INSIGHT: The Art of Living, The Sustainability Issue
Insight Magazine
01 HEAVY METAL
Crafted from a single piece of steel rod, this sinuously shaped lounger designed by Canadian Roan Barrion and welded by metalworker Matt Jonker is made-to-order in Manitoba. Available in two metal finishes (black or white powder coat, satin brass plate) and several fabric options. Series Z Lounge Chair, from US$3,100, and stool, from US$1,250. roanbarriondesign.com
02 HOT TO HANDLE
Toronto-based designer Shayne Fox combines modern-day technology with old-world techniques for her clean-line cast-bronze hardware. She uses a computer to design and, to cast the hardware pieces, then celebrates the handmade and reverts to time-honoured methods. Her latest creation — the Nika series, inspired by crystalline textures embedded in natural rock — will be available for purchase this spring.
Geo and Pyra series, from $22. SFH, shaynefoxhardware.com
03 WHY KNOT
Shaggy ’70s fibre-art wall décor gets a pared-back upgrade, thanks to Nom Studio in the Netherlands. Traditional macramé knotting and weaving techniques in cotton cord plush set in beechwood frames equals a decidedly contemporary look to grace the walls of modern homes.
Wandhangers, from €45 (approximately $68). Nom Studio, studionom.nl
04 LIGHTEN UP
A collaboration between Hawaii-born, Brooklyn-based designer Syrette Lew and ceramist Giselle Hicks resulted in this limited-edition collection of chic light forms. One-of-a-kind, these rotund totemic table lamps have terracotta or glazed ceramic bases with hand-blown glass shades for a fresh post-modernist vibe.
GH X MVNGMTNS Lamps, from US$1,200. Moving Mountains, mvngmtns.com
05 BREAK THE MOULD
Consider Portuguese plaster artist Iva Viana’s work the most sophisticated take on interior moulding. Viana creates custom-sculpted wall panels and decorative objets — from art deco forms to classical rosettes — for clients around the world. Whether painted in an eye-popping colour or simply left white, her refined plaster art is sure to turn heads.
Price upon request. Iva Viana Sculpture Atelier, ivavianaescultura.com
06 TOTALLY FLOORED
Milanese firm CC-Tapis works with an impressive list of top designers, such as London-based Faye Toogood and Dutch-born Mae Engelgeer, for its selection of unique, eco-friendly Himalayan-wool carpets. A particular standout — Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola’s chromatic Slinkie rug series (152,000 hand knots per square metre).
Double Slinkie (shown), price upon request. cc-tapis.com
07 WOOD WORK
Cabinetmaker Marc Lamothe is based, fittingly, in Notre-Dame-des-Bois (Our Lady of the Woods), a village in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Besides art nouveau–influenced cabinetry, Lamothe crafts a line of sculptural kitchen tools carved from black walnut, inlaid with maple and padauk (a reddish tropical wood) and then finished with linseed oil and natural resin. Ergonomic spatulas, $26 each. Toutanbwa Artisan Woodworking, toutanbwa.com
08 DISH IT OUT
Aspiring to be a Top Chef? Here’s a culinary rule of thumb — the more elaborate the dish, the simpler the plate. Ergo, minimalist graphic forms by Montreal-based ceramist Antoine Pillot. In shiny black or matte off-white, Pillot’s “cut-up” plates invite mixing and matching for the perfect backdrop to any wannabe-Michelin-starred entrée.
Plates, from $20. Studio AP, studiocreationap.wordpress.com
By Arren Williams – *This article originally appeared in INSIGHT: The Art of Living | Spring 2019
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