SIDIM 2010

The entrance to the event was a showcase of sustainable design. Among the exhibitors was Green Wall by Vertuose, a Montreal-based company. The structure, which can be custom designed for any space and house living or artificial plants, features a stainless steel frame and pockets made of recycled materials for holding soil and the plants' root balls. Best of all, the system self-irrigates so maintenance is minimal.

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Guiding show attendees was an accordian wall constructed of kraft paper by Vancouver-based company Molo. The paper products, which contain 50-percent recycled content, come in an array of sizes and several colors and can be used as space dividers (Softwalls and Softblocks), lighting (Softlights, and seating (Softseating). Each modular section snaps together with magnetic ends to itself in a circle or can be attached to another module to create long strings that snake through a space.

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Toma, a Montreal-based company of graphic designers, displayed a range of products, including household goods and its Inside Out collection. "They are basic objects that you can use and present outside the closet," designer Anne Thomas says. The coat rack and hangers are made out of single pieces of plywood. "The goal is to please your eyes and make your life easier," she says.

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Couper Croiser showed off their new Quadrillé (top) and Tressé (bottom) carpets. The Montreal-based company launched in 2006 with modular carpet tiles and have expanded their collection to include diecut doormats and larger patterns like the ones on display at SIDIM.

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The special Kiosque Québec Eco-Design exhibition featured work by design students from Concordia University, l'Université de Québec à Montréal, and l'Université de Montréal, all located in the city. The HT Chair by Concordia University student Dominic Liu was made with over 425 feet of 1 1/2-inch PVC pipes cut into 124 pieces.

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Another piece in the Kiosque Québec Eco-Design exhibition was the Autumn Rocker by Concordia University student Nathalie Pan. The ergonomic rocking chair was made with FSC-certified plywood, organic cotton, and locally produced organic buckwheat hulls, the last of which is hyperalloergenic and also meant to be more relaxing than fiber filler.

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Following the theme of sustainability, Concordia University student Kamel Haider reused coffee stirers to create the Coffee Lighting pendant lamps, a simple yet attractive solution.

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Toytoy made its debut at SIDIM. The childrens product is made of recycled cardboard that is treated on both sides to be waterproof (and withstand handling by kids). Toytoy, which sells for $20, comes flat packed and the idea is that parents and children together will pop out the pieces and build the chair (which comes in three sizes and can hold up to 175 pounds). To minimize waste, the designers created puzzle pieces with the material not used for the chair, which can later be stored in the chair's seat.

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A lovely booth was that of Montreal designers Julien Mongeau and Amelie Lucier of AJ. The tableware pieces on display combine the duo's talents: Mongeau is a glassblower and Lucier is a ceramicist and together the result are items such as this stunning vase.

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Designed as a prototype by Caroline Trudeau while at l'Ecole Nationale de Meuble, the Dragonfly chair was made of bamboo and hand-drilled to attain its detals. The two strips that comprise the seat were bent together as a singular sheet and cut into two thereafter. The two strips are meant to resemble the four wings of the dragonfly.

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Olivier DesRochers' SouthBeach (left, made of pine) and Ronron (right, made of black walnut) chairs for his company stood out among the furniture on display. While the SouthBeach was a modern verison of an Adirondack chair, the Ronron was named after DesRochers' grandmother, who was known to snore (hence the name Ronron, the French word to describe the sound of someone sawing a log at night).

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The Tarantula chair by My and Thien for Domison was a minimalist design that attracted a lot of attention. Part of the designers' Pâté Chinois collection, the colorful design, a departure for the due, can be customized with a long list of materials and shapes for the seat and backrest. Read our interview with Thien here.

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