Where tomorrow’s interior design trends are showed first? Trendsetters and creative newcomers presented the design innovations for this year at imm cologne, the international interiors show in Cologne, Germany. Every year, imm cologne shows exciting living ideas from new interior design innovation drivers, market leaders, and brands and provides new impulses for the furniture market.
Stand – Birkenstock, © Koelnmesse / Thomas Klerx
Overview of the interior design and decorating trends:
Cool armchairs and light-footed sofas stand beside the currently 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 we proudly present our treasures in display cases.
Stand – B & B Italy, © Koelnmesse / Harald Fleissner
Retro is not an autonomous style, but rather a pervasive style element. Not only that classics of the modern period, of the mid-century and pop culture, are evergreen – their forms also turn up everywhere, but in new interpretations, with a new coat of paint or a new dress. The tried and trusted is coveted in this life dominated by change and appears surprisingly fresh in the new mix and new environment. Whether poppy, in the industrial look or staged in a dark and elegant Art Deco atmosphere, individual pieces of furniture populate our living rooms, while kitchens or bedrooms tend to be more systematically orderly.
Stand – Innovation Living, © Koelnmesse / Thomas Klerx
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, cultivated on the wallpaper, are returning cautiously, sometimes in printed form, sometimes in 3D, to highlight furniture like the sideboard.
What will be the trendy colors for interior design in 2019 and beyond?
Stand – rochebobois, © Koelnmesse / Harald Fleissner
In addition to the continuing trend of a light grey palette accompanied by natural or pastel colors, there are two important directions: colorful and dark-elegant. The avant-garde combines variants of the primary colors, like in a Mondrian painting, while the lifestyle faction likes it more poppy and cheeky and combines shades of orange not only with dark green but also with yellow, turquoise, petrol or even mint.
Stand – Classicon, © Koelnmesse / Thomas Klerx
Completely trendy are warm colors tending to dark that harmonize with reddish wood, and the dark blue and green hues of which allow an Art Deco feeling to arise through the combination with gold and bronze.
Which materials are in trend?
Stand – ercol, © Koelnmesse / Thomas Klerx
Wood is simply invincible. No wonder. It is not only sustainable, but also cozy, healthy and versatile. It is presently staged as raw as possible: not coarse, but “unsmooth”. Besides this, metal, in particular, is popular, usually in warm, high-quality colors and surfaces like gold and bronze – and not only as feet for sofas or tables, but also as decorative elements, for example, for 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.
Stand – sit & more, © Koelnmesse / Thomas Klerx
As far as home textiles go, one classic fabric is really in the race with upholstery fabrics in puristic quality: velvet. Usually used in single colors, it reliably radiates a feeling of warmth, a soft texture and a feeling of luxury.
What are the areas of thematic focus of the trade fair?
Stand – bellus, © Koelnmesse / Thomas Klerx
imm cologne doesn’t present only an excerpt, but instead the entire world of interiors and living, starting with classic free-standing cabinets through solutions for the greatest sleeping and seating comfort to the 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 also won’t only find new products and the newest trends for those interested in design, but also concrete solutions for all needs, as well as all kinds of suggestions, tips, and lounges.
Is the “smart home” theme still relevant?
Stand – nobilia, © Koelnmesse / Thomas Klerx
Yes, of course! imm cologne and LivingKitchen, which was taking place simultaneously, were showing special exhibitions dedicated to this theme, in which applications across solutions were presented through the examples of a kitchen staging, a business apartment, and 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.
If yes, what new developments are there in the smart home design?
One currently important theme is connectivity: this makes it possible to link various functions, such as air conditioning, security, light, kitchen and bath applications, and that also in a decidedly user-friendly way, like voice control. There is presently a lot of discussion going on of how this linking should take place to simultaneously ensure data security and a realm of intimacy. In Cologne it was shown how smart home technologies would in the future primarily be used there where they make life easier for us, for example, to help us with better nutrition.
Stand – Sachsenküchen, © Koelnmesse / Thomas Klerx
Although most consumers are primarily interested in security and energy conservation applications, we will primarily encounter apps there where our everyday routine requires our attention, for example, in the kitchen. Thus, for example, curated food was one of the themes that were 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 showed 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?
100 Jahre Bauhaus (100 Years of Bauhaus), © Koelnmesse / Thomas Klerx
The boundaries between individual living areas are becoming increasingly fluid. Which is why it is all the more pleasant that the kitchen was once again playing the main role with many events and a food market at the LivingKitchen 2019 trade fair, which was taking place parallel with imm cologne. Impulses for the other living areas were also provided by the kitchen and even the bathroom, also represented at imm cologne.
Stand – Jutzler, © Koelnmesse / Thomas Klerx
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, individual furniture pieces are dominating the show everywhere: as designer pieces, vintage originals and inherited pieces, as small sofas, armchairs, sideboards, consoles, and display cases.
Stand – Gutmann Factory, © Koelnmesse / Thomas Klerx
imm cologne shows how interior design and the younger generation of designers are dealing with this development in, among other things, the walkable design event “Das Haus”, which is designed each year by another designer on around 180 m2. This year it could be found by Pure Editions in hall 3.1 and was being designed by the Rotterdam-based Studio Truly Truly. Another highlight was the Future Kitchen from the doyen Alfredo Häberli; the Swiss designer designed a holistic staging for the new LivingKitchen event “Future Design” (hall 4.2), in which he imagined how the kitchen would look in the future – made visible for the visitor as augmented reality. Those looking for young, unconventional design found it right beside “Das Haus” and the “The Stage” lecture forum, which was waiting with furnishing tips, at the popular exhibition of the designs of the Pure Talents Contest that had made it to the final selection.
Stand – Giorgetti, © Koelnmesse / Harald Fleissner
Cover Photo: Stand – Trend Atmospheres, © Koelnmesse / Thomas Klerx
Bauhaus and Modernism – from Thuringia to the World – find out more about this legendary academy for arts and architecture.
Design of the Kitchen – Variety of Colors and Materials in the Kitchen: the New Trend for Individualised Design – Read On
