#vancouver design

[simpleesong]

Traditional Living Room - Library Living room library idea with beige walls, a two-sided fireplace, a stone fireplace, and no television in a small, traditional open layout style.

[firsttothetop]

Vent Table

[getkabuni]

Kabuni Spotlight - Michael Thomas Host of mth woodworks

Story: Sam Wink, Jennilee Marigomen, Jill Greenwood

Photography: Jennilee Marigomen

Michael Thomas Host has a deep and profound appreciation of nature. The son of a forester and an avid outdoorsman, the founder and owner of mth woodworks set his design roots in the great forests of the Pacific Northwest.

Always finding inspiration from life, Michael’s journey would take him to Brooklyn, New York, where he would dive headfirst into custom furniture building and large scale wood installations– acquiring new techniques and skills along the way. In 2002 Michael returned to the West Coast, where he continued his professional development managing a local woodworking shop.

Since the birth of mth woodworks in 2010, Michael has crafted designs that encapsulate the history of the raw material. In both residential and commercial applications, the pieces he creates showcase growth rings of trees in modern resins–the future and past held in stasis. These techniques offer clients the ability to put natural history on display, to create conversation around ecological sustainability, and to connect the modern world to the organic.

As a born and raised native of BC, what particular elements of the environment have inspired you?

Obviously I've been inspired by our beautiful lush temperate rainforests, but there's so much more to this province. Where else can you snowboard, mountain bike and surf all in one day?  It keeps the inspiration flowing.

For four years you worked as a yacht builder.  How did this feed into your eventual move into furniture design?

Yacht building was great for building up skills and experience with epoxies and resins. It was also one of the nastiest jobs I've ever done which makes me appreciate my career even more now.

Is there a material that you dream of working with in the future?

I'd like to experiment with some different more exotic tree species in the future. Imagine a bloom table done with a walnut tree stump.

What is your favourite part of your process?

Asking the favourite part of the process is like asking which breath of air is your favourite. The entire process from the search for material to the final delivery and everything in between gives me so much and keeps me excited and motivated.

Outside of the design world, what are some of your major inspirations?

Mountain biking and snowboarding have always been my go to activities to clear my mind and keep it open to new ideas and designs. Surfing is my new favourite. The sounds and smells and colours always help to keep things fresh and inspire fresh concepts.

Does form follow function or function follow work in your work?

Because I'm working with such strong and distinct forms in the cedar stumps, function seems to follow form in this quest to add usability to these natural shapes.

Your products are sold internationally. What was a pivotal moment that led to this success?

I think that winning Western Living's Designer of the Year twice has helped put me on the map. But sheer perseverance has been the real reason for most of this international success.

What are the challenges you and other local makers face?

More importantly, what isn't challenging about starting a small business? There are so many challenges that have had to be overcome, but as time goes by things get a little easier. Staying ahead of the pack and constantly creating new designs is a real challenge these days.

Slow design encourages designers to make a conscientious choice of materials and processes, and consider which design strategies may encourage a long-life relationship between the object and its owner. It also considers post consumer life. Do you feel that you art part of this movement?

Mother Nature definitely took her time on the material I use, and I think this ensures a long life relationship between a piece and its owner.

What is one thing you are excited about in the Kabuni App? To be honest, The Dream Room at the Kabuni Design Studio blew my mind. It's pretty exciting technology. How are you trying to make better homes for everyone? I am trying to create a product line that helps people connect with our beautiful outside environment, and make it easy for them to find something that fits their style and design aesthetic.  

Love design? Kabuni is the platform of choice for interior designers, artists and artisans. We empower designers in cities around the world. Access thousands of home décor products from local artists like Michael Host, as well as leading brands that clients will love. Connect, collaborate and profit share with us. With every purchase we support charities helping people who are homeless in our communities. Sign up on Kabuni.com. Are you a maker of furniture of home decor? Sign up with Kabuni to show your work to a new audience of designers and clients! 

[getkabuni]

Madeleine Schmidt is a Vancouver based designer that specializes in residential planning and interior design. Her beautiful, functional interiors reflect the personality of her clients, and she prides herself in guiding them every step of the way. We sat down with her and she told us about time as a carpenter apprentice, her design philosophies, and very cool project for the Prince of Abu Dhabi!

You told me about your woodworking background and education. What drew you to woodworking in the first place? 

Joinery was a class in high school that I always really enjoyed and excelled at. My very first project in Grade 8 was a piggy bank, from there I designed and constructed a night stand in Grade 9, a bed in Grade 10, a dresser to match in Grade 11 and a coffee table in Grade 12. All of the furniture is still being used at my Mom's house! My joinery teaching in high school encouraged me to continue within the field, which is when I decided to start as a carpenter apprentice. 

What drew you to switch to Interior Design? How does this set you apart? 

I went into the carpentry program fully intending on switching to Interior Design once I had some hands-on experience in the construction industry. This sets me apart in the Interior Design world because I do have the hands on experience that other designers may not have been exposed to, and I have a strong understanding of the construction of things. My experience in carpentry ranges from simple framing to installation and construction of fine millwork. 

