10 FURNITURE DESIGN TRENDS AS SEEN AT THE IMM COLOGNE 2020 FAIR

2020.02.25

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Let's see together today some interesting news from the imm cologne 2020, this time focusing on future furniture design trends.

During my days in Cologne, in fact, I was invited to join two design tours in the fair, focusing on German design furniture and on international brands, together with the VDM – the German Furniture Design Association – and many other international bloggers. I also had the chance to see the photo exhibition of the winners from the Zuhausesein/ Being at Home contest ( remember that I was part of the jury, as mentioned here?)  and to join a fun dinner at the factory of Bordbar Design with all my colleagues. Really full days and lots of things to share with you now!

 

From our tours, I selected some news and brands to recap in short some really interesting trends in the furniture design I am pretty sure we are seeing a lot in the next future. Let me know if you agree with my point of view

 

 

10 Future furniture design trends

1/ Floating office desk

For sure, we are moving more and more towards flexible spaces. Homes become places where we work too, at the same time offices became multifunctional spaces where we do not only work.

 

Floating Office presented a really interesting solution to make office desk totally flexible: in fact, thanks to a strong rope system, the desk can be raised up to the ceiling, so you can leave all the floor surface free when you are not working.

 

 Floating Office

 

 

2/ Flexible sofa for different behaviour

Flexibility is also a key concept of the future furniture design trends for the home environment.

 

ROLF BENZ this year collaborated for the first time with Italian designer Luca Nichetto to create the new LIV Living Concept, a collection of modular sofa elements, shelving and coffee tables for a flexible home. The designer explained to us the idea behind the collection and how the sofa can be adapted to our different living habits.

 

 Rolf Benz

 

 

3/ Mirrored surfaces

This is a trend that I am seeing since last year and that this time at the Cologne fair was really strong.

Brands are exploring new surfaces and effects that can add a more luxurious and rich feel to the space. Starting from mirrored surfaces, both on furniture and on the floors and walls, to the whole interior, as did for example by FreiFrau in this impressing mirrored room.

 

 Frei Frau

 

4/ Interlocking furniture

More than flexible, the furniture of the future needs to be also movable and reassembled easily whenever needed.

The Tojo furniture needs no screws and no glue, nothing except then the pieces themselves, as it is totally interlocking. So you can mount it easily wherever you need.

 

Tojo

 

 

5/ Playful design

We already talked about the Playful Design as one of the key macro trends for future years and at imm cologne 2020 we found our prediction confirmed many times.

 

One good example of this research for a more joyful and playful furniture design can be found at Schönbuch. Their new collections, in fact, includes a playful wall-mounted system called SIMETRIA, designed by Studio Besau Marguerre, which is made of simple geometrical shapes that can be matched in many creative ways.

 

Schönbuch

 

 

6/ Modular and customizable systems

Since we are more and more looking for flexible solutions, modular furniture design keeps going on as one of the key future trends of the furniture industry.

 

Raumplus, for example, presented the new Creo system, an aluminum frame shelving system with black profiles and glass or wooden shelves and drawers that can be easily used anywhere in the home.

 

Home is also that place which should tell our very personal story. Furniture design is becoming more and more customizable, to meet the needs of different needs, tastes, personalities. With their enless combinations, the storage systems by Interlübke – such as the Tado system – provide a cozy design that can be adapted with endless possible combinations.

 

Raumplus

 

 

8/ Craftmanship value

In a world which is becoming more and more digital, we are rediscovering the value of things made by hand.

The new chests of drawers by Kettnaker combines the craftmanship value of German design together with the latest technologies, to create new 3d and metallic effects on the surfaces.

 

Kettnake

 

 

8/ Interaction

In a digital and fast world, designers are exploring also new ways in which design can help promoting real connections between people.

 

A good example is the Hemicycle sofa range, designed by Phillipe Nigro for Ligne Roset, which in fact includes also a conversation seat to encourage interaction between people.

 

Ligne Roset

 

 

9/ Rotating furniture

The idea of a furniture design which can help connections between people is also one of the inspirations behind the new collection designed by Luca Nichetto for WittMann.

 

The Paradise Bird in fact is a collection composed of a lounge chair, a high back chair, a two-seater sofa and a stool defined by an eclectic design and by comfortable shapes. The collection is also characterized by a swivel chair, which can be easily rotated to help connections with others.

 

WittMann

 

10/ Tactile

In the digital age, our desire for more tactile surroundings is increasing and the latest furniture designs are exploring new possibilities to convey new tactile feelings through new or traditional materials.

 

The Touch coffee table, designed by Studioilse for Zanat, has a special hand-carved surface that engage our instinctive impulse to touch and feel something.

 

 

source：italianbark