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Countdown to the Interior Design Show: 18 Karat

The booth and installation that 18 Karat did for last year’s IDS may have shown up in more photographs than any other. Known for their creative use of colour, materials and simple forms, 18 Karat will be back this year with dramatic hues of grass, poppy and canary from their new spring collection.

All images courtesy 18 Karat: New Spring Collection from 18 Karat; antidote bottles, and other vibrant displays from the design team at 18 Karat

Some of the key pieces in the new spring collection are the “Antidote” bottles, “Crumple” vases and “Epoch” bowl. The Antidotes are ceramic and glass in punchy colours (the shape is reminiscent of old whiskey bottles). The “Crumple” vase collection, also in ceramic and glass, gets its name from the fact it looks like crumpled paper.

Crumpled glass vase (image courtesy of the designer, Patty Johnson)

My favourite, however (from pics anyway – we’ll see in the flesh at IDS), is the Epoch bowl, a gigantic hand-formed brass bowl. Judging from the pics, it looks amazing filled with water and tea lights that reflect off the metal. Kenny Torrance, one of the design team members of 18 Karat, designed it. It was made by craftspeople in India working with traditional methods. Insert

Epoch bowl from 18 Karate

Yesterday: Countdown to IDS: Patty Johnson | Tomorrow: Countdown to IDS: How Do You Live?

Judith Mackin is founder and creative director of punchinside, an interior design firm in Saint John, New Brunswick. You can follow her regularly updated blog on www.judithmackin.ca. Her design and décor studio, TUCK, is slated to open in April 2012. (photo credit: Kelly Lawson)

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Discuss: Home By Novogratz Episodes 9 and 10

I apologize for the late post! Blame it on the office sickness that's lurking around Shaw Media headquarters these days. I really enjoyed Home By Novogratz this week because Bob and Cortney designed two spaces for families that were colourful, personal and a lot of fun.

Episode 9 took the Novogratzes to Long Branch, NJ to design a family-friendly condo for their friend and client, Dave Barry.

The bold hallway makes a statement as soon as you walk in...

...and carries into the dining area, which includes a signature Novogratz lightbox text treatment (they have a similar sentiment/treatment in their own kitchen!).

If you have a pink-loving daughter, then this is the dream room for her!

The sons' room gets bright blue walls and a rainbow carpet, while the master bedroom, below, is super-sunny yellow. I can't imagine ever sleeping in! Though when you're on the beach, you probably want to get out and hit the waves asap.

Families and New Jersey were the theme this week as Bob and Cortney traveled back to the garden state to design a playroom and screening room area for a fun-loving family with three kids.

Plays-ment extraordinaire!

The wallpaper on the back wall is a similar treatment to the wallpaper the Novogratzes used in the model apartment last week.

The stairway teaches about colour and reading, but still looks pretty cool, don't you think? And how about that slide?! My brother and I would have loved that growing up.

Behind the stairs is the adult space -- the screening room complete with wine fridge, microwave and mini-bar.

What did you think of this week's family-friendly designs?

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On the Eve of #IDS12: Karim Rashid on Music, Movies and Global Design

With opening night for IDS 2012 less than a day away, I wanted to check in with multidisciplinary designer Karim Rashid, the featured attraction at the Opening party on Thursday night.

Karim with Xperia Arc 2 Phone cover for Sony Ericsson, Sweden, 2011

Having met him once before, I'm pleased to report that he's as forthright and provocative as ever. Taking time from a busy schedule, he tells me what music you won’t find on his ipod, which designer he feels is woefully under appreciated, and reflects on his Canadian roots. Meet Karim while getting your groove on at this Thursday night's OPENING PARTY IDS 2012!

Judith: What, if anything, has design taught you about music (or vice versa)?
Karim: Design is not just relegated to the visual, but design touches all our senses and is the complete human experience. Music affords me to concentrate, be inspired, dream, imagine, and become completely engrossed in what I am working on. It is an essential part of my process. I find also that the technology for creating design and music are similar and both interchangeable. 

Photo courtesy of Karim Rashid

Judith: What’s an art form in which you see yourself as having the least talent?
Karim: I always wanted to be a musician but had no talent. Hence it is probably why I ended up playing other peoples music as a deejay. I am not a good deejay either, but I only play special events, design weeks, and museums. My strength is finding interesting and unconventional music. I also cannot sing, and I wish I could so I am drawn towards beautiful voices like Bryan Ferry, David Bowie, Antony Hegarty, and others.

