A day before one of the best shows opens – exhibitors at this year’s Interzum were asked what the trends on display would be – here’s the answers!
The following three main trends emerged from the survey of exhibitors in the “Materials & Nature” segment: naturalness, coupled with real woods or a solid-wood look, personality and authenticity as well as the trend towards an extremely high-gloss finish or an ultra-matt look. Future-focused factors like sustainability, plain colours and earthy tones were also mentioned.
These trends will also have an impact on the “Materials & Nature” event area in Hall 6 because of the three central ideas behind the Piazza’s slogan, “Passion on Demand”: the increasing demand for sustainable products in furniture design and interior construction, features which convey emotion and, not least, the trend towards the more individual as a powerful driver for the development of new products and concepts which cater to the respective customer and design requirements.
A closer look at the 3 top trends:
Trend 1: Naturalness, coupled with real woods or a solid-wood finish
Working exclusively with solid wood, Franz Kolar GmbH predicts that this material will continue to set trends in furniture design. Marketing Director Dagmar Poindl says that wood, as a raw material, is being used more and more today. Mehling & Wiesmann similarly place great emphasis on real wood. Companies like Imawell and Egger are also subscribers to the persuasive power of the natural. Łukasz Mrozik, Sales and Marketing Manager at Bracia in Poland, says: “This trend has been around for quite some time now and it continues to endure. Some of our clients are now choosing our natural products rather than foil.” Rustic-style surfaces as well as fine-wood veneers with a solid-wood appearance set the tone at Europlac. Imawell, Impress, Schattdecor and Decolan all combine appearance and haptics in the decor area, a trend which is addressed by the showcasing of new surface texture collections at interzum.
Trend 2: Personality and Authenticity
The topic of authenticity above all else leads the 2015/16 trends at Schattdecor: “These days, consumers no longer define themselves by the ‘traditional’ characteristics like age, gender, background or income but rather by mutual interests, ideologies and experiences had. And as part of that redefinition, a real desire for genuine, haptic experiences, non-material values and self-realisation is of central importance for today’s consumers. Their consumer patterns reflect the increasing urge for “genuineness” and self-expression and that has a significant impact – on us as individuals above all”, reads an extract from the company’s interzum statement. Personality and authenticity are also important values for Impress and Imawell. Imawell, for example, promote personal expression with a variety of material and colour combinations as well as with bold touches of colour. Italian textile printer producer Reggiani Macchine views digital printing technology as an important solution to flexibly and most effectively meeting individual client requirements.
Trend 3: From high-gloss to matt
The trend in surfaces in living and interior fittings is veering toward high-gloss, according to Senosan, among others. Acta Mobilier from France specialises in all manner of fronts as well as their finishes, and is making the case for the other extreme too – namely ultra-matt fronts. However, as the Koelnmesse exhibitors survey reveals, matt surfaces don’t just play a role in the “Materials & Nature” segment: several exhibitors from the “Function & Components” segment are also placing an emphasis on matt.
New products and concepts from exhibitors in the “Materials & Nature” segment
When asked about their new products and concepts, understandably not all exhibitors wanted to provide a “Sneak Preview”. Others would only reveal one of their many premiering products. However, here we can introduce some of the exciting products which will be assembled at the “Materials & Nature” segments.
Family-run sawmill and veneer producer Mehling & Wiesmann specialise in finishes for indigenous types of wood. They will present two premieres at interzum: the “Silver edition”, in response to the growing demand for sun-scorched, silver-grey, weathered wood, and the new brand TrüffelBUCHE – a truffle-treated beech wood which the wonders of nature have gifted with its own very unique veneer.
A range of new products from Europlac, based on historic old woods, will represent the trend for rustic-style naturalness. In addition, the premiering of “Wood Couture” – fashion from rustic-style wood – will certainly be a highlight.
Staying with woods, Franz Kolar will also introduce something new: solid wood furniture supply parts, as wood is increasingly on trend for highlighting accents. In addition, two acoustic products, the Dukta-Akustik-Holzplatte (wooden dukta acoustic panel) and the Stepwood-Akustik-3D-Platte (Stepwood 3D acoustic panel) will be introduced, combining nature, design and function.
Impress will introduce unique surface finish foils with the haptic feel of innovative lacquered surfaces. Schattdecor presents the innovative surface collection Smartfoil Evo, and Egger presents yet more premieres in the area of surfaces, including the newly developed Halifax Eiche tabak with its synchronous pore finish in an oak look. Wood-based materials manufacturer Pfleiderer will present new structures and decor elements.
Kurt Lautenschlager promises a premiere for the European market with his collection of Meganite surfaces. The solid surface material Meganite is already very popular in the USA and has now been launched in Europe. Senosan will present a range of new lacquered acrylic laminates in high-gloss and super matt as well as in a durable, abrasion-resistant glass version. Cantisa presents their new concept of a solid melamine board.
As TKBB (as part of the Australian International Design Tour) trolls the isles and avenues of the showgrounds we will bring you more from Interzum – stay tuned!
