INTERIOR DESIGN SHOW, opening night party tonight (Thursday, January 24), professional trade day Friday (January 25), general admission Saturday-Sunday (January 26-27) at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (255 Front West). Opening night $60, Saturday and Sunday $22. interiordesignshow.com.
With the addition of the new Designboom Mart, a globe-trotting bazaar stocked with covetable furniture and housewares, the Interior Design Show focuses more than ever on buying as much as browsing. Just in case you’re in the market for some sweet design, we’ve pre-shopped IDS’s exhibitions for a few impulse- purchase-worthy finds.
Designboom Mart
Toronto’s first edition of the Designboom Mart concept created by online mag designboom.com includes vendors from Korea, the U.S. and Canada. Prices for pieces including these ceramic cups ($24 each) by Montreal’s Designlump (designlump.com) top out at $100.
Modern Kid
The Modern Kid area includes pieces for parents who’d rather not fill their child’s room with bins of plastic toys and disposable baby gear. Three Pears’ colourful wood bobble toy ($55, threepears.ca) is hardy enough to be passed down over and over again.
Studio North
Canadian design devotees always make a beeline for IDS’s Studio North. Picks here don’t get more patriotic than Trunk Studio’s Station Chair in birch and walnut toped with cushions upholstered in MacAusland wool from PEI ($1,950 to $2,150, trunkstudio.com).
ONEXONE Blu Dot Auction
This year’s opening-night fundraising auction benefiting ONEXONE (onexone.org) features 20 Blu Dot Real Good Chairs reimagined by creative types including artist Sonny Assu. Bidding starts at $200.
The Design Lodge
In their Design Lodge, Style Garage and Gus* put a contemporary spin on the classic cabin set-up, complete with a fire pit and roasted marshmallows. Take a load off on limited-edition GTI rockers covered in vintage Porsche and VW seat fabric ($2,200, stylegarage.com).
All photos by David Hawe
