Decorating & Design
The Makers And Retailers To Watch In 2022
Published on January 10, 2022
It’s the small details that bring a home together, and that’s all thanks to the many talented furniture makers and retail shops in Canada’s thriving design scene. From a Toronto woodworker to a Nova Scotia-based vintage store, we spotlight just a few of the many talented Canadian creators in our annual A List.
Scroll down to see the makers and retailers to watch this year!
Simon Johns, East Bolton, Que.
Simon Johns is a fine arts-trained designer living and working in the secluded woods of southern Quebec. His one-off and limited-edition sculptural furniture is a reflection of the pure and raw shapes of his surroundings.
Why Now: Simon’s work is popping up in homes from Brooklyn to Miami to Connecticut, as well as design firms like Les Ensembliers and Kelly Wearstler. His Ledge console sits in the Embassy of Canada to Iceland.
The new facetted-front Diamond sideboard.
Simon Johns’ Ledge console is inspired by the cliffs near his home.
Black Bear Woodworking, Toronto
Terry Moore is an Ojibway woodworker who studied traditional furniture-making techniques under master craftspeople such as Mac Thomas, Michael Fortune and Black Tibbitt. Since founding his company in 1994, Terry has used elements from his Anishinaabe background to create pieces using metal, acrylic, glass and sustainably sourced native woods.
Why Now: Terry makes the annual Necker Cup tennis trophy for Sir Richard Branson and created a boardroom table for the Naskapi Nation. Recently, he designed and made a set of heirloom tables that incorporate carvings rooted in the Ojibway Seven Grandfather Teachings.
This chair is a tribute to George Nakashima, one of Terry’s heroes.
Alpenglow Projects, Vancouver
Operated by Jeff Martin, Alpenglow Projects is a contemporary design and art gallery that treats furniture and lighting as collectible items worthy of a gallery-like setting. Jeff (who produces furniture and small glass objects for his own practice) dedicates a portion of his industrial space to other makers to create “work which is risky in some sense, where our artists and designers have more freedom,” he says.
Why Now: Alpenglow is a platform for creatives to produce limited- run art furniture that also serves to connect them to new clientele, similar to New York’s Friedman Benda gallery and the annual Design Miami exhibition south of the border.
Wooden stools by Dan John Anderson; Fluted stone stools by Caterina Moretti; light fixture by Brendan Ravenhill Studio; Beige RBS vessels by Steven Haulenbeek.
The Pebble Stool by Jeff Martin.
Plant Plant, Calgary
Plant Plant is a unique combination of plant store, studio and production space. Founded by Kyle Chow, the shop (which is located in a former foundry) hosts date night workshops for making DIY terrariums and floral jars, and you can learn how to propagate plants, too. It also offers a monthly subscription box of live plants, plant-related accessories, tools and expert tips, all curated by artists, designers and makers.
Why Now: With “plant parenting” having gone mainstream, Plant Plant was conceived to serve budding gardeners the horticultural knowledge they need to help their babies thrive.
Calgary’s Kyle Chow caters to plant parents everywhere.
Conifer Shop, Truro, N.S.
Owner Brett Meech sources many of his products from European antique markets, as evidenced by their timeworn, aged patinas. A favorite of designers like Jonathan Legate, the shop benefits from Brett’s impeccable eye and his ability to style magazine-worthy vignettes, making his wares even more seductive.
Why Now: In the past, exploring a crammed antique shop or off- the-beaten-path vintage store was both an adventure and an undertaking. But a new breed of retailers such as Conifer Shop, Smash and Vintage Fine Objects are leveraging e-commerce and Instagram to get their wares seen by more shoppers, which means that a greater number of antiques and preloved accent pieces are landing in our homes.
Brett Meech expertly styles the vintage wares in his East Coast warehouse.