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Trend Book
Interior Trends 2011
2 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Trend Book
Interior Trends 2011
4 Editorial
Julia Degner, Markus Majerus
The imm cologne shows what’s catching on in
people’s homes and minds
Available languages:
D, GB
6 Press Release/Overview
Trend Book imm cologne 2011:
In search of new ideals with beautiful furniture
Available languages:
D, GB, I, E, F
10
14
18
22
The Interior Trends 2011
Emotional Austerity
Surprising Empathy
Re-Balancing
Transforming Perspectives
Available languages:
D, GB, I, E, F
26 The Trend Book A Reference Work for the Future
Available languages:
D, GB, I, E, F
28 Compact: The imm cologne Trend Book 2011 All the basic information and
the 4 trends at a glance
Available languages:
D, GB, I, E, F
32 Trendboard
Trendboard anticipates new innovation
concept for the furniture sector
Available languages:
D, GB
Statements with Vita
35 Harald Gründl (EOOS)
36 Defne Koz
37 Martin Leuthold (Jakob Schlaepfer)
38 Patricia Urquiola
39 Marco Velardi (apartamento)
40 Trendboard Workshop
Five designers, four Interior Trends and
a book full of impressions
46 Statement Andrej Kupetz
www.eoos.com
www.defnekoz.com
www.jakob-schlaepfer.ch
www.patriciaurquiola.com
www.apartamentomagazine.com
 Video Podcast (GB) on DVD
www.german-design-council.de
Content I 3
Designer’s Voice (brief interviews)
50 Defne Koz
52 Harald Gründl
54 Patricia Urquiola
56 Martin Leuthold
Available languages:
D, GB
58 Interview
“I want my future back.”
Trendboard member Defne Koz on
the future of Interior Design
Available languages:
D, GB
66 Pure Village
imm cologne launches successful offensive
with Pure Village
Available languages:
D, GB
www.purevillage.net
70 The Fair
imm cologne set to be the furniture event of 2011
Available languages:
D, GB, I, E, F
www.imm-cologne.com
www.livingkitchen-cologne.com
64 Imprint/Credits
Published by:
Koelnmesse GmbH
imm cologne Press Office
Markus Majerus
Messeplatz 1
50679 Cologne, Germany
Tel.: + 49 221 821-26 27
Fax: + 49 221 821-34 17
E-Mail m.majerus@koelnmesse.de
www.koelnmesse.com
4 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Editorial
The imm cologne shows what’s catching on in people’s
homes and minds
Koelnmesse’s Trend Book “Interior Trends 2011” is
not only about consumers’ aspirations but about the
designers’ perspectives too: Where do their preferences lie, how do they see the future, how do they
perceive the environment, what approaches do they
pursue in their designs? Anybody who reads the
Trend Book carefully will see the imm cologne with
different eyes afterwards: from the standpoint of
some of the most fascinating creative personalities
who themselves play a key role in shaping this intriguing landscape.
On the other hand, anybody expecting the Trend Book to
provide simple recipes for designing next year’s homes
and showrooms will probably be disappointed. Certainly,
it contains dense atmospheric sketches of tomorrow’s
interior ambiance, of the forms and materials that will
be striking a chord with consumers next season; and
the colour palettes of the four Interior Trends “Emotional
Austerity”, “Surprising Empathy”, “Re-Balancing” and
“Transforming Perspectives” will once again prove a
valuable point of reference, especially for designers and
professional decorators. But anyone looking for clichéd
pigeonholes that double as blueprints for giving the
home a quick spring facelift will find the Trendboard
cannot oblige. Its projections are too close to reality and
too close to real people for that.
For these days, nothing is simple any more. Instead we
find ourselves surrounded by complexity and longing
for unambiguous, straightforward solutions that reveal
themselves to us in simple images. That is why furniture
and interiors that embody this and appeal to us directly
are so successful. However, this year’s workshop also
made it clear that consumers and designers, but also
manufacturers, retailers and the media, are increasingly
coming to be seen as part of a highly complex system
that is itself becoming the subject matter of design.
When it comes to sustainability, it isn’t just the origin
of the material that plays a role; the way a product is
produced, the social standards in its country of origin, its
energy footprint and self-sufficiency are vital aspects as
well. In this system, designers and consumers alike are
gaining both relevance and self-confidence – the former
Photo: Koelnmesse (IMM11_TBK0101_01)
Editorial I 5
as idea-givers, the latter as decision makers. But is that
enough to influence the mainstream?
Well, it’s at least enough to influence long stretches of the
discussions that took place during the Trendboard workshop. The financial and economic crisis that was still very
much the focus of debate last year is suddenly “just” a
substantial factor that has helped accelerate this longterm development towards a product and usage culture
that strives for sustainability. And so it comes as no surprise that this year’s Trend Book not only presents some
of the dominant stylistic tendencies in the design scene
and consumer behaviour but provides a particularly vivid
account of the underlying moods in society as well.
Both this year and in coming years, the imm cologne will
show whether this debate succeeds in asserting itself
effectively on the market. This is where it becomes apparent which creative design concepts are catching on
in people’s homes and minds. There are already many
pointers that this Trend Book is just the start of an exceptionally exciting imm cologne year.
Yours sincerely,
Julia Degner
Markus Majerus
A note for the press: As always, the material compiled in
the Content Folder – copy and photos – can be used for
editorial purposes free of charge. This is the first of four
Content Folders that will be published in the run-up to
the imm cologne.
The next issues will focus on “LivingKitchen” (late September), “Interior Design” (early October) and “Trends
and Design” (inc. some of the new products debuting at
the imm cologne/late December).
6 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Overview: The imm cologne
Trend Book 2011
In search of new ideals
with beautiful furniture
• The imm cologne Trendboard names
the Interior Trends for 2011:
“Emotional Austerity”, “Surprising
Empathy”, “Re-Balancing” and
“Transforming Perspectives”
• Sustainability of forms and products
is an ever-present theme
• Great longing for quality as the basis
for something new
The way we design our home environment is increasingly becoming a question of our life plan. A chair is
no longer just something to sit on but a statement:
sometimes it is merely a utility object, sometimes an
ecological footprint and sometimes a piece of art. Its
quality is no longer purely a question of workmanship, but of where the materials come from, the tradition behind its form, its innovative added value.
It has to do with quality of life – something which, having
just about got through the crisis of the last two years,
we must now redefine. A product’s sustainability will
play a crucial role in that, agreed the members of the
Trendboard when it came to naming the most important
trends in interior design. In all four Interior Trends –
“Emotional Austerity”, “Surprising Empathy”, “ReBalancing” and “Transforming Perspectives” – sustainability and quality are the fixed points around which
the very different design approaches revolve. When it
comes to form, designers and consumers alike are
indulging their desire for new configurations: old forms
are being equipped with new functions, materials
mixed, techniques combined, boxes converted into furniture modules, furniture reconstructed. The cards are
being reshuffled.
Press Release_Overview I 7
Photo: Interior Trend Re-Balancing; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0203_06)
8 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Interior Trend Emotional Austerity; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0201_01)
Photo: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0202_01)
Press Release_Overview I 9
If the designers of the imm cologne Trendboard are to be
believed, the furnishing world will be presenting a rather
more modest face in future – at least outwardly. For it is
increasingly the inner values that really matter. The good
feeling of responsible consumption, scope for adapting
the furniture to individual needs, the bringing together
of various technical applications in a meaningful product
and dreams of immateriality are the concepts furniture
and interior designers are proposing for the future. They
reveal visions of a positive future, show people the way to
a clear conscience and equip them with a wealth of
familiar but thoroughly upgraded utensils and faithful
companions for reordering their world in the wake of
recent catastrophes. The normal, tried-and-tested objects
in our everyday lives are becoming the objects of preference for designers, who are reducing their forms to the
essentials or enhancing them with new technologies.
Although the forms of the furniture sometimes look
decidedly severe, their lightness of colour and material
nevertheless creates a cosy look. Spectacular experiments with form are no longer uppermost – in view of
the recent mood of crisis, the protagonists of a certain
scene that interprets design as an event are regrouping
and attempting to express their freshly gained perspectives on nature, the world of forms and the eco movement
in simplifying images.
This sketch cannot of course claim to represent the entire
spectrum of the furnishing industry – in the interior design
sector too, the days when there was just one dominant
trend are long gone. Today the tone is set by a variety of
very different, parallel developments and a correspondingly varied range of styles. The five design experts on
this year’s Trendboard even see signs that the individualisation of mass production is likely to progress even further. At the same time, some of the paths being pursued
lead in opposite directions. Whilst the classic premium
milieu is exploiting the possibilities offered by a sophisticated information and production system to obtain products that are as unique as possible, consumers with a
more family and harmony-oriented lifestyle are seeking
to assert their independence from aesthetic and material
dictates by opting for do-it-yourself furniture, heterogeneous arrangements and adventurous mixtures.
Photo: Interior Trend Transforming Perspectives; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0204_09)
The Interior Trends 2011
“Interior Trends 2011”, which is published by the imm
cologne, filters out and distils the four most important
tendencies in design and interior culture. The Interior
Trends differ not only in terms of design, forms and
material preferences, but attribute these aesthetic aspects
to various lifestyles and design philosophies as well.
10 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
The Interior Trends 2011
01 Emotional Austerity
As bittersweet
as dark chocolate
In the wake of the crisis, many people are asking
themselves what they really need to live well. The
challenge is to create something new out of the void.
Playful opulence or even frivolous splendour are correspondingly rare in the latest designs for top-quality
furniture and elegant interiors.
Instead they are displaying a passion for simplicity and
formal severity that seems contagious, almost cheerful.
With filigree forms and soft colours, they appeal to both
our heads and our hearts. They are joined by pretty but
modest basic forms with boxy or rounded contours.
Reduction to the essentials is a question of faith, and the
classics of modernism are being called as witnesses to
bear testimony that it is possible to capture the essence
of things. You just have to look carefully and see design
as a process, as a performance that merely repeats
the daily usage ritual engendered by the forms – as
an almost natural consequence of human culture. Old
forms have internalised this; they are being equipped
with new capabilities and produced with high-tech. In
this Interior Trend, design’s new delight in reconfiguring
old forms and techniques and mixing them with new
elements and functions is particularly apparent.
Photo: Interior Trend Emotional Austerity; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0201_08)
It allows the world of objects to be seen in a new light
again. Colours and materials are dominated by nature.
However, materials like leather, felt, wood and plant
fibres are also being joined by technical fabrics, often
with embossed or quilted surfaces. As for the colour
palettes, you feel as if you have been transported to a
forest of different shades of green, ranging from olive,
juicy moss and pale green all the way to a matted turquoise, blending with a rocky background of milky aqua
and smoky blue and combined with powder shades
from rosé to brown.
Photo: Interior Trend Emotional Austerity; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0201_06)
The Interior Trends 2011: 01_Emotional Austerity I 11
Ancient High Tech
The Ritual Creates the Form
Essentialism
Rearranging
Photo: Interior Trend Emotional Austerity; Koelnmesse; Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0201_07)
12 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Interior Trend Emotional Austerity; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0201_01)
Photo: Interior Trend Emotional Austerity; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0201_02)
Photo: Interior Trend Emotional Austerity; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0201_03)
Photo: Interior Trend Emotional Austerity; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0201_04)
The Interior Trends 2011: 01_Emotional Austerity I 13
Photo: Interior Trend Emotional Austerity; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0201_05)
