At IIDEX/NeoCon, Canada’s largest contract furniture expo, this past Thursday and Friday at the Direct Energy Centre, one trend was hard to ignore: the blurring line between home and office in the design world. Beyond the usual high-tech task chairs, customizable desks and ergonomic work lights there was an impressive roster of pieces that would look just as good in the living room as they would in the reception room.
A line-up of keynote speakers further pushed the point that contract design need not be tedious: polychromatic French architects Jakob & MacFarlane (whom we interviewed earlier this week), Matthias Sauerbruch of German architecture firm Sauerbruch Hutton, and a panel discussion between Enroute editor Ilana Weitzman, Four Seasons founder (and Toronto native) Isadore Sharp and interior designer Howard Pharr. One of the highlights of the panel was when Weitzman asked Sharp about the first-ever Four Seasons, built at Jarvis and Carleton in the ‘60s, his response: “You’re being polite. It was hooker’s paradise.”
Here are our top ten picks, fresh from the showroom floor.
+ Haven by Allermuir (pictured above)
Playing up the industry theme of private space within open-air areas, this aptly-named seating comes with an optional extra-high headrest in two-seater, sectional and armchair options, all with enough padding to confuse the user into thinking they’re back in the womb.
+ Monuments and Shrines by Milliken
Todd van der Kruik’s floor covering homage to the neon signs of Las Vegas comes in three motifs, the straight-lined Nugget (shown), the curlycued Stardust, and the faded grid Horseshoe. The carpet tiles have up to 55 percent recycled content, and come in a bevy of hues ranging from muted to intense.
+ Trea by Humanscale
Todd Bracher named his multi-use chair after the Latin word for three, and the trio of major parts that comprise the multi-use chair. Not bad, considering in many ways it’s just as responsive as some of the most high-tech task chairs on the market. It’s also almost 100 percent recyclable.
+ Heatwave by Jaga
Designed in collaboration with Jori, this wall radiator is designed to be more of a work of art than a functional device. The polyconcrete form comes in two colours, grey and black, and four sizes ranging form 78 centimetres to 2.7 metres.
+ Windmark by Landscape Forms
The outdoor chairs and tables in this quirky collection are comprised of folded aluminium and steel that is perforated with umbrellas and grass blades. Architect Margaret McCurry crafted the furniture to look lightweight and fresh while offering the durability and strength needed for restaurant patios and private terraces.
+ Cone by Nienkmper
The most classic pieces look appropriate anywhere. This sculptural table comes with a wood, stainless steel or powder-coated base with a top in veneer, stone or plastic laminate (but we think the steel and veneer combo shown looks particularly elegant).
+ Blenz by Moz Metal
The Think:Material exhibit of envelope-pushing building materials included this indoor/outdoor cladding, which features an underlying pattern etched on metal layered with a colour gradient. The collection includes hundreds of colour and hand-etched pattern options for a variety of applications.
+ AL3 by Teknion
This executive task chair hides all the mechanics in the chair column, resulting in a streamlined design that looks good from every angle. It comes in black mesh or upholstered backs, with an aluminium frame in polished or ebony-coated finishes, and is over 90 percent recyclable.
+ Lama Carpet by Relative Space
Designed by Dutch studio Lama Concept, this wool carpeting—available in a bunch of bright hues—is embedded with LED lighting. It was originally shown in the Airbus A350 airplane at the Paris Airshow, but we can think of a ton of uses for it around the house and office.
+ Perillo by Dauphin
An uninterrupted line comprises this seat’s silhouette, thanks to the one continuous sheet of thermo plastic used to craft it. It comes in a monochrome option and a two-tone variation with an upholstered seat.
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Paige Magarrey is a regular writer on design for Toronto Standard.