Karim Rashid’s interior design of the nhow Berlin, music and lifestyle hotel. His visionary style strikes a perfect chord with the building’s exterior, designed by star architect Sergei Tchoban, making the nhow Berlin one of the capital’s modern architectural and design highlights. Photo by Lukas Roth.

Judith: Whose or what music will never be on your iPod…and why?
Karim: Well I have 2 160 GB iPods with about 45,000 tracks but I do not have any Gospel or classical. I know many would not understand but classical is just too old for me (and probably any music before 1974 is too old for me) -- well I do have Philip Glass, but I do not consider him classical. I generally listen to everything from folk (Gordon Lightfoot) to country rock (Neil young and The Marshall Tucker Band) to dance music (Aeroplane) to electronica (Kraftwerk, Woolfy vs. Projections, Brian Eno) to pop (Crystal Castles) to reggae to industrial to freestyle to Italdisco, and play an eclectic mix of electronic, deep house, ambient, nu-disco, downtempo, punk, ambient, and electrobeat.   

Karim Rashid’s interior design for the University of Naples subway station, Italy. Photos by Iwan Baan for M.N. Metropolitana di Napoli.

Judith: How, if at all, have your Canadian roots informed your sense of design?
Karim: I think my Canadian roots had more to do with my belief in having an expansive education, a broad view on life, and a pluralist attitude to the built environment. I loved the Italian product design landscape and all those products were designed by architects. I went to do post graduate studies in Italy with Ettore Sottsass, Gaetano Pesce, and Andries Van Onck for a special graduate program near Naples in Italy. I also took night classes with Achille Castiglioni at the Polytechnic and I interned with Rodolfo Bonetto in Milano, Italy.
 
Judith: Who’s the most under appreciated designer in your opinion?
Karim: Luigi Colani. He seems to fund his own organic experiments. I greatly respect his work and contributed to the book Colani – Back in Japan. He is widely known in Japan but his amazing biodesigns are lesser known in the west.

The nhow Berlin hotel, interiors by Karim Rashid. Photos by Lukas Roth.

Judith: How do you see the future of design? Is its influence growing, waning, or something of a constant in western culture?
Karim: The culture of design has so much momentum. In fact, I think it is growing faster in Eastern countries. I find abroad, as opposed to the West, I have much more freedom, and the clients tend to be more open to challenging the boundaries of design. In all the countries I work in, however, they are coming to me because they are seeking my style, so aesthetic tastes are alike on some level. In Korea their aesthetic is very fresh, young and playful. The West has very staid ideas of what is quality and many of the emerging markets are willing to grow and expand with new ideas of design.    

Judith: What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the last year?
Karim: That is a really difficult question. I am torn between Amores Perros, Biutiful and Gomorrah.

Judith: If you could take up another profession at this stage of your life, what would it be? 
Karim: When I was a child I wanted to be a mathematician if I was not a designer, but now I would consider being a musician or a motivational speaker.

Karim Rashid’s Hellraiser Tabletop Collection for Alessi, Italy 2011

Judith: Do you mind being questioned?  Do you prefer that your designs speak for themselves?
Karim: Absolutely we should discuss design and the designer’s life. Good design needs advocates. It has been my mission to make design a public subject and to inspire the design community and the public to realize that design changes the world.

Karim Rashid’s Window Shade Collection for Velux, Denmark, 2011

Judith: How do feel about nostalgia? Where is its place in modern design? 
Karim: Certainly we all should have respect for our heritage, our traditions, and rituals, but not to hang on to them so sacredly that we don't progress or develop new rituals. We must celebrate and see our world now; we need to be more prescient and flexible about how cultures change. It always struck me as very odd that we can continue to embrace traditions that become irrelevant to our world today. I say NO-STALGIA.

VEUVE CLICQUOT Love Seat by Karim Rashid

Judith: The rule that form must follow function is now accepted as commonplace. Is there any risk to wedding form too closely to function? What about whimsy?
Karim: The future shapes will be inspired by each product’s subject matter but my interest is to make form as sensual, as human, as evocative, and as sculptural as possible, trying to find new forms that have never existed. I think whimsy may be essential to lighten or elevate our everyday lives.   

Bobble jug; DIRT DEVIL Family, all designs by Karim Rashid.

