Not Seen at the Interior Design Show 2020: A Whole Lot of Sustainable, Green Design

Every year we go look for the latest in sustainable design. Every year the post gets shorter.

Design shows aren't what they used to be; the Internet ate them. The Interior Design Show in Toronto is Canada's biggest, and I have been covering it for years, looking for all the newest in sustainable, green design. Alas, sustainable design is not what it used to be either; everyone says they are doing it but it's really hard to tell. I did like the design of the pop-up "milk stand" that Design Milk did. This was so simple: just cardboard boxes, all of which can be folded flat and reused.

Atelier non-useless/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0My favourite booth was from L'atelier NON-USELESS, who describe their work:

We create contemporary objects and pieces of furniture that are multifunctional or modular because we believe that this extends their useful life and therefore avoids (on a small scale) waste, over-consumption and over-furnishing homes. Our work is therefore part of a sustainable design approach more so as all our objects are locally made. We design our objects to be funny with unusual shapes and we make sure they can fit well in any room. Because they often serve several purposes, in different parts of the house, they fit perfectly in small spaces.

Cody James Norman bowl/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0

I usually find the most interesting stuff in the Studio North section, where young and new designers can be found. Cody James Norman uses a giant industrial glue gun to squirt out plastic into different forms, like this bowl made from your usual household recycling.

Cody James Norman/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0

Most of his work is made from plastic he gets from industrial recyclers.

Cody Norman’s work examines the relationship between art, design, and craft using digital fabrication alongside traditional, analog methods of production. He creates objects that incite conversation about materiality and process. His work explores perceptions of automation and human capital through the use of industrial robots, 3-D printing, and handheld extrusion tools. Cody is currently pursuing an MFA in 3D Design at Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Sofa by 608 Design with Evan Bare/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 1.0

Evan Bare has been on TreeHugger a few times for his bunkie design for a tiny and not so tiny house.

Lighting and sofa detail 608 Design/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0

But he is at the IDS with his very interesting sofa design for small spaces. It flatpacks down to a small box and has thin arms and back to not take up nearly as much space as your usual sofa with cushions this size. It also is wired for storage and charging of your phone and even has built-in lighting.

Edible Futures/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0

Edible Futures hit all the sustainable and green buttons, but it deserves its own post.