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North American Makers at IDS Toronto

We recently returned from Toronto where we checked out IDS (Interior Design Show) and the Design Milk-curated Maker section. The Maker section featured seven North American makers and their work, which is produced in small batches with limited distribution.

Toronto-based Brothers Dressler (that’s Lars above) create beautiful bespoke furniture and objects made from responsibly sourced materials. I love how they incorporated a bicycle wheel in the light fixture and the use of reclaimed wood in the credenza.

Based in Ottawa, former software designer Christopher Solar handcrafts a small design collection of lighting, seating, and storage pieces with a pared down aesthetic. The Drum Tables below are made of white oak slats that are molded together with a white resin to form its cylindrical shape.

Hennepin Made is a Minneapolis brand that focuses on American made glass lighting made using traditional glass-blowing methods. As you can see, they elevate the age-old techniques with modern shapes and colors.

Dustin Kroft started Toronto-based KROFT after learning furniture making skills in night classes. He just launched the brand a year ago at 2016’s IDS and with a year under his belt, they’re expanding their collection of handmade, minimalist designs. Love the legs on the Stir tables!

Hailing from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York, Miles & May design sleek furniture with beautiful details, while utilizing 90% reclaimed, recycled, or local, non-commercial sourced wood.

Morgan Clayhall is a furniture design company out of Toronto that designs and manufactures custom furniture and artwork. Each architecturally-inspired piece of furniture is a work of art on its own.

And lastly, Peter Glassford is based in San Antonio, Texas making a name for himself with his collaged wall tiles made from scrap wood. Whether painted or stained, the walls make a cool, bold statement, which was witnessed by the parade of people taking selfies in front of them. Glassford also makes furniture and lighting, as seen below.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.