Over the course of 4 days, some of Vancouver's most creative minds were all under one roof for the Interior Design Show (IDS) Vancouver. This was my third year attending, but unlike in the past, this time I got to go to the private media cocktail party. I got to walk the floor with an exclusive VIP lanyard around my neck and explored the exhibition during the private cocktail hour on Thursday evening. That fancy lanyard of mine also granted me access to the exclusive VIP lounge.
For the cocktail party, I donned an emerald green lace dress from Aritzia which I paired with black leather Rachel Comey booties. I thought I looked pretty amazing, yet I still could not help, but feel a little underdressed. I was surrounded by gorgeous people decked out in the most fabulous fashion forward outfits. Needless to say, I was living for their outfits.
During the closed cocktail party, food stations were dispersed around the large space. There were platters of fine cheeses with artisanal crackers, sushi, spring rolls, mini sliders and of course free flowing red and white wine. Since it was around dinnertime, I found myself scouring the floor for food and only after I settled my hunger pangs did I start exploring the actual show.
IDS Vancouver held its first exhibition in 2004 and nearly a decade and a half later, IDS Vancouver has exponentially grown into Western Canada's largest celebration of design. The show is diverse and nearly a third of the exhibitions were by local designers and artisans. The show featured panelists, abstract art installations, and the newest trends in home decor.
My favourite part of the show each year is the conceptual space challenge. For 2018, eight designers were asked to re-imagine the bathroom as a sanctuary. The theme was Retreat and each of the 100 square-foot conceptual spaces were distinctly unique, echoing the designer's style. As with every year, this corner of the convention hall was insanely busy. My favourite bathroom which unsurprisingly also won Best Exhibit Space was a collaboration between Annaliesse Kelly ID Studio and Madeleine Design Group Inc. The wall behind the bathtub was a stunning blue to white ombre of scalloped tiles that screamed mermaid. The space was also framed by a unique laser cut design. Another bathroom was grand and featured rich gold and copper tones and even had stairs leading up to it. I also really enjoyed Kendall Ansell Interior's blue ad mustard hued bathroom that had a macrame swing and wicker baskets.
For some weird reason, September was cursed for me because everything I touched seemed to break. My SD card decided to become corrupted, which means I was not able to retrieve a huge proportion of my pictures from the night which is a bummer because the Altered States exhibition by Caesarstone and Snarkitecture was a stunning interactive piece of art and a real focal point of the night. The different layers really gave it a lot of depth and was fun to pose on. Sigh my pictures :( Good thing everyone there was taking a lot of pictures that they posted to Instagram under the hashtag: #idsvancouver.
Before the night was up, it was my turn to sit and look pretty for photographer Ian Azariah. He was there for the night of the Media party with Seen Signs and was photographing guests with an 1860's method called Tin Type. With a little bit of science and of course magic, he fused particles of real silver onto a metal plate in his make shift darkroom on the back of a trike. The image development was really freaky because the image first starts as an inverse and slowly changes into the final picture. I swear he is a sorcerer and since I smiled in the picture, I fear he has captured my soul!
The resurgence of Mid-Century Modern furniture is real and I could not be happier because I am living for the solid walnut and teak furniture. I find those woods have a lovely warm orange tone that makes spaces feel cozy. I hope to someday furnish my own future home with furniture in this style. Did you know Teak wood is the hardest wood and is currently one of the most expensive types of wood.
The night went by so fast that it feels like a blur. I do not think I have had this much fun at an event before! Thank you so much for having me IDS Vancouver and I look forward to celebrating design with you next year.
BYES