IDS West Round UP -

28September

IDS West Round UP

IDS West Round UP

Did you go to the Interior Design Show West (IDS West) this year? We actually got VIP tickets to the Miele pre-party and the opening night party! (Yeah, we did!). We got wined and appied, and got the low down on Miele’s newest and boldest designs.

What stuck us was how beautiful their appliances are. German designed and operated by the Miele family, the appliances are gorgeous to look at and second to none for functionality. Our favourites? We love the return to white appliances.

They are different than their predecessors as they are seamless with cabinetry.

The dishwasher we saw had a “knock to open” option! What? Yup. You actually knock on the outside of the dishwasher and it opens right up! Whoa! Pretty amazing.

The other fave was the new gas cook tops- REALLY beautiful with a heavy iron grate that gives it presence, yet still has all the tech savvy controls Miele is known for.

Shout out to Miele for sending us the great VIP tickets so we could see first hand the wonderful advances in kitchen appliances. Tina had the opportunity to attend the Harmony Kitchen three course meal on Saturday. I wish I could have gone but I was out of town. However, I did enjoy the photos of the dinner!

After the pre-party, we enjoyed the “work spaces” set up by local designers and artists. One favourite was Heather Ross’ of The Natural Eclectic. True to her aesthetic, her space was filled with rustic and natural elements. I’d love to get creative in that space! A real inspiration.

Another favourite was Gillian Segal Design’s flexible working space.

Then it was time to check out the various booths. What did we find that was new? Well, we were impressed with the American Standard booth. They were showcasing a line they have had for about a year now called the DXV line. The DXV line was inspired by four different design movements and they are very apparent in the product lines-The Classic,

The Golden Era,

The Modern and The Contemporary movements.

American Standard had four separate rooms designed in these four design concepts using their DXV line. They were very beautiful. I think I might be partial to the Classic. No, wait, the Contemporary. No… oh darn! They are all stunning! Check them out!

It was great to have a rep show us around and show us all the design inspiration. Thanks American Standard!

As we explored more booths we noticed there continues to be a return to more retro and earthy elements. Glamping was a re-occuring aesthetic.

There is still high tech to be found such as these wall heaters by Camouflage Heaters.

These are very interesting. They could be an add-on to a room that doesn’t have enough heat or could be incorporated in the design of the room. They can replace floor, baseboard or space heaters. Pretty cool! You can put them behind a treasured family photo as in the example above or you can make them part of a wall art installation as in the Mondrian example below.

But there also seems to be a return to more retro and traditional design.

Metallics are still very evident.

Pink Smeg toaster anyone??

Rustic furniture continues to be on trend but now there is cross over between sleek and rustic. Check out these amazing end tables and wall art pieces by Mth Woodworks.

We fell in love with these. The artist sources the wood locally and then uses his knowledge of furniture making to utilize resin and epoxy to make these unique and stunning pieces.

We loved the dining table that doubled as a ping pong table.

There were also “dining rooms” set up around the perimeter of the booths. Here are a few of these we liked.

We chatted with Tommy Smythe in this very architectural dining room. Below is a special dinner setting that was part of the kickoff party.

At the back of the Centre were artisan tables. Vancouver boasts some amazing artisans so it was good to see local talent displayed.

A favourite had to be the Vancouver Candle Company. All of the soy hand made soy and represent different neighbourhoods in Vancouver, i.e. Kitsilano and Point Grey. Each candle has a unique scent, are beautifully displayed and burn cleanly.