Samantha Osaduke
Contributor
Toronto’s annual Interior Design Show (IDS), Canada’s largest contemporary design fair, has made a lasting impression on Canada’s design culture for the past 13 years.
Jan. 27 through 30 marked my sixth year attending the IDS, and I was eager to see what vendors and students had in store for 2011.
Despite the fact that the subway wasn’t running from Bloor to Union station on the weekend of the show, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre was bustling with IDS visitors. Every year, the walkways between exhibits get smaller and the crowd appears to get larger. The IDS looks like it’s becoming more commercialized, though its exhibitors’ commitment to great design hasn’t faltered.
In Prototype: Design Ideas for the Home, I stumbled upon an innovative design by recent OCAD 2010 industrial design graduates Haniyeh Khosravi Fard and Farhad Shabani – their TIRE-E chair. This is Fard and Shabani’s second appearance at IDS since they were featured last year at the OCAD university booth. Now the two are business partners.
The TIRE-E design makes use of recycled tires and premium wood. “The exotic wood adds luxury to the 100-percent recycled chair,” said Fard, a second semester student in George Brown College’s design management postgraduate certificate program. “The wood we selected for TIRE-E is walnut; however, our initial prototype was made of cherry wood and the design was modified.”
My favourite design in the Sibling Revelry gallery, which featured works by brother-sister or brother-brother pairs, was Glenn and David Dixon’s living room. Glenn is an interior designer and David is a fashion designer; together, these brothers pulled off a beautiful design. The room they created was dreamy, peaceful and serene, including a ceiling covered in a thousand white paper cranes. Bird-themed details dotted the upholstery of the chairs.
I spotted no major trends this year, but the show in general was a very eclectic mix that would please any discerning decorator. Regardless, there were a few very innovative and trendy designs.
Frini Furniture had a sophisticated slim and tall royal chair in black velvet with a silver finish and crystals. A sales representative informed me that this chair was $2,190, and that buyers had the option of changing the fabric and the finish. This lavish chair would make a bold statement in any room.
Meanwhile, Renova introduced coloured toilet paper, which is sure to make any bathroom glamorous. The toilet paper came in fluorescent pink, green, red, yellow, orange, blue and black.
Sarah and Theo Richardson’s Sibling Revelry exhibit presented what I’d consider the best design tip for students on a budget. The duo painted random styles of wooden kitchen chairs red. The chairs weren’t uniform, but they created a clear design statement; for a few bucks, students could similarly paint furniture items like these any primary or secondary colour. The idea is truly luxury on a budget, ideal for any student or recent university graduate.
The Interior Design Show is a staple in Canadian design culture, and as the IDS continues to play a huge role in our economy and bring our design talent into the spotlight, it also consistently proves that design is relevant and a potential career path for students graduating from high school.
The creativity is flowing.
Edge of your seat design
The Dinner by Design opening night party was not only about good-looking design – it was also for a great cause. The party supported the Casey House HIV/AIDS hospice, and invited several notable designers, such as Bruce Mau, Cecconi Simone and CBC’s Steven and Chris, to transform 20 iconic Vitra Panton chairs with their own styles and put them up for auction. My top favourites?
1. Johnson Chou Inc. envisioned their chair as a hanging swing, using ropes and a silver chain. The design was very whimsical and reminiscent of childhood.
2. Karim Rashid designed a pink chair with graffiti squiggles; he was the only designer to mould the frame by cutting a large piece out of the centre. I would describe this chair as vibrant, fun and bright.
3. Dee Dee Taylor Eustace created a dark and edgy chair by painting it silver and attaching large, black crystals and small, clear crystals. She even had black feathers and a veil hanging from the back.
