Lightform, Vancouver

Photography by Mary McNeill Knowles

Showrooms usually show lots of stuff. But here, the traditional lighting retail model is dismantled in favour of something slower and more atmospheric. Rather than confronting visitors with a ceiling crowded by competing fixtures, the design reduces visual noise through a sequence of draped enclosures that reveal products gradually. Curved textile partitions carve the showroom into intimate vignettes where individual luminaires can be experienced in relative isolation, allowing both their sculptural form and emitted light to register with unusual clarity. The design strategy also tempers daylight intrusion, creating darker pockets where lighting effects become more perceptible and emotionally resonant. Heavy drapery, plaster surfaces, and fumed oak millwork absorb and soften the environment, establishing a tactile backdrop that privileges shadow, texture, and mood over spectacle. Moveable panels and concealed storage allow the showroom to maintain a broad inventory while displaying remarkably little at any one time, transforming product presentation into a more contemplative experience.

As appeared in the July/August 2026 Best of Canada Awards issue of Canadian Interiors magazine.

See all the 2026 Best of Canada Awards winners