This weekend brings the annual Vancouver Interior Design Show where designers, artists, makers and design-centric brands come together to showcase their current works, concepts and products.
Vancouver fosters a thriving, vibrant design industry and Gastown itself is a hive of creative energy as seen on the street level and within our majestically curated stores and boutiques.
While a few of our businesses will be exhibiting at the show, this weekend brings with it a wonderful opportunity to come to Gastown to discover the vibrant community of interior design stores that are in the neighbourhood.
Inform Interiors
Van IDS Exhibitor and sponsor
Known worldwide, Inform Interiors goes far beyond selling exceptional creations for the home. Owner and designer Niels Bendtsen has been working with contemporary furniture all his life. A long time Gastown business, Inform hosts monthly speakers series where leading edge design experts and professionals share their experience and views on the industry. Open to all, these sessions aim to create discourse, to enlighten and often challenge preconceptions with what is possible within the realm of interior design. Upstairs resides an extensive library of design books for sale. Just across the road sits Inform’s second showroom, B&B Italia / Boffi displaying award-winning designs from celebrated kitchen and bath manufacturers.
Espace D
Van IDS Exhibitor
Petite and personalized, Espace D is a haven of beautiful things for the home. Owner Pierre Derreumaux is passionate about helping clients create spaces that resonate within a balanced, natural aesthetic. As an interior designer, Pierre offers valuable design ideas while curating a cache of Scandinavian-inspired decor, eco-friendly home accessories and acrylic paintings by local artists.
Montauk Sofa
Van IDS Exhibitor
Housed in a 120 year old building, the open concept store is stunning in its own right, presenting the reality of how comfort and aesthetic can synthesize into perfect harmony. All Montauk Sofa upholstered products are hand made at their Montreal factory in St. Henri. Montauk sofas always start out with a traditional solid wood frame covered with springs which are held in place by eight-strand flax rope (the highest standard in the industry), all covered by memory foam and down filled feather cushions. There is no compromising on quality. The depth of the couch is generous, the cushions offer incredible support, allowing one to sit or lounge in absolute comfort.
German-founded Bulthaup focuses on the idea of kitchen interiors as furniture. Space efficient sculptural storage designs allow for different facets within a minimalist aesthetic. The company is praised on an international level for its ingenious kitchen solutions. Bulthaup’s lines B1, B2, B3, offer chic cabinets that are luxurious yet refined and naturally compliment any space.
L’Atelier Home offers a custom refurbishing service where damaged or old items can be repurposed and revitalized. The boutique has made wonderful transformations with pieces that were almost castaways. L’Atelier curates Parisian-inspired furnishings hand woven Moroccan cushions and leather poufs as well as a nice selection of accessories, candles, objets, mirrors and lighting.
Independent and true to Gastown, Jonathon Litchfield has visioned his shop on the concept of “How We Live”. Having spend some of his childhood in Japan, Jonathon was inspired to create a philosophy on how he remembers growing up within a home that always very well kept – a space that was organized, clean and beautiful. Here you find just that – everything is thoughtfully placed and the overall feeling is quite Zen and meditative. Litchfield sells items from such categories as apothecary, personal, home, scent, kitchen, literature and stationary.
If there was ever a store that seemed like it had arrived through a time portal, it would indeed be The Old Faithful Shop. Much like the Gastown outfitters of yesteryear, supplying gold prospectors, pioneers and seasonal workers with well-made essential goods, Old Faithful is steeped in the tradition of selling quality goods for simple, everyday living. Their belief is that the best products become better known as our Old Faithful ones: trusty, well-built heirloom pieces that are classic in design and only enhanced by the passage of time. The inspiration for Old Faithful Shop came directly from the shop floors of co-founder Walter Manning’s Grandparents stores. Both his paternal and maternal Grandparents owned and operated successful General Stores, as did their parents before them. Here you’ll discover housewares, personal items and gifts.
One of the neighbourhood’s well-known Interior design stores, Orling & Wu is forever an interesting place to visit. Central Saint Martin’s graduates, Fredrick Orling and Julie Wu, handpick a fine collection of unique home decor and design-led gifts from Belgium, Japan and beyond. Think colourful table settings and whimsy adornments. Along with in-depth home styling advice, Orling & Wu houses a department of Swedish wallpaper as wells as drapery and upholstery that can be applied to existing or new furniture creations.
Every space needs a pop of colour and Parliament caters to the season’s trending palettes. This décor boutique takes a fresh approach to interior design curating a collection of California-style furnishings, novelty accessories and owl-themed décor. Discover local works, like down filled pillows with Iconic Vancouver photos crafted by Heather Johnston and the minimalist botanicals in the Kermodi Living Art section.
For lavish Italian decor, head to Versace Home. The designer home collection brings the signature medusa emblem, gold accents and lush detailing to the forefront at their Canadian flagship store.
