ERA Rug Design Competition

ERA is an acronym for Evolution in Rug Artistry. This year, a competition was launched by Weavers Art to showcase Canadian design talent while promoting ethical carpet and rug production. The top 10 rugs were presented at the Interior Design Show by media sponsor Azure, and a silent auction was held. All proceeds from the auction will go to DAREarts, a local charity providing art education to at risk children.

New @ge Rug
Kenneth Ho
Inspired by the idea of how people are connected by the use of technology.

Ditdah Rug
Fishbol Design Atelier & Narae Kim
White and orange circles replace the dots and dashes of Morse code.

Calacatta
Fleur-de-Lis Design
Wool and silk combine to resemble rich veins of Calacatta marble.

Zipper Rug
Jennifer Fong
Inspired by the concepts of interaction and modularity,
particularly due to the trend of small space living.

Une Affaire De Coeur
Katherine Morley
Here the fleur-de-lis and the maple leaf are harmonious.

Roncesvalles
3rd Uncle Design
The design evokes a sense of place.

Tartan
Clayton Budd of 64th and Queen
A bold & graphic reinterpretation of the classic tartan.

The Jazzy Rug
Roy Banse
Based on the graphic eye exam chart, but with a musical connection.

Lake Ontario
Joy Charbonneau & Ed Zec
The detailed bathymetric form of Lake Ontario.

Bone
Alison Milne Design
A combination of nature and fine art.

Congratulations to the successful silent auction bidders who were able to take home a piece of Canadian art and design (and then walk all over it)!!

IDS 2010: Big Impact Booths

This year approximately 300 exhibitors occupied the North building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Front Street for the Toronto Interior Design Show. Here is an overview of the show floor:


All of the booths were well presented, but the real showstoppers were the central exhibitors, Ikea and Andrew Richard Designs, who made a big impact with large, double-sided displays:

Ikea

Ikea won the Gold Award for booth design in its size category.

Key words: White, Bright, Clean & Uncluttered.

On the East Side: Media & Storage
Trend: Glamorous Glossy Finish Cabinetry

On the West Side: Kitchen Innovations
Trend: High Gloss Grey Cabinet Doors

Trend: Warm Copper Effect Cabinet Doors

Andrew Richard Designs

This booth made me long for the return of summer.
Key words: Luxury, Retreat & Inside Out

On the East Side: City Chic Small Spaces
Trend: Organic Modern

On the West Side: Poolside Retreat
Trend: Bring the Inside Outside

It's not all about the big guys, these exhibitors also had eye catching booth design:

Weaver's Art

The large central flower arrangement was
just as gorgeous as the surrounding area rugs.

Moen
The metal trellis pattern glowed from within.
Very eye catching!!

All photos by CherishToronto

IDS Highlights: Design Talks

As planned, I attended the IDS today at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Since I didn't get out of bed until 11:10 am, it was no small feat to get myself ready and over to Front Street before noon to see House & Home editor Suzanne Dimma speak about Design Trends for 2010.

Photo courtesy of HouseandHome

Suzanne's presentation highlighted the popular trends we can look forward to seeing in home decor this year:

• Renegade Regency
• Tailored Gypsy
• New British Colonial
• Belgian Farmhouse
• Black Magic
• Organic Modern (Suzanne's Favourite Trend)
• Luxe Loft
• New Country
• Traditional Remix (My Personal Fave - I love a good mix!!)

Fabric of 2010: VELVET
Colour of 2010: Dark GREY

At 2pm, host Mark Challen was joined onstage by guests Suzanne Dimma and designer Brian Gluckstein for a presentation about Enduring Design. The discussion was quite lively, and I was surprised to discover that Brian Gluckstein is quite the funny man. Very interesting and entertaining!!


There were a lot of ideas, and these are the key points to Enduring Design raised by the panel:

• A well designed space should be COMFORTABLE.
• For effective lighting, DIMMER SWITCHES should always be used.
• The key to adding personality to a space is with ART & BOOKS.
• Creating TENSION in a room stimulates interest.
• The less colour a room has, the more TEXTURE is required.
• Add a touch of BLACK to every room.
• Build a NEUTRAL base and add colour with accessories & art.

For the final Design Talk, Mark Challen took to the stage at 4 pm for a presentation entitled Screen Style. For those unfamiliar with Mark's work, he is a style commentator with House & Home media.

Image courtesy of IDSWest

In this discussion, Mark encourages us to look at movies from a different perspective, by looking beyond the actors to the set design. When we notice the set design, we realize how it contributes to the mood in each scene almost as much as the actors do themselves.

Miranda Priestly's Office
The Devil Wears Prada

Image courtesy of AllMoviePhoto

I spent a fabulous afternoon at the IDS, and these Design Talks were definitely a highlight of my visit. Of course there was a lot more to see, so expect more coverage of the show on the blog this week.

IDS 2010 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre

The Interior Design Show returns to Toronto this weekend, spreading out across the North Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The IDS will feature more than 300 exhibitors showcasing the latest design innovations and upcoming trends for home interiors and exteriors.


As always, there will be some great design talks at the show. Saturday afternoons speakers include journalist Ingrid Abramovitch and designer Barbara Hulanicki, as well as what I'm sure will be a lively panel discussion on the subject of "Defining Luxury". The schedule for Sunday promises to be equally interesting, with appearances by House & Home editor Suzanne Dimma, Mark Challen, style commentator, and Brian Gluckstein, principal of Gluckstein Design Planning.


Of course no IDS would be complete without several Feature Exhibits to highlight budding talent and future design stars. I always look forward to the prototype display, which presents innovative new ideas in furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories. In addition, this year there will be a Feature Exhibit to showcase the work of Canadian industrial design school students. It's always interesting to see what the next generation is planning for us.


Homegrown design talent will be featured at Studio North again this year, where there will be 35 innovative Canadian studios showcasing their work. It's amazing how many various creative talents are cultivated here in Canada.


The Interior Design Show runs Saturday January 23rd, 10am-7pm and Sunday January 24th, 10am-6pm. Tickets are available for $17 online in advance, or $20 at the door.

Purchase tickets via this link: IDS Tickets

Enjoy the show!!!

All photos courtesy of www.InteriorDesignShow.com

Bloomingdale's Big Window Challenge

There's nothing like a good old fashioned contest to bring out the competitive spirit in all of us, and the Bloomingdale's Big Window Challenge is no exception. Votes are currently being tabulated for the most beautiful window, and you can cast your vote twice daily by logging into Apartment Therapy, and by sending a text to 89800 (get the details here). It's a close race between the competitors, so every vote counts!! And while you're there, be sure to check out ad the comments for each entry, they make very interesting reading.

And the designers are:

Eddie Ross for Elle Decor
(Go Eddie!!!!!!!!)

Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan for Apartment Therapy

Eileen Joyce for Bloomingdale's