Trends of imm cologne – trade fair tour in pictures

How we live is important to us. An ever increasing number of people are considering how they can live and reside more sustainably, where they will live, with whom they will live, how their apartment should look so they can feel at home there and what the furnishings of their homes say about them. The imm cologne was once again the mirror image of current interiors trends and demonstrated the inventiveness of furniture makers. We walked through the trade fair and we describe the most important trends of imm cologne 2020 for you and presents interesting developments in images.

An ever increasing number of people are seriously attempting to change their consumer behaviour in order to initiate a trend turnaround toward a sustainable society. Consumer decisions with regard to mobility, mobile phone or nutrition, just as much as for furniture, are being increasingly evaluated under the aspect of climate neutrality. The story behind the product, the storytelling, is thus becoming more important all the time. This means that natural materials and solid wood are preferred in the home, not only for reasons of cosiness, but also with an eye to ecological considerations. Supporting decorative items, such as plants and untreated fabrics, as well as the colour green are becoming important furnishing elements for home design and are also conceived of as statements.

Furniture of high design quality also holds the promise of sustainability. Untreated furniture with rough edges stands not only for sustainable design, but also for individuality. Nonetheless, this design is also only a gesture, an eye-catcher for a particular clientele. Generally speaking, it is not apparent with sustainable furniture whether its origins are in certified wood and sustainable production. The theme of "sustainable living" is becoming a marketing tool not only in the hospitality business.

It is getting more colourful in our homes, and that even quite outspokenly: combinations of intense single colours bring life and warmth into interior design, even entirely without floral patterns. Especially popular combinations are a cool blue or a warm rose with neutral, warm shades of brown. However, green and yellow also remain current. Pastel and earthy colours are combined in intensive hues to form a base colour that sets itself apart in high contrast from the rest of the interior. In the process, colour is also always accompanied by interesting textures: new clothes for our furniture.

However, whether with green, pink, purple or brown, colour brings glamour into the home. Dark wood shades, reminiscent of Art Deco or Danish modernity, in combination with gold, brass or other metallic accents and sumptuous rugs, stand for pure luxury. While the overall interior design trend is toward dark colours, from dark greens and blues to black, the minimalist interiors style remains loyal to the lighter and more natural shades. Upholstered furniture all comes in single colours – patterns here are instead found more often on walls and floors.

Can we use an app to grow herbs? Can computers nurture plants to improve air quality? Does the climate have an impact on building services? Does a smart control system switch off the lights and the coffee machine when you leave the house? Smart applications are becoming ever more diverse, reliable and easy to use and can be tailored increasingly precisely to the specific needs of residents. As a result, smart technologies are increasingly playing a key role in architecture.

Whether computer-controlled optimisation of indoor air quality, the innovative control and operation of shower toilets or the anticipatory and energy-optimised regulating of room temperature, smart technology is being increasingly integrated into the way we live. Further more technology is becoming an integral, ideally inconspicuous element of furniture. The Smart Village at imm cologne is one of the few holistic simulations in which one can try out concrete applications. To be continued at the next imm cologne in January 2021.

Rising rents and smaller homes will continue to drive the demand for space-saving furniture. A trend for some time now has been small and compact sofas and armchairs with a design often oriented to classic typologies. Even more sought after in future will be affordable system furniture and compact individual items, which are scalable (adaptable to different room dimensions), variable (pull-out technology, etc.) and versatile.

Life on a second level is also becoming trendy; the high sleeper is making a comeback. In view of the wide range of applications for such furniture systems, from the mini-apartment to the loft, suppliers are, however, attaching great importance to modern aesthetics in an urban living style that goes far beyond any teenager’s bedroom atmosphere.

Together with clothing, living is today the number one means of expression. We are not only what we wear, but how we live. This makes every decorative element a statement. The basis for any eye-catcher is a space to make an impact. Tidy optics and decorative elements thus don't need to contradict one another. Lifestyle and the decorative are staged, on the wall elements, in the textiles, on the floor … or also behind (illuminated) glass. Each element and each item of furniture is simultaneously a decorative element. Preferred therefore are characteristic single products.