IDS Vancouver returns this year with an entirely in-person format for the first time since 2019. Once again taking place at the Vancouver Convention Centre West, IDS Vancouver 2022 is primed to welcome tens of thousands of attendees from across the interior design industry for a weekend of celebrating local design and exploring cutting-edge materials, furnishings and concepts. This year's theme of 'New Futures' sets its sights on what's yet to come – a conversation LIV Design Studio has placed itself at the centre of with our ongoing Student Design Challenge.
To assist those planning on attending IDS Vancouver 2022 in preparing for this year's proceedings, we've once again compiled a guide to our top picks for everything from exhibitors, keynote speakers, project features, and more. We will also be taking a closer look at LIV's own 'The Future of Work: A Virtual Experience" exhibition and our four student finalists for this year's Student Design Challenge.
To assist those planning on attending IDS Vancouver 2022 in preparing for this year's proceedings, we've once again compiled a guide to our top picks for everything from exhibitors, keynote speakers, project features, and more. We will also be taking a closer look at LIV's own 'The Future of Work: A Virtual Experience" exhibition and our four student finalists for this year's Student Design Challenge.
Overview of IDS Vancouver 2022
This premier design fair is the most comprehensive design event happening in Western Canada, highlighting the very best of innovative local and international design. Since it was first launched in 2004, IDS has celebrated and inspired exhibitors and attendees, trade professionals, and consumers, fostering a spirit of mutual admiration and collaboration amongst members of the design community. The show continues to expand year to year, broadening its size and reach and building its reputation. Following a digital re-invention for the 2020 and 2021 events, IDS Vancouver 2022 returns to the Vancouver Convention Centre for an all in-person event, presenting an opportunity for industry members to interact and converse in a face-to-face format once again.
Marking a return to IDS Vancouver's previous structure, this year's programming will comprise a series of keynote sessions, seminars, exhibitions, and features taking place over four days. As opposed to 2020 and 2021's events, this year will bring designers and enthusiasts together under one roof from September 22-25 and provides an opportunity to forge new connections and reinforce existing ones while interacting with the event's core themes.
IDS Vancouver 2022's programming is a rich mix of experiences designed to immerse designers in the topic of 'New Futures' through a variety of means. The following is a brief breakdown of what guests can expect to see this year.
A roster of inspiring speakers from across Canada and beyond will offer their perspectives on the shifting nature of interior design, embracing a multitude of approaches for ensuring design's lasting permanence. Taking place both on the Caesarstone Stage and the Gray Stage, interior designers are encouraged to contemplate new ideas and engage with thought-leaders from different sectors of our industry over the course of the weekend.
Over the course of Trade Day on September 23, industry attendees will be offered a selection of eight accredited educational seminars in partnership with Western Living. Ranging from panel conversations on the topic of kitchen design to explorations in the evolution of work, these seminars are sure to enrich your horizons and develop pertinent new knowledge amongst some of the best in the business.
With over 100 exhibitors across the four-day event, IDS Vancouver 2022 welcomes vendors, suppliers, artists and artisans alike to showcase the latest products, finishes, art and more across a historically expansive trade floor. Local artisans and international makers alike will be on hand to field questions and spotlight the latest trends in interior design.
Each year, IDS curates a selection of inspiring features or 'hot-spots' that speak to inspiring design ideas in creative new formats. LIV Design Studio is proud to be presenting alongside these exciting innovators with our booth showcasing the work of our Student Design Challenge finalists in an immersive augmented reality experience.
What's different this year?
Marking a return to IDS Vancouver's previous structure, this year's programming will comprise a series of keynote sessions, seminars, exhibitions, and features taking place over four days. As opposed to 2020 and 2021's events, this year will bring designers and enthusiasts together under one roof from September 22-25 and provides an opportunity to forge new connections and reinforce existing ones while interacting with the event's core themes.
What to expect
IDS Vancouver 2022's programming is a rich mix of experiences designed to immerse designers in the topic of 'New Futures' through a variety of means. The following is a brief breakdown of what guests can expect to see this year.
Speakers
A roster of inspiring speakers from across Canada and beyond will offer their perspectives on the shifting nature of interior design, embracing a multitude of approaches for ensuring design's lasting permanence. Taking place both on the Caesarstone Stage and the Gray Stage, interior designers are encouraged to contemplate new ideas and engage with thought-leaders from different sectors of our industry over the course of the weekend.
Seminars
Over the course of Trade Day on September 23, industry attendees will be offered a selection of eight accredited educational seminars in partnership with Western Living. Ranging from panel conversations on the topic of kitchen design to explorations in the evolution of work, these seminars are sure to enrich your horizons and develop pertinent new knowledge amongst some of the best in the business.