Photo: Interior Trend Emotional Austerity; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0201_09)
Collage: Interior Trend Emotional Austerity; Koelnmesse (IMM11_TBK0201_10)
Editor’s note: More detailed information on the products,
materials, fabrics or colours used can be found in the
appendix to the imm cologne Trend Book 2011.
Collage: Interior Trend Emotional Austerity; Koelnmesse (IMM11_TBK0201_11)
14 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
The Interior Trends 2011
02 Surprising Empathy
A surprisingly
warm welcome
Anyone looking for new forms and concepts for the
future because they are no longer content to settle for
a jazzed-up version of what has been done before will
feel thoroughly at home in this Interior Trend.
Designers are pushing the envelope of what is feasible,
seeking the solution to our problems in the technology
of new production methods and intelligent materials.
You only have to dig deep enough to come up with
surprisingly simple, intuitively comprehensible results.
This new world embraces both the individual and his
senses – he just has to let it. As a design principle,
opposites too have the task of sharpening our senses
and surprising us again and again, of opening up new
spaces and bidding us welcome. What looks light turns
out to be heavy and resilient, what seems heavy and
solid captivates us with its lightness. This applies to
both forms and materials. Volumes appear airy or are
reduced to their outline so as to shed ballast, while
honeycombed and woven structures add depth to twodimensional surfaces. Without further ado, new forms
are found for new functions.
Photo: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0202_01)
On the whole, the aesthetics are defined by angular and
folded structures. The dominant colour is a cold grey,
accompanied by ash grey and black and brightened
up with vibrant dashes of citrus yellow and mandarin
orange. A light taupe mediates between grey and white
and adds a little softness to the colour scale.
Photo: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0202_03)
The Interior Trends 2011: 02_Surprising Empathy I 15
Awakening of the Senses
Design as Research
Illusions of Lightness
Hybrid Nature
Photo: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse; Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0202_04)
16 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0202_02)
Photo: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0202_05)
Photo: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0202_09)
Photo: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0202_08)
Kaa the Snake, light sculpture, artist: Barbara Trautmann, Karlsruhe
The Interior Trends 2011: 02_Surprising Empathy I 17
Photo: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0202_07)
Kaa the Snake, light sculpture, artist: Barbara Trautmann, Karlsruhe
Photo: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0202_06)
Collage: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse (IMM11_TBK0202_10)
Editor’s note: More detailed information on the products,
materials, fabrics or colours used can be found in the
appendix to the imm cologne Trend Book 2011.
Collage: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse (IMM11_TBK0202_11)
18 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
The Interior Trends 2011
03 Re-Balancing
Reconfiguring the world
It’s all about putting the world to rights again, at least
on a small scale. And already the harmony of one’s
own four walls is permeated by a hint of revolution.
The mental comfort zone is blossoming into an experimental counterplan to the prestigious role models
propagated by glossy magazines.
People have grown weary of the marketing of artificial
design icons and are looking for new ones that are
closer to the reality of their lives: useful helpers and
familiar companions. It’s about identities that can
withstand life and give people a home in a globalised
world. The regional product from the farmer’s market,
flea market or carpenter’s shop round the corner is
no longer a luxury but a basic. You don’t actually need
much more for life than that. Strong roots enable people
to embrace more exotic ideas again. At the same time,
the ideal of sustainable consumption that people are
practising on a small scale is gradually becoming the
model for the bigger picture. Even if it doesn’t quite
come off in the big wide world, people at least want to
do everything right in their own homes, give new ideas
a try and consider the implications of their own actions
for the world in general.
The buyers are acquiring the ready-made components
and re-arranging them, mixing them into heterogeneous
compositions that correspond exactly to their own character and needs. Ultimately, design too is something
that can be pieced together: as a construction kit, pressout furniture or individual wallpaper from the web. And
the lesson that no truth should automatically remain
unquestioned is being transferred to the design and
organisation of the living environment: even our homes
have to be subjected to constant scrutiny and renewed
as and when necessary. In terms of form, there is a
preference for angular and simple individual structures
that combine to create round shapes and thus offer
comfortable possibilities for withdrawal. As a foil to
such resolute forms, the padding is often decidedly on
the soft side. Inherently elastic and soft natural materials
like cork, sheepskin, mohair or horsehair are ideal. The
surface textures are knitted or woven, occasionally even
hand-spun. A warm rhubarb-red radiates positive energy
and warmth and is combined with creamy-white, cornyellow and tan shades ranging from light brown all the
way to terracotta.
Photo: Interior Trend Re-Balancing; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0203_01)
Photo: Interior Trend Re-Balancing; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0203_02)
The Interior Trends 2011: 03_Re-Balancing I 19
Everyday Life Collection
Local Seasonal
Self Assembly
Permanent Re-Creation
Photo: Interior Trend Re-Balancing; Koelnmesse; Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0203_04)
20 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Interior Trend Re-Balancing; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0203_03)
Photo: Interior Trend Re-Balancing; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0203_05)
Photo: Interior Trend Re-Balancing; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0203_07)
Photo: Interior Trend Re-Balancing; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0203_08)
The Interior Trends 2011: 03_Re-Balancing I 21
Photo: Interior Trend Re-Balancing; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0203_06)
Collage: Interior Trend Re-Balancing; Koelnmesse (IMM11_TBK0203_09)
Editor’s note: More detailed information on the products,
materials, fabrics or colours used can be found in the
appendix to the imm cologne Trend Book 2011.
Collage: Interior Trend Re-Balancing; Koelnmesse (IMM11_TBK0203_10)
22 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
The Interior Trends 2011
04 Transforming Perspectives
Simple forms
for complex things
It’s not just the underlying social conditions that are
changing, design itself is seeking new paths as well.
Particularly in the otherwise so spectacular corner of the
design world, things have quieted down somewhat and
the “pimp my life” motto has had its day as a defining
concept. In the pleasure-oriented milieu of staging and
self-staging, whose current outlook on life is described
by the Interior Trend “Transforming Perspectives”, the
overriding aim is to filter moods, try out new design
approaches and propose radical designs. Design is a
means of communication and conveys newly gained
perspectives on nature, technology, interior lifestyle and
design itself. The boundaries between art and design,
between the real and virtual worlds are being questioned. And when the old world is lying in ruins – partly
because of cultural rifts, partly because of deliberate
dismantling – people are keen to experiment with
archaic forms. In this case, forms primarily serve as
containers for a message. For the message that nature
is just a man-made image, for instance. The contrast
between the true complexity of nature and the simplicity
of our image of it is therefore one of this milieu’s preferred design elements. Half-forgotten luxury objects,
changed by their age and patina, are being rediscovered.
And even if many people have grown weary of Übermarketing and are seeking personality in the objects
that populate their daily lives, there are others who
haven’t had enough yet and are taking the clichés to
even further extremes, sometimes even to the point of
caricature. Even the sustainability debate does not go
uncommented: Simply take a bucket of green paint and
apply a nice coat of it to your table – and hey presto,
you’ve got a green product. Because as long as our understanding of the highly complex system that is nature
remains fragmentary, we can confine ourselves to
simple messages that go down well with the public.
A great deal of importance is attached to material finishes,
to polished or matt surfaces. The experimental workshop of “Transforming Perspectives” prefers to work
with foamed metals, composite mineral materials, glass
and metal fabrics, complemented by hard and soft plastics.
Thanks to optical effects, network and grid structures,
many products exhibit an alterable surface. Sometimes
the interiors are allowed to glow with proper colours: a
dark plum-blue provides the dominant background for
both an artificial lavender shade and a dove-grey with a
violet shimmer. Important features are emphasised in a
caramel shade with a metallic-brown gleam.
Photo: Interior Trend Transforming Perspectives; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0204_05)
Photo: Interior Trend Transforming Perspectives; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0204_04)
The Interior Trends 2011: 04_Transforming Perspectives I 23
Nature as an Idea
Übermarketing
Stale Luxury
Ecostupidity
Photo: Interior Trend Transforming Perspectives; Koelnmesse; Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0204_06)
24 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Interior Trend Transforming Perspectives; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0204_01)
Photo: Interior Trend Transforming Perspectives; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0204_02)
Photo: Interior Trend Transforming Perspectives; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0204_07)
Photo: Interior Trend Transforming Perspectives; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0204_08)
The Interior Trends 2011: 04_Transforming Perspectives I 25
Photo: Interior Trend Transforming Perspectives; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0204_09)
Photo: Interior Trend Transforming Perspectives; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0204_03)
Collage: Interior Trend Transforming Perspectives;
Koelnmesse (IMM11_TBK0203_10)
Editor’s note: More detailed information on the products,
materials, fabrics or colours used can be found in the
appendix to the imm cologne Trend Book 2011.
Collage: Interior Trend Transforming Perspectives;
Koelnmesse (IMM11_TBK0204_11)
Graffiti:
Graffiti and youth art project “MittwochsMaler”
(www.mittwochs-maler.de)
Pro Graffiti Initiative “CasaNova Köln”
(www.casanova-koeln.net) in: Alte Feuerwache, Cologne
(www.altefeuerwachekoeln.de)
26 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
The Trend Book
A Reference Work for the Future
For the last seven years, the imm cologne has been
convening an international panel of experts to identify
the central themes for the interior design of the coming
season: the Trendboard, with an annually changing
line-up that brings together some of the world’s most
influential designers, architects, specialist journalists
and materials experts.
This year designers Patricia Urquiola (Milan), Defne Koz
(Chicago/ Milan/Ankara) and Harald Gründl (EOOS,
Vienna) met with textile designer Martin Leuthold (Jakob
Schlaepfer, St. Gallen) and editor-in-chief Marco Velardi
(“apartamento” magazine, Milan/Barcelona). During a twoday workshop organised by the German Design Council,
the panel compares and discusses the impressions of
current tendencies in design and society its members
have collected in the preceding months. It isn’t only
current developments in design that are evaluated – the
state of mind and needs found in the relevant consumer
groups are taken as the respective starting point for the
formulation of an Interior Trend. In the next stage, the
manifestations of the Interior Trend are defined in detail
on the basis of material and colour samples.
The 72-page Trend Book depicts these trends with sensitive synopses of the formal and emotional motifs, lavishly
produced photos and detailed information about the
colour values and material collages. Thanks to its autumn
publication date, the Trend Book is able to take stock of
the spring presentations and evaluate the developments
that will make it to the first major furnishing and order
show of the year, the imm cologne 2011, according to
their potential for the interior design of the future. This
definitive book is compulsory reading for the furnishing
industry and is available for a nominal charge of 50 euros.
It provides a compact overview of what’s happening in
the design scene right now and is a valuable orientation
aid for exhibitors, trade visitors and journalists.
Photo: Koelnmesse (IMM11_TBK0205_01)
Photo: Koelnmesse (IMM11_TBK0205_02)
Further information: www.imm-cologne.com
Editor’s note: Information about the manufacturers and
sources of the products shown in the photos can be found
in the Trend Book Interior Trends 2011.
Photo: Koelnmesse (IMM11_TBK0205_03)
Trend Book Press ConferenceI 27
Presentation
The Trend Book Press Conference in Istanbul (09/2010)
Video Podcast (available October 2010)
 www.imm-content-service.com

