The latest trends
Outlook 2020
Inspiration
January is always a very special time for design aficionados and for the entire furniture design sector. At the beginning of each year, the great industry fairs feature innovative products and some of the great design classics. New highlights and style icons of interior design. In our story, we’ll show you some of the great pieces we have found for you at imm cologne 2020 and at Maison&Objet in Paris.
Like every year, there are some exciting new trends on the horizon. There is a focus shift towards colour and materials. Designer outdoor furniture is increasingly enjoying the same attention and quality as indoor furniture. And: a topic we’ll hear plenty about in future. Exciting insights into the sustainable production of Janua designer furniture.
Focus on colour and material
Using colour for emotional effect is once again key for 2020. The use of intensive colours during the past years is now expanding further, opening the doors for a pallet of demure, understated elegance. Easy to harmonise pastels experience new combinations, while courageous pinks steal the show. The Pantone Colour of the Year 2020, a classic blue, has come to throw some shade in the design world. The Pantone Color Institute selects the Colour of the Year each year, which is regarded as a key indicator of the top colours of the season. It is therefore no big surprise that blue colourations were abundantly represented among many of the top brands like Vitra at this year’s imm cologne, the international furniture fair.
We also rediscovered a recurring trend theme at imm cologne with regards to materials: The use of mineral-based materials for surfaces and accessories persists in its popularity. One of the top surface materials for 2020: marble. We were particularly impressed with how Baxter handles materiality and colour. The label masterfully marries earthy hues with the trend colour blue. Stone surfaces are expertly staged with a feather-light look and feel.
Living room or patio?
There is one development that has become increasingly apparent over the past years. The obvious love and care that has gone into the design and making of outdoor furniture, making it as precious as its indoor cousins. This trend continues for 2020, awakening a joyful anticipation for spring. Garden or patio? This question is becoming increasingly harder to answer for many of the latest collections by well-loved brands like Cassina, B&B Italia, Minotti or Flexform. Indoor and outdoor are becoming one. A trend that promises greatness and definitely delivers.
The Cassina Perspective
This year, Cassina is dedicating a full collection of outdoor furniture to this new living trend. True to their motto “The Cassina Perspective Goes Outdoor”, the label has created seating furniture and coffee tables that at first glance are virtually indistinguishable from the Cassina indoor versions we have come to know and love. The series FENC-E NATURE by Philippe Starck impresses particularly with its lavish use of luxurious woods and premium quality upholstery. The two-seaters and three-seaters of the series, combined with the elegant coffee table, would also look great as part of any interior theme. But there is one difference that does stand out: The designer furniture from the Cassina outdoor collection are, of course, weather-resistant.
Masterful craftsmanship
In the area of carpets and rugs, we discovered some exciting new ideas at this year’s industry fairs in Cologne and Paris. The rugs SUPER ROCK “HOT” and SUPER ROUND “HOT” are impressive examples of marriages between this year’s trend colours. Gorgeous pastels are interspersed with contrast-rich colour accents for masterfully unique looks. Here too, the 2020 trend colour blue comes to the fore.
Sustainability – the topic of the future
We already had plenty to talk about sustainable furniture design in last year’s Mathes Magazine. Sustainability is, of course, a central topic for 2020 as well. Janua continues on with that topic masterfully in terms of eco-friendly production in their new outdoor collection. The fleet-footed tables and benches with a purist look and feel are made of metal elements combined with robinia wood, aka acacia. According to Janua, robinia wood offers all the benefits and positive characteristics needed to fully replace tropical wood types for outdoor applications. Janua has therefore succeeded in interlinking the hot topic of sustainability with social relevance and premium craftsmanship. In our view: an important next step towards more sustainable furniture design.
Our tip: Janua tables are a great match for the seating furniture by the label Freifrau. You want to have a look for yourself? The outdoor collection by Janua will soon be added to our showrooms in Aachen. The warmer season will soon be here. Come and pay us a visit!
The latest from Sebastian Herkner
ClassiCon offered one of the top highlights at this year’s furniture fair imm cologne. The shooting star in interior design, Sebastian Herkner, showed his latest edition of the BELL TABLE – this time as a dining table version. The elegant, black glass tabletop and the chunky, hand-blown glass base are imposing examples of the ClassiCon claim to create “unique pieces with the potential to becoming classics due to their originality and formal perfection”.
The BELL TABLE will become part of our collection very soon. Come by and visit us soon! It will be worth your while.
“2020 offers a whole host of interior highlights we can definitely get excited about – for example the many creative material and colour combinations. Personally, it is a great joy for me to scout around for the most beautiful innovations for our customers.”
Brigitte Balser, Interior Design Consultant Home
