Now in its 16th year, the DesignTO Festival has cemented itself as Canada’s largest show of contemporary design focused on local making, sustainability, and “slow” design. The 10-day event featured over 100 free exhibitions, installations, and multidisciplinary talks. This year, a broad range of Canadian and international exhibitors presented flooring, furniture, lighting fixtures, and surfaces, with biomorphic shapes at the forefront. Check out seven of our favorite exhibits that give you useful insights about the 2026 DesignTO Festival.
Sawdust Furniture Collection
Brainchild of Anna Noel, it is one of the notable showcases from the 2026 DesignTO Festival that exhibited the functional result of combining solid wood and its waste product. One great example is the space divider. These panels are made using sawdust combined with a solution of water and agar-agar, then formed, baked, and laser cut into their final forms. The collection also includes a Sawdust Inlay Stool and a lamp with a shade made from sawdust panels.
Abra Chair
Handcrafted by Martin Takáč, this chair is created from only three solid white oak boards, and each piece is responsible for its structural stability. After two years of experimenting with proportions and angles, he created a design that combines aesthetics with practicality. Designed to be both functional and a statement in your space, this chair design puts a fresh spin on traditional seating.
Prairie Cabinet
Canadian furniture designer and maker Heidi Earnshaw has been a long-time follower of the slow furniture design philosophy that prioritizes craftsmanship, sustainability, and mindful living. Her furniture is defined by clean lines, subtle detailing, and honest use of natural materials, resulting in beautiful, practical, and durable pieces. Prairie Cabinet featuring flexible Tambour doors is one of her exhibits at the event.
Tactil Collection
Designed by Futil studio, the Tactil collection of objects and lighting combines the ancient art of scagliola with modern technology. The creation of each object starts from generating complex, biomorphic forms using large-format 3D printing and then decorating them with the scagliola technique. Each piece incorporates natural pigments, which makes each creation different from others.
Also Read: IDS Toronto and DesignTO Reveal New Era of Activist Design
Rolling Shutters
This series of light fixtures by Julian Gregory explores the qualities of solid wood. These lamps are made from solid wood panels that are cut deep enough for light to diffuse through the surface. What is often seen as a rigid material has been creatively used to make unique lamps that display the organic grain of the wood when turned on. The fixtures appear as opaque pieces of wood when off.
Rubber Table
Atelier Fomenta has expanded its Rubber collection with a table for the Pot-au-Feu exhibition at DesignTO Festival. This piece explores the structural and aesthetic possibilities of rubber. Each table comprises multiple cylinders in the base that complement the rubber tablecloth above really well. The main idea is to transform industrial materials into functional objects.
Lineage Lighting Collection
These lighting fixtures, designed by Confit Design and Good Shit Studio, are inspired by nostalgia and reimagined for contemporary living. Each piece utilizes the geometry of a traditional drying rack and transforms its functional form into a statement piece. The lamps are described as “transfunctional” objects, where function follows form.
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