Decorating & Design

January 24, 2015

IDS15 Highlights

TGIF! The acronym has special meaning this week, as the Interior Design Show (January 22 to 25) opens for business at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre today. If you’re attending this weekend — and you should — here are a few things you don’t want to miss:

Missoni Home

Warning: Missoni’s wildly patterned sofas and ottomans might make you look at your staid, solid-coloured three-seater with a pang of regret. Giorgio Jelmini, Operations Manager for Missoni Home, revealed that the Italian brand’s famous stripes were a happy accident: the first knitting machine the founder bought in 1953 could only produce stripes, so velato! (As they say in Italy.) Check out the timeline that traces Missoni’s path from fashion to home to hotels, then pony-up for some pillows at the Missoni pop-up shop, funds from which will support Habitat for Humanity.

Makers

This is a new group exhibition at the show that features four artisans producing beautiful, carefully-crafted, small-run pieces. 1925 Workbench specializes in barn-style sliding doors that look great in any space. Husband-and-wife team My Le and Rock made their first door for their own small home in Toronto. When friends and then friends of friends kept asking for one (or two or three) for their own homes, the duo turned their custom-made doors and hardware into a business.

Heidi Earnshaw is also exhibiting in the Makers section. Heidi makes gorgeous wood furniture, which H&H has featured in past issues. At IDS, she’s showing a marble-topped dresser with brass legs that immediately went on my wish list.

Heidi also dabbles in smaller pieces; the candlestick holders in her booth are the wood molds of ones that will eventually be cast in metal. I know, you’re waiting for me to tell you about the awesome ceramics in her booth. They’re by Susie Osler and look even better in person.

Sony

In this picture, my thumb is doing its best to model just how thin Sony’s new 4.7 mm-thick television is. It will be available in May in 55″ and 65″ sizes, and is so light it can hang on the wall like a picture frame.

Ikea/House & Home

This year, H&H teamed up with Ikea to design a kitchen and the results are stunning, if we do say so ourselves. The kitchen uses Ikea’s new Sektion kitchen system, which will be introduced in stores in February, and is packed with gorgeous ideas and products. I managed to snap this shot early Thursday morning when the space was being photographed. Click here for more info on the kitchen.

The details reveal clever styling tricks, like remembering to include art in the kitchen.

There’s even a walk-in pantry that reminds us that storage can and should be stylish.

Caesarstone

Canadian designer Philippe Malouin appeals to our inner child with his playful interactive swing installation for Caesarstone.

Each swing seat is made from a different sample of Caesarstone and is the perfect place to take a break and put your feet up — waaaay up — before continuing on to discover all the other great designs at the show.

Check out the H&H talks on Sunday starting at noon. Lynda Reeves, Suzanne Dimma, Mark Challen and my fellow editors will be speaking about everything design and answering questions from the audience and social media. Plus, check out this guide of extras from their talks.

Photo credits:
1-10. Kimberley Brown