Organic Gardening News

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For Patkau Studio, furniture design begins much the same way architecture does: through material exploration, experimentation and an interest in how people emotionally experience space.

The Vancouver-based studio, an extension of Patkau Architects, has unveiled Maitake Eclos, a sculptural modular table created in collaboration with Cosentino using Eclos, the company’s newly developed mineral-based surface material. Made from recycled minerals and designed to look and feel like natural stone, the material offered the studio an opportunity to push its long-standing interest in fluid forms.

“When Cosentino first approached us with Eclos, we didn’t just see a new material, we saw an invitation to test its sculptural potential,” says John Patkau, founding principal of Patkau Architects.

“Our goal was to translate the fluid, organic forms we value into this innovative mineral medium. Maitake Eclos captures the tension between nature and precision, with sensuous forms that feel both rooted in nature and rigorous in their execution,” he says.

Originally developed in solid wood, the Maitake table system went through a series of different designs, says Patkau.

Rather than emphasizing the material’s rectilinear qualities, the studio leaned into curvilinear geometry, using CNC stone routing to create the table’s distinctive tapered edges and fluid profiles. The result is a modular system that can shift from restrained and minimal to expansive and highly expressive depending on how the pieces are configured.

A focus on flexibility

For principal Greg Boothroyd, adaptability was central to the design.

“One thing that makes this table unique is its adaptability to a client’s particular environment. If someone has a spot that demands a simple arrangement for a traditional setting, Maitake Eclos can do that. On the other hand, if someone has a setting that demands a complex organic arrangement, Maitake can also do that,” he says.

This table maintains a strong connection to nature through both its form and materiality.

“When you experience it, it is sensuous and calming,” says Boothroyd.

That tactile quality of the table appears to be resonating with audiences already. Officially launched during DesignTO in Toronto in late May, visitors responded not only visually, but physically.

“People loved the tables. They were coming up and touching them, some even crawling on the floor to get a better view of the sculpted edges,” says Anna Reynolds, Patkau’s director of operations.

The table series will also be shown, this month, at Copenhagen’s 3daysofdesign festival, and in Montreal and Vancouver this summer.

New possibilities

While Patkau Studio has previously worked with Cosentino’s Dekton material on architectural projects, the team says Eclos opens entirely new possibilities.

“We are eager to keep exploring organic geometries using Eclos. The unique full-body consistency and sculptural potential of this product open up many opportunities to scale these same fluid characteristics up into architectural applications,” says Boothroyd.

This collaboration also marked a significant milestone for Patkau Studio.

“What set it apart was Cosentino’s global reach,” says Zachary Morris, the studio’s head of product development and fabrication.

“It was a new experience for our studio to simultaneously fabricate our first Maitake Eclos tables on two different continents — in Toronto for North America, and in Cantoria for Europe,” he says.

New lighting

The studio is also preparing to launch the latest addition to its Minima Lightform series, continuing its exploration of adaptable, sculptural objects that bridge architecture, furniture and lighting design.

“The Minima 4 is a versatile lightform. Like Maitake, it can adapt to its environment. The table lamp version has an adjustable foot, offering two different poses. The pendant version comes in playful clusters of 3, 6, 9, or sky’s the limit with a custom configuration to suit any space,” says Morris.

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The Vancouver Island community of Port Alberni is set to star in a new TV show.

The B.C. town, which is home to some 18,000 residents, was chosen from a pool of hundreds of destinations across the country that applied for the first season of Hometown Takeover Canada.

Once a booming forestry town — Port Alberni was the site of the province’s first sawmill in 1860 — the town has seen a marked shift in its economy following the industry downturn, devastating wildfire impacts of recent years and more.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the people, businesses and community spirit that make Port Alberni such a special place,” said Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions. “Our city is built on resilience, pride and connection, and we are thrilled to share that story with viewers across the country.”

Selected from the submissions in a joint decision by Rogers Sports & Media and HGTV, the western Vancouver Island town’s handling of hardships and its resulting resilience is what made it the perfect pick for the show, according to host Bryan Baeumler.

“It’s a community that has faced significant challenges but has never lost its determination,” Baeumler, who shares the hosting duties with his wife Sarah, said. “There is a tremendous sense of pride, resilience and entrepreneurial spirit here. When you spend time in Port Alberni, you quickly realize this isn’t a town looking for a handout — it’s a town ready for an opportunity.”

The Canadian version of the U.S. TV series, which stars Ben and Erin Napier and is set in Laurel, Miss., the show will mirror its American predecessor. Both longtime renovation experts and TV hosts, the Baeumlers will bring their expertise overhauling homes and businesses to offer a reboot to the community that is said to be the ‘salmon capital of the world.’

“I think people will be surprised by just how real the impact is,” says Baeumler. “Unlike a traditional renovation show where you’re transforming a single property, these projects become part of the fabric of an entire community. Viewers can actually visit the businesses, parks, public spaces and neighbourhoods they see onscreen.

