Scout Magazine » Vancouver Design

Union Wood & Supply Company

Scout Magazine — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:50:12 +0000

Details

Gallery

The People Who Make It Happen

Owners: Craig Pearce and Cara Donaldson

About The Business

Founded in 2009, Union Wood & Supply Company is a retail and on-site furniture-making/interior design shop located in Strathcona North that specializes in vintage/industrial custom furnishing, antiques and home decor. Our multi-faceted custom furniture is designed to be simple, bold and true using materials mostly reclaimed and repurposed from salvage yards, antique stores, demolition sites and other sources. The curated items that we hand pick from all over the continent compliment the same Americana-inspired aesthetic. Every piece is vintage, man-made locally, or part of Union Wood Co’s unique product line. We don’t carry imports or reproductions, as these items lose the importance of the story connected with vintage pieces. We work closely with clients and designers who are similarly inspired by the simpler times of centuries past, but live in (and design for) today’s modern lofts and heritage homes. Our original works are for sale at our store, through our website, and at select retailers. Custom work is also available on commission.

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EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL: A Few Minutes With First Time Participant Kari Kristensen

Scout Magazine — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:01:03 +0000

The Eastside Culture Crawl (November 18, 19, 20) is hands down one of the best things about Vancouver during November. It’s the time of year when Eastside painters, sculpters, jewellery designers, carvers, photographers, potters, furniture designers, glass blowers and printmakers open their studios to the public an the vibe of the already cool-as-hell neighbourhood rises to unprecedented levels of awesomeness. The Crawl covers Terminal Avenue to Burrard Inlet between Main Street and Victoria Drive. That’s a lot of ground to cover and a lot of artists to meet. This year there will be over 300 participating, so we figure it’s a good idea to meet a few in advance in order to better familiarise ourselves (and perhaps you) with what to expect. Meet Kari Kristensen. This is her first year as a participant. We caught up with her while she was taking a breather in Paris and asked her about what she had planned for her inaugural Crawl weekend.

Three things about your neighbourhood that make you want to live there: I’ve lived in East Van since I moved here 9 years ago. I love East Van. I am walking distance to the drive and all of its great restaurants and food shops. There’s also an expanding restaurant scene happening on Hastings Street, which is fantastic. I am close enough to my studio that I can walk or bike there. And lastly, I live across the street from Trout Lake which is great for exercise for me and my little dog.

How many years have you participated in the Eastside Culture Crawl? I’m excited about this year being my first as an artist. My previous studio was on Granville Island, a terrific little shop for printmakers called Dundarave. I moved into 1000 Parker Street almost a year ago for a change of venue and to specifically be part of the Crawl. of course, I’ve gone to the Crawl almost every year.

Three words you would use to describe the ECC to someone who had never attended: Fun, inspirational, eye-opening. Of course, I’ll have to get back to you after the 20th to see if my opinion has changed.

Why is Vancouver a good city for art? Vancouver, and BC in general, has a rich art historical foundation that’s endlessly impressive. This is the the city of Jack Shadbolt, Arthur Erickson, Emily Carr, Toni Onley, Bill Reid, Robert Davidson…you can’t help but be inspired when you see their work around.

A one sentence artist’s statement to describe your work: Most of my current works are original spray paint prints exploring East Van imagery.

What are you most excited to be working on right now? Why? I’m really enjoying experimenting with larger and more detailed stencils and incorporating the printmaking with other, maybe less traditional, media. I like that it makes it a bit more accessible.

What inspires you? Urban art – the graffiti, the yarn bombing. Public art is terrific to see spring up. There are a lot of crows in my current work and one features the nightly fly over East Van that they make on their way to sleep for the night. You can’t be in East Van and not see a crow somewhere.

What sort of music do you listen to when you work? All sorts . This week I listened to the CBC (I hate it when I miss Jhian Ghomeshi’s show, so I’ll download his podcasts and play them), the new Coldplay, the Kanye/Jay-Z album, and of course some country. The music varies depending on the project and whether or not the lyrics are too much of a distraction.

Is there a local designer or artist that you admire above all others? Why? I am a big fan of Douglas Coupland and the variety of his work. I love his new Terry Fox sculpture downtown.

Best Vancouver place to be inspired by emerging artistic talent: The ECC for sure. The sheer number and variety of artists.