28 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0202_06)
Compact I 29
Compact: The imm cologne Trend Book 2011
Interior Trends 2011: Loving design relationships
between passionate gravity and optimistic lightness,
idealistic pragmatism and sophisticated naivety.
Every autumn, the imm cologne furniture fair publishes
a trend forecast on the most important developments
in interior design. In the Trend Book, the themes
shaping the design scene right now are extrapolated in
four directions representing various tastes and lifestyles.
The trend analysis is the work of the Trendboard inaugurated by the imm cologne seven years ago – a group of
five or six influential designers, architects, material specialists and journalists. Every year, several new members
join the line-up to ensure a constant stream of new input
for the Trendboard’s work. In a two-day workshop, these
creative designers and experts discuss the most promising developments in the design scene, the needs people
have and the answers design could potentially come up
with. Once the workshop is over, the members of the
Trendboard check how the trends they have formulated
have been translated into the imm cologne’s publication,
the Trend Book.
Using vivid photos of lavishly staged interiors and outdoor
spaces, representative products and forms, material collages and detailed colour specifications, the Trend Book
shows how people would like to furnish their homes in
the coming season. The renderings and information are
just as helpful for the general public as they are for professional interior designers or retailers.
The pictures are supplemented by texts that describe the
corresponding outlook on life and explain the aesthetic
attitude of creators and users alike. The trends are also
given catchy, evocative names.
The new “Interior Trends 2011” are called “Emotional
Austerity”, “Surprising Empathy”, “Re-Balancing” and
“Transforming Perspectives”. The Trendboard sees the
financial and economic crisis that was still very much the
focus of last year’s debate as the catalyst for a dynamic
development towards a sustainable product strategy.
Whilst the guardians of good design style are slowly
groping their way ahead by combining old forms with
high-tech and pursuing formal severity with both passion
and consummate ease, more progressive spirits are
racing far ahead into a future that is better: lighter, more
intuitive, full of new sensory perceptions and surprising
form solutions. The snug comfort zone, which is actually meant to be a bastion of harmony, seems like an
experimental counter-plan to a design culture geared
towards prestige and quick consumption; it is full of selfbuilt objects, a world where plain, functional normality is
becoming a cult. And the otherwise so funky scene that
sees design as a trend event is soft-pedalling and trying
to convey its newly gained insights with the aid of archaic
forms, simple solutions and it-products taken to clichélike extremes.
Thanks to its autumn publication date, the Trend Book is
able to take stock of the spring presentations and evaluate
the developments that will make it to the first major
furnishing and order show of the year, the imm cologne
2011, according to their potential for the interior design
of the future. This definitive book is compulsory reading
for the furnishing industry and is available for a nominal
charge of 50 euros. It provides a compact overview of
what’s happening in the design scene right now and is a
valuable orientation aid for exhibitors, trade visitors and
journalists.
30 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Interior Trend Emotional Austerity; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0201_02)
Photo: Interior Trend Surprising Empathy; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0202_04)
01_Emotional Austerity
As bittersweet as dark chocolate
02_Surprising Empathy
A surprisingly warm welcome
Austere beauties: The elegant ambiance is defined by
clear and unostentatious aesthetics. And yet despite their
severity, the forms and lines are anything but cold. Instead
they betray the passion of their makers and owners for
details and quality. In their search for the essence of
things, the designers encounter classic and established
forms that are equipped with new functions and produced
with high-tech. This playful mixing with new technologies
and the piecing together of old and new details are
symptomatic of a desire to dismantle and re-arrange that
finds particularly strong expression in this trend: The
cards are being reshuffled.
With filigree forms and soft colours, these austere beauties appeal to both our heads and our hearts. They are
joined by pretty but modest basic forms with boxy or
rounded contours. The colours and materials are dominated by nature: wood, leather, felt and plant fibres are
complemented by technical fabrics; an earthy olive hue
dominates over lush and pale shades of green and is
joined by powder shades from rosé to brown.
Shedding ballast: Who says the future isn’t sensual?
New forms and new materials are teaching us a new way
of seeing things. What looks light turns out to be heavy
and resilient, what seems heavy and solid captivates us
with its lightness. This applies to both forms and materials.
Volumes appear airy or are reduced to their outline,
while honeycombed and woven structures add depth to
two-dimensional surfaces.
Light and flowing materials form a contrast with their
cold and heavy counterparts. On the whole, the aesthetics
are defined by angular and folded structures. The dominant colour is a cold grey, accompanied by ash grey and
black and brightened up with vibrant dashes of citrus
yellow and mandarin orange. A light taupe mediates
between grey and white and adds a little softness to the
colour scale.
Compact I 31
Compact: The imm cologne Trend Book 2011
All 4 trends at a glance
Photo: Interior Trend Re-Balancing; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0203_01)
Photo: Interior Trend Transforming Perspectives; Koelnmesse;
Constantin Meyer (IMM11_TBK0204_02)
03_Re-Balancing
Reconfiguring the world
04 Transforming Perspectives
Simple forms for complex things
Furniture that thinks outside the box: Perhaps surprisingly, it is in the generally so tranquil world of harmonyseeking family-minded consumers that the box is becoming the epitome of universal furniture, a symbol of
the search for personal, meaningful pieces populated by
truly practical things – icons of everyday life. What doesn’t
fit is made to fit, and wherever people are content with
their own company, the furniture ought to be unpretentious
too.
Material as an experiment: As in performance art, this
Interior Trend (unlike “Emotional Austerity”) is not so
much interested in a long-term relationship as it is in a
snapshot, in a response to the nature cult, the hype surrounding cult objects or “green design”. The protagonists
try to convey their newly gained insights with the aid of
archaic forms, simple solutions and it-products taken to
cliché-like extremes.
Even angular and simple individual structures can be
fashioned into rounded and astonishingly comfortable
opportunities for retreat – soft padding or sheepskins
emanate a sense of luxury. The preference is for natural
materials. The surface textures are knitted or woven,
occasionally even hand-spun. A warm rhubarb-red
radiates positive energy and warmth and is combined
with creamy-white, corn-yellow and tan shades ranging
from light brown all the way to terracotta.
A great deal of importance is attached to material finishes,
to polished or matt surfaces. The experimental workshop
of “Transforming Perspectives” prefers to work with
foamed metals, composite mineral materials, glass and
metal fabrics. A dark plum-blue provides the dominant
background for both an artificial lavender shade and a
dove-grey with a violet shimmer. Important features are
emphasised in a caramel shade with a metallic-brown
gleam.
32 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Trendboard I 33
The imm cologne’s panel of trend experts
names the Interior Trends 2011.
Trendboard anticipates new innovation concept
for the furniture sector
What’s actually really new about the Interior Trends
2011? What do the ever more numerous and increasingly heterogeneous trends and product innovations
have in common? And what makes them different?
What drives the designers? What do consumers
make of the designs? The imm cologne’s Trendboard,
this year with a totally new line-up, met to analyse
the trends in interior design and project them into
the future. The panel debated phenomena such as
individualisation, sustainability, style developments,
materials, colours and forms.
In early June, designers Patricia Urquiola (Milan), Defne
Koz (Chicago/ Milan/Ankara) and Harald Gründl (EOOS,
Vienna) met with textile designer Martin Leuthold
(Jakob Schlaepfer, St. Gallen) and editor-in-chief Marco
Velardi (“apartamento” magazine, Milan/Barcelona) for
the two-day Trendboard workshop in Cologne. The four
trends they filtered out of the most important developments in furniture and interior design are intended to
be representative of various styles and life designs. This
year too, these four Interior Trends – lavishly photographed and staged in extravagant scenographies complete with expressive names and sample products – will
be condensed into a Trend Book for the imm cologne:
“Interior Trends 2011”.
“Our job was to consider the various manifestations of
the trends,” says Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola,
recapping the Trendboard’s assignment. For Patricia
Urquiola, this development points the way ahead: “We
need to understand that today there are many different
ways people can think something is innovative. Sometimes a new interpretation of something old or a particularly simple and intelligent manufacturing method is
far more innovative than a new material or an innovative
technology. The idea of innovation is changing. For me,
it’s closely related to people’s needs and the way we
use things.”
Amongst other things, the workshop revealed the palpable influence of the sustainability concepts that are
affecting all areas of the sector and are closely associated with a sense of progress and innovation. Harald
Gründl and his firm EOOS are one of the driving forces
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0501_01)
34 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_09)
behind this development – as well as critical observers:
“We encountered a sustainable design approach in
all four trends, but at times it pointed in very different
directions. However, sustainable design does not mean
merely giving things a green veneer without redesigning them in a sustainable way or radically rethinking
them.” At the Trendboard workshop too, the challenges
designers face in this respect were a subject of much
debate. Harald Gründl emphasised that “in future, we
will find it increasingly necessary to think in terms of
systems. And designers are most definitely a very important interface in this formation of systems.”
In January, the four Interior Trends will take on concrete shape for the public in the form of installations at
the imm cologne. The members of the Trendboard will
be staging them in four exhibition cubes in Pure Village,
the new exhibition format launched in 2010.
The Trendboard – a group of five to six influential
designers, architects, materials experts and specialised journalists – was inaugurated by the imm cologne
seven years ago. With its autumn publication date, the
Trend Book that the workshop produces every year
takes stock of the previous spring’s presentations and
evaluates the developments that will make it to the first
major furnishing and order fair of the year, the imm
cologne, according to their potential for the interior
design of the future. The Trend Book, which has become
standard reading for the furnishing sector and is available for a token charge, provides a compact overview
of current happenings in the design scene and is a
valuable orientation guide for exhibitors, trade visitors
and journalists.
Trendboard I 35
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM10_TBK0501_02)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_10)
Harald Gründl, Vienna
Designer
Born in 1967 in Vienna, Austria, Harald Gründl studied
industrial design at the University of Applied Arts
Vienna and holds a PhD in philosophy. In 1995 he
set up the design agency EOOS together with Martin
Bergmann and Gernot Bohmann. EOOS has become a
leading studio for furniture design, brand spaces and
design research with clients including Alessi, Armani,
Bulthaup, Dedon, Duravit, Matteo Grassi, Walter Knoll
and Zumtobel. He has chaired the Institute of Design
Research Vienna since 2008 and is a partner at EOOS
design, where he heads the studio‘s research activities.
www.eoos.com
“We encountered a sustainable design approach in all
four trends, but at times it pointed in very different
directions. However, sustainable design does not
mean merely giving things a green veneer without
redesigning them in a sustainable way or radically
rethinking them. It seems important to me that in
future we will find it increasingly necessary to think in
terms of systems. And designers are most definitely a
very important interface in this formation of systems.
These are simply the new challenges that we face.”
36 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0501_03)
Defne Koz, Milan and Chicago
Designer
Defne Koz, an industrial designer, is based in Milan and
Chicago. She has designed more than 200 products
for international companies such as Foscarini, Leucos, FontanaArte, Sharp, Alessi, Pirelli, Slide, Nestlé,
Unilever, Durst, Egizia, Rapsel-Nito, Gabbianelli,
Merati,Cappellini, Guzzini, Steel, RSVP, WMF, Authentics,
Nissan and Casio. Her architectural projects include the
design of Eczacibasi’s executive headquarters in Istanbul, interiors for numerous private houses, various
retail spaces, and the renovation of an apartment in
the Lake Shore Drive building by Mies van der Rohe in
Chicago.
www.defnekoz.com
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_06)
“I am very interested in trends that point at building a
new idea of the future, of progress. I am very interested,
for example, in how we can evolve materials and their
emotional and poetic language: When a user approaches
a new object, he should be really surprised at seeing
it, happy to touch it, it should awaken his senses, and
he should feel amazingly good using it. I also hope
designers can give more depth to objects that they
design. Designers and companies should not introduce
new products just for their own sake, but they should
concentrate on giving a real meaning to new products.
Similarly, materials can also literally be given more
depth, as we said when we were discussing fabrics; if
they become three-dimensional fabrics, for example,
they become much more interesting and enrich the
object. In the end, it is a combination of metaphorical
depth − what objects mean to us, and actual depth −
the extent to which they awaken our senses.”
Trendboard I 37
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0501_05)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_01)
Martin Leuthold, St. Gallen
Textile designer
Martin Leuthold was born in 1952 in Hegi-Winden,
Switzerland. He completed an apprenticeship as an
embroidery designer in his youth. Since 1973, he has
been employed as a textile designer at Jakob Schlaepfer
in St. Gallen, a company that makes innovative textiles
for the fashion industry and interior decoration. Martin
Leuthold has held a management role at Jakob Schlaepfer
since 1989 and, as Art Director, heads the creative division. In this function, he was and is involved in projects
including the development of numerous new textile
design processes and the laser and inkjet processes for
printing on textiles.
www.jakob-schlaepfer.ch
“I think the Trendboard meeting proved successful
and we really defined trends for the future. This sort
of thing does not work for short periods of time; it
always relates to longer periods. However, we need
new input every year if we are to see where the future
is taking us. We have all recognized that furnishing
preferences and living styles vary enormously and
that this area must be kept very open in future. Also,
despite this huge range of options available, we still
need a focus, namely, not only on making attractive
things but also useful things.”
38 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0501_04)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0104_22)
Patricia Urquiola, Milan
Designer, Architect
Patricia Urquiola was born in Oviedo, Spain and now lives
and works in Milan. She attended the faculty of architecture at Madrid Polytechnic and Milan Polytechnic, from
which she graduated in 1989 having completed her thesis
with Achille Castiglioni. In 2001 she opened her own
studio, working on product design, architecture, installations and concept creation. In 2006 Koelnmesse invited
Patricia Urquiola to build one of the ideal houses for imm
cologne. Urquiola‘s clients include, among others,
Agape, Alessi, Artelano, Axor, B&B Italia, Bisazza, BMW,
Bosa, De Padova, Driade, Salvatore Ferragamo, Flos,
Foscarini, Kartell, Kvadrat, MDF Italia, Molteni, Moroso
and Panasonic.
www.patriciaurquiola.com
“We need to understand that today there are many
different ways people can think something is innovative. Sometimes a new interpretation of something old
or a particularly simple and intelligent manufacturing
method is far more innovative than a new material
or an innovative technology. The idea of innovation
is changing. For me, it’s closely related to people’s
needs and the way we use things.”
Trendboard I 39
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0105_06)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0104_28)
Marco Velardi, Milan
Journalist
Born in Novara, Italy in 1982, Marco Velardi graduated
from the University of Hertfordshire with a BA (Hons) in
business studies in 2005 and has since been living in
Milan. Over the years he has worked with Nieves Books
and freelanced for several magazines such as 032c,
Arkitip, Rodeo, PIG, i-D, Hercules, and Esquire Japan. In
October 2008 he opened SM, his own creative agency
with two partners in Milan, and he is currently Editorin-Chief of apartamento magazine, a biannual everyday
life interior design magazine. It was recently awarded a
D&AD Yellow Pencil for outstanding achievement in the
Magazine and Newspaper design category.
www.apartamentomagazine.com
“For me as an editor – not being a designer or architect
or manager − it was very interesting to take part in
the Trendboard to understand the flow of what is
going on in the design world and the perception of
people with different backgrounds. Currently it is very
obvious that people are reusing a lot of things, for example, crates, milk crates and wooden crates. I mean
it has been going on forever; it is not that it is new, but
I think now people are even more into the idea of the
whole lifecycle. You know, no matter where you enter
the chain, you kind of continue the life of a product
and try to reuse it. I think that is something that came
out a lot from the discussion we had during these few
days. And I feel very strongly about that.”
Translation courtesy of Dr. Jeremy Gaines
40 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Trendboard Workshop I 41
Trendboard Workshop
Five designers, four Interior Trends and
a book full of impressions