Judith: What, in your experience, is the most commonly under designed space in the home?
Karim: Design has managed to penetrate every aspect of our lives so you can find well-designed kitchens, bedrooms, living spaces, bathrooms, etc. But I would say that we still seem to hang onto archetypes and conventions. So there are beautiful spaces and work in the world but sadly the design market is really only about 1% of the world's market. My goal is to make it 10%.

On Thursday, February 26th, the MTCC packed with 5,000 of Toronto’s design stars, celebrities, media personalities, and influencers, will be transformed into a fête of local and international pedigree. See overview of the night's festivities.

Yesterday: Countdown to Interior Design Show: Outdoor Living

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A Man Inquires: Colour Forecasting -- How Do They Know?

Pantone recently announced the 2012 Colour of the Year to be Tangerine Tango, a kind of orangey red -- and there's a lot riding on it. According to the press release, "The 2011 color of the year, PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle, encouraged us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward."

If this Euro situation doesn’t get sorted out this year I’m blaming you, Tangerine Tango.

But seriously, do they bring out the official company Ouija board, consult with psychics and interrogate tastemakers, or do they just say so, and therefore it is?

Colour forecasting seems to be a fascinating game of educated guesses and self-fulfilling prophecy. A while back, posing as a colleague of my interior-designer wife, I got to attend one such colour forecasting presentation (not by Pantone). Clad in a black turtleneck, I made sure to have an elaborate back story in case I was questioned, which to my utter disappointment, didn't happen.

In a massive, grand ballroom on the Exhibition grounds, the wine and lamb sliders flowed freely while my fellow black turtlenecks traded industry gossip. Massive side wagers were being placed on what shade would emerge victorious -- a colour forecast presentation is the Kentucky Derby for design types*.

* Not true

Eventually the presentation began, and a whole bunch of people just left, having gotten their free wine and sliders. The actual unveiling was a (very) long PowerPoint presentation outlining the justification for that year’s colour picks. Inspiration was drawn from the world of the avant-garde, modern art, runway shows and cutting-edge interior design. Some people were intently focused on the presentation, some resumed their shoptalk, some slipped into red-wine induced naps. As we left the presentation, armed with gift bags of paint company SWAG, we all agreed that they had made some very fine colour choices.
In preparing to write this post, I asked my wife if she could remember what the colour was. She thought for a second, “Hm. Yellow? I think it was yellow. Or purple. I don’t know. But remember those sliders?”

What do you think of colour forecasting? Do you follow it?

Paul Beer is a Toronto writer, actor and comedian. You can follow him on twitter @pauldanielbeer. Read his posts every Friday on Slice.ca.

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Trends in the Twitter Trenches

Social media is impacting the way viewers and readers get their design news. Latest stories, trends and fads can now be sought out in real-time in feeds and streams on platforms such as Twitter. So if we’re talking trends this month why not listen, and most importantly, follow the experts over there!

If you’ve had your ear to the ground and have been active on Twitter, you’ll have notice that there’s been a community of designers and design lovers who have gathered every Thursday at 5pm ET under the hashtag #designtv to discuss interior design and their passion for it. Founded by Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo of ABCD Design (@abcddesigns) and interior designer (and fellow Canadian!) Jonathan Legate (@jonathanlegate), the #designtv chat has rounded up an extremely well reputed gang of people and this week they’ve let us in on what they believe are to be the latest trends for 2012.

Jonathan shot it out there with the very first question to begin the chat: “@jonathanlegate: Q1 : Whats YOUR hottest trend pic?” and here are some of the expert’s answers just for you.

Lonny Mag

Erin McLaughlin, Editor-in-Chief of Style at Home magazine, has come back from the international trade fair Heimtextil in Frankfurt, Germany with a fresh view on design. Her take on trends is that texture is in, and in a big way. It can be through layering them on your bed or even applying them to your walls through panels or even 3D wallpapers!

Desire to Inspire

Maureen Coates, a residential decorator based out of Ottawa, hit the nail on the head when she mentioned that brass and gold finishes were in for 2012. I could not agree more and in fact, had predicted it myself, too! I adore this trend and hope it will continue to evolve throughout the year.

Lonny Mag

It’s a reality that the interior design world closely follows what is on the runway for inspiration. Tina Holmes, producer of several home shows in Toronto, has predicted that since the catwalk is glamming itself up, so should the rooms in our homes for the coming year. I mean, what girl doesn’t love a bit of glamour in her life. I know I do!

Johnson Hartig

Leslie Carothers, CEO of The Kaleidoscope Partnership, has pinpointed one of my most favorite interior design trends for 2012. If a light and airy feel, paired with graphic layers with a fun and quirky look tickles your fancy, then go for it - you’ll be bang on trend!

