“I want to tell a story through my pieces with a modern interpretation.”Īll things textural, from soft furnishings like pillows and throws to upholstered furniture, a trend which began in 2022 (including the sherpa fabric craze), have morphed into a total sensory experience in 2023. “I grew up admiring the artists of Peru and their use of stones, wood, engravings and natural elements,” German explains. Showcased at IDS Vancouver, the intricate organic tabletop designs of his Mycelium: Seed Line Collection are created with huayruros, quinoa, chia, shihuahuaco seeds and black beans, meticulously patterned in layers of eco-friendly resin. Peruvian-born sculptor and furniture craftsman German Aguirre, of German Aguirre Design Atelier in Vancouver, expresses his interconnectedness with nature as “of the earth.”Ī former guide in the Amazon during a gap year at school, he is influenced by the ephemeral nature of mandala abstract art. “I’m also a big fan of Kirk Van Ludwig’s Autonomous Furniture out of Victoria because the beautifully designed contemporary pieces are sourced from re-purposed wood and use non-toxic finishes.” “Danielle’s approach to organic sustainability with her MushLume Lighting Collection is so simple yet fascinating and complements both residential and commercial design,” she explains. Renee Switzer, co-founder and principal of SwitzerCultCreative in Vancouver, has championed BC and international makers of high-end furniture and lighting for over 25 years. Her very cool collaborations with restaurants and boutiques also include MushLume lighting lampshades and pendants adorning the Westley Calgary Downtown, Tapestry Collection by Hilton. “Grown in a lab, the mycelium product is very sustainable and there are no off-gases or leaching into the earth,” says Danielle from her studio in Brooklyn. She packs the materials into 3D-printed lampshade molds. By allowing the mycelium to grow over a few days around clean agricultural waste, such as hemp, corn stalks or husks, the injected mycelium binds the waste together, forming a solid shape. With its hand-drawn mushroom-patterned upholstery, the chair can be completely disassembled for recycling when the time is right.īrooklyn-based biodesigner Danielle Trofe, of Danielle Trofe studio, has taken this ecological phenomenon a step further by working with living organisms to produce contemporary, sustainable lighting. If you watched the award-winning documentary Fantastic Fungi on Netflix, you know about the incredible communicative and medicinal properties of mushrooms and their mycelium roots.įashion designer and eco-philanthropist Stella McCartney recently collaborated with B&B Italia to re-imagine Mario Bellini’s iconic 1972 Bambole Chair for her Fungi Forest iteration. Eco-friendly and sustainability in 2023: who knew a vegetable could be so inspiring? Returning to their former in-person glory after several years of COVID-19 shutdowns, local and international design fairs-ranging from IDS Vancouver’s New Futures, New York Design Week, Salone del Mobile (Milan) and Maison & Objet (Paris)-all expressed similar interpretations of design trends for 2023: it’s out with the pared-down, straight lines and neutrals, and in with colour, curvaceous furniture and sculptural lighting, all wrapped in eco-conscious comfort!ġ. Today, nothing could be closer to that truth. In 1981, it was Faith Popcorn and her TrendBank who first coined the interior design term “cocooning.” She defined it as, “the need to protect oneself from the harsh, unpredictable realities of the outside world.” – Words by Laura Goldstein Photography by Lia Crowe

Aerial mycelium