Situating design in the Canadian household furniture industry

Abstract

This paper traces the process of design across the furniture commodity chain and argues that Canadian household furniture producers have been historically reluctant to designate resources that improve the styling of their products. They have emphasized commerce at the expense of art, and relied primarily on the United States for design inspiration. However, in recent years, a series of smaller, more innovative firms have adopted an aggressive design‐led strategy. These firms have been more likely to forge tighter relationships with retailers and designers and to exploit place‐based signifiers in the marketing and styling of their products.