Vancouver-based designer Calen Knauf has a habit of seeing more than what meets the eye. His practice is open-ended, moving between categories without much concern for where one ends and another begins. It’s playful, curious and occasionally a little rebellious, with plenty of room for experimentation along the way. Whether he draws inspiration from skateboarding, the BC landscape, or everyday objects he encounters, there’s a distinct point of view behind each project.

Q: For those discovering your work for the first time, how would you describe what you do?

A: I'm an all-around designer. I focus mostly on furniture, lighting, and products, but I also design clothes, accessories, jewellery, spaces… honestly, anything anyone asks me to design. I would design a space shuttle if someone wanted me to.

Q: You have a background in skateboarding. What did skating teach you that you carry into your work?

A: It definitely conditioned me to see objects and spaces as more than what they were intended to be, which I would say is pretty much what design is all about. Reconstituting shapes, objects, and standard building materials into different, more valuable objects. It also instilled a sense of rebelliousness, I suppose, that influences the more strange or boundary-pushing designs I pursue. Skateboarding teaches you that nothing good comes easy. You need to slam yourself into hard concrete a thousand times before you can achieve your goal. It builds resilience and dismantles your sense of entitlement to easy rewards.

Q: What makes an everyday object interesting to you?

A: I really like when I see something that clearly wasn't designed for the “design object” audience; when it’s utilitarian, not positioned in a “design store” environment, but contains nuance and subtle details that still make it fit and appear to be a “design object.” And I love wondering if the choices to make it so special were accidental or purposeful. I really hate the terms “design object” and “design store.” There isn't anything in this world that isn't designed, hahaha.

Q: What’s something you’ve been inspired by lately?

A: Looking back at the sconce I made for the Lambert et Fils Format exhibit in Montreal recently, I can see some Moebius influence. I've been reading a lot of Heavy Metal magazine since its monumental relaunch, and Jean Giraud is just… such a beast :)

Q: Is there a particular object you’ve made that feels especially representative of your practice?

A: I would say either the Water Based Light or the Deas Light. The Water Based Light is made with materials that really reflect my lifestyle as a British Columbian; they’re all based around familiar camping materials. In my opinion, I used them without being overtly obvious about their ‘campy-ness’, pun intended.

The Deas Light is one where I used a form for the shade that I would see driving over Deas Slough, going to and from Tsawwassen. It was a speed sign that had somehow become bent and sagged, and I had driven past it for more than two decades. I finally took a photo while whizzing past. No joke, the next time I went by, the sign was gone. The relationship of materials in this light really communicates my attraction to contrast The relationship of materials in this light really communicates my attraction to contrast and a penchant for museum display support devices, with the clinical metal in a custom armature or a stand used to support and display a crusty, ancient artifact.

Q: Is there a piece in your collection that you think people experience differently than you originally intended?

A: This is an awesome question. Hmmmm… hahaha. A lot of the time, side tables I've made are referred to as stools. Easy mistake to make, though. The P.O. Light, now called the Cioét, manufactured by Lodes, was originally intended to be placed behind things like plants or a desk—to jut up from behind things to illuminate them. And it's now an outdoor garden light.

Q: What’s your go-to uniform for a day in the studio?

A: I've gone through many hard style evolutions. In my earlier days, I had a Steve Jobs uniform mindset for a bit, but I inherently have a lust for a lil’ character in what I wear. So no uniform, just whatever I feel like wearing that day. Could be pretty thrashed and dirty, or I might feel a bit snappy and come in lookin’ slick. Always weather-dependent though, that's for sure. My biggest pet peeve with people trying to look fashionable is shoehorning what you want to wear into the weather. Like, if you're wearing a bubble goose or a fur on a plus 17 day, then you look bad. End of story.

Q: What’s one thing you think is underrated about Vancouver?

A: Vancouver is underrated in general. It's the best place on planet Earth. It has its issues, it's not perfect, but as far as balance goes, there’s no better place for a home base in my experience. I highly value my ability to be downtown eating a Michelin-star meal, then drive 30 mins and get eaten by a cougar or a bear. There’s unfortunately very little unconditional love for Vancouver. One does not have the ability to truly love something if you can't hate it too.

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