Commercial Design

Design Crush: Pacific Design Lab’s Sleek, Wood-Happy Studio

Creating community, one locally minded design at a time.

By Stacey McLachlan /

Creating community, one locally minded design at a time.

Pacific Design Lab_Studio OutsidePacific Design Lab started out as a side project—a way to use up the leftover materials from sister company Pacific Solutions Contracting—but quickly outgrew the dining room table and coffee shops that co-founder Alanna Rogers and designer Olivia Alvarez were working from. Now, inside a cozy white-wood-and-concrete studio carved out of the Solutions workshop in Vancouver’s Strathcona neighbourhood, the duo demonstrates that the transition to full-time gig was a smart move.On display here, you’ll find plenty of beautiful pieces—cherry wood cutting boards, live-edge coasters, minimalist side tables–that demo an eye for style, but what first drew us to PDL was its E28 collab with Nineteen Ten. The exclusive line of furniture, produced in partnership with the Main Street shop (inspired by the streets and neighbourhoods of our city), is one of many team-ups that demonstrate the company’s locally minded philosophy. “We want everything to be community-minded,” says Rogers.”I love collaborating and getting to know people.” To date, she and Alvarez have teamed up with Hives for Humanity on a custom-blended beeswax wood treatment; they’ve done work for Cartems Donuterie down the street; they’re tapping DW Leatherworks for help creating items that feature locally sourced leather. And now, with a full-time space to call their own, they’ve got a true home base to dream up their next challenge.Click below to see Pacific Design Lab’s space and work

The white walls and concrete floor make for a beautiful contrast against the collection of wood creations. (Photo: Greg Geipel.)

Cutting boards, coasters and beeswax polish line the shelves in the Pacific Design Lab studio.

A peek at some more of PDL’s retail products.

Windows in the studio allow visitors to sneak a peek at the manufacturing process.

Production happens right in the Pacific Solutions Contracting workshop, which shares a building with the Design Lab. (Photo: Greg Geipel.)

The white walls and concrete floor make for a beautiful contrast against the collection of wood creations. (Photo: Greg Geipel.)

The steel and wood side table is part of a furniture collection done in collaboration with Vancouver shop Ninenteen Ten. (Photo: Greg Geipel.)

The sleek and simple bench is from the E28 Collection, part of a collaboration with Nineteen Ten. (Photo: Greg Geipel.)

Pacific Design Lab’s off-cut platters are used as serving trays at Farmer’s Apprentice. (Photo: Janis Nicolay.)

These wood rounds were rescued from Pacific Solutions’ contracting projects and given a new use. (Photo: Emma Lore.)

This Pacific Design Lab cutting board features a map of Gastown. (Photo: Greg Geipel.)

Local wood is a key component of PDL’s palette. (Photo: Emma Lore.)

PDL produces beautiful wood serving boards for home use, and restaurants, too. (Photo: Emma Lore.)

    

Stacey McLachlan

Stacey McLachlan

Stacey is a senior editor at Western Living magazine, as well as editor-in-chief of sister publication Vancouver magazine. She loves window shopping on the job: send your home accessories and furniture recommendations over to [email protected]