“We’ve seen firsthand in the U.S. how communities have experienced increased tourism, new business investment and renewed civic pride after participating in the show.”

The potential ripple effect, he notes, can be “enormous.”

Reached by Postmedia News by email, hometown host Ben Napier says being a part of the revitalization of small towns has been a dream come true for the couple.

“And now Sarah and Bryan get to experience that magic,” he said.

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The modest West Vancouver home that helped define West Coast modernism is among the stops on this year’s West Coast Modern Home Tour.

Designed by artist B.C. Binning, the B.C. Binning House has been called Canada’s first truly modern residence. A major restoration and expansion project was completed last year on the home.

Also on the tour is the Fells House. One of the tour’s architectural highlights, the cedar-clad residence exemplifies the West Coast Modern ideal of integrating architecture with the natural landscape. D’Arcy Jones Architects recently renovated the home, which was designed by renowned architect Ron Thom in 1959.

Other homes include Rockview House, designed by ABC Architecture Building Culture, 2024; Fuldauer House, designed by Erickson-Massey Architects, 1966; and Stigant House, designed by Bob Lewis, 1967.

Since it began, the West Coast Modern Home Tour has introduced visitors to more than 70 unique West Vancouver homes, from original mid-century to contemporary architect-designed dwellings.

The home tour is part of West Coast Modern Week 2026 (July 7 to 12).

When: July 11, noon to 4 p.m.

Cost : $160 (self-drive) & $180 (bus)

Tickets are on sale now at westvancouverartmuseum.ca

A quiet shift is taking shape in Vancouver homes, and across design feeds everywhere: Small, awkward spaces that used to be ignored are now being transformed. Every odd corner seems to have a purpose.

Giving awkward spaces a new purpose

Teresa Budd reworked a small landing above the entryway into a cosy dog nook, complete with a bed and a basket of toys. Frank, her wire-haired wiener dog, loves his perch as it’s perfect for peeking at visitors as they enter the home.

“Before Frank, we didn’t know what to do with the awkward space,” Budd shares.

Homeowners are reclaiming “builder shelves” that were a common inclusion in homes with vaulted ceilings in the early 2000s, transforming the once decorative dust collectors into bonus spaces.

Kaitlyn Bristowe, Canadian TV personality, podcast host, and entrepreneur, has tapped into this trend, turning an awkward upper-level loft ledge into a sitting area in her Nashville home, complete with a ladder for access.

A shift in how space Is used

To make better use of unusual spaces, designers and DIYers are creating “petite pockets” — mini-spaces optimized for work, play, or storage.

Vancouver interior designers Megan Dengerink and Neema Kulkarni, of Home|Made Spatial Design , have watched the shift unfold firsthand.

“We’ve seen this as an increased priority,” says Dengerink. “In Vancouver’s heritage houses, everybody was using all of the nooks and crannies for storage. There’s been a shift to using those spaces for something else: a small built-in bar in a closet or a home office in a corner, for example.”

On why this shift is happening, Dengerink points to housing costs. “With the rising cost of real estate, it used to be that people saw their rental place or first home as a starter spot. Now, more and more people are lifetime renters because the cost of living is so high.”

Kulkarni explains how that mindset shows up in design thinking: “Designers will look at both form and function. If there is a closet under the stairs, you’re thinking, this could be a great coat closet or storage, but your mind also goes to: what’s the potential for this beyond that?”

Designing ‘petite pockets’ in Vancouver homes

One recent project illustrates exactly how a “petite pocket” can be transformed.

“Harold’s office is a really good example. In a small bedroom, we were able to take a nook and turn it into an office,” says Kulkarni. “The space now functions as a guest room or exercise room, but the office can coexist with either. Not only is it used daily, but there is also a window that brings in additional light and makes the room feel bigger.”

Dengerink shares another example: “Maegan’s potting shed is a good example too. A small stand-alone building in the backyard, probably 60 square feet, was retrofitted into a ceramics studio.

“It takes something that was full of debris and turns it into a functional space that takes pressure off the main house and gives her an opportunity to do something she wouldn’t have been able to do at home otherwise.”

For those on a tighter budget, Dengerink suggests looking at vintage and second-hand pieces.

“There are so many options on the resale market, small mid-century corner cabinets designed to fit into awkward spaces but packed with functionality.”

For a simple DIY approach, says Dengerink: “Take the door off a closet, paint the interior walls, and it can become a library, bar, office — you name it.”

As small-space living and functional design continue to evolve in Vancouver, that space demand is also shifting.

“We’re increasingly getting inquiries from families about renovating single-family homes into multi-generational dwellings,” says Kulkarni.

“These aren’t just parents moving in with adult kids, these are families where the second generation is staying or moving back. If it’s not feasible to divide the home into separate apartments, petite pockets can be what makes that work. Creating pockets of privacy is key to successful cohabitation among adults.”

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