Happy Monday friends! Can you believe we are exactly mid-month today?? Crazy! Well it's been two weeks since the IDSwest show here in Vancouver, and I've finally put together a recap post for you. A bit of a warning that this post is heavy on the {iPhone} pictures!
The show itself was fantastic, it truly showcased Vancouver's finest; from the well-established design companies to the up-and-coming Future Master's! I'll give you a little list of what caught my eye, starting off with my favorite exhibit, Da Vinci's Home booth:
Crazy amounts of eye candy, the pictures can't do justice! I loved that they carry new and vintage pieces and did a wonderful job of showcasing the mix of both. There is only one pair of these vintage lucite chairs below, NEED!
A pair of brass étagères! I was swooning. Ok, I had to wipe off the drool and move along ...
GE Cafe had a lovely kitchen display, I adored that they placed 2 French Bistro tables lengthwise against each other to create what looked like one VERY long center table.
The table is this one below from Crate & Barrel. It's pretty much my favorite thing from that store, I'd love to own one. Crate & Barrel is finally coming to Vancouver {Oakridge Center}! Maybe there's hope for me ;)
A little Canadiana over at Identity Apparel, much of their goods are made from recycled military blankets!
Loved the pretty pillows by Phaulet;
the patterns are created in photoshop then transfered digitally to
fabric. Smart!
By the looks of things, the trend of mixing metals isn't going anywhere soon ...
And lucite was everywhere too {Mint Interiors pictured below}. Funny how we see trends for quite a long while before they finally trickle down to being available to the average consumer ...
Urban Barn had the cutest armchair inspired by a vintage blazer, I love the elbow patches!!
This sculptural plant at Once a Tree really caught my eye:
Wouldn't these little cuties be perfect in a playroom?
And of course, a huge highlight of the show for me was getting to attend one of my all time favorite Canadian designer's seminar, Tommy Smythe!
A shout out to IDS event manager Leonie and show director Jason for arranging VIP seating at the talks for us bloggers, and the VIP tour beforehand! Tommy was as sharp and witty as I knew he would be, covering
every topic from boxers vs. briefs, to the Real Housewives of Vancouver, to how to create a home in a
small space. And I'd count him as an expert on small spaces, did you know that he once lived in only 180 square feet? And you thought your home was small!!
You can actually click on the image below to watch an episode of H&H where Tommy gives a tour of his small yet stunning space.
And last but definitely not least, I had the pleasure to help organize our West Coast blogger event, BLEND 2012 again this year. It was a wonderful night filled with fabulous bloggers, designers, photographers, and industry experts. We were thrilled to work with IKEA Canada again, they sponsored our event at the fabulous St. Regis boutique hotel. We felt insanely spoiled! A big thank you goes to Madeleine and her colleagues at IKEA who really made our event happen.
The swag bags from IKEA were filled to the brim with goodies!
All in all it was a great night to connect with old friends and make new friends that share the same passion for design and decor. I already can't wait to get planning for BLEND 2013!