Interior design trends have taken us on a global adventure the past few months, with key styles reflective of nations and traditions from all over the world. While the clean lined beauty ofScandinavian minimalism has been a strong influence on Western design for years, it has been a fun style adventure to see the introduction of palettes, silhouettes and details from more obscure places come into play more recently.

Last year I had the incredible fortune to embark on a six week solo trip exploring Morocco; as a designer I was in full sensory overload and most definitely found my own version of Mecca. The vibrancy of the colours, textured details and layered aesthetics stole my heart and I returned home with a freshly inspired eye for both my own home as well as the clients I work with.

Local globetrotter, Chessa Osburn, is likewise inspired by her travels and founded her curated marketplace Twenty One Tonnes  on the marriage of her passion for beautiful designs with her advocacy for International Development. The result has become the go-to destination for finding treasures from around the world, and insight into what other cultures are coveting and creating for home decor and style. Together with her business partner, Mary Jane Bolton, Osborn strives to do global trade in a way that supports tradition, sustainability, and local economies. Twenty One Tonnes therefore works with small family businesses and indigenous traditional artisans when importing pieces to the Vancouver market, seeking to bring our community authentic global designs made with natural and recycled materials. 

I love perusing the unique goods the design duo brings to our city – I am able to restock on some of my most favourite finds from my own Morocco travels, and explore new designs from emerging artists in other countries. My favourite part is that collections are small and limited – each piece is unique and sure to be the only one of it’s kind. 

This weekend Twenty One Tonnes will be hosting a pop up shop at Little Mountain Shop on Main Street, giving Vancouverites another opportunity to have a hands-on experience with their treasures. This pop up will offer the global treasures followers of the brand have come to love and await (such as babouche slippers, hand-woven baskets, and rustic doum stools), but will also be featuring fresh collections from around the world. There will be new finds like traditional Aleppo soap from France, woven hats from Ghana, and cool pieces out of the United States, such as table linens by San Francisco artist Jen Garrido and an exclusive line of ceramic cups, designed in collaboration with Portland-based Notary Ceramics.

Little Mountain Shop is located at 4386 Main Street; the Twenty One Tonnes pop up runs through Sunday, May 28th from 10am to 6pm. Twenty One Tonnes also has an online boutique at www.twentyonetonnes.com.