Finding funky furniture trends at Cologne's international trade fair
Easy and individual, eco and efficient - those are today's interior trends. Yet furniture is made for real people; at the International Furniture Fair in Cologne, we had a look at how the trends fit the average consumer.
A world of moss
Natural materials may be in, but moss on the wall, seen here at the IMM furniture trade fair in Cologne, is something entirely new. Freund, the company behind the idea, impressed carpenter Sophie Caglayan at her visit. "The material really is something to touch. And it smells like earth, too," she said. Conserved with salt, the moss also serves its purpose as a way to regulate a room's humidity.
The fourth floor apartment
Originally intended as a showroom, the fourth floor apartment in Cologne's trendy Ehrenfeld district impressed Anja Klinkenberg and her partner so much that thez moved in. A mixture of collected items and an affinity for hand-built pieces, the flat could tell "snoopers" loads about its owners.
Individualized space-savers
Apartments in big cities are getting smaller and more expensive, that's why the firm Germania developed a line of space-saving furniture. The closet's color can be chosen from a rainbow palette - a response to what CEO Clements Deventer says is the consumer's desire for individualization. "People want to shape tiny details, like colors, in order to personalize an otherwise uniform product."
Larger-than-life images in place of wallpaper
Wallpaper is still a hot ticket item, but these new photo textiles for the wall are a real headturner, said Lennart Bär. The student sees real potential in this for his own place. "It's really something for everyone. Kids can post their favorite football team while nature lovers can have an image from the natural world."
Cape Town plush
The "Vetsak" - Fat Sack - out of Capetown is something trade fair visitor Yasushi Yamazaki found comfortable. Although plush may be in, the man behind the online magazine JDF for Designers and Architects prefers things a bit more minimal. "In Japan, we live in smaller houses than you do in Germany. The beanbag would just be too big to compliment our lifestyle there."
Scandinavia meets the Far East
Charlotte Nielsen of Lio Collection would prefer to do away with the trend toward functionality, and yet her designs are totally trendy. "I'm a Dane, my husband is Greek and together, we founded a company in Indonesia. We produce Danish design furniture but with an Indonesian touch, using sustainable wood from that region." Scandinavian trends, she says, are too minimal for her taste.
A man and his kitchen
Sören Markus loves order and he loves to cook with friends. That's why he came up with his idea to create the multi-functional "Kochwerk" kitchen, on which one can prepare, cook and eat. The young designer from Wismar says that multi-functional furnishings are still in trend and hopes to see his idea to fruition. What might a "snooper" say about that?