What is your dream project? 

My dream project is to completely re-model a heritage house with the design reflecting the era of the home, but tastefully introducing updated finishes and modern layouts. Do you have a signature touch with your designs? 

My signature touch is to really focus on what my client wants to see. I love all design, so I get excited when I get to focus on bringing out my clients personal style that they weren't sure how to express on their own.  

What is your philosophy on design and life? 

One of my favourite quotes about design is one from Steve Jobs. "Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." My philosophy follows this statement very strongly. I believe that as designers we are responsible to make things look nice, but it is so important that everything flows and works together in a space. The work ability of something is what I focus on and then of course, making it look pretty brings everything together! I can say that I follow these same philosophies in how I live my life. I'd like to say that I am reasonably calculated in my decisions in life and how they will impact my future, or how life itself will "work". Of course, you can't anticipate all that may happen to you and I do love spontaneity, but having a direction is key to me and has played a large part in the growing success of my business.

What is a trend in interior design that you are excited about?

Sustainability means a lot to me. It's great to see products coming out that are better for our environment, as the waste involved in a lot of construction these days is the only part about my job I do not like. I always encourage clients to give away old cabinets and fixtures, rather then seeing them end up in the landfill. To see that new products that are going into their homes are sustainable always makes me feel great. 

Can you tell us something unusual that has happened to you in your career?

I had the opportunity to design a portable luxury shelter for the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. This was a project opportunity that was presented to me by a friend of mine that worked for the company who engineered and manufactured the shelters. We built two of them, which were so exciting to watch come together. It is definitely the most unique project I've worked on so far!

Do you have a word of advice for a young interior designer?

Try to find something that will set you apart from other designers. Gain some experience that the Interior Design program you're enrolled in doesn't offer. Even if that means taking an art class, architectural design, or even some experience with landscaping. Anything related to your profession that you might be able to tie into what you do, will help you in the future. It also gives you the opportunity to stretch your creativity and understand the fundamentals of the careers of those you will be working very closely with. Knowledge is power!

What is one thing you are excited about in the Kabuni App? 

I'm really excited about the extra inspiration I can give my clients with the use of the Kabuni app. It's a fun tool to search for unique products and is simple to see everything together with the layout of the app. I think my clients will find it useful and easy to navigate when looking for items for their home. How are you trying to make better homes for everyone? 

I think this ties back to my design philosophy and sustainability. Better homes for everyone for me means being comfortable in your home, wherever it may be and whatever size it may be. It is important that everyone is comfortable and living in a healthy and functional home. I'll continue to focus on how things work and how we can make a greater impact on the environment with the products that we use and where our waste goes. It is in my near future goals to implement a donation portion of my business to go towards building homes for those that are less fortunate and I look forward to seeing where this might take me and what new people I will meet along the way. I don't have any concrete plans yet, but I can assure you that you'll see something of this path from me in the near future! 

See more of Madeleine’s work on her website. @madeleineschmidtdesign Love design? Kabuni is the platform of choice for interior designers, artists and artisans. We empower designers in cities around the world. Access thousands of home décor products from local artists and artisans  as well as leading brands that clients will love. Connect, collaborate and profit share with us. With every purchase we support charities helping people who are homeless in our communities. Download the app.

[frameandfollie]

FAREWELL BUT NOT GOODBYE!

It’s with happy hearts that Frame & Follie announces that after three beautiful years, we’ve decided to close up our boutique design shop. We’re grateful for all that we’ve learned, both from working with each other and with our wonderful clients. A big thank you goes out to all of our clients, colleagues and friends! We truly appreciate all of your support! Please do not hesitate to contact us regarding any past or future design work. We’ll still be only an email or a phone call away! Another big thank goes out to each other. Working so closely together has been an incredible experience, allowing us to grow and discover our own individual passions. Although we’re saying farewell to the business, we’re not saying goodbye to design (or to each other!). It’s with great memories that we’re ready start on our own paths and say hello to new adventures! Cheers! Leah & Jasmine - - - Don’t be a stranger! Leah: [email protected] Jasmine: [email protected]

♥ ♥ ♥

[lightformcanada]

Residential project in Deep Cove, BC gets a touch of drama with Terzani's resplendent Argent suspension light. Project by Architerior Designs in Vancouver

[renderlightandplanning]

In the Big Apple to visit manufacturers.

[justinradforddesign]

Some work I was getting up to for my latest Photoshop assignment. This was an assignment to cut out the person in these headshots and impose it on a background image. We were also challenged to do some editing to the image itself. With the first image most people in class chose to make him look as badass as possible, I took this to try and do the opposite, make him as lovable as possible. 

In the second image I first used the background image and changed the lighting of her face to quite blue, when I did this a couple people seeing my progress said she looked like she had blue skin like in Avatar, I took this as a challenge and went to town.