Decorating & Design
December 11, 2023
7 Lighting & Product Designers To Watch In 2024
Every year, House & Home’s A-List highlights the many talented product innovators, lighting designers and retailers making their mark in the Canadian design world.
The Lighting Designers: A-N-D, Vancouver
For a time, it seemed every interior coming out of B.C., be it a house or a hip restaurant, featured A-N-D’s iconic Spotlight Volume pendant lamps. Founded by Matt Davis, Lukas Peet (pictured, above) and Caine Heintzman (pictured, below), A-N-D has designed lighting for residential and commercial projects across North America, including the Arlo Midtown hotel in NYC and Shopify’s Toronto HQ.
Why Now: Recent European design exhibitions in 2022 and 2023 have firmly placed A-N-D on the international design stage. With one new series and four new products added to A-N-D’s existing lines in past months, architects and designers will have even more options to choose from in the studio’s impressive portfolio.
The Column pendant and Vine flush-mount sconce on display at Boon_Room during Paris Design Week 2023.
Monumental in size, the Iris pendant appears to hover in space, glowing from within.
The Spotlight Volume series was produced between 2010 and 2018 and continues to be a popular collection.
The Vector 6 pendant in Weathered Steel debuted at the Milan Furniture Fair this year.
The Lighting Designers: Luminaire Authentik, Montreal
Flip through any H&H magazine and you’re likely to find a light fixture by Luminaire Authentik. Maude Rondeau (pictured) has grown her Bromont, Que., company from a small, three-person shop to an operation with multiple showrooms and has a plan to expand across Canada and into the U.S.
Why Now: This brand’s handmade contemporary lighting is a favorite of designers and architects across Canada. One of its many charms is the dozens of colors most styles of lamps are available in, with more shades released seasonally.
Maude working on a mood board.
Creative director Jeremy Le Chatelier and a designer at Luminaire Authentik HQ, working on a new fixture featuring the Suedoise lampshade and a clear, smoked glass ball.
The Montreal boutique with color selections on display.
The Product Designers: Caroline Monnet, Montreal
The Indigenous multihyphenate is internationally recognized for her unique artwork. In her practice, Caroline (pictured) explores her dual Anishinaabe and French identity, and looks at ideas of “home” and “land” through both an Anishinaabe and Western lens.
Why Now: This year, she unveiled Amik, a stunning line of sculptural furniture fabricated by Humble Nature. Amik, the Algonquin word for beaver, is a fitting name for this collection, which has smooth curves and sleek lines reminiscent of the hills around Outaouais, Que., where Caroline grew up and which, according to an Anishinaabe tale, were created by a giant beaver. “It’s always been an ambition of mine to showcase my art through a piece of furniture,” says Caroline. We think it perfectly captures the current trend toward functional furniture pieces that add the emotional impact of art to a room.
The Amik Chair, with the Amik table in the distance.
Caroline is an award-winning, multidisciplinary artist.
The Product Designers: MSDS Studio, Toronto
Jonathan Sabine’s background in furniture and cabinet making combined with Jessica Nakanishi’s experience in interior design are a perfect pairing for MSDS’s wide-ranging practice that includes designing furniture for Muuto and Nienkämper, interiors for Shopify and a new cordless lamp featured in Toronto’s Ace Hotel.
Why Now: In only a few years, MSDS has become established at several international design brands — no small feat. The studio’s dedication to innovation and craftsmanship, as well as its multidisciplinary approach keeps Jonathan and Jessica busy and the rest of us waiting for their next drop.
MSDS Studio brings a resourcefulness to each of its projects. Elegant wood panelling conceals the JennAir Canada fridge in this recent residential project.
The Product Designers: Maha Alavi, Toronto
This Canadian industrial designer is based in Toronto and Tokyo. Maha is often inspired by travel and the connection between nature and industry; her hand-formed and hand-finished hardware and furniture designs are sculptural, modern and timeless.
Why Now: Maha burst onto the scene in 2023 when she debuted her Lithic dining chair during Toronto Design Week. Only her second piece of furniture, it joins the Lithic lounge chair and a range of artisanal hardware and home objects available at stores like Casson. The Lithic series is sourced and constructed locally in Toronto by expert woodworkers and craftspeople.
Maha Alavi participated in this year’s London Design Festival at The House by M.A.H Gallery.
The Product Designers: Mary Ratcliffe, Toronto
This designer’s love of woodworking started at an early age in her father’s hobby workshop. Since those early days, she’s made a name for herself worldwide. Mary (pictured) was the only Canadian designer featured in Phaidon’s notable anthology Woman Made and hasshown at furniture fairs such as ICFF and WantedDesign in New York.
Why Now: This year, her studio launched a new collection, Geomorph, inspired by a four-month, cross-continental road trip from Toronto to the California coast. Those pieces, as well as a ready-to-ship collection, are finding their way into the hands of designers everywhere.
Mary’s latest collection, Geomorph, consists of four new pieces including a mirror, console and nesting table.
The Innovative Retailer: Obakki, Vancouver
This retailer features beautiful modern textiles, wall hangings and decorative accents. Founder Treana Peake, who has worked in international development for more than 30 years, believes that artisan craft is a natural way to improve economic stability in many communities; every object Obakki carries is handcrafted and produced in partnership with a world-class artisan.
Why Now: Obakki is a brand with purpose. With its devotion to sustainability, slow design and ethical production, it’s no surprise that the brand is more beloved than ever. Treana has spoken about clean water solutions in front of the U.S. Congress and the United Nations, and has been featured on a TED Talk. The Obakki Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the company, has helped more than four million people to date.
Treana with one of Obakki’s artisan partners.
Chamula women spinning wool by hand for rugs; the women care for the sheep, process the wool and are also the master weavers.
A handwoven wool rug brings texture to a sitting area.
All products featured on House & Home are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices are shown in Canadian dollars and are accurate on the date of publication.