HEMEROTECA
11/01/2017
Trend Forum, at the international interiors show Imm Cologne, will once again offer an impressive programme of talks for professionals and end consumers in 2017.
Which interior styles are in right now? What will living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms look like tomorrow? How smart is the modern home? What effect do colour and light have on the body and mind? At the Imm Cologne trend forum The Stage, experts and creatives, manufacturers and planners, designers and those with an interest in design will gather once again for their annual update on interior and product design today.
Imm Cologne is an interiors show where visitors can see more than the latest furniture — it also presents new lighting concepts and on-trend lamps, intelligent mattresses and smart home technology, fully furnished, homely bathrooms or open-plan bathrooms, kitchen laboratories, high-end interior textiles and the latest creations from textiles houses, wallpapers and carpets, colour palettes and pallet furniture, home lifestyle experiments and experimental prototypes by young designers.
The trade fair sets out to present the whole world of homes and living. In line with this ambitious mission, it established a talks forum some years ago: The Stage in the Pure Editions segment in Hall 3.1. The forum aims not only to make current issues such as sustainability, digitalisation and innovative sales concepts subjects for discussion in industry debates, but also to inform end consumers about interior trends and essential knowledge in home decor.
At The Stage, experts will give talks on interior lifestyle and trends; designers will explain their concepts and discuss what roles design can play. In 2017, the lecture forum will once again provide an overview of current trend developments, this time from its new home in Hall 3.1. Alongside trend talks on colours, materials and lighting, the contributions will primarily focus on current directions in all fields of interior design. The programme is especially tailored for architects, interior design professionals, designers and journalists. But with The Stage, the Cologne international interiors show is doing more this year than providing a central rendezvous for its creative partners in the interior design industry and a place where they can find out about the latest developments: the forum also has an exciting programme lined up for the public days of the fair. At the weekend, interior designers and design professionals will give end consumers useful tips on interior decor.
Trends, trends, trends
Each day of the programme will open with a talk by Frank A. Reinhardt, who will give the audience the low-down on the highlights at the interiors show each morning. To present the trend outlooks, the forum has secured an impressive list of leading female speakers. Gudy Herder from Barcelona will tell audiences what she sees as the four interior design and lifestyle trends to watch, while Johanna Bouko from Exalis will present interior design must-haves. The trend expert Ursula Geismann from the Association of the German Furniture Industry will focus on the current mega trends in her talk, and Katrin de Louw will give an industry perspective on trends.
Designers in discussion
The trend forum will also feature talks from designers. Todd Bracher, the designer of Das Haus, will present his house and his vision for elementary living at The Stage. Also appearing are Peter Maly, Steffen Kehrle, Stefan Heiliger and Eero Koivisto, who will give exciting insights into their work and their views on current developments in design. In a discussion round, the former Pure Talents Contest participants Sebastian Herkner, Marco Dessí and Harry Thaler will give an insider’s take on the young design scene and describe their own paths under the heading From Competition to Business.
Colour, lighting and materials
The forum would not be the same without talks on the exceptionally popular topics of colour, lighting and materials, which will be given the space they deserve. Karl Johan Bertilsson from the NCS Colour Academy in Sweden will speak on current and future colour trends on the trade visitors’ days, while Christine Gottwald from Akzo Nobel will be one of the speakers on the public days. Dr. Hildegard Kalthegener will give a talk on colour combinations according to Le Corbusier, and Professor Axel Venn is lined up to speak on Colour for body, mind and soul. Sascha Peters from Haute Innovation will report on up-and-coming materials trends, and Hannes Bäuerle from raumPROBE will discuss materials and haptics. An insight into current materials trends in flooring will be provided by the interior architect Birgit Hansen. Chris van Uffelen will demonstrate just what can be made from pallets — a material available worldwide that can provide an inexpensive element in architecture and furniture. The relationship between light and shadows will be debated by Wibke Schaeffer and Moritz Zielke from Wiederverwandt in their contribution. And Heinrich Remagen will provide a critical perspective on the effects of artificial lighting on health and well-being on the public days.
Interior design tips from professionals
Interior design is another area that the weekend will look at in depth. Here visitors will be able to pick up useful tips and suggestions from experts and interior designers. Martina Brüßel from Aqua Cultura will give an overview of the different options for digitalising the bathroom and explain how the bathroom can become a health centre in our homes. Taking The architect in my smartphone as the title of his talk, Christo Mitov from Houzz will demonstrate how cooperation, exchanges of ideas and project planning can work online. Wibke Schaeffer will look at space and colour psychology, presenting interior decor personalities, colours for living spaces and the psychological traits they correspond to. Excitement for singles is promised at the end of each of the two public days when Andrea Heppe from Stilquelle will provide inspiration for furnishing homes for singles and give tips on how they can design their interiors for that special someone. The Book Lounge series will present current interior design publications, this time looking at furniture made from pallets and design hotels. The focus for Thursday is start-ups in the interiors sector.
* For further information: www.imm-cologne.com
