IDSWEST14 HIGHLIGHTS

 The IDS West show was an exciting weekend for the design community, full of extremely talented exhibitors. Above is a quick sampling of some of my favourite highlights from the show.

The Brooklyn Exchange, curated by the talented ladies of Port and Quarter, was a booth that featured a group of gifted designers from Brooklyn, Asher Israelow, Volk Furniture, Juniper Design and Patrick Weder. I loved the work of Patrick Weder, the paper and wire pendant lamps showcased were inspired by 20th century design and naturally occurring forms. The organic quality and the warm ambience the lights gave off was very appealing.

Vancouver's own Brent Comber has done it again with his beautiful new 'Ikebana' collection; Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arranging. Made of Douglas Fir and finished with white hard wax oil, these tables can be configured in multiple ways. Brent's booth also had no shortage of drama with his massive Douglas Fir sculptural backdrop.

Textile designer Lori Harrison caught my eye with her abstract painterly cushions. She creates imagery by mindfully experiencing the world and re-imagining the overlooked. Her designs mimic what she see in urban settings such as graffiti and decaying cement walls and turns that imagery into beautifully executed cushions. Her work is now available at Provide and will soon be on our website.

Finally the IDS West 10th Anniversary entrance feature called 'Place' was created by Vancouver's Barter Design Co. A showcase of tall cedars displayed the art of raw to redefined and was inspired by the West Coast and what we have access to right here in our backyard.

Overall I thought the show was a great success, full of so many talents. Can't wait for next year!

Posted by Megan

KALEIDOSCOPIC DESIGNS FROM BROOKLYN'S ESKAYEL

Provide is ecstatic about the new Eskayel cushions that just arrived at the showroom. Lead designer Shannon Campanaro continues to amaze us with her unique kaleidoscopic designs. The new arrivals are from her 'Jangala collection', the 'Playland capsule collection' and the 'Island collection'.

Shannon started Eskayel in 2009 when she decided her apartment needed a re-vamp. Wanting to create an accent wall with interesting wallpaper, she thought "why don't I just make my own wallpaper"? From there she found a way to print her custom patterns using a large scale repeat and ended up being incredibly pleased with the results. Gaining recognition on a large scale, her company flourished quickly. Being able to do what she loves, her passion for art drives her dedication to the company (which she runs with her boyfriend, interns and a lot of freelance workers).

Drawing her inspiration from the everyday and her many travels, her fabrics are whimsical and eccentric. I find myself staring at the ambitious shapes as if i'm doing an inkblot test and I need to figure out what I  can make of the designs. It is fascinating to me how she can take a piece of her own art; digitally manipulate it and produce the most unusually beautiful patterns.

Sustainably produced in the US, these cushions make a striking addition to any space. For more information, please visit our website www.providehome.com

Posted by Megan

EMBROIDERED ART BY BROOKLYN'S DOUG JOHNSTON

Doug Johnston's work has been a favorite of Provide and many of our clients since receiving his collection last year. These vessels take on a sculptural quality using the simplest of materials. I recently had the opportunity to ask Johnston about his new 'Density' series, which explores an embroidery technique to create graphic, colourful patterns, here is what he had to say:

"The pieces in this series were a development of the simple baskets I had been making by coiling and stitching cotton rope. We found that altering between regular stitching and very dense zig-zags stitching we were able to introduce embroidery-like patterns onto the baskets.

Because my primary focus had been on the overall shapes of the baskets and sculptural vessels, I hadn't thought much about decorating the surface of the baskets. In fact, It was something I was pretty resistant to because in my work I like to focus on the inherent qualities of materials and let the natural variations and glitches in the production act as the sole decoration. The first patterns I made were kind of reminiscent of Native American or African baskets, and I think I was just reproducing generic patterns from my mind. While I had spent a lot of time with those kinds of pieces (my parents collect Native American rugs and baskets), I didn't feel that it made any sense for me to reproduce those patterns. It took a lot of experimenting to develop pattern designs that were more unique to my personal interests in the technique. Many of them relate to sketches and doodles I have been doing for many years, some try to really work with the cylindrical form of the baskets, and others are purely improvisations based on the stitching process. With the patterns I like to emphasize the proportions and 3-dimensional nature of the baskets, encouraging one to look around the entire surface to view the entire patterns, with asymmetrical or improvised designs." - Doug Johnston

For special commissions from Doug Johnston, please contact Provide at info@providehome.com

Posted by Megan