Best In Show: IMM Cologne 2018.

While half of Australia is still salty, sandy, tanning and picking budgy smugglers out of their bums, the first major show on the busy annual design circuit, IMM Cologne 2018, is already behind us.

Today we bring you our selection of the highlights recently on show at the German– fair, including best new furniture, lighting and accessories. And if you scroll to the bottom of the mega article (sorry not sorry!), we also shine a spotlight on our favourite part of the event – the Pure Talents Contest – an internationally renowned competition aimed at students, recent graduates and up-and-coming young designers. Enjoy!

Related:
Best In Show: IMM Cologne 2016.
Pure Talents Contest At IMM Cologne 2017.

Das Haus by Lucie Koldova // Keeping with the focus of IMM Cologne 2018 on the subject of light, the Brokis art director Lucie Koldova staged her vision of impressive lighting design and creative living concepts at “Das Haus – Interiors on Stage”. In addition to the use of Brokis lightings from the existing collection throughout the installation, Koldova also presented her new lighting concepts for Brokis for the first time.

Stella Works stand designed by Neri&Hu. Photographed by Taran Wilkhu.

Utility Sofa by Neri&Hu.

Bund Collection by Neri&Hu.

Neri&Hu for Stellar Works // The Bund furniture collection by Shanghai-based architects and designers and the creative directors of Stellar Works, Neri&Hu, is inspired by the Bund, a lasting symbol of Shanghai’s past, present and future. The collection combines elements from both the city’s industrial origins and its splendid colonial history. The soft curves and rich fabric finishes observed in Bund pieces pay homage to the Art Deco style, which is permanently ingrained in the DNA of Shanghai.

Stellar Works also showcased The Utility Sofa, which has been reimagined with a more refined silhouette, combining comfort with practicality and offering a sophisticated take on the enduringly popular industrial aesthetic.

Loafer Chair.

Loafer Chair and Amore Mirrors.

Extended Copenhagen Lighting Series.

Extended Copenhagen Lighting Series.

Space Copenhagen for &Tradition // Designed to suit the newly renovated interior of for the iconic SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, originally designed in 1960 by the father of Danish modernism, Arne Jacobsen, Space Copenhagen and &tradition present the new Loafer chair. The chair features a simple, classic silhouette with a semi-circular shaped backrest that echoes the circular elements of the lobby in the SAS Royal Hotel.

Also designed for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen is the new Amore mirror series that the hotel has commissioned for its rooms. Space Copenhagen’s creative process involved analysing the building, the views, the reflections and changes in light, which led them to their design.

Also presented was an extension of the Copenhagen lighting series, introducing a floor light, wall light, table light and desk light version.

Ferdinand Chair by OEO Studio.

TRIIIO Table series by Hans Boling.

F Chair by Rasmus Baekkel Fex.

A range of new & existing pieces by Brdr. Krüger // The fifth-generation Danish furniture company presented a series of pieces, including the Ferdinand Lounge Chair in an updated smoked oak and brown leather seat designed by OEO Studio; the TRIIIO Table series originally sketched in 1958 by Hans Bølling, now in production for the first time; and the F Chair – a contemporary shaker chair based on the virtues of traditional craft, which was presented is in a new oiled oak version.

Henning stackable chair.

Calvert Chess coffee table.

Ashida table, Langley stool & Salina stoneware.

New release by e15 // e15 introduced two new pieces at IMM Cologne 2018 – the solid wood table ASHIDA and stackable chair HENNING by Philipp Mainzer. The company also celebrated 120 years of Ferdinand Kramer with a special edition of coffee table CALVERT CHESS (which is also available in a racy red colour – hhhhhot!  Just sayin’).

Font dining chairs & Beam dining table.

Left: The Pair side tables. Right: Font dining chair.

Font bar sofa.

Font bar stools.

Font dining chairs.

Studio David Thulstrup for Møbel Copenhagen // The excellent folk from Studio David Thulstrup debuted their new collection for Danish brand Møbel Copenhagen. Pieces include the ‘Front Light’ bar stool & bar sofa, ‘Front Regular’ dining chair, ‘Front Bold’ dining chair, lounge chair & lounge sofa, ‘Beam’ dining table and ‘The Pair’ side tables. Don’t act like you’re not impressed.

Merwyn Chair by Sebastian Herkner for Wittmann // Merwyn is Sebastian Herkner’s first piece for Wittmann, forming part of a larger collection which will be unveiled during 2018. Based on a macaron shaped seat, Merwyn has a unique armrest element which can be easily attached to the standard chair.

Kiri Cabinets by Stefan Diez for MEETEE // Kiri is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional kimono cabinets that Stefan Diez discovered during his visit to Hiroshima in the summer of 2016. Traditionally, those cabinets are made from paulownia, a tropical wood used for its breathable properties to prevent smells and humidity on clothes. The low density of this wood doesn’t make it suitable for mechanical assembly, but its light weight gave the designer the chance to experiment with fabric hinges on large-scale furniture.

