If Toronto’s New Year’s resolution is to make an even bigger mark on the global design scene, it’s already well on its way. As 2026 kicks off, the city is preparing to host a full slate of design festivities — including both the annual DesignTO Festival (more on that soon) and the Interior Design Show (IDS), which fills the Metro Toronto Convention Centre with exciting product launches, programming, and installations from January 22 to 25. 

IDS Toronto’s strength has long been its ability to bring international and homegrown talents together under one roof. Returning zones like Prototype and Studio North place the spotlight on emerging creatives from the national design community, while main stage keynotes during the IDS Trade Days highlight expertise from some of the broader industry’s most respected figures — including, this year, Swiss-born industrial designer Yves Béhar, Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao and Eames Demetrios, the chairman of the Charles & Ray Eames Foundation (not to mention a grandchild of Charles and Ray themselves).

For professionals seeking ideas about what to include in their next project, this year’s edition is also shaping up to provide no shortage of great inspiration, with new areas dedicated specifically to lighting, office design and residential furniture. Below, we recap some of the fun eye candy and insightful commentary in store at the 2026 edition of IDS Toronto.

1

How We Work

Six years after the start of the pandemic, WFH policies remain in a state of flux. This week, Ontario government workers begrudgingly returned to the office full-time following Premier Doug Ford’s announcement last August that he would be putting an end to remote work. Yet in a press conference last Monday, Ford acknowledged that there may in fact not be enough workspaces in place for the province’s entire civil workforce. Needless to say, 21st-century office culture remains a work in progress. Right on cue, IDS Toronto presents a series of installations that speak to the evolution of professional life. Expect insights from firms including Syllable Design (working in collaboration with Three H), Ste. Marie Studio (working alongside Moooi) and BDP Quadrangle. 

2

Furniture Forecast

Didn’t make it to Milan? Missed Copenhagen? No matter — IDS Toronto is bringing some of the top launches from leading international brands together in a special gallery-style display designed by Carv Projects (and curated in collaboration with AZURE). Overall, the installation will offer a taste of the trends, innovations and ideas defining the next chapter of design. We featured an early edition of Furniture Forecast at AZURE’s Human/Nature conference this past October, and sustainability will play a key role in the pieces presented here, too. At the heart of the exhibition will be a modular seating solution making its official debut at IDS Toronto — and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleasing showstopper.

Join AZURE for a tour of Furniture Forecast at 10:30am on Thursday and Friday and 1pm on Saturday.

3

Illuminate

We may be past the winter solstice, but January is still a pretty dark month. Perhaps some new lighting could help. IDS Toronto has plenty of bright ideas in this feature exhibition, a follow-up to an earlier edition that debuted last fall at IDS Vancouver. This January’s display will be curated by industry luminary Julia Vandergraaf, who runs architectural lighting studio ThinkL — and given that she got her start in theatrical lighting design, she also knows a thing or two about setting a dramatic stage. Look for contributions by Lambert & Fils, Stackabl, Sistemalux and more.

4

The Debut of Ourse

Throughout its history, IDS Toronto has served as a launching pad for many exciting Canadian brands that have gone on to achieve great success, from furniture and lighting maker Hollis+Morris (which returns to IDS this year to present its supersaturated Colour Drench lighting collection) to the LED experts at Anony (also back for 2026, displaying as part of the aforementioned Illuminate section).

Now, as we outlined in our recent Jan/Feb issue feature, Ourse is poised to be the latest addition to this all-star lineup. Founded by industrial designer Jake Oliveira and Henderson Resource Group principal Jason Henderson, the brand aims to develop a catalogue that reflects the full extent of Canadian creativity. Its launch collection features designs from heavy hitters and up-and-comers alike, with a lounge chair by industry veteran Thom Fougere joining a trio of stools by Montreal’s Small Medium Large, and other contributions from MSDS Studio, Nicole Marion, and Oliveira himself. Adding to their patriotic power, all the designs are manufactured in Canada, too.

5

Field of Interaction

Every year, IDS Toronto kicks off with an opening night party that brings the Canadian design industry (and quite a few international visitors) together under one roof — meaning you never know just who you’re going to run into in the drinks line. This year, the bar will be even more of an attraction than usual thanks to a custom setup by artist/designers Alina Tacmelova and Yury Goncharov (who dazzled in last year’s Prototype section with his curvy armchair inspired by Isaac Newton’s work on rotation and finished in a flashy metallic chrome). Their installation will be anchored by a rock-like bar that calls to mind desert dunes, joined by clusters of colourful thread. As with Goncharov’s previous work, there is an intellectual slant, too. Inspired by Nicolas Bourriaud’s theory of relational aesthetics, the installation hopes to inspire visitors to “weave their own threads into the collective field.” Two dune-inspired armchairs round out the display.

6

Talks, Talks, Talks!

The Metro Toronto Convention Centre is a big place — and a full day of walking the show floor can take a lot out of you. Plan accordingly by building in some time to sit back and take in a talk or two. On Friday, AZURE editor-in-chief Elizabeth Pagliacolo will be moderating a Q&A with IKEA’s Global Chief Product & Commercial Officer, Fredrika Inger, while senior editor Eric Mutrie (yours truly) will be hosting a Saturday morning discussion with the design teams behind “How We Work.” Or brush up on your marketing strategy in “Building Your Profile: Getting Published and Noticed,” a Friday afternoon session led by PR Lisa Barnes, Lindsay Singer and Cristina Belmonte that I’ll be joining to share insights into AZURE’s editorial process and explain how designers can get their projects or products featured in our pages. Meanwhile, A.I. evangelists and skeptics alike should tune in for Thursday’s tech-driven keynote, “Rethinking A.I.’s Impact on the Business of Design,” which will highlight how firms are successfully putting A.I. tools into practice in their day-to-day workflows.

7

Italian Pavilion

Ten industry stalwarts join forces at one sprawling booth for the ultimate showcase of Italian design. Furniture brands will include seating specialists Sitia and closet and shelving experts Erba, while featured material manufacturers will range from decorative paint company Valpaint to Murano glass fabricator Chromiaglass and leather maker Futura. Seeking surfacing? Grassi Pietre offers marble and natural stone, Saimex serves up standout composites, Agglotech boasts beautiful terrazzo, and Granulati Zandobbio has what you need when it comes to outdoor stones. Rounding out the mix is gym equipment manufacturer Technogym — but really, everybody in this showcase is flexing some serious design muscle. On January 23, AZURE editor-in-chief Elizabeth Pagliacolo will be hosting an afternoon cocktail reception to tour attendees through the full lineup.