Video Podcast (DVD)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_31)
42 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Every year, the imm cologne’s Trendboard gets together for a workshop to discuss the most important
developments in the world of interior lifestyle and
design. The Trend Book “Interior Trends 2011” translates the results into words and stunning pictures.
What’s the best way to find out about the interior trends
of the coming season? You could ask the manufacturers
or interior decorators what they think. And a visit to the
pertinent trade fairs is a must if you want to see the latest developments for yourself – it’s a great starting point
for any future scenario. And don’t forget the materials
specialists and textile designers – after all, they’re the
ones who supply the components tomorrow’s furniture
will be made of. And what about the architects, fashion
designers and sociologists? What’s the best way to make
sense of so many different opinions?
There’s another, far simpler and extremely promising
source you could turn to: the designers. They seem predestined for making trend forecasts: they are both specialists in terms of creating furniture and interiors and
generalists with an excellent knowledge of the scene;
their assignments repeatedly confront them with new
territory; they are familiar both with design processes
and technical progress and, on top of everything else,
they have developed a keen instinct for people’s needs.
And they often work as architects too. In a nutshell: a
host of different perspectives, all rolled into one. Unfortunately, however, this same group of professionals is
extremely reluctant to comment on things like trends.
And who can blame them? It’s part of their sense of
self to create original works, not to follow some trend or
other.
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_01)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_02)
“Genuine” designers as trend experts
But as luck would have it, there’s the imm cologne’s
Trendboard as well. For the last seven years, koelnmesse
has been inviting five renowned designers, architects,
materials experts and specialist journalists to participate
in a two-day workshop in Cologne, where they discuss
and categorise the interior trends of the coming year
and illustrate them with examples. They have no choice
but to commit themselves. To start with there is the
usual, almost compulsory reluctance to acknowledge
that trends exist at all, let alone to admit they are a
phenomenon worthy of serious consideration. But when
that has passed, the increasingly passionate discussions
culminate in the naming of four of the most important
developments affecting the interior design industry.
The success of the Trendboard model lies in the panel’s
manageable size and top-notch line-up, as well as the
way it goes about its work. Every year the initiators and
organisers –
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_03)
Trendboard Workshop I 43
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_04)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_05)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_06)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_07)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_08)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_13)
44 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_29)
Trendboard Workshop I 45
the imm cologne and the German Design Council, one
of the country’s most famous design institutions – invite
different players and critical observers to participate in
the expert panel. This year designers Patricia Urquiola
and Defne Koz met up with publicist Marco Velardi. All
three are mainly based in Milan, although Defne Koz
also contributed a great many observations from her
experiences in the USA, the Turkish-born designer’s
adopted country of residence. And there was another
product designer on board this year: Harald Gründl of
Vienna-based design team EOOS. Finally, this year’s
materials specialist Martin Leuthold, a textile designer
with Swiss company Jakob Schlaepfer, enriched the
discussion with an abundance of textile fantasia and
patterns.
A workshop that actually comes up with concrete
results
Every member of the Trendboard arrives at the summer workshop with his own extensive collection of
pictures, sample products, texts, materials and general
observations. The panel is not just looking for the
materials, colours and shapes that will be playing an
increasingly important role in design, but for developments in society and current events in culture, politics
and science that affect the way people perceive their
environment and furnish their homes. Both the preparatory studies and the workshop are based on
an analytical framework that numbers amongst the
classic tools of market research: a milieu model that
not only differentiates between social situation, life
goals and lifestyles but factors in the context too. On a
graph depicting the various directions developments
can take – “Premium” and “Popular” on the horizontal
axis, “Innovation” and “Tradition” on the vertical – four
milieus or consumer groups are plotted according to
their values, lifestyles and aesthetic preferences. Even
though the milieu model is not a mirror image of reality and cannot be totally congruent with the trends, it
nevertheless brings a great deal of structure and clarity
to the formulation of the trends.
The discussions are accompanied by the workshop
organisers from the German Design Council. The
most interesting aspects are jotted down and the notes
pinned to a big board on the wall, where they are
sorted, rejected, renamed and augmented. When the
trends, complete with sample objects, are hanging
finished on the wall, they are brought into even sharper
focus with material samples and colour palettes.
Keywords are added to make the trends, their aesthetic
characteristics and their links with social developments
and society’s moods more explicit. In the weeks that
follow, the workshop results are summarised, anno-
tated and visualised by the German Design Council. The
stylistic orientation of the trends is portrayed in lavishly
produced photographs of their moods and details. The
completed book is presented to the public in September,
prior to the next year’s imm cologne.
The Trend Book gives concrete shape to people’s
aspirations
The Trend Book that results from the workshop is
something special – not only thanks to its mix of
buzzwords, photographed interiors, colour and form
predictions, but also because it aims to include as many
social and design-immanent influences in the analysis
as possible. The Trend Book articulates people’s current
aspirations for a certain lifestyle and takes into account
design’s role as both a source of impetus and a means
of expression. And yet it is something totally different
that makes the Trend Book so very unusual: in a business climate where companies are investing thousands
in trend research, the imm cologne publishes a trend
analysis more or less “for free”. On top of that, this
particular trend analysis – despite its necessarily broad
scope – provides more concrete pointers and more
vivid pictures than many a famous report issued by
lifestyle magazines, opinion research institutes, trend
researchers and the like. Hardly surprising, then, that
the approx. 72-page Trend Book, which is available for
a nominal charge of 50 euros, is always sold out after
the first few days of the imm cologne.
The Trend Book succeeds in translating complex processes into comprehensible pictures and depicting a
little piece of the future. It makes credible connections
between aesthetic preferences and a value system
that reflects the lifeworld of a considerable section of
society.
Editor’s note: The code for integrating the podcast video
on the web can be found in the text file.
46 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Statement
Andrej Kupetz
“For seven years now, the German Design Council has
been organising the imm cologne Trendboard. The
Trendboard is a very interesting thing: it differs from
a lot of trend activities associated with other fairs in
the field of consumer products, for instance, because
we always invite real designers to take part. We do the
workshop with designers because we don’t just want
to look into a glass ball and make forecasts. We want
to get a complete image of what’s happening right now
in the world of interior design, in the world of furniture,
in society, and how designers are reflecting all this in
their works. In the workshop we create something like
a framework, which is determined by ideal types of
designers or consumers and the way they work and
think. We call them preservers or innovators, eventers
and harmonisers, just to express the way they think
about things. It’s very interesting to see how the perception of these framework topics changes. The interpretation is always different due to the personalities
of the individual designers, and that is something you
definitely feel when you look at the results in the Trend
Book and the exhibitions on the Interior Trends at the
fair. It gives us an orientation tool that is based on
personalities from the world of design and the world of
interior design.“
Andrej Kupetz,
General Manager of the German Design Council
www.german-design-council.de
Excerpt from the podcast video of Andrej Kupetz during
the Trendboard Workshop in June 2010. The code for
integrating the podcast video on the web can be found in
the text file.
Trendboard Workshop I 47
“A complete
image of
what’s happening right
now in the
world of
design”
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_14)
48 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
IMM11_TBK0401_25
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_16)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_30)
IMM11_TBK0401_09
IMM11_TBK0401_15
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_28)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_27)
IMM11_TBK0401_21
IMM11_TBK0401_19
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_26)
IMM11_TBK0401_20
Trendboard Workshop I 49
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_23)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_22)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_18)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_10)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_12)
50 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: 888; loop bed; Defne Koz (IMM11_TBK0601_02)
Designer’s Voice I 51
Defne Koz, Designer
“Design quality and manufacturing quality have
increased enormously.”
and to share our ideas faster, and I find that really exciting. Even if it doesn’t always happen, it’s important for
us designers to keep our own identity amidst the many
products we're developing, and find space - and time to reflect on what we're doing.

