DESIGNLINES
Issue 1, 2021: Designer of the YearPublished four times a year, Designlines is your guide to design in Toronto. An invaluable source of information and inspiration for design-oriented consumers, each issue is packed with the latest on products and showrooms, residential design, and the city's wealth of design talent.
in this issue
the outlook is good
A new year. Phew. Here’s hoping that 2021 brings us all a little levity. But while we wait for the vaccine to roll out, we must keep carrying on as “normally” as possible, looking after ourselves and others the best we can. While speaking with retailers and designers, I’ve heard “I’m coping” and “I’m managing.” I’ve also spoken to those with suffering businesses, which is truly heartbreaking. Online, we’ve been spreading the word to back Toronto’s design community, and in these pages, you’ll find plenty of great products that can be had right here in our city. Sure, there may be extra steps involved to shop local, but they’re worth it. Let’s support our own. On the flip side, there are also many stories of survival, pivoting and even thriving. For instance,…
one thing
“Cute, fun and memorable.” Two of these words do not describe 2020, but all three certainly characterize Huey, a Toronto-born lighting studio in its infancy. And Cherub, shown here, is Huey’s aptly named first product. Because what better, dear home renovators, than a beautiful spirit-child – sans wings – to usher in a hopefully much lighter 2021? Product designer Bret Williams conjured Huey while renovating a dated warehouse condo a year and a half ago. “I quickly learned,” he says, “that the gap in the market for quality, accessible – yet elevated – lighting is present globally, and especially so in Canada. I wanted to support Canadian creators, but I couldn’t find what I was looking for. Specifically, stylish flush-mounts.” Williams, with the help of three talented local fabricators, quickly set about…
the dl
Space We Love Odami conjures up a home office from thin air Is anything more anathema to design lovers than wasted space? Tasked with providing an Edwardian with an aesthetic and functional refresh, Odami – the team behind Sara restaurant – took on the living room, foyer and (next to the kitchen) an empty, misused corner. It had potential, though, which Odami, working with Nick Day Design, realized with a pocket office space. The metre-wide white oak desk – a material match for the flooring, wall panel and pair of arching overhead cabinets – is spacious enough to get some real work done, while deskmounted outlets keep cables tidy. And, in keeping with the clean finish, linear LED lighting is embedded in the underside of the upper cabinet. Its central location means the…
