IDS25 Wrap-Up: Trends, Highlights, and a Weekend of Wow

Four days, 220+ exhibitors, and a whole lot of design magic.

As IDS25 wraps up, one thing is clear: Toronto remains a global hub for cutting-edge design. This year’s theme of hospitality and connection shone through every corner of the 180,000-square-foot show floor, with highlights that had attendees talking long after the lights dimmed.

The Night & Day: The Evolution of Hotel Design exhibit wowed crowds with its reimagining of hotels as 24/7 hubs for style and functionality. Meanwhile, Studio North unveiled next-gen designs, with emerging talents like Aly Velji and MSDS showing why they’re ones to watch.

Italian design took center stage, with Simone Micheli delivering a keynote packed with inspiration and the Salone del Mobile Milano preview giving attendees a glimpse of what’s to come this April. Other standout moments? The LIV Design Studio’s Student Challenge impressed with bold, augmented reality concepts for third-space lobbies, and Ask a Designer Live! brought Lynda Reeves and Gillian Atkins face-to-face with curious showgoers.

If IDS25 taught us anything, it’s that design isn’t just about spaces—it’s about storytelling, connection, and innovation. Here’s to 26 years of inspiration—and counting!