Decorating & Design
January 26, 2017
Trend Report: Top Finds From Toronto’s Interior Design Show
Senior editor Morgan Michener shares what’s on her radar from IDS17.
Just like that, the Toronto Interior Design Show is over for another year. The four-day event did not disappoint, and was packed with great key notes and inspired design. I always find it interesting to see which products and technology take off and become must-haves or mainstays after the show. This year’s show left me inspired to embrace color at home, streamline my kitchen, take a look at terrazzo, celebrate new technology and as always, support Canadian design. Click through to find my top trends and takeaways!
Color, in the kitchen? Yes! That’s what Grohe has so playfully presented with the new Semi-Pro Faucet. With silicone hoses that operate like a simple pull-down hose (without all the springs you usually see), this pared-down design offers a fully rotating spray arm while the hose is held in place with a powerful magnet.
Right now they are available in white and black matte, but over the next couple of months they’ll be available in the fun colors pictured above. The hose colors are also interchangeable, so you can swap out the black and embrace the fuchsia if you feel like a change.
The brand new Modulus Collection from DXV (Lixil Brands) was a showstopper. These pieces were just launched at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, and they are beauties. Just look at those gorgeous sinks and accessories (notice the piece hiding the drain), and single-lever, low-profile vanity faucet.
The Quebec-based company Altea Furniture buys and restores European antiques in addition to creating custom designs. Featured at the show was their iron dining table. Its striking shape and chestnut top can be customized in countless materials from marble to leather. Built for both indoor and outdoor applications, the table offers lots of versatility.
Partisans and AyA Kitchens showcased a partnership called CUBI at the show. It’s a refreshing pared-down system made of maple that allows you to create a design with modular storage. Seeing the application used in a kitchen felt fresh and new.
One of my favorite tile companies, Montreal-based Céragrès, had a lovely booth. A standout was the oversized hexagon tile made of porcelain to mimic the look of terrazzo. (I wish I needed a new floor!)
It was great to see the new Case collection from Cocoon Furnishings in person. They now offer custom case goods such as buffets and nightstands, all made in Canada. With complete customization available from style, size, wood choice (yes they are made of wood), finish and hardware, the line allows you to choose it all. The retail bar has really been set high with this introduction.
I am a big believer in investing in great art and am in absolute love with these “Series 7” modern-inspired totem poles made of Canadian Douglas fir by Djuna Day Studios. To quote Ms. Day, “They hold the meaning that totems have always held, and carry it into our modern lives.”
Morgan Michener