Trendsetters and Creative Newcomers to Present Latest Innovations at imm cologne

Furniture World News Desk on 1/14/2019

imm cologne, running January 14-20, 2019 announced that trendsetters and creative newcomers will present innovations for the coming year at the international interiors show.  imm cologne shows new living ideas from innovation drivers, market leaders and brands as well as provides new impulses for the furniture market.

Overview
For visitors to imm cologne 2019, much of the new furniture may seem strangely familiar. Cool armchairs and light-footed sofas stand beside the current ultra-popular sideboards; the few shelves (in the age of Twitter, YouTube and Kindle, books are almost becoming exhibition pieces) hang on the wall like they used to, and treasures are proudly displayed.

Retro is not an autonomous style, but rather a pervasive style element. Such classics as that of the modern period, of the mid-century and of pop culture are cult. Their forms turn up everywhere, but in new interpretations, with a new coat of paint or a new dress. Furniture soloists populate the living rooms, while kitchens or bedrooms tend to be more systematically orderly. The gap between city and country, the lack of and the surplus of space, small and large furniture continues to grow. On the whole, the increasing flexibilization of our life calls for new furniture: smaller, more modular, more multi-functional. Patterns, exiled from the sofa and cultivated on wallpaper, are returning cautiously, sometimes in printed form, sometimes in 3D, to highlight furniture like the sideboard.

Trend Colors for 2019 and Beyond

In addition to the continuing trend of a light grey palette accompanied by nature or pastel shades, there are two important directions: colorful and dark-elegant. The avant-garde combines variations of primary colors, like in a Mondrian painting, while the lifestyle faction likes it more poppy and cheekier, combining shades of orange with not only with dark green, but also with yellow, turquoise, petrol or even mint. Trendy are warm colors leaning  to dark that harmonize with reddish wood, and the dark blue and green shades of which allows an Art Deco feeling to arise through the combination with gold and bronze.

Trending Materials


Wood. It is not only sustainable, but also cozy, healthy and versatile. It is presently staged as raw as possible: not coarse, but "un-smooth". Besides this, metal in particular is popular, usually in warm, high-quality colors and surfaces like gold and bronze. You will not only find metal as feet for sofas or tables, but also as decorative elements, such as in lights, tables and wall elements. Glass is in the process of establishing itself as a third force among materials. Basket and wickerwork are also popular, while natural stone turns up here and there as an exclusive companion. Leather is preferably used soft and luxurious, and as far as home textiles go, one classic fabric is really in the race with upholstery fabrics in the purist quality: velvet. Usually used in single colors, it reliably radiates a feeling of warmth, a soft texture and a feeling of luxury.

Theme Focus for imm cologne

imm cologne does not present just an excerpt, but instead highlights the entire world of interiors and living. From the  classic free-standing cabinets to solutions for the greatest sleeping and seating comfort; giving you holistic living worlds of premium international brands and the highlights of the design editors from around the world. This is why, when you stroll through the Cologne trade fair, you will not only find new products and the latest trends, but also concrete solutions for all needs.

Is the "smart home" theme still relevant?

imm cologne and LivingKitchen, which is taking place simultaneously, are showing special exhibitions dedicated to this theme, in which applications across solutions will be presented through the examples of a kitchen staging, a business apartment and a smart home. However, smart home technology will tend to establish itself less as a special solution and more as an integral element of home furnishing.

What new developments are there here?

One currently important theme is connectivity: this makes it possible to link various functions, such as air conditioning, security, lighting, kitchen and bath applications, in a decidedly user-friendly way, like voice control. There is a lot of discussion going on about how this linking should take place in order to simultaneously ensure data security and a realm of intimacy. In Cologne, for example, it will be shown how smart home technologies will be used to make life easier for us. For example, to help us with better nutrition. Although most consumers are interested in security and energy conservation applications, we will primarily encounter apps where our everyday routine requires our attention, for example, in the kitchen. Curated food is one of the themes that will be explored with the new events of LivingKitchen. In halls 4.1, 4.2 and 5.2, the "Future Technology", "Future Design" and "Future Foodstyles" events show us how our smart technologies simplify stocking or food planning or design cooking to be more mobile and more like an event.

What else is important?

The boundaries between the individual living areas are becoming increasingly fluid. Which is why the kitchen is once again playing a main role with many events (and a food market) at the LivingKitchen 2019 trade fair. While the need for the "clean desk" at home in the private environment is satisfied by storage space furniture that is integrated to the greatest extent possible, soloists are stealing the show everywhere: as designer pieces, vintage originals and inherited pieces, as small sofas, armchairs, sideboards, consoles and display cases. imm cologne shows how interior design and the younger generation of designers are dealing with this development. The almost 2,000 square feet of the walkable design event, "Das Haus", is created each year by a new designer. This year it can be found by Pure Editions in hall 3.1 and is being designed by the Rotterdam-based studio Truly Truly. Another highlight is the Future Kitchen from the doyen Alfredo Häberli; the Swiss designer is designing a holistic staging for the new LivingKitchen event "Future Design" (hall 4.2), in which he imagines how the kitchen will look in the future – made visible for the visitor as augmented reality. Those looking for young, unconventional design will find it right beside "Das Haus" and the "The Stage" lecture forum, which is waiting with furnishing tips, at the popular exhibition of the designs of the Pure Talents Contest that have made it to the final selection.

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About Koelnmesse: Koelnmesse is the world’s top trade fair organiser for the areas of furnishing, living and lifestyle. At the trade fair hub of Cologne, the leading international fair imm cologne as well as the trade fair formats of LivingKitchen, ORGATEC, spoga+gafa, interzum and Kind + Jugend rank among the internationally renowned and established industry meeting places. These fairs comprehensively represent the upholstered and case furniture segment, the kitchen industry, the office furniture sector and outdoor living as well as the innovations of the furniture supply industry. Over the last few years, Koelnmesse has specifically added international fairs in the most important fast-expanding markets to its portfolio. These include the LivingKitchen/CIKB in Shanghai, interzum guangzhou in Guangzhou and Pueri Expo in Sao Paulo. With ambista, the network of the interior decorating industry, Koelnmesse offers direct access to relevant products, contacts, competence and events. For more information, visit http://www.global-competence.net/interiors/