IDS 2017 warms up Toronto with design and dance

by Allan Tong
(last update: Feb. 24)

Toronto is a frozen hell-hole in January. Besides paying off Christmas credit card bills and enduring the darkest days of the year, Torontonians have little to enjoy at the start of the year. The Interior Design Show shrewdly fills the void to promote Canadian and world designers of home furnishings while injecting colour and fun into the city.

Last Thursday (January 19), the IDS opened with its annual party, sprawled across the north building of the Metro Convention Centre. Dozen of exhibitors' booths poured bubbly, beer and wine while others offered canopes of everything from beef to falafels. "It's the first real party of the year," said one woman, who works at a bank. "After Christmas, we kind of hibernate, and now we come out."

She paid $61 and dressed up to take in the party that lasted four hours. The unusually mild weather attracted larger crowds than last year. Partygoers danced and drank at the Caesarstone Stage (below) while consumers and industry professionals alike glided from booth to booth with champagne in their hands to admire the latest luxury bathtubs, lighting fixtures, kitchen appliances and bedroom sets. Everyone dressed up, like a red carpet premiere, and leaned towards casual chic. (I'd never seen so many black leather pants in one place.)

The rest of the show ran through the weekend, attracting females and couples and creating an altogether different vibe, relaxed and leisurely.

The Caestarstone Stage was rocking on opening night, but turned into the main stage for guest speakers for the rest of IDS (below).

Suck on a sweet helium balloon at the Partisans Factory booth.

Partisans is produces a line of architectural lights called Gweilo. Yup, that's a light and each is shaped as hot plastic. LED lights are diffused across the sheet. Gweilo lights can be accents, dividers or centrepieces.

Avalon's NativeStone tub (made of slate) was a show winner last year.

Samsung's futuristic smart refrigerators lets you peek inside when you're shopping at the supermarket. They're about to hit Canada at $7,000. 

Storyboard Furniture's lamp will catch attention and light a room.

These beautiful screens by Susan Avishai may look like lace, but they're actually recycled men's dress shirts.

Canadian Tire (above and below) attracted lots of adults painting-by-numbers the Toronto skyline, using its Premier line of paints.

 

Montreal-based Wetstyle offers a range of bio-friendly bathtubs and sinks, made of soy and mineral stone.

Several stations offered tasty canopes, such as this brioche sampler by The Bix, but lines were long for some. 

Urban Barn bedroom set

Furniture by Martin C. Vendryes Woodworking and sculpture by Timber Art in the elaborate
 wood section