KÖLN 2011 - Tokujin Yoshioka

As always there is a lot to see out and about in Cologne. Our favourite exhibition of the entire week had to be the retrospective of Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka, who was named as A&W Magazine's Designer Of The Year. Beautifully produced in a blaring fluorescent gallery, the exhibition showcased his collection of 'Invisibles' (below) and a selection of monochrome chair designs from the last ten years.

Also exhibited was a showreel of his ambitious installation designs including his displays for Hermes, Swarovski and his work Snow show at the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo last year.

KÖLN 2011 - D3

D3 Contest was back again this year to bring the best from European design graduates to IMM KOLM. Stand out contributions came in the shape of Linn Kandel's graphic tables 'Pylône', mixing stark lines with smoked glass (below).

Nicola Zocca presented the ‘Shrink’ series of shelving designs which reject traditional nail and screw fixings for heat-shrinking plastics, which provide stability with a flash of colour.


More colour could be seen in the designs of Glimpt who displayed their South-African inspired lighting designs 'Forbidden Fruit'.

However first place went to Harry Thaler and his 'Pressed Chair'. Originally spotted at the Royal College of Art graduate show last year his designs continue to win over critics and design journalists alike. Made out of a single 2.5 mm aluminium sheet, the 'Pressed Chair' is light, stackable and 100% recyclable...clever!

KÖLN 2011 - Interior Trends at IMM Cologne

Positioned at the centre of IMM Cologne was Interior Trends 2011. The result of a two-day workshop between a board of designers, architects and editors the trend fair took the form of four presentations. We particularly liked ‘Emotional Austerity’, curated by Patricia Urquiola (below). Mixing the high-tech finishes with traditional craft techniques, Urquiola’s title is slightly misleading as the only austerity was the colour palette, thus allowing the natural textures of leather, wool and clay to come to the fore creating a sense of total luxury.

Standing in opposition was ‘Transforming Perspectives’ by Martin Leuthold, which propositioned that recent austerity has robbed us of magic and wonder. Exploding with colour and surface design, Leuthold mixed the palette of street graffiti with mystic and magically shapes and forms. We particularly like ABR's Bell-Table by Sebastian Herkner.

Bold uses of colour continued in the program of talks and discussions held alongside the trend presentations. We managed to catch textile-designer-of-the-moment Cristian Zuzunaga talk about his recent collaborations with Tate London and his new designs for Kvadrat. We love his new 'Curtain Collection' which uses embroiled cotton threads that appear to glow, creating an abstract cityscape.

KÖLN 2011 - Zeitraum at IMM Cologne

This years IMM Cologne saw Zeitraum present several stunning new products alongside some timely product updates.

New for 2011 is MORPH LOUNGE (below) by Formstelle - the long awaited easy chair to compliment the incredibly successful Morph family. The signature wooden frame carries a low-slung upholstered shell in fabric or leather (or a combination of both if preferred) with a small footprint, making it ideal for modern living. Whilst compact, the outward tilt of the arms means you never feel constrained and offers a surprisingly generous seat.

Formstelle have also created the MELLOW DAYBED (below), an extension of the Mellow bed launched in Milan last year. The elegant frame, soft upholstery and surprising leather strap detailing of Mellow are all in evidence with an optional armrest and headroll, producing a graceful chaise.

This has been quite a busy show for Formstelle and Zeitraum - both Morph Lounge and Mellow have been awarded the Interior Innovation Award 2011. A perfect way to celebrate their long-standing and successful relationship.

BONNY (below) is a beautiful series of mirrors, created by Formstelle with jewel-like facets carved into the frame, giving it a 3D quality. The vertical and horizontal profiles are different so to ensure you always get the best view, don't forget to tell us how you like your mirrors - landscape or portrait.

As well as these new product launches, IMM saw several updates to popular products. SIMPLE COMFORT is now available as SIMPLE BUTTON with the addition of classic button-tufting to the upholstered headboard.

2010 saw the launch of the TWIST family of tables, which have quickly become favourites and now you can have TWIST NIGHT, reduced in height to make a perfect bedside table. Twist Night is shown below with Simple Button.

The ingeniously simple DOZY is now available in a leather finish. The colour is up to you. Dozy is designed to work with all Zeitraum beds.

Finally, FINN has been given a new fully upholstered seat, and the NOON family of lights has a new warm-grey shade available for all versions.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.