We’re watching Montreal based designer Zoë Mowat.

According to her website, she is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s Bachelor of Design program with a degree in Industrial Design. She “has a passion for building things and she strives to create “special” objects that form a connection with the user and leave them challenged, comforted and inspired by for years to come.”

This is what caught Kitka’s attention:

Remember having your very own desk in elementary school, the kind that had the slot for your pencil so it wouldn’t roll away on you, and a hidden compartment where you could hide your personal treasures? Zoë’s Contain writing desk allows you to have an adult version of the desk (aka one that you can actually sit at comfortably) without all the school yard drama. We love the sleek mixture of wood grain, muted colour and zap of red. Materials: cherry, plywood, felt, paint.

Honestly, sometimes we wonder if there could possibly be any new ways to design a chair, what with all the classics out there. How many times can a chair be reinvented? We love Zoë’s quirky reference points for her designs: The Circumflex Chair “is an interpretation of the accent chair. Similar to a circumflex used in punctuation, the chair represents a lively change in tone.” We couldn’t have explained it better. Materials: walnut, bent steel and plastic.

Kitka really needs this Desk Buddy for our new tabletop workspace. Made from hard wood off-cuts (milled cherry), industrial felt and paint.

Hello/Goodbye Stand is a perfect statement piece for an entranceway, with a walnut shelf for keys and a hanging mirror for that last “hey goodlooking” check. Materials: walnut, steel, mirror, felt, maple.

The Soft Table uses a unique combination of a soft felt table top and bold double-T base that makes it’s intended use (as a table) jarring. We’d probably cry over spilled milk on this one.  Materials: birch plywood, felt, paint.

Zoë Mowat will be at the upcoming Toronto Interior Design Show which Kitka will be attending. So look for more new design coverage mid-February!