How does a tool like the Trend Book fit into the
picture at a time when many tendencies are emerging
simultaneously and there are hardly any distinct trends
any more?

A long time ago you might have looked at trends
to see a dominant direction in which design, and the
world, were going in. Today there are multiple signals,
but there is still a need to cluster them into consistent
tendencies. Today I see trends like constellations rather
than one single path: there are many stars in the sky,
and they don't necessarily point out a direction, but if you
cluster them into constellations you understand more
about them, you have a common reference that helps you
navigate complex routes.
Photo: Defne Koz; Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_06)

What was the most interesting thing about the
imm cologne Trendboard Workshop for you?

It’s always interesting – and important – to reflect
on what we do and share our ideas about design. I like
the fact that the Trendboard initiative is able to structure
our collective thoughts into something that could be useful and helpful to other designers.

The Trend Book shows what’s happening in design right now and what motivates the people who make
use of this design offering. In your opinion, where are the
strongest influences on product and interior design coming from?

For a designer, there are always multiple influences. Personally I’m curious about art and architecture,
but I always centre my inspiration around understanding
people, how they live, how their behaviour is changing.
That’s the root of new aesthetics.

Is it really true that the design and furniture sector is moving at an ever faster pace?

It's true that things are moving at a faster pace,
but I wouldn't limit that to design. Both ideas and products are circulating faster than ever before, so I don't
feel as if designers are struggling to 'catch up' with the
development of products. We are learning to think faster,

Is there any interior trend that is particularly
influential or significant for the furniture sector and
furnishing culture?

If you mean trends in the furniture business
as an industrial sector, I find it interesting that in the
entire range, from low-cost mass-market products all
the way to high-tier luxury ones, design is able to drive
differentiation, and sustain an important business. If you
mean language trends, I don't see any one single new
language emerging. I see many interesting things, but
struggle a little bit when it comes to distinguishing the
really new ideas from the repetition of styles.

Which development do you consider particularly
positive?

Quality: design quality and manufacturing quality have increased enormously. Nowadays it's rare to find
a product that is ugly or has poor manufacturing quality.

Which development do you consider particularly
negative?

Quantity: even high-quality products can 'pollute'
our lives if they’re produced in enormous quantities, if
they don't make sense. Adding products to products, and
designs to designs, is only ok if the 'new' stuff reflects
new ideas, new stories, new emotions, new desires.
52 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Duravit; Inipi; EOOS (IMM11_TBK0602_02)
Designer’s Voice I 53
Harald Gründl, EOOS
“The trends are lines of thought and not an instruction
manual for the next furniture collection.”
starting point for new things. Everything else has to
turn to dust, regardless of whether we’re moving ahead
quickly or slowly. We have to stop living at the expense
of the next generation.

How does a tool like the Trend Book fit into the
picture at a time when many tendencies are emerging
simultaneously and there are hardly any distinct trends
any more?

I hope it will encourage companies to think for
themselves. The “Trends” are lines of thought that can
be taken further. It’s not an instruction manual for the
next furniture collection!

Is there any Interior Trend that’s particularly
influential or significant for the furniture sector and
interior culture?

Unfortunately, I’d have to say it’s “greenwashing” – design that disguises itself as green because
that’s what goes down well with the public right now.
Hopefully it’ll be over soon!
Photo: Harald Gründl; Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_08)

What was the most interesting thing about the
imm cologne Trendboard Workshop for you?

I found it very interesting to see that there are
a lot of similarities in the way the various members of
the Trendboard perceive the design sector, and that we’d
all noticed similar phenomena. Meeting new people is
always the most interesting thing!

The Trend Book shows what’s happening in design right now and what motivates the people who make
use of this design offering. In your opinion, where are the
strongest influences on product and interior design coming from?

As far as I’m concerned, the sustainability debate
is the most important influence on design right now. How
can we react to this development intelligently, and how
does that affect the trends of the future? We discussed
this aspect in relation to all four Interior Trends and were
able to identify the different ways it’s manifesting itself.

Is it really true that the design and furniture sector is moving at an ever faster pace?

A fast pace isn’t a problem as long as it doesn’t
generate waste. It’s all right for us to consume if we don’t
damage the environment by doing so. Technical materials
have to be recycled into mono-materials and used as the

Which development do you consider particularly
positive?

I think there’s a very positive development in
the furnishing industry right now: more and more firms
are considering the sustainability issue from all kinds
of different angles and raising public awareness as a
result.

Which development do you consider particularly
negative?

