10 Canadian Product Designers Leading the Charge

Continuing our celebration of the 150th anniversary of Canada’s confederation, we shine the spotlight on 30 Canadian product designers who are producing the most exciting objects in the country. 

While in the past, Canada’s design identity could have been hung on a lot of raw wood and point blankets, today we’re seeing a dynamic mix of materials and colours that are changing the perception of what Canadian design means.

In the second instalment of our three-part series celebrating our nation’s best and brightest (check out our list of the firms and designers creating the the best interior spaces), we look at 30

industrial designers and collectives who are rebranding our country one item at a time. Some you are surely familiar with, others have only recently begun shaking up the scene.

1 Knauf and Brown, VancouverWhile third-year students at Emily Carr University of Art and Design, the duo produced their first licensed design, the Heavystock System of shelves, which debuted at MaisonetObjet in 2013 and was almost immediately picked up by Taiwan design house Esaila. One year later, their Profile Chair was on the roster at Brooklyn-based curator Souda. Now, Calen Knauf and Conrad Brown churn out everything from bamboo-beaded credenzas to a twig-like multi-purpose packing and smoking tool.

Why you should know them:
At the urging of MSDS (another studio on this list, and on our list of the most exciting interior design firms), the pair brought their game to the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair in February, where they were awarded the Rising Star Editors’ Choice Award. With a recent foray into space design, Say Hey Café, a sandwich joint in downtown Vancouver set to open later this summer, will feature semi-industrial cable-hung lighting that nods to the history of the area while bucking the usual West Coast tropes.

2 Zoë Mowat, Montreal

Since graduating from the University of Alberta in 2007, Mowat has gone on to make a name for herself through her unique blending of materials, colour, proportion and form. Part of the Assembly collection for EQ3 that showed at IDS in 2016, her Dressing Table earned positive reviews thanks to its delicate legs, amalgamation of graphic geometric lines and dynamic mix of materials. Her ever-growing portfolio is chalk full of private commissions that exemplify her offbeat style and one-of-a-kind vision.

Why you should know herCurrently teaching at the University of Oregon, Mowat works with forward-thinking studios like Othr and Umbra, and took part in the 2016 instalment of the collective Furnishing Utopia, organized by Studio Gorm, that celebrates the influence of Shaker design on the modern-day.

3 Jordan Tomnuk, EdmontonSince first drawing attention with his sleek reimagining of the humble rolling pin, Jordan Tomnuk has gone from strength to strength, stocking his portfolio with a range of innovative lighting prototypes, furniture and interior environments that attest to his intention to always question convention and improve function.

Why you should know him:
Tomunk’s Lune Lighting Collection was heralded as the Launch Pad winner during last year’s WantedDesign in New York. The circular pendant and wall sconce (shown) is composed of two discs, with one set on a rotatable axis to control the level of light cast.

4 Mjölk Collection, TorontoWhen compiling a list of “must-sees” for out-of-town designers and architects, you must include Mjölk. Located in one of Toronto’s scrappier neighbourhoods, this accessories and furniture boutique is an oasis of calm – the owners, John and Juli Baker, are expert curators of Scandinavian and Japanese design. Since opening in 2009 they’ve introduced the city to artisans and manufacturers we may otherwise have never been exposed to.

Why you should know them:The pair has a bespoke collection of housewares imagined by some of the world’s most celebrated designers. The Mjölk Collection includes a coffee set and ceremonial tea service by Luca Nichetto, pendants by Oji Masanori, a watering can by Anderssen & Voll, and fire tools by Thom Fougere. Many of these pieces are award-winners but what’s most impressive is that the Bakers connect the designers with Toronto artisans and manufacturers to produce the small batch collections, ultimately connecting local talent with worldly ideation. Coming up: a jewelry collection designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune.

5 Philippe Malouin, U.KSince setting up his own studio in 2009, this Canadian expat has been on a rapidly increasing trajectory. His early days saw him working under the guidance of British design juggernaut Tom Dixon and he now counts Hem, Roll & Hill, Umbra, Matter-Made and Ace Hotels among his many clients. His work is utilitarian but crafted with a refined hand and conceived to be enduring.

