Caesarstone is an exhibitor at IDS Toronto 2020 | Courtesy IDS Toronto
The 22nd annual Interior Design Show (IDS) Toronto will once again make a grand splash this January with four days of exciting design talks, trend reports, product displays, and much more.
After some big changes last year (a move to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, a larger show floor, and two full trade days) the fair is ready to take on the fresh decade with its future-forward IDS 20/20 theme.
“For over 20 years, IDS has been both a catalyst and authority for Canadian design,” Karen Kang, National Director, IDS Canada, said in a press release. “During the past two decades, we have witnessed a lot of change. Yesterday’s designer has become today’s problem solver and tomorrow’s visionary. This year’s IDS 20/20 theme will explore how designers now create experiences at the intersection of technological and social problems, imagining new roads to alternative realities.”
This year’s guest of honor is Yves Béhar, industrial designer and founder of San Francisco-based firm Fuseproject. Béhar, who recently served as a judge for the 2019 GRAY Awards, will deliver a keynote on Friday, January 17 at 12 p.m. Below, GRAY picks a few of the top features, presentations, and tours to add to your IDS must-see list.
Opening Night Party + Preview Jan. 16, 7 to 11 p.m. More than 6,000 design devotees will gather to toast North American design and be among the first to preview the show.
Concept House: The Future of Living Jan. 16–19, times vary The RESET home is a multisensory experience from Hummingbird Hill Homes, VFA Architecture + Design and VTLA Studio that showcases the future of living and how homes can improve our well being. Expect an exploration of materials, textures, sounds, scents, and light and how they affect the way we live in our homes.
Maker Jan. 16-19, times vary Curated by Design Milk and now in its sixth year at IDS Toronto, Maker will feature North American designers who produce their work in small batches with limited distribution.
Keynote: Bethan Laura Wood Jan. 16, 12:30 p.m. Hear from British multidisciplinary designer Bethan Laura Wood who is known for her avant-garde approach to color, pattern, and materiality. Her work has been exhibited at several museums around the world including the V&A Museum of Childhood, Swiss Institute New York, Daelim Museum and MOT, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.
Keynote: Francis Kéré Jan. 17, 10 a.m. Renowned international architect Francis Kéré will speak on his communal approach to design and his commitment to using sustainable materials and construction processes in his work. Experience an overview of his impressive body of work, including the Serpentine Pavilion and the Xylem pavilion at the Tippet Rise Art Center, which appeared in GRAY’s June/July 2019 issue. The cover story explored Kéré’s remarkable partnership with Peter and Cathy Halstead, founders of Montana’s Tippet Rise Art Center, and how they used design—specifically, two Kéré-designed structures in Montana and in his hometown—as a means for cultural exchange.
Keynote: Yves Béhar Jan. 17, 12 p.m. IDS Toronto international guest of honor Yves Behar is an industrial designer, entrepreneur, and founder of the San Francisco-based firm Fuseproject, which he formed two decades ago after seeing a need for a truly integrated design firm that fused everything from strategy to industrial design to user experience under one roof. Among its work is The Frame TV, a flat screen television designed in 2017 for Samsung that when turned off, transforms into a digital art showcase.