Three places you like to take out of town guests to show off the art scene in Vancouver: the Rennie Collection, Granville Island, MOA. We’ve also got a lot of outdoor sculpture that is fun to show off, like the giant birds in the Olympic Village.

One thing you would like to change about the arts scene in Vancouver: More space and funding for artist studios and artist live/work spaces.

If you were going to recommend a Vancouver artist/designer/musician/personality for Scout to interview, who would it be? Ivan E. Coyote, my favourite storyteller.

OTHER INTERESTING VANCOUVERITES

GOODS: Fernwood’s Parsonage Cafe Gets A New Look By “Inoui Design Collective Inc.”

Scout Magazine — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 02:55:56 +0000

Inoui Interior Design & Project Management | Vancouver 778.558.5070 | Victoria 250.590.7378 www.inouidesign.ca

The GOODS from Inoui

Victoria, BC | The ladies of Inoui Design Collective Inc. are finally ready to reveal the new look for The Parsonage Cafe in Victoria. Home of the worlds greatest chocolate chip cookies as well as the 2010 Canadian Barista Champion, this local gem has been completely overhauled. A sleek wood interior with industrial accents including a new custom concrete bar, reclaimed factory lighting and custom art by The Woodpile Collective, have helped give this Victoria legend a look that’s in line with their amazing brand, service and did we mention coffee? Go get some!

Inoui Design Collective Inc. took home a Silver at the Interior Designer’s Institute of BC Awards of Excellence Gala. Being recognized among BC’s top firms and their huge corporate and proving that size doesn’t matter, they took home the award for their 650 square foot studio space. This project has also been featured in the premier issue of Gray Magazine (p.14). Check out more pics of their space on their website: www.inouidesign.ca

About Inoui Design Collective

DETAILS

Inoui Design Collective Inc.
Interior Design & Project Management
Vancouver 778.558.5070 | Victoria 250.590.7378
Email: info@inouidesign.ca | Web: www.inouidesign.ca
Facebook | Twitter

GALLERY

THE PEOPLE

Kyla Bidgood, RID | Principal Interior Designer
Amber Kingsnorth, RID LEED AP | Principal Interior Designer

ABOUT Inoui Design Collective Inc.

Inoui Design Collective Inc. is a full services commercial interior design firm with a focus on unique spaces. Wondering what makes us different?

Good Ol’ Fashioned Know-How
As registered designers, our expertise goes well beyond selecting colour schemes. Our education, experience and ongoing studies in design and construction practices ensure that our work is always fresh, thoughtful and informed.

The Big Picture
At Inouï we have an ear to the ground when it comes to the next big thing, but craftsmanship and longevity are never compromised. Keeping your goals in mind throughout the project ensures a concise plan is followed from design concept to the delivery of a finished space.

Service and Relationships
Our work doesn’t end with a roll of drawings and a list of finishes. We want the end result to be just right and the process to be as smooth as possible, which is why we stay in close contact with contractors, consultants, tradespeople, and our clients throughout the project. Since no one likes surprises, we take special care in preparing our estimates to be as accurate as possible and keep you informed every step of the way.

Visit our website for more information and a look at some of our past projects.

PRESS

Some of our work featured on our favorite design blogs:

http://poppytalk.blogspot.com/2010/10/studio-tour-inoui-studio.html

http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/green-style/green-style-inoui-designs-studio-space-poppytalk-
130374

Check out our interview with Ivan Meade here, and visit our Kudos page at inouidesign.ca to see what our clients have to say about us.

EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL: A Few Minutes With “Astrosatchel” Designer Janna Hurtzig

Scout Magazine — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:12:02 +0000

The Eastside Culture Crawl (November 18, 19, 20) is hands-down one of the best things about Vancouver during November. During The Crawl, painters, sculpters, jewellery designers, carvers, photographers, potters, furniture designers, glass blowers and printmakers on the eastside open their their studios to the public and the nightly vibe of the already cool-as-hell neighbourhood rises to freakin’ awesome levels. The Crawl covers the area between Terminal Avenue to Burrard Inlet between Main Street and Victoria Drive (handy map). This year there will be over 300 artists participating. That’s a lot of ground to cover, and a lot of artists to meet, so we figure it’s a good idea to meet a few of them in advance so as to better familiarise ourselves (and yourselves) with what to expect. First up: Janna Hurtzig of Astrosatchel.

