Canadian Quest.

The Interior Design Show is Canada's version of ICFF and it's the country's largest contemporary design fair. Since the doors first opened in 1999, IDS has been visited by over 500,000 design professionals and served as an industry hub for thousands of design-forward businesses. So we were thrilled when they asked us to be a keynote speaker at this year's show in January. This is our first trip to Toronto so we asked Shauna Levy, Vice President of MMPI Canada and the director for IDS to give us a few tips on what we should see and do while we're there. She must know us pretty well, because we can't wait to check out all of her suggestions:

-Art Gallery of Toronto (Image 1): Founded in 1900 by a group of private citizens, this is one of the largest art museums in North America, with a physical facility of 583,000 square feet. The AGO recently underwent a facelift under the design direction of Frank Gehry and the new look includes an iconic spiral staircase, a titanium and glass south wing and a new glass and wood facade.

-Corus Quay (Image 2): We'd definitely like to check out the lobby of the new Toronto headquarters for Corus Entertainment. Outfitted by Quadrangle Architects Ltd. the building features open floorplates, raw ceilings, exposed ducts and cabling and also showcases a twirling slide that runs the length of the building. Looks pretty cool...

-Domison (Image 3): We're always looking for cool furniture showrooms and this definitely looks like one we need to investigate. Minimalist and contemporary in its aesthetic, Domison was opened by brother and sister design team, Thien and My Ta Trung. They not only present locally made furniture, but promote local art and design through a selection of artistic books and designer accessories. (Better bring our checkbook...)

-Avenue Road (Image 4): We're also eager to visit this showroom designed by Yabu Pushelberg. Established as a showcase for seductive, sophisticated furniture, AR is one of Canada's premier venues for classic and contemporary furniture designs. With a showroom of rotating innovative designers, they're currently housing eco-friendly furnishings which we're excited to see.

-Commute Home (Image 5): We also want to run by this shop, which has been described as a mini-museum housing beautiful sought-after pieces from beds to bar stools to vintage and one-of-kind furnishings. This looks like a good resource!

-Cafe Belong (Image 6): Finally, we want to be sure and eat at Cafe Belong. Designed by John Tong of 3rd Uncle Design, the airy dining room was apparently inspired by Argentinian cafes with reclaimed wooden beams loaded with red, orange, and yellow tones. We love the design, but it's Brad Long's food we're really looking forward to trying...you know we love to eat!

Thanks to Shauna for these great tips...be sure and check back in a few weeks to find out which exhibitors we're most excited about seeing at the show! For more information on IDS click here!