Best of Design Week, Pt 6: Terrific Tartan and Heavenly Lighting

We are awarding 100 of the best products, installations and artworks we spot throughout Toronto Design Week with our Designlines Loves tags, specially designed by Sali Tabacchi.

Below is the sixth batch of designs that caught our attention. Keep track of everything we’ve tagged in our master list and check back as we spotlight more of our great finds in the days ahead.

1 Coast to Coast collection
The latest from textile designer Liz Eeuwes, Studio Eeuwes‘ new Coast to Coast collection of handmade cushions, dhurrie rugs and block stools reimagines Canadian icons in the style of early video game graphics (think arcade games like Space Invaders). We loved Liz’s playful way of fusing technology and nature, and found this beaver cushion especially irresistible.
Tagged by Eric Mutrie on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

2 Mammamia Punk chair
On display at Radform‘s booth, Italian manufacturer Opinion Ciatti‘s studded chair makes an impact with its rocker attitude.
Tagged by Eric Mutrie on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

3 Jerome sofa
Long live the nineties! Montauk Sofa revives a grunge-era staple, presenting one of its signature sofas in a luxe tartan plaid. Above, Montauk’s team – all clad in tartan kilts and killer black boots – takes a seat on the comfy sofa in the brand’s crazy-striped concept space.
Tagged by Eric Mutrie on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

4 Frame prototype
Quebec bathroom fixture maker WetStyle displayed an all-wood prototype that will be added to its Frame Collection later this year. Made of American black walnut, the vanity brought a spa-like serenity to WetStyle’s booth. The mirrored cabinet includes high-end features like a defogger.
Tagged by Eric Mutrie on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

5 “I See So Much of Myself in You” Mirror
Selfie-lovers flocked to this clever floor mirror at Atelier Nomade‘s booth. Done by artist and maker Alexander Jowett under the moniker Antoine Jouet, the mirror’s drippy black ink stencil lettering contrasts nicely with its ornate white frame.
Tagged by Eric Mutrie on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

6 Joynt chair
Troublemakers who love precariously balancing chairs on their two rear legs have finally met their match. Thanks to a rubber joint partway up the frame of Italian manufacturer Lago‘s Joynt chair, on display at Suite 22 Interiors‘ booth, the chair’s backrest bends as you lean against it, making for a comfortable – and secure – desk or dining chair. We also love the simple, graphic look of the chair’s three contrasting materials.
Tagged by Eric Mutrie on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

7 Motus
Listen up, lofty condo owners: Scavolini‘s Motus system is perfect for creating hybrid kitchen-and-living-room compositions. Combine open bookcases and closed cabinetry to create a seamless environment that accomodates everything from books to pots and pans. Shown here, super-scratch resistant porcelain cabinets complement laquered base units.

Tagged by Eric Mutrie on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

8 48″ Dual Fuel M Touch Range
Part of Miele‘s M Touch line of appliances featuring an easy-to-use, touch screen operating system, this unit combines a gas stove top, an electric oven, a combo microwave/ convection oven, and a warming drawer. Miele’s MasterChef program helps cooking noobs with presets that make achieving the perfect crush a cinch. Select a type of bread (icons let you pick between everything from brioche to banana bread), and the oven will add automatic steam bursts during the baking process. To play up the oven’s high-tech features, Miele was 3D-printing miniature versions of the model using two MakerBots.
Tagged by Eric Mutrie on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

9 Quatrus Gourmet Series
German sink manufacturer Blanco helps space-starved chefs make the most of their counter real-estate with a range of new accessories. Custom-sized to lock into Blanco’s Quatrus line of sinks, an ash cutting board provides an area for veggie chopping, while a slotted workstation offers a spot to store tools. A pair of elevated wire racks sit in the sink to provide a space to set pots or to act as a drainer when rinsing lettuce. We especially loved the fun video Blanco made to demonstrate how the lineup could be reconfigured throughout the day to facilitate breakfast, lunch and dinner prep and cleanup.
Tagged by Eric Mutrie on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

10 Anwar Suspension Light
Designed by Stephen Burks for Parachilna, this hand-wound, anodized copper lamp was a standout at Lightform‘s booth. As you move around it, there’s a strong moiré effect – very kinetic.
Tagged by David Dick-Agnew on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

11 Wallace Light
In his first appearance at IDS, Coolican and Company showed off an impressive collection of seating, plus this gypsum-shaded reading light. While the influence of Scandinavian and early Canadian woodworking traditions are evident in Peter Coolican’s hand-made in Toronto designs, a subtle lightness gives the pieces an unmistakably contemporary feel.
Tagged by David Dick-Agnew on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

12 Triangular light
No doubt, Toronto design firm MSDS Studio has a very bright future ahead of it. At their booth this year, designers Jessica Nakanishi and Jonathan Sabine debuted a triangular concept adapted from their hit Ladder Light. As-of-yet-unnamed, the prototype combines a leather strap and a powder-coated metal bar, diffusing a soft, heavenly glow.
Tagged by David Dick-Agnew on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

13 Graffiti Light
Presented by Living Lighting on King, this funky, urban pendant is part of a series designed in collaboration with graffiti artist Mediah. Spray-painted by hand, each light is unique, and custom designs are also available.
Tagged by David Dick-Agnew on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

14 Lodge Chair
Seen at Stylegarage‘s booth, this leather and bent ply club chair from Gus Modern’s spring collection is masculine without the macho. We fell for the clean lines, and the rugged sensibility added by the exposed edge of the bent ply.
Tagged by David Dick-Agnew on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

15 X900C TV
Available in sizes up to 70″, this 4K resolution slim Sony television is even thinner than an iPhone. It’s slated for release in late spring.
Tagged by David Dick-Agnew on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show

16 Access Americas
This sculpture felt like a maze without walls. A message that’s legible from a distance – “my home” – breaks up on approach. Many of the cardboard tubes in the installation have their own phrases on them – each a line from a poem written by the artists behind the installation, Gaston Soucy and Ruth A. Mora of SUMO Project. The different, disorienting messages presented as you navigate the sculpture speak to the cultural displacement and gaining perspective.
Tagged by David Dick-Agnew on Jan 23, at the Interior Design Show