“Inspired by nature, the Astrosatchel label combines Scandinavian design, Asian pop culture influences and a Canadian cottage feel”. Janna is the driving force behind the iconic eastside tote bags, wallets, diaper bags made from vegan friendly Naugahyde vinyl.

This year, Janna is has thrown a little bit of cashmere into the mix with her Winterluxe line of scarves, mittens, arm warmers, pillows and rugs made using recycled cashmere. Scout was familiar with the Astrosatchel totes and purses (there are more than a few of Janna’s designs floating around the Scout office), but cashmere? It didn’t take much more than a mention of the word paired with Janna’s reputation as a stylin’ seamstress to send us snooping through her eastside studio. Here’s what we found out…

Three things about Railtown that makes it so awesome: “It seems everyone down here is creative in some manner, so there’s lots of people to draw on for their talents and input. It seems everyone feels a high level of community, which always makes things better. I enjoy working here, and find the semi-industrialness of the area inspiring.”

How many years have you participated in the Eastside Culture Crawl? This is my 7th Eastside Culture Crawl, and it gets better every year.

Three words you would use to describe the ECC to someone who had never attended: Eclectic. Creative. Voyeurism.

What are you most excited to be working on right now? I’m excited to be working on my Winterluxe recycled cashmere line. Sourcing the sweaters is always fun because I never know what I’m going to find, and I love that I can turn something that was once really nice back into something wearable again. In trying to use ‘all the good bits’, I developed my shag technique, which I’ve turned into cushions and rugs.

What inspires you? Seeing poorly designed things inspires me to make things that are better. I draw a lot of inspiration from Canadiana, retro-modern aesthetics, and vintage accessories. At the end of the day, I design for myself and my own needs, which have become more practical, yet decadent over time: my cashmere shag rug is probably my favourite thing I’ve made in ages.

What sort of music do you listen to when you work? I listen to tons of music, mostly indie bands. Sometimes I wish I could listen to two things at once. There’s so much more great music to listen to online through sites like Spinner, Bandcamp and Grooveshark.

Why is Vancouver a good city for art? I think the sheer number of artists working in the city makes Vancouver an excellent place. Art is definitely part of our culture here.

Is there a local designer or artist that you admire above all others? I love the work that Melissa Wong (aka Mel King) is doing. I’m lucky to have some of her geometry based drawings and paintings, but whenever I see her new work, I start thinking “where could that go…” I love abstraction, so her work is something I never get tired of, which is good. I wake up looking at a large piece of hers every morning and it helps me get excited about coming to the studio and being creative.

Three places you like to take out of town guests to show off the art scene in Vancouver: My building (339 Railway) because I know all the artists here personally. This always gives a deeper level to me when I see their art. I like to take people to various arts markets, and events like Eastside Culture Crawl, or Shiny Fuzzy Muddy. Hot One Inch Action (the button trading show) is a riot. There are always lots of openings and events in Gastown, so I think hitting a couple of those is a fun way to spend an evening, and the variety keeps it interesting. I really like Catalog gallery, I always fall in love with whatever they’re showing.

OTHER INTERESTING VANCOUVERITES

The “Caste Pojects” Duo Opens Up A Cool Pop-Up Design Shop At 10th And Kingway

Scout Magazine — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 23:30:47 +0000

An email from Caleb Beyers, who we last saw at Gastown’s Catalog gallery…

So, I wanted to write and let you know about my latest project: a pop-up shop that I’ve opened with my wife Hanahlie, under the banner of the design studio that we run together: Caste Projects. It’s in the temporary retail space that’s set up in the Rize building on the corner of 10th and Kingsway (the same building in which The Cheaper Show was held this year). We’ve gathered together products from a bunch of local designers (as well as a few national and international ringers). I would say that most of the stuff falls into the hand-crafted design goods category, but it’s all got a pretty specific, polished-but-not-fancy aesthetic. We’re also showcasing some products that we’ve designed, including some hand-felted animals, laser-cut perpetual calendars, a hand-felted rug, a sofa/day-bed/bookshelf, shelving made from molo design refuse, and a giant wool bear.

It looks some pretty sweet curation went down. Participating designers include Henderson Dry Goods, Tannis Hegan, Zillion, Red Flag, Stranger Things and many, many more (including our pals from The Found And The Freed).

We’re really looking forward to checking it out! Visit their website here, and cruise their Tumblr there.