in a rustic home or lakeside retreat.
Kitchens were well represented, from modern and high tech to compact and traditional. This range from luxury line La Cornue is popular for residential use, according to representatives of Middleby Residential Canada. This line of La Cornue ranges is not custom and competes with other higher-end kitchen brands.
This kitchen from KOMPACT is perfect for small spaces. It fits everything in 8 feet of space, including a washer/dryer combo, dishwasher, microwave oven, refrigerator, sink, cooktop and LCD television. It all closes up and looks just like a wall of cabinets.
Of course, people who live in larger spaces might also want to hide away all the workings of their kitchen. This design from Valcucine has a door that swings down from the top and an electric one that rises from the bottom. In addition, the white kitchen block on the counter slides to uncover the cooktop.
Fireplaces galore were on show — some with real flames and some an illusion, with lights and water vapor. Many models run on gas and others on tanks of biofuels that can be used indoors. No matter where would want to put a fireplace, there’s a style and technology to make it possible
Bathroom exhibitors abounded and plenty of new tubs, sinks and fixtures were on display. Last year Lixil from American Standard debuted their amazing 3D printed faucets. This year, the year the company introduced its sleek bathroom sink design that includes a stylish drain cover and a moveable component.
Free-standing tubs are a trend that does not seem to be waning, with companies like Vanico showing new designs and finishes. This model comes without a base and instead features an LED light that seems to make the tub float. It adds a lot of ambiance to the bathroom.
Native Trails featured a number of freestanding tubs, including this very handsome hammered copper tub. The style provides some old-fashioned nostalgia for any bathroom design.
The Lab, which showcased new technologies included Mio Culture. The company “bridges the divide between business and sustainability through great design,” with its easily constructed, sound proofing room divider. The company also has sound proofing tiles made from felt in three-dimensional designs that can be applied to walls and ceilings.
Wine storage can be a challenge especially if you like to collect it. These storage units from Millesime Wine Racks offer different styles and are easier (and cheaper) to install than traditional wood wine storage systems. They come in a pre-constructed towers that are quickly installed. Some units include a service area and regular shelving.
This stunning lucite accent table is from SachaGRACE. All their tables feature some form of metal component embedded in the lucite. This one has elegant metal blooms.
Of course there were other charming furniture designs like this one, called 3S by L Fly.
Oeuf’s bunk beds, called Perch, have a variety of ways they can be configured. The company’s products are sustainable and the wood is birch plywood, sourced in Latvia.
Christopher Solar Design showed these tables, which are made from scrap molded with resin to create the outer structure of these tables.
Aratani Fay designed this amazing chair by combining a welded frame structure with a wildly woven foam seat. The strips of square foam are covered in a scuba fabric.
For most people, choosing cupboards is a big decision because you’ll have to live with them for a long time. But, what if swapping out the colors or graphics adorning your cabinets was easily doable? Alex Andrite makes this possible with its changeable cabinet doors.
Have an old IKEA piece or kitchen system that you’re tired of? Semihandmade can make it look like new. They make new doors for existing IKEA furnishings that give your home an entire new look without having to replace the entire thing.
Eclectic style is also still popular and this setting from Urban Barn is neutral but very fun with the pink accents — especially the three pink chandeliers.
Not a fan of pastel chandeliers? This large table from Tice Table Company has a strong industrial vibe and features a wheel control that can raise and lower the top, shown here in glass but also available in wood.
IDS 2017 offered so many things to see that it was difficult to pick and choose what we liked the most. Regardless, it was possible to find something that tickled the fancy for just about everyone.