Thin Tables by Max Enrich for Petite Friture // Max Enrich’s THIN collection is a set of nesting tables with voluptuous proportions that are all about extreme contrasts. The tables combine the strength and resistance of steel with the delicacy of the tabletop, placed on oversized, tubular legs. Too cool for school!

Harbour Chair by Norm Architects for Menu // Conceived during the design process for MENU’s new creative destination, Menu Space, the Habour Chair is the result of fulfilling a variety of needs, including comfortable versatility. The dining chair is ideal for anything from restaurants, conferences, offices, or the comfort of one’s own home.

118 Chair by Sebastian Herkner for Thonet // The new 118 chair range refers to the 214 chair, the archetype of a Thonet chair, with the seat frame bent from a single piece and the wicker cane seat. Optionally, the 118 is offered with a moulded seat. The shape of the chair legs is another special feature: rounded on the back and characterised by slight edges on the front, they reference the horseshoe shape of the seat. The incline of the back panel is perfectly coordinated with the seat and ensures the highest seating comfort. 118 is available in natural beech and in lacquered or stained versions.

Tubular Steel Classics Ensemble by Thonet //With two big events coming up for Thonet in 2019, the company’s 200th anniversary and Bauhaus collection’s 100th anniversary, the German company focusses on the trailblazing tubular steel classics that are still very much considered design icons today.

The development of tubular steel furniture in the 1920s and 1930s was a milestone in the history of modern furniture. The clear, open and simple form of the pieces matched the new objective architecture of the time and embodied an entirely new interior design style. Transparency, restraint and functionality characterise all tubular steel designs from that era. The most important “invention” was the cantilever chair, one of the most important design innovations of the 20th century.

This timeless and groundbreaking collection of furniture classics was designed by celebrated Bauhaus architects Marcel Breuer, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Mart Stam. Praise be.

Strips Sofa by Cini Boeri.

Arflex celebrates 50 years of Strips Sofa // Designed in the late 60s by Cini Boeri, the modular sofa system revolutionized the furniture world, placing itself firmly into Arflex history as one of the company’s most famous products. Strips immediately gained recognition from notable design awards and museums around the world, remaining a design classic to this day.

Bow Coffee Table by Guilherme Torres for ClassiCon // Inspired by 1970s, Brazilian designer Guilherme Torres presented a series of side/ coffee tables in the metal-wrapped body hinting at the futuristic designs of the era. The glass or marble tabletop floats above the base with rounded edges. The three sizes allow the tables to be arranged individually or as a group, with overlapping tabletops resembling a dynamic sculpture. Soooooo hot!

Circo Collection & Nuna Ceramic tables by Sebastian Herkner for Ames // Circo is the second furniture collection for Ames Sala designed by Sebastian Herkner. Using the local coloured plastic pipes, Herkner developed chairs, side tables and flower pots with Colombian craftsmen. Ames also presented the new side table collection Nuna, made from black and terracotta ceramics.

Delight Tables by Sebastian Herkner for Pulpo // Inspired and named after Turkish delight (also called lokum), Delight tables by Sebastian Herkner are made from two mouthblown glass elements that look good enough to eat. Yum!

Stella Lights by Sebastian Herkner for Pulpo // Marrying the concept of fifty-fifty with horizontal or vertical lines, Stellar is Herkner’s first pendent lighting collection for German company Pulpo. Available in various colours and finishes, with spheres made from blown in glass in four sizes ranging from 180mm and 390mm diameter.

Grace trolley by Sebastian Herkner for Schönbuch // As you can see, Herkner’s been a busy boy. Inspired by 1950s architecture, this serving trolley presents a modern twist on a classic item, designed to be used as a mobile bar, side table, or storage in home offices. The frame is made of powder-coated metal in black, night blue or rosewood, and topped with a glass shelf back-painted in the colour to match.

Mimic Mirror by Normal Studio for Muuto // Mimic Mirror brings new perspectives to the traditional table mirror by way of a sculptural expression, making it both an object of decoration and everyday use.

Close Chair Collection by Gudmundur Ludvik and new Diabolo Table from Arco // With Close Lounge and the Close Chair without armrests, the Dutch furniture manufacturer presented two more products by the Icelandic designer Gudmundur Ludvik. Arco also introduced a new version of the compact Diabolo table, originally designed in 1990 by Arnold Merckx.

Mare Sofa by Artifort // Artifort unveiled new elements and sizes of its successful Mare sofa, originally designed in 2003 by René Holten. The collection expands to include 2, 2.2, 2.5 and 3-seater sizes.

