Oh Canada!
A Well Designed Nation. No Apologies.
Gotstyle interview with Ryan Martin of Croma Design, 2016
While the Canadian dollar may be fluctuating, our state of design has never been stronger. Gotstyle recently sat down with one of Croma Design’s principal designers, Ryan Martin, to discuss where things are headed with interior design in Canada.
Photo, Michael Graydon
What are some of the current trends in Canadian interior design?
We’re seeing an embracement of the craftsman, and an appreciation for products with an artisanal look and feel. It’s almost a backlash against technology, or a longing for items made out of true passion. Take for example the small batch furniture being built by Coolican & Company in Toronto. They produce limited batches of amazing quality wooden chairs and stools. Each piece feels special, and gives you the sense that it’s something you’d own for a very long time.
Neutral colour palettes are a mainstay, but we’re moving towards balancing those spaces with warmer textures and materials. Brass and copper are now popular alternatives to polished chrome and stainless steel. We recently completed a loft that featured a 12’ tall fireplace surround of the most beautiful hot-rolled steel, which adds a good amount of character to the room.
Why do you think Canadian design is so strong right now?
This may just be the tip of the Canadian design iceberg. Organizations such as Canada Council for the Arts, Design Exchange, IDS and IDS West, have been working tirelessly to find and foster our talent, and it seems our wells run deep.
Table, Pascale Girardin
How have things changed in recent years?
It used to be that interiors were classified as modern, traditional, or transitional, and the designer was hired according to which of those they best served. Now, the distinctions are becoming increasingly blurred. You might live in a historic Victorian filled with modern art and well-built modern furniture. Or maybe yours is a clean-lined downtown condo penthouse, but your lighting has a turn of the century feel. Just as we live in a multi-cultural country, our interiors reference a variety of cultures, eras and styles.
Assembly Arm Chair, EQ3
Canadians like Drake, Justin Bieber and The Weeknd have been taking centre stage in pop culture. Are we seeing anything similar with Canadian interior designers?
Absolutely. It’s not just homes and business on our own soil reaping the benefit. Luxury hotels, restaurants, bars and stores across the globe have all been designed by home-grown talent. Should you find yourself checking into the Waldorf Astoria Beijing or browsing the racks of Printemps department store in Paris for example, you’re doing so in a space designed by Canadians.
Names becoming known include British Columbia born Martha Sturdy, who creates furniture and accessories that incorporate materials reflective of the Canadian Landscape, and has done so for Louis Vuitton, Saks, Bergforf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Four Seasons.
Based in Montreal, Pascale Girardin’s star has been on the rise as she creates high-end dishware and architectural pieces for the luxury hospitality industry across the globe, recently collaborating with Harry Winston in New York.
Can you name a few favourite Canadian designers or manufacturers?
Yabu Pushelberg continues to raise the bar with the luxury interiors their team is known for. Some of the iconic furniture pieces they create are available to use in our own spaces through Avenue Road.
Bev Hissey is a Canadian designer creating innovative hand-made products for the home. One of our clients used the Sightlines carpet in a project and has received continued compliments since.
Gus* Design Group from Toronto and Winnipeg-based EQ3 are both furniture champions designing and manufacturing products in Canada. We recently fell in love with Matthew Kroeker’s Assembly chairs which EQ3 launched at IDS, as a perfect modern take on a classic Windsor-chair.
Photo, Donna Griffith
Can we talk a little bit about lighting?
Since the success of the Bocci brand, we’re seeing the rise of other Canadian-based lighting studios. Lambert et Fils is a Montreal based lighting design studio doing exciting things with a contemporary take on industrial lighting and a commitment to craftsmanship. In Toronto we have Lightmaker Studio interpreting Mid-Century Modern pieces. Zac Ridgley is another Toronto based manufacturer whose pieces bridge the gap between lighting and sculpture. Matthew McCormick’s studio in British Columbia produces well considered and unique lighting pieces and installations.
Park Place Stool, Avenue Road
What about art?
We can’t get enough of the work being created by Art2, a collective of artisans producing innovative contemporary art, taking inspiration from nature as well as geometry, architecture and fashion. Their Artimals – Canadian Collection features whimsical gold foiled silhouettes of Canada’s most iconic wildlife.
Other artists making a big splash in Canada and abroad include Laura Wood whose oil paintings posses a photograph like quality that invites the viewer to interpret a fleeting moment, Dennis Lin known for his organic metal and wood sculptures (the Victoria and Albert Museum in London own one of his pieces), and Melanie Severin with her imaginative pieces making a colourful impact on the Minted community.
Hare, Artimals Collection, Art2
Coolican & Company
Tell us a bit about Croma Design.
We enjoy creating spaces that are clean and timeless. We believe in simplicity, and in using high quality goods and materials. Ours is a multi-disciplinary design firm, meaning that we work on residential and commercial projects alike. Our clients include those looking for interiors that are both functional and inspiring.