From emerging designers and student innovators to industry heavyweights and immersive show floor experiences, our editors pick out their top highlights from Toronto’s IDS 2025.
- Words
- Sophie Sobol, Eric Mutrie, Stefan Novakovic, Sydney Shilling, Elizabeth Pagliacolo
- From
- Curiosity, Design, Gallery, Interiors
- Posted
- Feb 4, 2025



IDS 2025 started off with an evening to remember. The opening night party featured live music courtesy of Big Smoke Brass, as well performances by renowned Canadian acclaimed drag king HercuSleaze; live vocals by Regina Gently and a whole lot more.


The commute to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre was a little bit brighter this year. Running concurrently with IDS (and beyond), Dwell, an exhibition put on by DesignTO, brought a dose of design to Union Station, encouraging show-goers and transit users alike to stop and smell the roses — literally. Among the five featured artists and designers was Kristina Ljubanovic, who showed a series of floral installations. Also included were a series of sinuous textile works by Mexico City-based Yasmin Mora, and the Kissing Chair by Toronto designer Alison Postma, a perennial favourite in IDS’s Prototype section.


Every year, Friday’s Azure Talks Trade Day is a highlight for our busy editorial team. In 2025, Azure’s Eric Mutrie kicked off the day’s keynotes with an eclectic panel discussion about the future of creative practice. Heather Dubbeldam, Michael Leckie, Tura Cousins Wilson and Ashley Rumsey shared how emerging opportunities — whether facilitated through new technology, civic activism or self-initiated building projects — are continuously redrawing the lines of design practice.


The panel was followed with an intimate talk by architect Robert Kastelic, a co-founder of Toronto’s acclaimed Akb Architects. Joined by Azure’s Stefan Novakovic, Kastelic shared the personal story of getting diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease at the age of 47 — an event that changed the trajectory of both his life and his design practice.


In a conversation with Azure’s Elizabeth Pagliacolo, Maria Porro talked about her family’s 100-year-old furniture manufacturing brand. Steeped in history, the company is also innovating new methods of production – including, as Porro explained, a new way of co-ordinating multiple orders so that pieces are cut from the same panels, thereby minimizing waste.


The feature exhibition “Night & Day” explored the hotel of the future, room by room, by inviting a range of top designers to weigh in on emerging hospitality design trends. Collaborating with Neolith, Yabu Pushelberg reimagined the hotel bar as a study in contrasts. Soft grey exterior walls provided the backdrop to calm seating for midday cocktails, while windows looked through to a surprisingly dramatic interior zone, where purple and copper seating popped against rich red carpeting and walls.


When it comes to hotel lobbies, why does the front desk always steal the show? That was the question posed by SDI Design and Denizens of Design in their reimagining of the guest arrival experience, which replaced the check-in counter with a prominent circular “hearth” designed to spark moments of deeper connection. Building on this idea, a red ceiling installation mimicked the warm ambiance of flickering flames.


Another standout from “Night & Day” saw Rollout and Coolab teaming up to create a spa space that tapped into the tranquil powers of amethyst. Inside a shipping container, a mix of mirrored and wallpapered surfaces joined an ambient soundtrack to calm the mind and bolster spiritual harmony.




IDS Toronto continues to work to improve its environmental footprint — and the restaurant space in “Night & Day” was a great case study. Waissbluth Architecture Office (WAO) and Vancouver construction company AD Projects won the Best Booth Design — Sustainability award for a space that had a clear plan in place for once the show wrapped up. Panelling will be reused for a future project by Luxeme Kitchens, while modular tables (by PlayWood s.r.l.) and hanging installations (by Kristen Parry) will be similarly adapted for new homes.




You couldn’t miss this modular shelving unit by Object Interface: Despite its minimal design, the rich, cherry red finish stood out on the show floor. It is styled here with other pieces from the local design studio, including a playful hardware collection inspired by brass knuckles.


Inspired by the discoveries of Isaac Newton, designer Yury Goncharov conceived this chair to reflect the Earth’s rotation and the dynamic flow of energy. Its mirror-like form, created by coating a foam base in fibreglass, immediately drew our eye at IDS’s Prototype showcase — and earned a coveted Love Tag from our sister publication Designlines.


Luxury home and kitchen appliances manufacturer Fisher & Paykel and premium Italian kitchen brand Arclinea join forces for IDS 2025. Their booth — designed by Guido Costantino Projects+ — boasted Arclinea’s minimalist Thea kitchen, plus new F&P appliances like the 24″ Series 9 Integrated Beverage Centre.


Made of mouldable beeswax, industrial designer Kirby McLean’s playful vessels dubbed “Sew Sow” invite users to touch and fold the open sleeve-like shapes.


A recent grad from Sheridan College’s Furniture Design program, the idea for Alison Potsma’s Knob Chair came to her “in a dream.” But as whimsical as it is, the playful design is also grounded in form — and body (it looks like it would give a great massage!)






The LIV Student Design Challenge is an annual highlight of IDS — and 2025 was no exception. This year, the brief was to reinvent the lobby into a true social space. (Check out the LIV Design Studio page on the IDS website to see more!)