The fact that an increasing number of companies are relocating their production operations
to low-wage countries. That destroys local artisanal
knowledge and leads to unrealistic prices.
54 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Axor; Axor Urquiola; Patricia Urquiola (IMM11_TBK0603_02)
Designer’s Voice I 55
Patricia Urquiola
“The idea of innovation is changing.”

Do you think sustainability is going to play a
decisive role?

The value of innovation is going to be related
more to sustainability, and by that I mean all different
kinds of sustainability. You can be sustainable in the
sense that you work with the emotional characteristics
of a product and think about how something can become a vintage piece, or maybe about whether I as a
consumer shouldn’t opt for a vintage piece when I need
something new. It’s important to understand this kind
of attitude too. On the other hand there are people who
only want to buy products that have been made with
energy-saving production methods.
Photo: Patricia Urquiola; Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_13)

During the imm cologne’s Trendboard workshop,
you didn’t just name four of the most influential tendencies
in interior design right now, you discussed other trends
in the design scene as well. How much of it do you think
is really important?

I think there is a new trend regarding the idea
of what is innovative. Innovation was always primarily
connected with the idea of industrial progress, i.e. with a
more traditional idea. More and more, however, the term
innovation is coming to be associated with values like
sustainability and with what people really see as innovative – for instance if something is surprisingly intelligent
or opens up new usage possibilities. People are paying
more attention to how something is done and why it is
done. More importance is being attached to the concept.

Will there be a paradigm shift?

The ideas of progress and innovation are still
too strongly associated with material innovations and
technologies. But after the crisis and all the global, local
problems we’re facing, this idea of innovation is beginning to seem almost banal. In our post-industrial society,
the idea of processing is coming to the fore: how things
are made and why I’m going to use them.

Will the consumer be exerting more influence
on industrial production?

There will be more and more questions from
consumers. They will be more interested in how something has been produced and what happens to the product in the end. And of course there might be products
that are manufactured in a sustainable way – maybe
even out of recycled materials – but just aren’t interesting enough to make it. Whatever else a product like that
has to offer, people just won’t accept it.

So you mean that if everything revolves around
new technologies and materials, the sustainability debate
might end up ignoring people’s needs?

Only ever getting excited about new technologies
and all these super, fantastic new products is too onesided. The requirements are more complex. Basically,
we could have restricted our workshop discussions to
just one trend – thinking about what’s really innovative
for people right now. We need to understand that today
there are many different ways people can think something is innovative. Sometimes a new interpretation of
something old or a particularly simple and intelligent
manufacturing method is far more innovative than a
new material or an innovative technology. The idea of
innovation is changing. For me, it’s closely related to
people’s needs and the way we use things.
56 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Jakob Schlaepfer; Phantom textile fabric; Martin Leuthold (IMM11_TBK0604_02)
Designer’s Voice I 57
Martin Leuthold, textile designer (Jakob Schlaepfer)
“Fashion has very little to do with beauty.”
show in all the different halls is an incredible source of
ideas. The inspiration is endless. I think we always look
at it through the filter of our own field of activity, which
in my case is fashion. The shapes and colours are always an inspiration that we assimilate and evolve.

Is it really true that the design and furniture
sector is moving at an ever faster pace?

Today’s electronic media and the fact that they
are accessible to everyone mean this sector too will
have to learn to reinvent itself at ever shorter intervals.
This development will lead us to a new trend in the
interior design sector.

How does a tool like the Trend Book fit into the
picture at a time when many tendencies are emerging
simultaneously and there are hardly any distinct trends
any more?

In the Trend Book it’s precisely this zeitgeist
we draw attention to and try to find a new order in. The
world can’t turn any faster, whatever happens.
Photo: Martin Leuthold; Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0401_08)

What was the most interesting about the imm
cologne Trendboard Workshop for you?

The various presentations by the different personalities who got together for the workshop were very
interesting in themselves. And it was very rewarding to
hear the various opinions and interpretations of the new
trends. Another important aspect of this meeting was that
we all want to safeguard our future.

The Trend Book shows what’s happening in design right now and what motivates the people who make
use of this design offering. In your opinion, where are the
strongest influences on product and interior design coming from?

I’d say the biggest influences are global identity
and the information we get from the Internet and electronic
media. But in principle, influences are coming from everywhere: from art, the theatre, fashion and other cultural disciplines, but also from politics and the environmental sphere.

Do you see a trade fair as a source of inspiration
for your own work, too? And will you be visiting the imm
cologne and perhaps seeing it with different eyes?

Obviously you can’t be everywhere at once. But
I’ll definitely be at the furniture fair in Cologne – especially
after my collaboration on the Trend Book. What’s on

But the furniture or interior design sector isn’t
as fast-moving as the fashion world.

That’s just as well. Fashion is very short-lived
and changes every three months, nearly as fast as we
change our clothes. Furnishing a home is something
you do for the long term, maybe even for life, so it ought
to have a longer lifespan. So should architecture, for
that matter.

When is it okay for fashion to influence furniture design?

Fashion is a source of inspiration for the whole
visual, constantly changing world. Fashion has the
possibility of reinventing itself every season. Fashion is
short-lived, it’s trendy, and it has very little to do with
beauty. Architecture and art, but also interior design, are
a longer-term thing, they’re given a lot more thought
than fashion. Fashion is a bit like an experimental
kitchen, where you can try things out and then discard
them again; either they go by the board or they end up
on the catwalk.

Is there any Interior Trend that’s particularly
influential for the furniture sector?

For me, the crucial thing was the insight that
anything is possible nowadays and all cultures can be
incorporated.
58 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Interview with
Trendboard member
Defne Koz
Whether it’s a vase, glass collection, ceramic tile,
luminaire, car tyre, sofa or wash basin – her creations
are quite simply beautiful – and sensuous. And she
has the looks to match. In the course of the interview,
however, multi-award winning product and interior
designer Defne Koz turns out to be not just charming
and sensitive but tough and uncompromising as well
– especially when it comes to quality issues in design.
She thinks today’s design scene is lacking in diligent
research, serious design, passion and courageous
visions for the future. Following her participation in
this year’s Trendboard Workshop for the imm cologne,
she joined us in a café on the banks of the Rhine for
an extensive interview about trends and the future of
interior design, the power of design traditions and the
hierarchy of visions.
The design philosophy of the Turkish-born product
designer who currently lives in the USA was shaped by
none other than Ettore Sottsass – it was in his studio
that she completed her training. With branch studios in
Milan, Istanbul and her new home town of Chicago, she
is making her quiet but enduring mark on a wide range
of sectors, from jewellery design all the way to architectural projects. She designs furniture for Mobileffe,
Liv’it and MPD, luminaires for Foscarini and Leucos,
decorative objects, household goods and accessories for
Alessi, Egizia, Aski, Cappellini, Guzzini, WMF or Authentics, impressive tile collections for VitrA and bathroom
items for Rapsel-Nito and Merato. She has also come
up with some offbeat concepts for a tyre decor for Pirelli
and ritual porcelain items. She has just designed an innovative architectural glass for OmniDecor and created
some new cups complete with packaging design for
Nestlé. Her work is a deliberate expression of her
dedication to the future and thus also of her aversion to
aesthetics that relish in doom-mongering and melancholy. She dreams of objects made of light that can be
seen but not touched, of materials that surprise you with
their lightness, of spaces made tangible by sound and
of technology that is both designed to be sensuous and
controlled by the senses. Defne Koz wants her future
back? It’s spread out before her, ready for the taking.
www.defnekoz.com
Interview Defne Koz I 59
“I want my
future back.”
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0301_11)
60 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
“What we need
is revolutionary
evolution.”
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0301_03)
Interview Defne Koz I 61

You’ve just spent two days discussing design
developments and the furnishing culture of the coming
year. What do tomorrow’s trends look like?

We just have to improve the things we think are
important. At the end of the day it’s us, the creators, who
make the trends. I’m not following a trend. So in that
respect I ought to be willing to talk about trends.

So what’s important to you?

In my case I want my future back. We never live
the future that we’re expecting. We expected to be living
a completely different life in the new millennium, and
now ten years have passed already and we’re still doing
the same. So let’s recreate that future and let’s make it
realistic. I’m very optimistic that we can.

What does the future look like?

To me it’s pink (laughs). No. It should be the
future of the future and not the future of the past. Totally
new ground. We have to be more innovative without
losing sight of the human measure. Technology should
be invisible and accessed via the human senses. On
the other hand, objects that I use in my daily life really
ought to awaken feelings in me. Either because they
represent a totally new typology, because they introduce
a new form, or because they have a completely different
tactile feel. But working on the materials is even more
important than the form. More than anything else, I’m
interested in the porosity, the lightness, the luminosity,
the transparency and the depth of the materials.

What might that look like in practice?

Well, for OmniDekor Design, we’ve just given
a two-dimensionally structured architectural glass an
added value by using 3D effects, for instance. And if,
say, a fabric takes on a three-dimensional effect, it’s
a lot more interesting, it gives the object richness and
fullness. I encountered something similar in my work
for an Italian machinery producer. They wanted to try
out their highly developed technology for manufacturing
digitally printed ceramics by creating a series of visionary sample products. The possibilities are tremendous –
as the material samples of ceramic tiles with a wood
effect show.

Is that the future?

Three-dimensional printing is the new approach.
It’s very interesting. But for me, when it comes to the
materials, their immateriality is important as well. It’s
opposites that attract me. Ethereal objects like the work
of Olafur Eliasson fascinate me because, even though
they have a volume, you can’t touch them. That’s a new
aspect: when the space becomes the object, I can shape
it and elaborate it. And that shows that it’s not about
combating acceleration, as people so often say, but
about revolutionary evolution.

So what are you appealing for?

For us to work on the future. We have to be
revolutionary in the sense of developing completely new
things, and we have to evolve the traditional approaches
in design.

How can you get the consumer on your side?

The job of the designer is to study the person,
to study his environment and offer him the right product.
We should continue with that and try to avoid doing
“stylish” design. That kind of thing just makes me sad.
When design is seen as a style, that’s what makes me
sad.

The imm cologne’s Trendboard Workshop didn’t
define styles either – instead, it described different ways
of dealing with design. As well as the innovation-happy
design devotees, there’s a group you could call the funloving anarchists as well. The interior trend attributed
to them, “Transforming Perspectives”, sometimes plays
irreverently with design and mixes it with other media.
Isn’t that a very communicative way of reaching people
through design?

