The 2026 Living Luxe Design Show (LLDS) concluded with a flourish, drawing an estimated 28,000 visitors to the Toronto Congress Centre's North Building over the weekend. The event featured approximately 100 exhibitors across 150,000 square feet, highlighting the enduring demand for ultra-high-end design and glamour.
Opening Night and Exhibitor Highlights
The Thursday night Opening Night Party offered attendees a preview of the future of interior design, fashion, art, and luxury living. Kohler's booth showcased a major trend in bath design for 2026: wellness. Its new cold-plunge ice bath, designed to provide a refreshing dip in water as cool as 39 degrees Fahrenheit, reflects a growing interest in ice bathing, a Scandinavian tradition popular among Olympic athletes for muscle relaxation and recovery.
Japanese fixture maker Toto focused on personal wellness with a multi-sensory booth. The highlight was its Zero Gravity flotation tub, priced at over $50,000, which emulates weightlessness. According to Toto's Michael Bancheri, a technician wore a head cap with electrodes and took 72 baths in a week to measure the tub's effects on the brain. The tub features air jets, an adjustable head pillow with a built-in waterfall, and ample space for tall individuals.
Innovative Materials and Surfaces
Cosentino, a Spanish supplier of kitchen and bathroom surfaces, introduced its new Eclos mineral surface at LLDS 2026. The sample featured a Velvet finish, offering an incredibly fine grain and rich texture. Launched in six colors and various finishes, Eclos is 100% silica-free, stain-resistant, and can withstand heat up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cosentino's Anne LaRoque noted that the company now refers to its composite-stone products as "mineral surfaces" rather than quartz, partly due to health concerns related to quartz dust.
Design Awards and Recognition
The show concluded Sunday with the Living Luxe Design Awards. The Emerging Designers award went to Nova Scotia-born, Toronto-based Tori Leach-Lussing of House of Tori for her ultra-feminine dressing room. The Best Booth award was given to Cava Surfaces for its display featuring a hand-carved motorcycle, demonstrating exceptional fabricating skills. The People's Choice Award, voted by visitors, went to Better Marble.
Founder Jennifer Lipkowitz remarked, "In its fourth year, the Living Luxe Design Show, presented by JennAir, was bigger and more impressive than ever. The level of sophistication was exceptional."
