7 Toronto Makers to Meet at the Scavolini Store Now

As the pandemic persists, Torontonians have a lot on their minds: how to work safely, how to interact responsibly, how to stay healthy? With home being the ultimate haven, many of us have made use of the isolation by re-evaluating our living space and, having a bit more time on our hands, have started to plan makeovers. But where to begin, and with whom to shop? The kitchen is the most popular starting point, and shopping local is the always the right choice.

Like us, Scavolini Toronto – local source of the eponymous Italian designed and crafted kitchen systems – believes that now more than ever we need to actively celebrate and support Toronto makers. And so, to this point, the Castlefield Design District showroom has curated an exhibit of the latest and fan-favourite furniture, accessories and art by some of the city’s top creative talents, with the goal of helping you get to know these makers better, and to hopefully become a patron of Toronto design. So below, a bit about who’ll you meet at the show, whether you visit in person or virtually.

Anony

Headed by designers Christian Lo and David Ryan, Anony champions local manufacturing, high-end LED technology and slow, thoughtful design. Add an interest in modular components and a push for affordability, and you’ve got a collection of carefully-crafted, award-worthy lighting designs with modern verve to spare. If you need proof, check out this stunning pendant, and our profile of the illuminating duo here.

Filo Timo

Sure, “stop and smell the roses,” but perhaps pause and consider the architectural details around you, too. Hand rails, fasteners, fireplace surrounds, door jambs – unlike long ago, much of this work is cranked out far-away using mediocre materials. Enter Filo Timo, an architectural component design studio popular with some of the city’s best boutique architecture firms. Led by Erica Pecoskie and George Simionopoulos, this pair makes the everyday and overlooked fascinating.

Hollis+Morris

Our friend and one-time DL cover model Mischa Couvrette quickly rose from newbie to bonafide design star after catching the attention of locavores with walnut and oak seating solutions lovingly named for Toronto neighbourhoods. Soon after he released tables, light fixtures and tabletop accessories all while operating a showroom and fabrication shop near Black Creek (and gracing the pages of international design magazines, too).

Lori Harrison

We had the good fortune of meeting Lori Harrison last year, in her studio, when we were touring the communal design hub that is 70 Geary Avenue. It was there that the visual artist blew us away with her multimedia paintings, each a showcase of chaotic beauty fashioned from simple ingredients, including linen, wood, plaster, metal, ink and paint. To these materials – which weather, age and warp – she adds her own marks, juxtaposing control and disorder to astounding effect.

Moss & Lam

If the opportunity to visit the workspace of this award-winning custom art studio ever arises, do not skip it, as it’s likely one of the most inspiring places you’ll ever see (here’s a peek). Home to 20-plus artisans and helmed by co-founder Deborah Moss, Moss & Lam creates art, objects, installations and large-scale bespoke wall surfaces for luxury hospitality and retail brands world-wide. Luckily for all of us, there are smaller scale art works and decorative home accessories available, too.

Paul Lavoie

Also showcasing his artwork at the show is Paul Lavoie, probably the most multi-faceted creative in this group. Designer, art director, illustrator, film director and entrepreneur, Lavoie co-founded TAXI advertising agency and masterminded the new water sports luxury brand Beau Lake Co. His digital drawings at Scavolini express what creativity means to Lavoie as he, too, navigates the new normal that is isolation.

Rekindle

From trays and chopping boards, to tea lights and picture frames, even shelves and coat hooks, each heirloom-worthy object by Rekindle is painstakingly produced. After all, “high quality goods that are meant to last” is the MO of this group of craftspeople that design and fabricate their household goods here in Toronto. Made most often from walnut and oak, their work fits seamlessly into any modern home.