Nate Berkus on Elle Decor

Meredith Heron, TV host and principal at Meredith Heron Design, has coined the IT colour as being navy this year to replace the popular grey as your new neutral. Navy, which swept over the fashion world and turned this colour into a staple for your wardrobe, has now transcended into interior design. It can act as a perfect backdrop for almost any colour combination which makes it an excellent choice all around!

Thanks to Amy and Jonathan, who week after week, bring all these like-minded individuals together under one Twitter umbrella to discuss such incredible and informative design topics. If you ever feel like joining in, search for the hashtag #designtv every Thursday evening at 5pm ET, and this incredible group will welcome you with open arms.

Michelle Carangi is a Montreal-based designer who blogs about interior design at Holley & Gill and is the Style Director at Pure Green magazine.

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Opening Day and the Opening Night Party at the Interior Design Show 2012

IDS 2012 officially launched yesterday and I had the opportunity to fill my day with all things IDS! My morning began with an exclusive preview of the show where I got a first-hand look at the showroom before it opened up to the public. There's lots to see and discover at this year's show and I noticed a focus on "small space living" throughout the gigantic showroom space. Many of the designers were present and I got a chance to hear some of them speak about their designs as I got a sneak peak at some of the main exhibits.

Above: Piero Lissoni and Mazen el-Abdallah speak about their designs

The show just keeps getting bigger and better each year and some of the highlights of this year's show include the interesting and beautiful How Do You Live? multi-dwelling designer spaces, the Studio North & Prototype showcase of unique Canadian and International design pieces, the Design Gen Next display of up-and-coming Canadian design talent and the Cherish Auction & Exhibit, which features Magis Julian chairs re-imagined and reinvented by some of the world's top designers, then ultimately silently auctioned off for the charity ONEXONE.

Above: Designer Magis Julian chairs

In the afternoon, I attended a session of IDS 2012's annual Conversations In Design series which features prominent designers conversing about anything and everything design related in an intimate and interactive environment. I really enjoyed the session I was a part of because it provided the ideal platform for attendees to be engaged by the words of the featured designer and an opportunity to directly ask him or her our own design questions. I would highly recommend attending this series if you're a design enthusiast or passionate about learning how designers conceptualize and execute their design process.

Above: Conversations in Design with Karim Rashid

Later in the evening, I attended the fabulous, annual opening night party--this year's party truly didn't disappoint! Visionary designer, Karim Rashid (check back for part one of my interview with Karim Rashid next week) performed a special DJ set comprised of upbeat house music mashed up with signature '80s tunes for party goers as they sipped on luscious cocktails and perused the enormous showroom to discover all of the new and exciting interior design trends for the upcoming year. Some even got the chance to meet and rub shoulders with celebrity designers Brian Gluckstein, Tommy Smythe, James Dale, Kennedy McRae, Colin McAllister, Justin Ryan and more! Overall, the party was a blast and IDS12 definitely has something for every interior design lover. Check out the photos below for a glimpse into the show and the opening night party.

Above: Karim Rashid performs a DJ set

Above: Brian Gluckstein

Above: Tommy Smythe

Above: James Dale (left), Kennedy McRae (right)

Above: How Do You Live? space by Quadrangle Architects

Above: How Do You Live? space by Mason

Above: How Do You Live? space by Mazen Studio

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Video: Karim Rashid Chats About Good Design and More!

Last week, I attended a session of the Interior Design Show's Conversations In Design series featuring Karim Rashid. The iconic designer sat down with host, Chee Pearlman, to chat about a variety of design related topics in an intimate and interactive environment. Designers, design enthusiasts and fans of the iconic designer were able to get up close and personal with him, and some even got the opportunity to ask him their own design questions. Some of the highlights included his views on the need for eco-friendly sustainable design, design longevity and his final thought about artists and designers being people who want to do something original in the world. I'm a HUGE Karim Rashid fan and I found his conversation truly enlightening, inspiring and profound.

I caught up with Karim Rashid after his discussion and we had a heart-to-heart conversation about a bunch of different non-design and design subjects. He was completely charming and engaging, and it was interesting to get his take on what good design means to him and whether or not he develops emotional attachments to his designs. Check out my video below to see what Karim Rashid had to say and check back next Thursday for the second part of my interview, where he shares his thoughts on colour and what he's excited about in 2012!

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