Best in show: 11 amazing items from the Interior Design Show

By Stephanie Saunders | January 31, 2011

By Stephanie Saunders | 01/31/2011

Liana Chair by Patty Johnson at Liana Cane (All images: Stephanie Saunders)

As any good designophile knows, Toronto was host to the annual Interior Design Show this past weekend. The show’s offerings ranged from humdrum soaker tubs to avant-garde lighting installations. No easily discernable trends overwhelmed the experience this year, but there were certainly some bright lights that stood out from the rest. Below, our eleven picks for the best of IDS 2011.

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We were thrilled to see some items that did not come from Toronto, New York or Italy—especially these fabulous chairs. The set was part of the New Caribbean Design display and is made from renewable kufa vine, an alternative to materials harvested from the Amazon rainforest. Liana Cane is an environmental design group in Guyana whose mandate includes community development, social responsibility and ethical production.

Commute’s work is driven by re-imagined urban landscapes, large and small, and salvaged curiosities. Projects of note include Toronto restos Colborne Lane, Nyood and Terroni, and the edgy boutique Serpentine. Lighting is their calling card and this piece is no disappointment. The installation was inspired by the sharp lines of a hydro field.

This amazing pendant lamp was designed by Ingo Maurer as a limited edition and is inspired by comic book pages. It is fully customizable—the placement of the pages is up to the owner. The commissioned work is by German comic artist Thilo Rothacker, and there are short storylines that run throughout. For the month of February, Eurolite is offering 25 per cent off this pendant as a special IDS promotion.

A dependable source for creative lighting in Toronto, Eurolight teamed up with ALX Design to present the Satyr pendant light by Viso Inc. The artwork, called “Art and Wine” by Bernardo, was digitally transformed for this purpose and is lined with UV protective material to prevent colour loss (custom shades are also available). Viso Inc. is a Toronto company whose innovative work is on display at the Thompson Hotel and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Toronto-based designer Tahir Mahmood presented a small collection of Pakistan-inspired objects and lighting that mixed strong warm woods with smooth glaze. This item is named Chaand lamp (meaning moon lamp) for its soft, sweet glow. Other objects of note are the exquisitely crafted wooden Baylun rolling pins and Jhoomkay paperweights, inspired by stacked rock markers used by Sherpas to guide climbers along the trails of K2.

Shawn Place Designs is a small modern furniture company based in northern British Colombia and sold in Toronto at Hollace Cluny. Each piece is made by Place himself and has impeccable traditional craftsmanship. These chairs are whimsically named Owl (left) and Bird (right). A refreshing change of pace from today’s mass market manufacturing, this company has both an eye for style and an obvious talent for the handmade.

Represented by Toronto design mecca Hollace Cluny, this New York-based studio presented a creative collection of lighting ideas at IDS. Our favorite is the Excel lamp for its black drum shade and diffused light source. If there is such thing as an it-light, this is the one. Rich, Brilliant and Willing consists of Charles Brill, Alexander Williams and Theo Richardson, brother of Toronto design maven Sarah Richardson.

This Corian tea-house was created by Rhed Corporation, a multi-disciplinary design firm whose work includes the soon-to-open Toronto Templar Hotel and Langston Hall condos in the Entertainment District. The tea house is a prototype of the upcoming design for a resort property called Templar Lake-on-the-Mountain in Prince Edward County.

Presented by DuPont, this exhibit featured the works of five Canadian design teams (Cecconi Simone, Earth Inc. Gau Design, Pascal Girardin and Rhed Corporation) whose objective was to create a unique work from Corian, a material typically used in kitchen counters. The moldable material is soft to the touch yet hard and durable enough for practical use. This delicate suspended rose was created by Pascale Girardin of Montreal, an artist known for her work in visual art, design and ceramic craft.

Elte showed their collection of “second life” rugs. Just on time to be part of the re-purposing craze, this concept involves antique Turkish and Persian rugs and kilims that have been re-dyed in contemporary colours. We love the romantic wear patterns and splashy hues, perfect for eclectic styling in a modern or traditional setting.

This modular bookcase is made of Corian (a mini-trend material at the show) and is fully adaptable to a variety of installations. Bookcase sections can be placed inset into the wall (as shown) or as separate freestanding units. The look is modern and never feels cluttered. Selene is an Italian-inspired store whose products are manufactured in Canada.

3 thoughts on “Best in show: 11 amazing items from the Interior Design Show”

Andrew Metrick says:

February 1, 2011 at 10:58 am

Stephanie,

Andrew Metrick from Elte here. I just wanted to thank you for including us as one of your eleven picks for best in show at IDS this year. We had an amazing time and met so many great people. Thank you once again and all the best!

Andrew.
Jacynthe Verreault says:

February 4, 2011 at 12:04 pm

Very nice … new look ! Like it ! Bravo !
Christine says:

May 6, 2011 at 2:57 pm

Thanks so much for highlighting Countering Convention exhibit and the modular bookcase as Best in Show picks for IDS 2011! We feel very honored to be recognized in Toronto Life. Feel free to check out our photos from the show at http://www.facebook.com/coriandesign. – Christine from DuPont