Darryl Dyck/The Globe and Mail
Alberta-born Shannon Heth has only lived in her East Vancouver home since the spring. But she has already put her stamp on the space. As the owner of a lifestyle communications company, Heth PR, she has clients in both the design and arts fields, including IDSwest, the annual interior-design show taking place this year from Sept. 25 to 28 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Some of the pieces that adorn her living room are finds from IDSwest; others were created by artists she knows intimately, including her husband, the painter George Vergette.
The artwork
"This is a selection of Canadian artists: On the left [the yellow bars] is a Peter Schuyff that was given to me by the artist. He was part of the Whitney Biennial this year. We just had it framed; it seemed like a good year to get it out of storage. In the middle are two smaller pieces: One is by Knit Girl, a local artist who has replicated [in knitwear] the 'Repent Sinner' stickers handed out in Gastown. The other is a collaborative piece by Marcel Dzama and his wife. On the right is a piece by my husband from his last show, Flowers & Trees. He has built up layers of spray on acrylic, about 40 in all."
The chairs
"I actually found them at an antiques market in New Westminster. There are lots of antiques stores there, practically a whole row of them. I don't think these are original Wassily chairs, but I always wanted to have one. They came from the apartment of a woman who had them a long time."
The sofa
"It's by Montauk. We purchased it three years ago and it was an investment piece for us. It can fit the entire family: me, my husband, our son and our wiener dog. It's also long enough for both my husband and I to sit across from each other and stretch out. I'm five-foot-eleven and he's six-foot-one."
The coffee table
"This came from my in-laws and has been reworked by my husband. He replaced the glass top with a piece of Carrera marble. It's amazing how something as simple as that can update a piece."
The floor lights
"These are by Omer Arbel for Bocci and we purchased them at the IDSwest show a few years ago. I love how the lights act like anchors and make the space feel a bit nautical. I've been a fan of Arbel's work for quite some time. He lives just a few blocks away from us."
The display nooks
"They hold an assortment of curiosities: Among them is a human skull – the jury is out on whether it's real or not – and a goat skull. Below them is a Jonathan Adler lamp that was a wedding present; I've been riding horses for most of my life but this is the only really horsey thing I have ever kept in my house."
The photograph
"This is a piece called The Lighted Bush by the artist Evan Lee. He is up for the Sobey Art Award this year and is a good friend of ours."
The owl
"This is an owl that my father-in-law found dead on the side of the road over 50 years ago. He taught himself how to do taxidermy and did quite a bit of it when he was young. I always think of humorist David Sedaris when I look at it since he's always wanted to find a taxidermy owl for his partner, Hugh. He has written about this several times in the past. If he ever comes over to our house, I think he'll be pretty envious."