In Conversation With The Interior Design Show's Trendsetters

Bringing together the best, the brightest and the most innovative that the Canadian and international design communities have to offer has long been the passion of Interior Design Show Director and Co-founder Shauna Levy. Born in Montreal and raised in Toronto, Levy started to travel as soon as she was able. In her mid 20s, after falling madly in love with Paris, she quit her job (with the One of a Kind Show), sold everything she owned and moved there without knowing a soul. It was there she learned to appreciate the profound difference that design make on daily life and at a cultural level- from the architecture of buildings and the landscape design of parks and squares to the way the smallest apartment could be magically transformed into the chicest of spaces- and that brunch can be a refined cultural expression to last way into the evening. Today, the IDS, held every January, has grown to be a four-day design mecca where visitors are treated to a cornucopia of exhibits, installations and thought-provoking lectures. Homefront caught up with the design aficionado as she was in the throes of planning the 2012 event and convinced some of the stars of her show to give us a sneak preview.

In conversation with Amy Lau

Q. Who's your muse?

Amy: Nature and colour inspire me but I've also been influenced by abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, as well as artists and designers like Gio Ponti, Josef Albers and James Turrell.

Q. if you had your way, designers would be...

Amy: Creating spaces that are more functional and timeless but also glamorous and beautiful. I don't like a lot of extraneous stuff. I'd also love to see more green.

Q. where in the world are you?

Amy: I'm currently commissioning work for a triplex in downtown New York with a fabulous wrap-around terrace and its own private pool. Vladimir Kagan is contributing a meticulously made sofa, Lindsey Adelman is creating a modern two storey chandelier and there will also be a spectacular 28-inch by 10- inch plaster frieze.

Q. tell us about a "eureka!" moment.

Amy: When I was 16, I visited Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batllo. This is where I first realized that designers can truly create anything...doors, fireplaces, hardware, furnishings, etc.

Q. where do you go to get away from it all?

Amy: I enjoy going to Oia in Santorini; the cliffs are beautiful. My fiance has a place in Cortona, so I'm a frequent visitor to Tuscany as well.

Q. what do you covet or collect?

Amy: I covet working with my hands, and having more time for a good book.

Q. what's your naughty little design secret?

Amy: A solid colour of Benjamin Moore paint on the ceiling, trim and doors; using 25 percent color and 75 percent white creates a soothing envelope.

Read from www.bluetoad.com (Pg-16, 18)