Returning for its 14th consecutive year, the Vancouver Interior Design Show was packed with stunning showroom style booths and informative speakers covering a range of applicable subjects. This weekend I stopped by the Show to see for myself what it had to offer and I certainly was not disappointed. What I particularly enjoyed about the experience was the range of installations that it covered. Everything from installation art, immersive displays, ultra modern fixtures, and even a wine tasting brought the experience to life. Who doesn’t love a little bit of wine to relax you when meeting new people, right?

It is amazing how interior design truly extends beyond what its name suggests. It represents lifestyle at its core because the homes, offices, living rooms, and kitchens in our lives are true reflections of the person that exists within them. If you consider a moment the kitchen that you grew up in at your parent’s house versus the kitchen you cooked in during University, it’s safe to say that those were completely different rooms. The way they smelled, were maintained, and utilized were a reflection of the present time in which you inhabited them.

One of the speakers, Susanna Bjorklund led a fascinating discussion on design trends influenced by present day society. She noted that the home is the one place in our lives wherein we feel most comfortable. It is the single place to truly be ourselves. Whether it be unzipping a pair of tight jeans after a long day of work or fastidiously dusting the stress away, we can occupy it however we wish.

I have always been a connoisseur of show homes largely because I relish the moment where you can briefly and tangibly imagine a different life for yourself. “Who would I be if I existed in this space?”, “Who would exist here with me” and “How would I fill these walls?” With the Interior Design Show, these brief moments occurred throughout as I passed by each booth. Sitting on the couches, touching the soft velvet as it takes on upholstery trends and running my hands over a smooth marble, ultra-modern Minotti kitchen I, for a moment, went someplace else.

I’ve shared some key spaces that took me away to a place of imagination and inspiration in hopes it may provide some for you as well.

This whimsical cloud shaped tent provided an oasis for my tired walking feet. Hosted by Tangible Interaction, the display allowed guests to step inside a cloud lined with an astro turf flooring. Once inside, guests were provided with noise cancelling headphones playing calming spa music. Appealing to my occasional introvert side, it was nice to take a brief moment to meditate by myself. I felt completely at peace and certainly not as though I was in the middle of a loud convention centre. Click here to view more projects from this company that is pushing boundaries.

The Wilson School of Design partnered with Dutch design group, Envisions, to create a colourful display of fabrics interacting with wind. Materials of athletic fabrics were used to form a series of eclectic apparatuses that can serve to inspire any designer’s collection.

Christine Breakell Lee is a Vancouver based painter working exclusively with acrylics. Her dynamic brush strokes compliment a feminine palette of soft pastels with contrasting blacks, wood grains, and jewel tones.

Susanna Bjorklund is a trend analyst and journalist based in Finland. She led a discussion on current design trends affected by changes happening in society today. Touching on topics ranging from sustainability, digitalization, and globalization, she covered bases from interiors to fashion. When it comes to trends, we’re seeing more of an acceptance of alternative aesthetics due to the blending of culture we are seeing in globalization. The turbulence of today’s world politics are having an affect on how we experience colour as well. Fashion and interiors are returning from their mono-chromatics in favour of shades that bring brightness and optimism back into our world.