In conversation with Halifax creator Christopher Joyce

By Janice Hudson May 18, 2010

We have an interview with Halifax-based designer Christopher Joyce in our upcoming summer issue.

Chris co-owns Attica Furnishings in Halifax and St. John’s and is a gifted artist (painting, welding, building furniture, etc.—his furniture and artwork can be found in collections around the world). His latest creative venture is designing rugs for Hellenic Canada.

Here’s an excerpt from our conversation: watch for the rest of the interview in the Designer Dish section of the upcoming summer issue, which hits stands on June 13. I’ll be posting shots of his rugs on Facebook shortly.

Do you have a favourite medium?
I like steel—sometimes I get a little tired of it because it can be dirty, oily and grimy but the nice thing about it is there aren’t a lot of people who want to work in that kind of material. It can be very contemporary but it can also very traditional too, so it’s a fun medium. I really like wood as well.

What design trend excites you the most?
Right now, there is an interesting trend of nature and people are using natural elements… I guess it’s a reaction to the glam element, which is still popular—the white leather or lacquer, chrome and glass, it’s a very ’70s design. As a reaction to that, you’ll see more bark, tree elements, reclaimed wood, rustic steel and ceramic. I’ve always been interested in that rustic element—I like that primitive use of design. Primitive in that it’s somewhat understated and raw. Wood that looks unfinished or may be unfinished. If it gets marred or distressed, I find it really appealing. I like the idea of distressed metal that has some corrosion…I think this will be a trend that will stick around for a while…What makes it so exciting is that it takes the pressure off of being so pristine and precise about interior design.

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