Future living
imm cologne 2019
The Mathes team on tour
imm cologne is the premier interior design trade fair in Germany. Once again this year, the Mathes team has been looking forward to their visit to this event. We will take you with us into the world of interior design an tell you all about the latest trends.
imm cologne is the annual international furniture and interior design fair in Cologne, but imm cologne is also the place for the very latest trends in interior design. It is where renowned manufacturers like Vitra or Cassina present their latest designs alongside their best loved classics. And of course there also are also plenty of up and coming designers presenting new ideas. This year, we had two reasons why we couldn't miss out on a visit. imm cologne had joined forces with the international kitchen fair LivingKitchen. We were literally overwhelmed by all the great trends for future living – as were the other 150,000 visitors from 145 countries around the world!
We were particularly impressed with the ideas for future living presented by the design studio Truly Truly. This year, the designer couple Kate and Joel Booy was invited to design 'Das Haus'. 'Das Haus' has been the top attraction at imm cologne since 2012. Each year, the nominated designers are given completely free reign to realize their interior design visions and ideas on around 180 m². The result: Truly Truly created a versatile, multifunctional overall concept and less of a living environment with clear demarcations of separate rooms. There were no restrictive walls to be found anywhere. The idea realised individual living zones, which reflect the mood of the people living in them, rather than simply the function of a specific space.
the imm cologne mission statement is to deliver interior design ideas for every space, every style and every budget – from basics to design and luxury. They couldn't have described the offering more succinctly. More than 1200 exhibitors presented a kaleidoscope of innovative interior designs and new living concepts. The Mathes team spotted a number of highlights at the imm cologne 2019.
Vitra on the go around the world
Vitra brought the metropolitan cities of the world to Cologne this year. What are the interior design trends in London? And in Tokyo and Paris? Vitra presented its own answer to that question in three individually presented areas. The clou: Visitors were not initially told, which interior represented which city. We gleefully joined the discussions and offered our own ideas for the solution of the riddle. Can you tell which interior belongs in which city? Have a look at the picture gallery! You will find the answer at the end of our story about imm cologne 2019.
One Vitra design classic took centre stage at the top designer's stand at imm cologne – the Eames Fiberglass Chair. The revised new edition is produced using a completely new production process. We are convinced that the Eames Fiberglass Chair is and always will be an impressive piece of design history.
The Vitra stand also offered one other new product range: The Spring / Summer 2019 Girard Collection. The seasonal and limited series includes a number of accessories created by Alexander Girard. The monochrome black and white theme of the accessories makes them great eye-catchers in combination with colourful design objects. The new collection was presented in a 24h gift shop at the stand.
B&B Italia – Outdoors is the new indoors
Patterns and colours from local regions around the world – this year, one of the focal points of B&B Italia was the ethnic look. The new modular Ribes seating system by Antonio Citterio demonstrated that look with particular aplomb. The design is inspired by the traditional textiles and patterns of South America. B&B Italia has – just like many other big name designers – picked up on the trend toward high-end quality for outdoor living.
Cassina with colour and elegance
Cassina focused on a trend that many manufacturers at imm cologne had also picked up on this year. The emotional and deliberate use of colour in an exciting dialogue with well-known ideas of the past few years. Various pastels, as well as warm yellows and red have been added to the colour spectrum. Physicality becomes increasingly more important.
The latest from Sebastian Herkner
He is probably one of the most prominent faces in the world of interior design today. In 2006 he founded his own design studio and has been working for all the big name brands ever since: Thonet, Ames, &Tradition, Capellini, ClassiCon, Dedon, Gubi, Pulpo and also Rosenthal. Sebastian Herkner has an impressive ability to use traditional materials in his innovative designs.
In fact, we came across Herkner designs time and time again at various imm cologne 2019 stands. The 118 Chair by Thonet, for example, a classic re-interpreted by Sebastian Herkner last year, reappeared this year in the form of a bar stool. And just as impressive: the result of the partnership of the designer with the brand Freifrau. This collaboration resulted in a new interpretation of the chair series Ona, which perfectly reflects the latest trends at imm cologne 2019 in a much less casual and more elegant form.
"Great craftsmanship represents a German tradition in design, technology and innovation. All of these must be developed further responsibly and sustainably in the context of our time. Exactly that was my focus in the development of my 118 series." Sebastian Herkner on the Thonet 118 Chair
Stefan Knopp with Janua
What passion do the manufacturer Janua and the furniture designer Stefan Knopp share? The answer is, without a doubt: wood. Janua and Stefan Knopp have created a completely new experience of wood together – the table series from the Stefan Knopp Edition. Touching the oak surface of the tabletop reveals a unique feeling of softness and warmth. The designer allowed us a small glimpse into the complicated finishing process. We'll reveal only this much: The wood is only washed.
These were our personal highlights of the imm cologne 2019. Would you like to learn more about the latest trends in interior design? Come and visit our store in the heart of Aachen!
So… were you able to guess which of the Vitra exhibits represented which of the metropolitan cities? Have a look:
