Canadian Interiors May – June 2026
Issue Focus: Where Legacy Meets Innovators
Design is evolving from static form-making into an active framework for cultural continuity, systemic innovation, and future-facing transformation, with those doing the transforming leaving a noticeable mark.
PROFILE
Simone Ferkul’s interior projects turn restraint into atmosphere, where calibrated material palettes and quiet geometries shape experience with precision.
PROJECTS SPOTLIGHT
While functionally and programmatically different, at the core of both projects is a design language that bridges contemporary design, history, and Indigenous worldviews guided by principles of connectivity, access, and Indigeneity.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
CN Tower Lower Observation Level, Toronto
The first major renovation of this level since the CN Tower opened in 1976, and under extraordinary logistical and climatic conditions, was completed in time to celebrate the icon’s 50th anniversary.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
A collaborative effort between researchers, students and architects transforms a utilitarian shower into a sensory-aware environment where light, materiality, and spatial logic reduce stress and elevate patient experience through evidence-based design.
ASSOCIATION FOCUS
In this issue of ARIDO Journal, newly appointed Executive Director, Jeremy Vandermeij, discusses how ARIDO is at a leverage point as regulation, governance, and public expectations shift, and this is a chance to increase value and trust for both the public and members.
SHOW COVERAGE: Malaysian International Furniture Fair, Kuala Lumpur
A round-up of findings at the 2026 edition of Southeast Asia’s largest B2B home and office furniture trade show, which spans across 100,000 square metres and 17 exhibition halls in two venues.
SHOW COVERAGE: China International Furniture Fair, Guangzhou
As global supply chains and market expectations continue to shift rapidly, CIFF Guangzhou’s theme of “CONNECT·CREATE” is especially apt as brands, designers and manufacturers explore new innovations across the furniture sector.
SHOW COVERAGE: Light + Building 2026, Frankfurt
Adaptive, AI-driven luminaires take center stage in Frankfurt, reframing lighting as a responsive layer within intelligent building systems rather than a static design element.
GOOD READS
Rainbow Dreams: Color and Light in Contemporary Art is a visually lush survey the reframes colour as both a universal design language and a contested cultural signal.
Editor’s Notes: The Floor Is Yours
Spring, it is said, is the season of rebirth, growth and activity. One way this truism is typically seen in the A&D industry is a paroxysm of trade shows and in-person events flooding our calendars in early spring months. While not a revelation — design industry trade shows tend to cluster primarily in early spring and early fall — something different seems to be happening this year. A certain mushrooming of opportunities in March and April. In that brief period, the tiny team at Canadian Interiors participated in events in Malaysia, China, Germany, Spain and Italy, and kept tabs on others elsewhere. And it wasn’t just the number of events; there felt a changed mien among attendees at these events.
Editor in Chief
Canadian Interiors
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During my participation in several of those events referenced above, both the amplified number and energy of the Canadian design contingent I encountered was palpable, particularly during Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026, the grande dame of the show circuit (and which ended mere days before we went to press, so my report is forthcoming). In Milan, Canadian visitor numbers rose significantly — 28 per cent compared to previous years and one of the largest increases by countries, according to organizers — even against a backdrop of geopolitical instability, unstable markets and growing international supply chain complexity (and let’s be honest: costs and flights).
The more I imbedded myself in their groups and spoke to members of Canada’s A&D industry at these shows, the more I noticed similarities in their attitudes. For designers now, trade shows are more than just occasional sources of inspiration or vendor-sponsored outings (although some of that still exists). They see them as multi-layered business development ecosystems where product specification intelligence, relationship-building, thought leadership, and future business development converge.
As one designer said to me during Salone, their growing interest in trade shows is not rooted in some nostalgic return to pre-pandemic habits, but in the realities of a market that now demands more active visibility and sharper positioning. Designers are operating in an environment shaped by rapid product innovation, sustainability mandates, supply chain instability, cost pressures, and heightened client expectations. In this context, she said, trade shows provide concentrated access to manufacturers, suppliers, collaborators, and emerging technologies in ways that digital channels alone cannot replicate.
One of the greatest values of trade shows has always been in product specification. But these days, material and product decisions are deeply tied to performance, regulatory compliance, ESG requirements, and long-term project resilience. Attending major trade events allows designers to evaluate products firsthand, compare innovations directly, and engage with manufacturers in real time. This compresses months of fragmented research into highly efficient, strategic knowledge acquisition. More importantly, it allows designers to make better-informed specification decisions that can reduce project risk and strengthen client confidence.
Yet product intelligence is only one dimension of the opportunity. As Johanna Hoffmann mapped out superbly in her recent blog posts, trade shows have also become high-value networking ecosystems that extend far beyond traditional client development. Designers now use these environments to strengthen relationships with suppliers, developers, consultants, media, and strategic collaborators. This broader networking capacity positions designers not simply as creative professionals, but as active market participants within larger industry ecosystems.
In many ways, the designer’s role itself is expanding. Clients now expect designers to advise not only on aesthetics, but also on product durability, wellness, sustainability, and procurement resilience. Trade shows help designers maintain this expanded advisory role by keeping them informed about evolving products, technologies, and market conditions. Firms that prioritize this engagement are better positioned to offer strategic value, rather than simply design execution.
The surge in trade show relevance also reflects broader structural changes in the market. As procurement cycles grow more competitive and buyers become more informed, visibility and trust must be reinforced continuously. Digital presence may establish awareness, but in-person engagement often accelerates credibility and relationship-building in ways that are critical for securing future opportunities.
Ultimately, trade shows have become far more than product showcases. They are laboratories, networking hubs, content engines, and business development accelerators. For designers, strategic attendance is increasingly tied to maintaining competitive relevance, expanding influence, and building resilient practices. But there is something else growing which can’t be denied: an energy. As one Toronto-based designer said to me at Salone, while pausing briefly to down yet another espresso to fuel her excited explorations, the energy now is contagious, emanates beyond the physical locations, and plants seeds in new places. One example immediately came to mind when she said that: the first-ever Montréal Design Week happening this spring, with a program of exhibitions, studio visits, conferences, and urban circuits across the city.
In a rapidly shifting marketplace, firms that view trade shows as integrated strategic assets rather than optional events will be better equipped to secure stronger projects, make smarter product decisions, and position themselves for sustained future growth.