Why you should know him:Malouin recently collaborated with Hem on Study for Screens during NYCxDesign, an installation of provoking screens that explored the role of privacy in today’s office environment. He’s also the director of Post-Office, an architectural and interiors practice that has designed spaces for retailers like Everlane, Aesop and Artek. Also, we were thrilled to have Malouin as the designer of this year’s AZ Awards trophy.

 

6 Heidi Earnshaw, TorontoNot all credenzas are created equal. Teak options can be picked up at vintage shops, and there’s always the build-it-yourself-in-an-hour options. Then, there’s the kind that Heidi Earnshaw makes, which can take up to three months to craft from planks hand-picked from Ontario lumberyards. Earnshaw brings a whole new level of mastery to even the most common furnishings.

Why you should know her:There’s nothing about her commissions – which include bureaus, chairs, tables, cabinetry and, of course, credenzas – that’s remotely haphazard. Corners, grips and joinery are almost invisible at first glance. Sliding dovetails, and mortise and tenon joints are immaculate; handles are cleverly sculpted vertical grooves. For those not in this neck of the woods, Earnshaw has a series of ready-made furnishings for those looking for an immediate hit of craftsmanship.

7 Lightmaker Studio, TorontoIf there’s one material that best represents this decade in design, it’s brass. And Michael Stamler and Denise Murphy’s made-to-order fixtures perfectly harness the material’s industrial elegance. Harkening back to mid-century modern lighting, their sculptural chandeliers are impressively grand.

Why you should know them:The studio’s latest launches show them moving away from conventional mid-century styles and into more surprising territory. Zig-Zag creates a maze-like wall sculpture of grass arms and glass-blown globes, while the Mode and Float chandeliers skew more organic, with dense clusters of metallic branches.

8 Jamie Wolfond, New York and TorontoFrustrated by the opacity he encountered when pitching designs to big-name manufacturers, this Toronto-born Rhode Island School of Design graduate decided to launch his own brand dedicated to affordable homewares. That was back in 2014. Now, Good Thing is known for delivering familiar staples with unexpected twists: a key tray with playfully ruffled edges, for example, or a dodecagon-shaped flashlight accented with a rubber bezel.

Why you should know him:
Good Thing expanded into small furniture with this year’s ICFF launches. A metal stool by MSDS Studio, and an ash side table by Chen and Kai show the company dipping its toe into a bigger pool – and Wolfond has plans to introduce even larger pieces in next year’s collection. Plus, with a Toronto office opening this summer, the brand is poised to act as a launchpad for the careers of at least a few fresh-out-of-school Canucks.

9 Lambert & Fils, MontrealSamuel Lambert founded his collaborative design studio in 2010 and has since gone on to develop some of the most ambitious lighting we’ve seen in a long time. At an intersection where poetry meets complexity, Lambert’s fixtures draw influence from art, design and architecture, and his maker mentality harkens back to serious hand-hewed craftsmanship.

Why you should know them:
Breaking onto the European design map in 2016 at Interieur in Belgium, Lambert & Fils reached a much wider scale this year at Salone del Mobile’s Euroluce, where it debuted its latest prototypes.

10 Fogo Island Collection, Newfoundland
The celebrated Fogo Island Inn by architect Todd Saunders reaffirmed Newfoundland’s position on the travel-destination map, but it has also helped rejuvenate the community through its locally crafted furnishings. With pieces like the Bertha armchair, whose exposed plank construction evoke the area’s wooden boats, and the Snake Cushion, a thick coiled pillow made from tiny scraps of colourful yarn whimsical, the furniture line, available globally through Klaus in Toronto, introduces a new vernacular while maintaining a decidedly east coast aesthetic.

Why you should know them:
A project of the Shorefast Foundation led by Zita Cobb, the Fogo Island Inn collection partners international and Canadian designers with makers living on the island to produce the collection, bringing industry and economy to the island community.