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"Anyone who loves design" was what the Interior Design show at the Toronto Convention Centre was all about. The promotion of good design, not just interior design, was the umbrella premise for the event. The website that was built to promote the event http://www.interiordesignshow.com can give you a very good introduction to what happened on site. |
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January 22-24, 1999. |
Speakers included the like of Tyler Brûlé, the editor of Wallpaper* and New York-based designer Karim Rashid whose Umbra waste baskets have become one of his most recogniseable products just to name few. The highlights of the show were the four rooms designed by four high profile interior design firms in Canada: Cecconi Simone, Gluckstein Design, Powell & Binnell and Terrelonge. Each company was given the mandate to "create their own expression of design" within a 600-square-foot space. The results were quite different in style. The most interesting of the four, not necessarily in design originality, was the room designed by Terrelonge. The company looked at very interesting issue: homelessness. They rendered quite a strong statement, as the room was a sample of a Progressive Contemporary Teepee. Their aesthetic solution is expected to actually be built in the district of Port Antonio, Jamaica, beginning in the year 2001. In essence, the smaller booths were much more accessible and interesting as they focussed on their products, not on their sales pitch; the larger booths such as Club Monaco, Eatons and American Ceramics focussed more on the masses. It is always a concern to me when I notice that design shows are becoming more and more about gimmicks rather than good design when it comes to the general public. Needless to mention, not all the big players missed their mark: Bang & Olufsen showcased it's multi-CD players that made every onlooker drool and Philips products are always eye catching visual jewels. The presence of companies like IKEA at the show strengthened that good design can be accessible to the public, without having to spend a life's fortune. Even the Toronto based Design Exchange promoted it's "World Cup of Design" interactive competition, where Canadian-designed chairs were "competing" against Italian chairs in terms of design and comfort. The participants would choose which team deserved victory and which chair should be awarded MVP. Everybody is in titled to an honest opinion when it comes to design. The only glitch to the show was the bottle neck entrance to see the four "designed rooms", yet it was worth the wait to see the rooms. The rest of the floor lent itself well to exploring the many booths of interesting products but needless to say, the rooms presented interior design at it's best. The concept should have been explored more. Seeing a product in context is the key to truly appreciating good product and interior design. Hopefully next year, the show will include more rooms to explore... |
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