Exhibitions
With over 100 exhibitors across the four-day event, IDS Vancouver 2022 welcomes vendors, suppliers, artists and artisans alike to showcase the latest products, finishes, art and more across a historically expansive trade floor. Local artisans and international makers alike will be on hand to field questions and spotlight the latest trends in interior design.
Features
Each year, IDS curates a selection of inspiring features or 'hot-spots' that speak to inspiring design ideas in creative new formats. LIV Design Studio is proud to be presenting alongside these exciting innovators with our booth showcasing the work of our Student Design Challenge finalists in an immersive augmented reality experience.
Inspiring Features
Dappled
The central feature of IDS Vancouver 2022, created by industrial designer and multidisciplinary artist Brent Comber in collaboration with Donohoe Living Landscapes, explores the reinforced bonds between humans and their surroundings in the post-pandemic era. Doubling as both a central feature and central bar, this feature is officially titled Dappled: A reflection on life's enhanced interactions with nature post-pandemic. Designed to mimic the tranquil environment of a lush forest, the installation uses music, sounds, scents, and a communal dining table designed by Comber to evoke mindfulness and contemplation amidst the event's lively proceedings.
The table itself will seat up to fifty guests, and is created using local & sustainable materials. The core principle of this central feature is fostering connection and collaboration amongst friends, strangers, and colleagues alike while evoking the inimitable natural environments of the Pacific Northwest.
Prototype
A mainstay at each IDS event, this year's Prototype showcase gains new significance in light of 2022's New Futures theme. Located within Studio North, Prototype is a platform for emerging designers and creators of the future to display their latest creations, and a hub for designers seeking to discover the next trend. Prototype has typically featured both to-market and conceptual works, so attendees can likely expect more of the same this year.
The Future of Work
LIV Design Studio's months-long Student Design Challenge has culminated in this immersive AR experience, featuring works from four student finalists. Consisting of four individual microspaces within one booth located near the Wine Bar, attendees can get up close and personal with the hybrid office spaces of the future using next-gen augmented reality technology. Designed in partnership with Peri KONE, a fourth-year interior design student at LaSalle College Vancouver, this booth involves tomorrow's designers at every stage of the process – a fitting undertaking given this year's IDS theme. You can find more information on The Future of Work, Peri, and the LIV Student Design Challenge below or here.
[Pictured above - Left: Landscape project from Donohoe Living Landscapes; Right: Work by Angela Cheng & Vivian Tran for Prototype]
Selected Speakers & Seminars
Interior Design, Infinite Possibilities
Mélanie Cherrier and Laurence Pons Lavigne of Blanc Marine Intérieurs in Montreal will take audiences through their firm's history and signature style in this keynote address, taking place on Saturday, September 24th from 1:30-2:30pm on the Caesarstone Stage. Over the course of this hour-long conversation, Cherrier and Lavigne will discuss the projects they've created and how each led to a redefining of their own principles of interior design, while remaining true to their core vision. Topics include creating living spaces that maintain one's artistic signature and challenging preconceived notions of local and remote design, all while highlighting a few of Blanc Marine's most breathtaking projects.
The Depth of Light
How much do we really know about lighting? This seminar by ThinkL Studio questions our relationship to one of the seven central design elements, challenging attendees to reconsider their relationship with lighting and the integral role it plays in bringing design to life. Too often, lighting is only a concern in that it must meet a code – The Depth of Light looks to how interior designers can manage energy consumption while considering the end-user and how this dynamic design layer can be better stood and utilized to bring new dimensions to our work. This accredited seminar will kick off the Trade Day seminar schedule, at 9:00am on Friday, September 23rd.
Reimagined Outdoor Kitchen Design
Presented by Ryan Bloom and Urban Bonfire, this pertinent seminar examines "one of the greatest shifts in consumer behaviour", in the rise of home cooking, staycations, and an increasing interconnectedness with our domiciles. Combining two trends in outdoor living and home cooking, this seminar explores ways in which interior design professionals can further bridge the gap between indoors and outdoors by creating spaces that allow for seamless transitions between dining and cooking. This seminar will be taking place at 10:30am on Friday, September 23rd.
[Pictured here - Top: Mélanie Cherrier and Laurence Pons Lavigne of Blanc Marine Intérieurs; Middle: The Depth of Light by ThinkL Studio; Bottom: Reimagined Outdoor Kitchen Design]
Events & Exhibitions
VIP Lounge
Of course, one needs a place to catch their breath amid the hustle and bustle of IDS Vancouver 2022. This year's IDS VIP Lounge will be designed by &Daughters, a local, Vancouver-based interior design firm that practices an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to their work. Set to feature an abundance of natural materials for a holistic design that pays homage to geographical and cultural context, this year's VIP lounge seeks to create a sense of place within the busy event centre for reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones.
