Interior Design Show Vancouver is the spot for inspiring design on the West Coast. Bringing together cutting-edge exhibitions, some of the biggest names in the business such as Karim Rashid and Brian Gluckstein, offsite events, and parties that won’t quit, IDSV is the epicenter of the design world in September. New this year, look for installations from NYC-based Snarkitecture and Seattle’s Electric Coffin, and The Mix that pairs two LA-based designers with Vancouver-based Hinterland Design and Ben Barber Studio. Get your tickets here.
As for our very own programming, head to the GRAY Stage, which this year is sporting an all-gray motif and features furniture from BoConcept, including the eye-catching Ottowa modular sofa designed by Karim Rashid (hear him speak on the Caesarstone Stage on Sunday!). Here’s what we’ve got in store.
Official IDS After Party
Party with GRAY magazine at the loft-like Montauk Sofa in Gastown (228 Abbott St.), now featuring Valcucine. Mingle with the design-minded! Friday, September 21 from 8pm-late, with beverages from Mission Hill Family Estate and Strathcona Beer Company.
GRAY Band
Designers by day, musicians by night… On Thursday night at the IDS Vancouver opening party, we are thrilled to introduce the GRAY Band of architects and designers!
Introducing ...
Jim Friesz, Mutuus Studio
Tom Ghilarducci, metalwork designer
Charlie Hellstern, Charlie Hellstern Interior Design
Jeffrey Kovel, Eddie Peraza Garzon, and Nita Posada, Skylab Architecture
Playing a set of your favorite classic and contemporary songs, come rock out at the GRAY Stage on opening night!
Exhibit Space Design Awards
GRAY awards the best in exhibit space design on the show floor. Five recipients will receive a handmade, custom award created by Vancouver-based furniture designer Kate Duncan. Duncan is known for her bold, contemporary wood designs featuring local hardwood in its purest form. GRAY editors will view all exhibit spaces Thursday at The Party on Opening Night, and you’ll find the awards displayed in the winning booths throughout the weekend.
How to Get Published
Friday, September 21
11:30am-12:30pm
You’re ready to share your work with the world, now what? Step one: resist the impulse to post until you consider media coverage. Find out why and more in this enlightening and empowering session for design professionals. GRAY’s Senior Editor Rachel Gallaher, along with Design Milk Founder Jaime Derringer; Tomos Lewis, Toronto Bureau Chief at Monocle; and Elizabeth Pagliacolo, Executive Director of Azure magazine, will share insider tips on how to successfully pitch your project and tell your design story in today’s evolving editorial landscape. From “fake news” to Instagram “likes,” we’re covering it all—this is your chance to get inside the mind of an editor. Bring your questions!
MODERATOR: Jennifer McCullum, Managing Editor of GRAY magazine
PANELISTS: Jaime Derringer, Founder and Executive Editor of Design Milk
Rachel Gallaher, Senior Editor of GRAY magazine
Tomos Lewis, Toronto Bureau Chief, Monocle
Elizabeth Pagliacolo, Executive Director of Azure magazine
Alberto Minotti
Friday, September 21
3-4pm
Presented in partnership with Habitat by Aeon
Design, according to Minotticucine, is about the process of subtraction. Following its design philosophy devoted to “visual silence” and to the principles of “less is more,” second-generation designer Alberto Minotti, whose father founded the celebrated Italian design company in 1949, will illuminate the design philosophy centered around “silence for the eyes, calm for the spirit.” In kitchen design, this no easy feat. In conversation with GRAY Managing Editor Jennifer McCullum, hear from this world-class designer about innovation in material and design in Minotticucine, and how you can harness the power of visual silence to elevate your design concepts.
HOT NEW NEXT: Championship Round
Saturday, September 21
12-1pm
HOT NEW NEXT is a dynamic competition celebrating the innovative ideas moving Pacific Northwest design forward. The winners from the regional competitions, held earlier this year, will face off in this Dragon’s Den-style program, presenting a rapid-fire pitch of a compelling new design-related concept or product to an expert panel. Judges will offer real-time feedback on the contestants’ pitches and products before determining the ultimate winner, who will win a cash prize, judge mentorship, and the designation of truly being the next big thing in Pacific Northwest design.
Meet the Contestants: Rainier Clouds, Rainier Industries (Portland winner); Geekey, Carve Design, LLC (Seattle winner); 5.3 Architectural Panel, Concealed Studio (Vancouver winner).
Meet the Judges: Danny Chartier, Co-founder & Designer, Montauk Sofa; Shannon Heth, Founder & President, Milk Creative Communications; Thealzel Lee, Entrepreneur & President, E-Fund Angel Investment Fund; Scott MacLaren, Seattle Proprietor, Design Within Reach.
Modern Prefab and Mass Timber: Architecture of the Future
Saturday, September 21
2-3pm
The dream of accessible, modern prefab construction is within reach, and the Pacific Northwest is leading the charge. From higher energy performance to lower costs in the design and construction process, prefab is often better for the environment, and it opens up the possibility of owning a modern home to a wider range of consumers. We’ll dive deep into the residential design and construction process with leading firms, and explore the future of mass timber in the architecture of our cities—all while viewing real-world, gorgeous examples of this emerging trend.
MODERATOR: Rachel Gallaher, Senior Editor, GRAY magazine
PANELISTS: Bec Chapin, COO + Co-founder of NODE
John Hemsworth, Founder and Principal of Hemsworth Architecture
Herb Locke, Founder, EnKind Homes
Kristin Slavin, Architect at PATH Architecture
Let’s Talk Trends
Sunday, September 23
2-3pm
Experts in their fields, our panelists discuss what’s happening and what’s next in design trends. Never satisfied with just skimming the surface, we’ll cover the big-picture evolution of how today’s families and individuals live, how technology and sustainability plays an ever-increasing role, and how you can look for ways to avoid making design choices that will quickly become outdated. Come hear what’s on the horizon.
MODERATOR: Stacy Kendall, Chief Creative Officer of GRAY magazine
PANELISTS: Mary Burgers, Interior Designer, Burgers Architecture
Chrissy Cottrell, founder of Chrissy & Co., & Curated Home by Chrissy & Co.
Chad Falkenberg, co-founder of Falken Reynolds Interiors
Jim Friesz, co-founder of Mutuus Studio
Keep up with us on our IDS Vancouver page, HERE. See you there!