Top emerging trends seen at the Interior Design Show
IDS Vancouver is the West Coast’s premier design show. We just wrapped our 15th year, and as always, the show was full of exciting new makers, art installations, and of course, design inspiration for every taste and every budget. Here are a few of my favourite emerging trends:
Solid furniture with soft, curved edges rather than sharp corners is something I’ve enjoyed seeing offered more and more as of late. Stained dark black or smoky walnut are popular with solid wood furniture as are two very opposite, very light woods; white oak or ash.
It’s not just curved – edged furniture with softer lines have been appealing to us all these days, archways are still delighting us and were prevalent at last year’s IDS Vancouver. This year designers have taken the trend farther. The entrance of our VIP Lounge designed by Vancouver-based firm LIV Studios had a beautiful arch as did Union Wood Co.
Natural, local materials and simple unfussy forms are a nod to the region’s natural resources. This was evident under the archway in the tunnel of Union Wood Co. with their beautiful, long table, stump stools and wood shavings. Barter’s collection of homewares was a delight. Also, Portland-based Hew have a beautiful offering of handmade spoons and serving vessels.
With real estate prices being what they are, less people are owning their homes and are in turn investing in structural upgrades. Opting for more portable lighting options that you can take with you from home to home rather than hardwiring in pendants and show-stopping chandeliers, companies with beautiful lighting solutions have launched versions of well-loved classics to better suit the growing rental market. Floor lamps and compact, powerful lighting solutions are good looking and can move with you.
I adore my versatile Menu Carrie LED light that we are able to easily charge at our off the grid cabin as it uses just a USB charger. To further make my point, when we sold our home, we showed it with a Tom Dixon pendant in the dining room. Rather than write into our sale agreement that the pendant was not included in the sale of the house, we were advised to just let it go. I miss that light!.
Okay, but colour and texture are a good thing too. A standout collection was by Paolo Lenti in collaboration with the popular Vancouver Showroom, Livingspace. A feast for the eyes, Paolo Lenti’s bright, bold outdoor furniture and the screen of beautifully textured, garland-like, strung fabric that housed it was show-stopping. Designing and making their own materials including the fabrics, ropes and fibres the furniture is made with, the brand did a lot of research to find the proper fibre, and then modified it for their outdoor furniture. Paola Lenti furniture, both outdoor and indoor, is known for its bright, vibrant colours. One can find pops of colour in the most delightful places and objects these days including in works by artist Dina Gonzalez Mascaro. Her vessels are organic in shape and surprisingly bold in colour..
About the Author
Former product designer and longtime art, craft and design devourer, Jody Phillips has been the director of Interior Design Show Vancouver since 2014. With a diploma in studio art from Capilano College as well as a BFA from UBC, Phillips is known for creating visual narratives and championing design both locally and internationally.