Ono Bed by Sebastian Herkner for Schramm Werkstatten // Ono is the third bed Herkner’s studio designed for Schramm Werkstätten. “Reading, working or having breakfast in bed – we wanted to have everything as comfortable as possible. Comfortable padded pillows invite you to rest. As a busy designer and frequent traveller, such comfort zones are of great importance,” says Herner.

ELLA sofa.

OLLE dining table.

Studio Piet Boon // Inspired by the shape of the studio’s iconic KLINK sidetable, the new Piet Boon furniture pieces are infused with the same artisanal non-geometric contour. The renewed furniture collection displays the studio’s fascination with shape and the intuitive process of shaping design. OLLE table look like Ana Kraš’s Slon much? Hmmm…

Iron Light by Giovanna Azzarello for Riva 1920 // Italian company known for their artistic use of sublime timbers, Riva 1920, introduces Iron Light table by Giovanna Azzarello. The table combines a solid top in square or natural side, with a sculptural linear base formed from woven iron tubes.

Mainkai Floor Lamp by Sebastian Herkner for Avenue Road // Mainkai draws on the common forms found along a sea side breakwater. Mouth blown opaline shades mimic mooring buoys and fishing floats in constant motion with the ebbs and flows of the ever-changing tides; a motion simulated by a simple touch of the dimming switch on the stem of the fixture.

Typography Lighting Collection by Studio Truly Truly for Rukumba // Australian lighting brand Rakumba showcased their artisan designed lighting range, along with a new collaboration with Australian/Dutch design duo Studio Truly Truly. Dubbed “Typography”, the decorative lighting system made its world debut at the Cologne furniture fair’s Pure Platforms. We love it. Read more here.

New Colours of PH 5 by Louis Poulsen // Poul Henningsen developed the PH 5 in 1958 as a follow-up to his celebrated three-shade system, which launched in 1926, and put Louis Poulsen on the map as a leading manufacturer of innovative lighting. Henningsen’s goal was to make light softer and more flattering in an era when electric lighting was still new and marked by unwanted glare. Six decades after the lighting pioneer created his celebrated PH 5 pendant, the design remains Louis Poulsen’s bestseller. To celebrate the PH 5’s 60th anniversary, the company has released the lamp in the same vibrant colour range as the recently launched PH 5 Mini: Classic, a new Modern White, and six bold colour combinations – Orange, Rose, Red, Green, Blue and Grey.

Hanging Lamps by Muller Van Severen for Valerie Objects // Design duo slash couple Fien Muller and Hannes van Severen — aka Muller Van Severen — exhibited at IMM with the inimitable Valerie Objects from Antwerp.Their collection of lamps appear to be almost naive drawings materialized in the air, adding a playful line of colour to the interior. The design is utterly simple, consisting of nothing more than a bent and lackered steel tube and an archetypical glass lampshade on top. “Initially we dug up the lampshade at a flee market”, said Hannes Van Severen. “It has a fantastic form: perfectly neutral”. It is this sense of clarity that Muller Van Severen is renowned for. Just like their furniture, the hanging lamps create space rather than filling it up.

Rope Light by Verena Hennig for AKTTEM // This contemporary light draws an illuminated line through space, constrained only by imagination. Pushing the boundaries of conventional lighting design, the Rope allows for a multitude of configurations that allow for different graphical shapes to be drawn in the space. Warm light shines from 360° customized LED bars to create a comfortable and unique mood.

Midgard’s Modular TYP 500 and TYP 550 Lamps // The renaissance of a milestone in classic lamp design, first produced in the 1920s under the Midgard brand by Ronneberger & Fischer, the Machine Lamp was one of classic modernism’s first adjustable lamp designs. Marking the relaunch of the Midgard brand in January 2017, the work lamp designed by the brand’s founder Curt Fischer went into production once again. Available in different table, wall, ceiling and floor designs, the Machine Lamp is now offered in two ranges called Midgard TYP 500 (featuring the historical base) and TYP 550 (boasting a rotating base).

New Texturae Collection in collaboration with Vibieffe and Karpeta // “Visions that become the passport to infinite possible worlds, where the only rule is their own personal aesthetic experience.” This is the message of the new iconic Texturae collection, which made its German debut at IMM Cologne 2018, in collaboration with furniture by Vibieffe and rugs by Karpeta.

The young Italian, brand born from the entrepreneurial partnership of Daniele Morabito and Dario Pulitanò, combines cutting-edge design and craftsmanship. “Our wallpapers are designed to transform the spaces in dreams”, comment the two young entrepreneurs, who have enlisted Chiara Andreatti with artistic direction and selection of designers. A company (and art director) to watch.

