Design in Canada Now

As a country, we’ve never been more excited about buying Canadian and supporting the creative communities around us. A group of designers and design boosters (hollis+morris’ Mischa Couvrette; Heidi Earnshaw; Mason Studio’s Stanley Sun; DesignTO’s Deborah Wang; SOCA Architecture’s Tura Cousins Wilson; and Casson Hardware’s Jane Son) discuss how approaches to living with local design have evolved to meet this growing, “elbows up” enthusiasm, and where homegrown architecture, interiors and housewares are headed next. Moderated by The Globe and Mail Style Magazine’s Editorial Director, Andrew Sardone.

Speakers

Tura Cousins Wilson, the co-founder of SOCA (Studio of Contemporary Architecture), is compelled by architecture’s capacity to realize collective visions into uplifting and inclusive spaces. Whether he is designing civic or cultural environments, art exhibitions, multi-unit housing, heritage revitalizations, or urban plans, he approaches each project with a commitment to community-building, craft, and critical design, harmonizing widely connective thinking with fine attention to detail.

Tura’s inquisitive, energetic, and highly collaborative approach generates powerful visions and outcomes for clients and communities. His ability to inspire input and meaningfully articulate upfront consultation through design has been integral to the success of SOCA’s public-spirited projects.

Tura is regularly invited to contribute to architectural and civic-minded discourse, including panels and lectures around Toronto’s housing affordability and the untapped potential of old building stock. He shares his knowledge as a founding member of Black Architects and Interior Designers, a sessional instructor at the University of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University, and a member of the Leslieville Residents’ Association. Tura is also an avid drummer and a director at East End Arts.

Mischa Couvrette developed his appreciation for design while spending time with a group of budding architects as he worked towards his bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences at Dalhousie. Embracing his newly discovered passion, Couvrette began by crafting furniture on the East Coast before eventually making his way to Toronto via a yearlong sail to Guatemala on a boat he overhauled with a friend. His designs display an unwavering devotion to honest materials – a reflection of his straight-shooting nature – and his stewardship of the hollis+morris​ brand is a testament to his extraordinary ambition.

Heidi Earnshaw is a Canadian furniture designer and maker whose refined approach to form, material, and proportion has positioned her among the country’s leading craft artists. Based in Lanark, Ontario, she creates meticulously constructed works that merge contemporary design with traditional joinery, achieving an elegance rooted in restraint and precision.

Earnshaw studied Visual Art at the University of Toronto and Furniture Design at Sheridan College’s School of Craft and Design, where she later served as faculty and mentor. Since founding her studio in 2000, she has produced bespoke and limited-edition furniture that bridges function and art, earning recognition from the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado. Her work is represented in major public and private collections, including the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Canada House in London, and the Ismaili Centre in Toronto.

A frequent lecturer and instructor at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine, Earnshaw has exhibited widely across North America, with recent presentations at Harbourfront Centre, the Gardiner Museum, and the Center for Art in Wood in Philadelphia. Her achievements have been celebrated in Canadian House & Home, Azure, Elle Décor Canada, and Fine Woodworking. Recipient of the Lily Yung Memorial Award and the MERA Award of Excellence in 2023, she continues to advance the field of contemporary craft through her artistry, mentorship, and commitment to enduring design.

Andrew Sardone is the Editorial Director of The Globe and Mail Style Magazine where he leads an international team of creative contributors who inspire audiences through ambitious storytelling about the best of style. The magazine prioritizes features that are aspirational and worldly while emphasizing the positive influence readers can have as consumers. His writing for the magazine focuses on profiles of creative leaders who connect art and culture to style, the value of craftsmanship in the things that surround us, and how travel can enrich an appreciation for fashion, design and living well.

Jane Son and fellow Canadian architect Megan Cassidy co-founded Casson to bring beautiful hardware to modern built environments. The duo met on their first day of architecture school at the University of Toronto and, after many years of practice, formed Casson in 2017.  Student era roommates, mothers of messy little boys, and conspiratorial friends to the end, the two women believe that great design begins with attention to the smaller details.Their experience and passion, along with the pains of their own personal renovations, inspired them to create a company that offers design driven components for architectural projects that are accessible to both the trade and the public. Jane and Megan's combined 30+ years of architectural work in both commercial and residential fields gives them a unique insight into the specific product needs of both trade and consumers. They offer design and project related support as only an industry insider could.Their well-curated collection showcases a wide range of design discoveries from across the globe. From bold and graphic to discrete and minimal, every pull, door number and hook has been selected for its thoughtful design and craftsmanship.

Stanley Sun’s vision is informed by a unique blend of formal studies in human sciences, fine arts and interior design. The co-founder and creative director of Mason Studio approaches each challenge with a combined scientific and humanistic perspective, first observing how people experience and react to the built environment to create a rational and intuitive design solution. Of particular interest to Stanley’s practice is the science of light and the physiological and psychological response people have to it. As an advocate for Canadian design, Stanley has been published widely and has participated as a keynote speaker at leading design conferences. He is also a sessional instructor at his alma mater, Toronto Metropolitan University.

Deborah Wang (MFA, M.Arch, OAA) is a Taiwanese Canadian architect, curator and designer based in Toronto, with a broad range of experiences in contemporary art, design and architecture that spans over two decades. She has curated numerous exhibitions and public programs for DesignTO (as Artistic Director) and for cultural institutions in Toronto. She serves as a moderator for design talks, a guest critic for design school reviews, and a juror for public art and awards programs. In 2024, Deborah was awarded the Ontario Association of Architect’s Medal of Service.