Yes, but ultimately all these four categories
lead to the same end, i.e. to quality. So if design is done
in the right way, it doesn’t matter which design world it
comes from, it will appeal to people because it improves
their quality of life. Wherever you go, whether it’s the
Salone del Mobile, 100% Design or the imm cologne,
there are lots of good design projects. And sometimes
the students’ work is even better than the real products.
But you’ll always find plenty of simplistic, gimmicky
exhibits as well. For me, that’s not design. There’s more
to it than simply giving concrete form to an idea that
happens to pop into your head. You have to do really
good research to arrive at the right product.

At the Trendboard Workshop for the imm
cologne, you and your fellow panellists had a very
heartfelt discussion about what developments you’d like
to see in design in future. What direction do you think
it should go in, and what is lacking in the design world
right now?

Well, I can definitely think of one very obvious
thing: the lack of depth. I think many designs lack the
willingness to research and ask the right questions, and
I find them a little lacking in passion too. Each piece
should be elaborated more to achieve the optimum result. There are plenty of nice designs out there, but most
of them don’t say anything to you.
62 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0301_04)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0301_06)

Is that a new tendency?

No, it’s a development that goes back at least
ten years or so. It seems to me that there used to be
more designers with a strong personality. Today there
are tendencies, a kind of fashion: Everybody is doing
the same sort of chair, table and so on. When it comes
to furniture, there’s hardly any difference between the
various companies at all any more.
But that should be the same everywhere. A company
like Cappellini can’t produce a sofa for the same price
as Ikea, but it gives us a reference point for what a good
sofa can look like. They set the benchmark for high
quality design. That’s why they shouldn’t stop at that
point, they should carry on with their research and go
deeper. And it’s not true that there’s no time for that any
more. New technologies have made researching forms,
materials and manufacturing techniques very much
faster, with the result that development doesn’t take any
longer but we have a lot more time to think about it. And
if you can reflect more, you can understand more.

Isn’t that a consequence of the demand for one
design for all?

I’m not against consumption, I just think that
all these products ought to have more depth. Instead of
making lots of products, we ought to be making products
with more sense. And it’s our responsibility to push
companies to develop something new and give the
products an added value.

But won’t ‘democratic’ design ultimately lead to
declining investments and a gradual levelling out?

Let me be perfectly clear: it’s good that everybody can afford design nowadays and that design is no
longer an elitist product. I’m really happy when I see
fantastic packaging or a well-designed shopping basket
at the supermarket, because that’s precisely what I love
about design: it gives quality to everyday objects.

But surely the dwindling willingness to invest in
research and development is actually a general development that’s not just limited to the design and furniture
industry. What does that say about us?

You’re right, it’s something that’s affecting a
lot of different industries. Our lives are increasingly
governed by immediate goals. That’s bad because
they won’t survive. I guess that’s part of our lifestyle
nowadays. In the past it was more important to acquire
a profound knowledge of things. In Italian you’d say
‘saggio’, which means something like wisdom, an attitude that older people have and that makes them more
respectful of the things they’ve learned so much about.
Interview Defne Koz I 63
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0301_01)
That was a genuine gain. For me as a designer, it’s precisely this respectful attitude that distinguishes companies who do thorough research instead of just producing
lots of good commercial stuff.

Where does your passion for design come from
– is it a question of education or culture?

I think the time I spent in Milan had a formative
influence. I had the good fortune to work with Ettore Sottsass and to live in an environment that was shaped by
the school of Italian design embodied by people like Castiglioni, Bellini and so on. That showed me how important
it is be respectful of design history and to have a good
knowledge of it so you can use it as a basis for building
something new. You have to have respect for what you do,
and you can’t have respect without passion. The same
applies to any other kind of work. But nor can you stop at
what’s already been achieved: you’ve got to add something new.

What attitude does design take to the call to preserve the old?

It’s the same as with the design tradition. Design
can definitely preserve cultural identity without repeating
itself. Many cultures – be they Turkish, Mexican or African
– are incredibly rich, and yet if we only ever move forward
without looking back some of them will eventually
disappear. If we don’t research it properly, if we don’t
bring it into the here and now with today’s technologies,
materials and needs, much of our cultural heritage will
disappear. A historian who wants to preserve history for
ever writes a book; a designer does something similar
when he treats arts or crafts with respect for the work,
passion and patience that went into making them and
brings them into the future by adapting them to our
contemporary values.

In the age of the Internet and flash mobs, do we
actually still have the patience for that kind of thing?

I’m positive in that respect because the way life
is speeding up in general will also help us work faster.
I’m a big fan of technology. I’m not interested in integrating the past as a citation. But nor should we throw it
away. Instead, we ought to keep developing it with new
aspects so that we don’t lose our identity.

How are people’s private living environments
changing?

The biggest change is in the hierarchy of
spaces, the importance that’s attached to them. In the
past only the living room was important and nobody
cared about the kitchen, bathroom or studio. But then
64 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
first the kitchen and then the bathroom experienced a
huge increase in importance. And that’s a clear indication that, wherever we go, we seek quality. I really like
the idea of all rooms being equally important, because
it means you can feel at home wherever you happen to
be.
So design is gradually entering all areas of life …


It’s more an offer of diversity rather than complete coverage. I’m sure everybody has met someone
who looks nice and seems stylish, and then when you
go to his home you realise it doesn’t seem to fit in with
the way he looks. That makes you think his appearance
is just a mask, a fake. Today homes can reflect far more
of their owner’s personality because there are so many
interior design options to choose from.
So private homes are a stark contrast to many

public spaces like schools, then: nobody seems to take
any interest in how they’re designed – not even designers.

Things always progress in stages. Of course
schools should be given priority, they should be right
at the top of the list, but unfortunately the fashion in
design right now is to build stadiums – before that it was
offices, and then banks. It’s a kind of showing-off. In our
system of values, prestige comes first. I think it will be
hospitals next and then schools – yet again, education
comes last, unfortunately.
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0301_11)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0301_09)
Is it because we find it hard to identify with

children or the sick?