After Party
For those who have attended an IDS event in the past, you've likely heard tell of the stylish after parties. This year's is as-yet shrouded in secrecy, but looks to be hosted at the Monte Clark Gallery at 53 Dunlevy Street in collaboration with Walker McKinley of McKinley Studios. Be sure to keep your ears to the ground for more on what promises to be a lavish opportunity to brush elbows with the biggest names in local design.
LIV X Livingspace Student Challenge Celebration
This invite-only event will celebrate the hard work of every participant in LIV Design Studio's Student Challenge. Hosted by Livingspace, this industry gathering will provide an opportunity for student designers to mingle and network with judges, industry leaders, Livingspace executives, local interior design faculty, and IDS members.
[Pictured above - Left: &Daughters VIP Booth design concept; Middle: Monte Clark Gallery; Right: LIV X Livingspace Student Challenge Celebration]
The Future of Work: A Virtual Experience
At this year's IDS Vancouver event, LIV Design Studio will be celebrating the work of local interior design students in a collaborative, 800 sq. ft. booth with four 150 sq. ft. micro spaces to house students' AR designs. This year's IDS theme, New Futures, has provided LIV Design Studio with the perfect opportunity to realize our TECH/DESIGN/CULTURE ethos in a creative fashion, incorporating technology to help develop local design culture through these talented young designers.
About the booth
The Future of Work booth itself was created in tandem with LaSalle College Vancouver and fourth-year interior design student, Peri KONE. Assisting with both the initial concept and its practical development, Peri has worked closely with senior interior designers N.Y. Chu and Moe Valiani who have provided mentorship throughout the process. Preliminary renderings of the booth’s design, created by Chu and Valiani, consist of an arched entryway with a tunnel guiding visitors through the four micro-spaces. This linear layout is emblematic of the life-work journey, allowing guests to view and interact with various modalities of future workspaces.
LIV's Student Design Challenge
LIV Design Studio’s 2022 LIV Design Student Challenge celebrates the work of up-and-coming local interior designers, providing an opportunity for students to present their work in AR to the Vancouver interior design community. Tasked with envisioning the offices of the future, entrants presented a concept and design for a workspace that allows for both in-person and digital modes of work while accommodating the evolving needs of professionals.
Finalists were chosen by a panel of industry leaders from among a pool of candidates that included students and recent graduates from BCIT, KPU, LaSalle College Vancouver, and Vancouver Island University. LIV’s in-house CG team will be transforming finalists’ design renderings into hyper-realistic 3D models, which can be viewed in dedicated AR portals. During the course of IDS Vancouver 2022, attendees will be able to view & vote to determine final placement, with a grand prize of $8,000 for the first-place winner, and subsequent cash prizes for remaining finalists. As well, all four finalists will have the chance to interview for a LIV Design internship.
The finalists
Four student finalists for LIV’s Student Design Challenge have been selected to present their work at this collaborative booth. Entries were selected by a panel of local industry judges for designing spaces that exemplified creativity and a new perspective on the future of work. Each of these four finalists will have their designs displayed in augmented reality, through hyper-realistic 3D models created from students’ design renderings.
Here is a brief introduction to each of our four student finalists and their design concepts:
1. Kaitlyn D’Orazio & Sasha Zebroff | BCIT | Framework — Utilizing adaptable technologies and geometric shapes in furniture and millwork, Framework encourages stability and mindfulness in an era of constant upheaval.
2. Joshua Swanson & Hailey Bassiri | Kwantlen Polytechnic University | The Reorder Project — Inspired by the multi-functionality of a Swiss Army knife, The Reorder Project encourages physical movement and mindfulness with an adaptable design that uses partitions to meet the needs of a variety of workspaces.
3. Vivien Tam | LaSalle College Vancouver | Hybrid Office Design — This design draws inspiration from futuristic aircrafts and the thrill of exploration, highlighting the ever-growing importance of technology with clean, simple elements that reduce distraction and encourage productivity.
4. Jordana Dall’Igna, Julia Soares & Kimiya Khezri | LaSalle College Vancouver | Pixel — Pixel uses bursts of bright colours and modular furniture to create a collaborative, positive, and functional workplace for the interior design industry that extrapolates the limits between the physical and digital world.
Come experience IDS Vancouver 2022 for yourself and join us in celebrating the work of these talented up-and-coming designers. The Future of Work: A Virtual Experience will be available for viewing & voting from September 22-25.