Parquet by Front Design for Gan // Swedish design studio Front presented Parquet, a new collection of rugs and ottomans for GAN. The three colourful handcrafted kilims, Tetragon, Rhomb and Hexagon, were inspired by patterns of classic parquet flooring. The geometrical shapes and the colours create an illusion of depth in the pattern, while the irregular outlines make the rugs fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Mainland Collection by Sebastian Herkner for The Rug Company // Inspired by the connections, junctions, overlaps, transits and free spaces within a city Mainland collection features quadrilateral layers and orthogonal structures. Using a combination of hand-knotted Tibetan wool and silk, both designs feature intersecting, intriguing textures in a range of pile heights, giving the rug a graphic, three-dimensional effect.

PURE TALENTS CONTENTS. 

Photo by Muller, Cesbron/Koelnmesse.

Liga by Matthias Cesbron & Pierre Alexandre Muller // A collaboration between French designers Matthieu Muller and Pierre-Alexandre Cesbron, Liga is a series of metal storage furniture, comprising of a box, a bedside cabinet and a coffee table. The two-piece lid is fastened using a full-perimeter nylon strap that serves as a joint and can be folded open separately to grant access to the closed interior of the piece of furniture.

Photo by Perini, Sanchez de Lollano, Arribas de Miguel /Koelnmesse.

Cetoine by Alejandra Perini, Gonzalo Sanchez Lollano & Raul Arribas de Miguel // A collaboration between Alejandra Perini, Gonzalo Sanchez de Lollano and Raúl Arribas de Miguel, the metal stool Cétoine is inspired by the beauty and diversity of the insect from which it takes its name, the rose chafer. The beetle was considered sacred in many ancient cultures, and its exoskeleton is a shimmering multitude of colours that varies depending on the viewer’s perspective. The two stools respond to this interplay and are joined to each other in a sleek, fluid movement.

Photo by Morita/Koelnmesse.

TEMI by Hiroyuki Morita // Originally used as a harvesting tool for sorting grain, Temi presents such an ergonomic and mature form that the Japanese designer Hiroyuki Morita wanted to retain the shell as a seat perfectly adapted to match the human body. With its simple construction and reduced use of material – bamboo, leather, steel – the resulting stool Temi has an absolutely forward-looking appearance.

Photo by Regenbrecht/Koelnmesse.

Hyperreal by Pia Regenbrecht // What does living space mean in the era of the digital hyperspace of the World Wide Web? The product series Hyperreal thematises the disappearance of the borders between space and time by asking about the everyday habits through furniture with contrary functions. German designer, Pia Regenbrecht, wants to redirect the focus to life here and now. In this way, the wooden table “Productivity Disfunction” becomes a functionless object by turning the upper part over, the clock “Future Presence” is only readable from one angle or perceivable from the surrounding space, and the sheet steel standing mirror “Selffocus Surrounding” exceeds its usual function by providing a highly-polished, idealised reflection or steering the view to the surrounding environment.

Photo by Alge/Koelnmesse.

Alces Alces by Victor Alge // Swedish designer Victor Alge took the scientific name for moose, Alces alces, as the name for his chairs. He wanted to find a use for the masses of animal skins left behind after moose hunting in Sweden. He developed a new processing method: hard leather parchment is softened, sewn together and then filled with compressed air before leaving it to dry – creating a form as hard as plastic.

Photo by Guan/koelnmesse.

Symbiotic Objects by Xiang Guan // Inseparable, the table and chair in Symbiotic Objects are mere fragments, lovingly worked from metal, wood and leather, only becoming complete when a person inserts themselves between all the pieces. Chinese designer Xiang Guan highlights the relationship between human beings and utility objects, one he believes needs to be redefined in our consumer society and throw-away culture.

Photo by Schulz/Koelnmesse.

Honeycomb Carpets by Sophia Buhne // Upcycling as a form of art. It was the material that inspired Hamburg textile designer Sophia Schulz to create her Honeycomb Carpets. She takes thick rolls of wool – waste products from felt making – and uses them as the weft material in woven carpets. In this way, unique carpets with strong patterns are produced that remind one of a honeycomb or cell structures in one’s traditional loom.

Photo by Ronald Smits/Denys/Koelnmesse.

Foam Fences by Anton Hendrik Denys // Sometimes the suggestion of privacy is enough. The Foam Fences by Belgian designer Anton Hendrik Denys look like metal grating due to the rubber coat and the angular overlapping voluminous foam strips, but are indeed soft and lightweight. These floating, lightweight room dividers allow ample light and just enough of an unrestricted view so that a room can be defined without suffocating it.

Photo by Wansing, Jakobs/Koelnmesse.

60 by Jonas Wansing & Svenja-Katharina Jakobs // A simple hook workshop lamp, which began in the back of a garage, was the starting point for this extremely flexible lighting system by German designers Jonas Wansing and Svenja-Katharina Jakobs. The light its flexibility from the 60° cut and a sliding contact at the ends of the individual, extendible elements. These supply each other with electricity and form both the lamp and the frame at the same time.

[Images courtesy of Designers and Press Office.]