It’s always related to having a vision. If a lot of
visionary people care about a certain theme it becomes
a kind of fashion and then designers can put more into
it as well. And it’s a question of money too, of course.
And although there are more and more private hospitals
and schools, unfortunately they only ever invest in
equipment because they haven’t got enough vision to
realise how much children are influenced by their environment and the objects that surround them.
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0301_02)
Text and interview: Claudia Wanninger
Photos: Lutz Sternstein
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0301_07)
Interview Defne Koz I 65
“It should be the
future of the future.”
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0301_08)
66 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0701_06)
Pure Village I 67
Pure Village
imm cologne launches successful offensive
with Pure Village
• Pure Village to be continued in 2011: at the imm cologne and on the Web
• Star designers will again be creating 4 rooms with scenographies
of the Interior Trends 2011
• Exhibitors and public welcome presentation concept and category mix as an
attractive addition to the Cologne trade fair landscape
To go by the name, it should have been a quiet, idyllic
little place amidst the hustle and bustle of the fair – but
it wasn’t. There was simply too much going on. Instead,
Pure Village was more like a dimly lit piazza in the
evening, when travellers from all over the world throng
the streets to enjoy a little inspiring window shopping or
linger over an espresso on the steps in the middle of the
square. And yet it wasn’t so much the visitors that were
unfamiliar as the surroundings, which countered the
conventional fair architecture of light-flooded, hermetically
sealed stands strung along perfectly straight aisles with
their own very individual, intimate brand of aesthetics and
an open structure.
For many visitors, the presentation format and wide
range of different categories was totally unaccustomed:
Pure Village was intended to be disconcerting and
change the way we see things. And the concept did just
that. The effect that koelnmesse and exhibition designer
Dick Spierenburg had hoped for turned out to be a positive surprise for exhibitors and the public alike. By focusing on just a few highlights in an exclusive setting, the
show managed to present a concentration of sometimes
fascinating interior design ideas with a density reminiscent
of an art gallery. In addition, the absence of the usual
pigeonholes shone the spotlight on the creative quality
of the exhibits as the decisive connecting link. And the
way products were staged in the context of vastly different
interior design solutions gave people plenty to talk about
beyond the scope of the usual trade fair routine, allowing
exhibitors to make totally new contacts with interesting
target groups.
A new quality of presentation and communication
The new concept points the way to a future in which the
character of the trade fair will evolve from a pure sales
event to a customer-oriented, emotionally staged production and discourse-based design platform. A development that is welcomed by leading brand-name manufacturers. Andreas Dornbracht, for instance, executive
director and joint proprietor of Aloys F. Dornbracht GmbH
& Co. KG Armaturenfabrik, gave the imm cologne’s new
format an extremely positive review: “With Pure Village,
which we took part in along with KAP Forum, the imm
cologne has managed to create a new and particularly
communicative form of trade fair presentation with a
good atmosphere. A successful mix that should definitely become a permanent feature of the fair.”
It seems as if the mood in Pure Village provided the
right blend of stimulation and relaxation: a varied exhibition architecture, manageable dimensions, a café, a
forum on the “outskirts” of the village for lectures and
debates, exciting scenographies and installations on the
latest interior trends and, above all, lots of unconventionally arranged displays of furniture, lighting, home
textiles, bathrooms, fireplaces, carpets and home
accessories. In fact, there was just one thing all the
presentations had in common – the desire to show how
an attractive and contemporary atmosphere can be
created with top-quality design products and original
interior concepts.
Staging of the Interior Trends
There was plenty of life in Pure Village too, thanks to
various events on the central “Square” and the crowdpulling installations by Cecilie Manz from Copenhagen
and Johanna Grawunder from Los Angeles. In four
stunning masterpieces, the Danish and American
designers conjured up fascinating interior scenes and
product scenographies – exemplary interpretations of
the four latest Interior Trends distilled out of the abundance of new design developments by the imm cologne
Trendboard, the interior design fair’s expert panel of designers, architects, colour experts and material specialists. The trend installations blended in just as harmoniously with the Pure Village architecture as “The Stage”,
where both informed insiders and the walk-in public
could experience some extremely interesting lectures
on furnishing culture. The convincing demonstrations
of know-how by brand-name manufacturers like Erco
didn’t only impress architects, and designers like Paul
68 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0701_01)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0701_03)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0701_04)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0701_05)
Pure Village I 69
Flowers (Senior Vice President Design at Grohe AG) and
Max Lamb captivated the audience with their presentations on the emotional design of a brand or the overlaps
between art and design.
Accommodation in Pure Village will be scarce in 2011
It seems as if Pure Village got off to a successful start.
“The optimism the imm cologne exuded this year made
for a positive mood among the visitors at our muchfrequented stand in Pure Village,” says Jörg Loew,
executive board member of burgbad AG. “Our debut in
the new exhibition concept exceeded our expectations
and strengthened our decision to come back in 2011,”
revealed Loew immediately after the imm cologne. He
was particularly impressed by the diverse and exclusive “neighbourhood” that was created in Pure Village,
which included first-time exhibitors from the sanitaryware sector. In view of the fact that the bathroom is
developing a cosy interior design of its own, the imm
cologne considers it a meaningful addition to sophisticated furnishing concepts.
The neighbourhood consisted of 88 exhibitors from
all areas of interior design. Besides media partners
H.O.M.E. and the StadtRevue Verlag Köln with its publication "Raum 5 - Der Design Guide für Köln", German
interior design magazine Schöner Wohnen also took up
residence in Pure Village – with its special exhibition
“New Classics”. Anybody in search of advice could seek
practical help from the interior designers of RoomDoctor,
who were able to assure the organisers that their new
exhibition format went down well with the general
public as well. For it was only on the Public Days that
Pure Village got really crowded and even the kindergarten became a hub of hectic activity. Afterwards, of
course, when the imm drew to a close, the residents of
Pure Village packed their bags just like everybody else.
Until next year, when the carpenters once again set to
work to build a new community. Although next time, the
neighbours in Pure Village will no doubt have to move a
little closer together.
Platform without pigeonholes
The success of Pure Village has shown that the increasing overlap between the various product segments
and the growing importance of co-ordinated interior
design concepts is creating the need for a special
forum. At the international interior design fair imm
cologne, this need is met by Pure Village. And so that
the discussions can continue between the fairs held at
the start of every year, the webpage www.purevillage.
net is intended to provide a bilingual web platform for
information about interior design.
purevillage.net provides a multitude of varied content on
design issues relating to furniture, home furnishings,
architecture and interior design. Pigeonholing is passé:
Anything that influences the quality of interior lifestyle
and design can be presented. A design dictionary helps
users expand their basic knowledge; regular news
about exhibitors, new products and trends as well as
reports on aspects such as colours, materials and
sustainability ensure the Pure Village community is
always up to date. Company profiles provide interesting insights and give a face to the furniture. But above
all, designers, interior designers and architects get the
chance to have their say in interesting short interviews.
And the makers of Pure Village will be speaking their
minds in a blog about developments in the interior design world. Koelnmesse’s aim in establishing this platform is to give the debates that started in Pure Village
a forum where they can continue. Which is why feedback and suggestions from the web community are
always welcome!
Further information:
www.purevillage.net
70 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0801_06)
The fair: imm cologne 2011 I 71
The fair: imm cologne 2011
imm cologne set to be the furniture event of 2011
• Cologne confirms its function as a venue for leading trade fairs
• New impetus from embedded LivingKitchen show
• Overview of what the world market has to offer in both the premium design
and mid-end segments
• Other highlights for home furnishers include pure textile with a strong lineup of top brands from the textile industry and pure village as a crossover
platform for interior design
After a dynamic start to the 2010 furniture season,
the imm cologne is heading for next January with a
strong wind at its back. Whether at home in Germany
or abroad, Cologne is a talking point in the international furnishing sector right now. More than 1000
exhibitors from more than 50 countries, including
major players worldwide, will be presenting their new
products and highlights in Cologne. There’s no doubt
about it: for suppliers and decision-makers from all
the major markets, its unique overview of what the
world market has to offer makes the imm cologne the
leading trading centre for the global furniture sector.
This year will see the LivingKitchen show embedded
in the imm cologne’s worldwide coverage for the first
time. Staged as an independent and emotional kitchen
fair, the exhibition is set to become a glamorous and
entertaining lifestyle event that celebrates the theme
of kitchens and cooking.
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0801_01)
In the modern design section – i.e. Hall 11 and Hall 3 –
visitors to the 2011 show will find design developments
from all over the world. More than 300 companies will
be exhibiting here, including such market leaders as
COR, interlübke, Ligne Roset, Walter Knoll, de Sede,
Kettnaker, Fraubrunnen, Team 7, Minotti, Flexform,
Cassina and Team by Wellis. The pure textile show will
be opening up new perspectives in Hall 11.1. The imm
cologne has signed up top textile brands like Christian
Fischbacher, Création Baumann, JAB Anstoetz,
Kinnasand, Nya Nordiska, Sahco, Chivasso, Wellmann
and Zimmer + Rohde, thereby considerably enhancing
its textile expertise. In Hall 3, Pure Village will again be
providing the exclusive setting for unconventional brand
and product scenographies. Premium providers from
all the segments relevant to interior design – including
furniture, lighting, home textiles, bathrooms, fireplaces,
carpets and home accessories – will be presenting
a fascinating mix of product ranges with one thing in
common: their top-quality design.
72 I The imm cologne's content service for design and interior lifestyle: 13_Trend Book 2011
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0801_03)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0801_01)
Photo: Koelnmesse; Lutz Sternstein (IMM11_TBK0801_04)
Photo: Gerald Böse (l.) and Klaus Velten; Koelnmesse (IMM11_TBK0801_08)
The fair: imm cologne 2011 I 73
In contrast to the design section stand the mid-end
segments with their strong brands which are situated
in the north of the trade fair grounds. With almost 100
companies registered to take part, the Smart segment
in Halls 7 and 8 is almost completely booked out.
Famous brands like Loddenkemper, S.C.I.A.E. and
Gautier are returning to the imm cologne to show their
innovative furnishing concepts under the Young Lifestyles label in the Smart segment. The Sleep segment
in Hall 9 has grown continuously in recent years. And
in the Comfort segment in Halls 6 and 10.2, the imm
cologne will be showing the entire spectrum of up-holstered furniture, enhanced by “returnees” such as Oelsa, Gepade, Dietsch Polstermöbel, Nolte Polstermöbel
or ADA. Particularly in the mid-end section of the fair,
visitors will be seeing new marketing concepts that will
also be used to send the right signals at the POS.
LivingKitchen in Halls 4 and 5.2 gives the kitchen
industry a concentrated platform for demonstrating its
capabilities and creating strong incentives for increasing sales. As well as kitchen furniture, the more than
100 international manufacturers will also be showing
appliances, sinks, tap fittings, sophisticated worktops,
lighting solutions and accessories.
Next January, Cologne will again serve as a trend
barometer for the international furniture industry at the
start of the new year. “Anybody who wants to reach national and international retailers, designers, architects,
interior designers and consumers simply cannot afford
to miss the Cologne trade fair,” says Gerald Böse, CEO
of Koelnmesse. The fact that the imm cologne and
LivingKitchen are to be held simultaneously will
strengthen Cologne as a trade fair location and emphasise the city’s function as a venue for leading exhibitions.
In addition, all the exhibitors stand to benefit from the
valuable synergy effects generated by the dual events.
All in all, the organisers are expecting some 8,000
interior designers, architects and designers, around
30,000 consumers and approx. 3,000 journalists: the
trade fairs are set to become a genuine media event.
Especially for consumers, the imm cologne’s enhanced
accessibility – 2011 will even see the introduction of a
third Public Day – opens the door to the complete world
of interior design: with the entire spectrum of furniture,
design objects, furnishing ideas, kitchen innovations,
cooking events, bathrooms, textiles, lighting and accessories that turn living at home into an experience.
Further information:
www.imm-cologne.com
www.purevillage.net
www.livingkitchen-cologne.com
imm cologne + LivingKitchen
18th to 23th January 2011
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Preview Day: 17th January 2011
Public Days: 21st to 23rd January 2011
Imprint/Credits I 74
Der Content-Service
der imm cologne zu Design
und Wohnkultur
The imm cologne‘s content
service for design and interior
lifestyle
Imprint/Credits
imm cologne 2011
18. - 23.01.2011
Idea:
Markus Majerus
www.imm-cologne.com
Concept:
FAR_consulting
Acency for Content Generation and Implementation
Frank A. Reinhardt
Dillenburger Str. 83
51105 Cologne, Germany
Tel.: + 49-2 21-620 18 02
Fax: + 49-2 21-962 45 39
content@far-consulting.de
www.far-consulting.de
Your contact for enquiries:
Markus Majerus
Tel.: + 49 221 821-2627
Fax: + 49 221 821-3417
E-Mail m.majerus@koelnmesse.de
Koelnmesse GmbH
Messeplatz 1
50679 Cologne
Postfach 21 07 60
50532 Cologne
Germany
Tel.: +49 221 821-0
Fax: +49 221 821-2574
info@koelnmesse.de
www.koelnmesse.de
Management:
Gerald Böse (Chief Executive Officer)
Herbert Marner
Oliver P. Kuhrt
Dr. Gerd Weber
Chairman of the Supervisory Board:
Jürgen Roters, Lord Mayor of the City of Cologne
Place of business and (legal) domicile:
Cologne - Amtsgericht Köln, HRB 952
Editorial team:
Frank A. Reinhardt
Editorial assistant:
Lars Mörs
Translation:
Alison Du Bovis, Jork
Layout:
Karsten Jipp, Berlin
Signed articles represent the opinion of the author,
not necessarily that of the editorial team. All contributions are protected by copyright and are for press
use only. Journalists can use all articles and photos
free of charge on condition that they provide two
specimen copies of the corresponding publication.
It is not obligatory to name the authors. Image copyrights are held by the originators and by Koelnmesse as tagged. We thank the photographers and
manufacturers for kindly providing the pictures and
request that they be credited accordingly. The place
of performance and jurisdiction is Cologne.