In my last blog post I've rounded-up a good deal of my design discoveries at this year's imm Cologne furniture show. However, that was not it - I have also spent one day touring the imm Cologne 2015 with my German friends and fellow bloggers from Blogst. The organized tour encompassed four very interesting fair booths: together we visited the Swedish design brand String, the German furniture manufacturer Kettnaker, the design brand Thonet and the German Association of the Wallpaper Industry. Here we rock!
String - because we all need the Swedish classic in our home
String is one of my all-time favorite shelving systems. Timeless, beautiful, unpretentious and super stylish - no wonder I was absolutely fascinated to see the full range of shelving systems, two new colours for the String Pocket shelves and the (home) office furniture by String. I need not mention that I was also very tempted to steal a few props from the fantastic styling done by the one and only Lotta Agaton (ok, ok, I did not steal anything but I brought some great news for YOU - stay tuned).
Kettnaker - furniture made by hand
Even though the German furniture manufacturer Kettnaker is based in southern Germany, it was a new discovery for me at the fair. When I entered their huge stand I noticed the huge photographies showing hands and wondered what it's all about. The secret was revealed by the owner of Kettnaker: all furniture pieces are handmade and this devotion to manufacture is showcased with supersized hand photographies. I particularly liked their sideboards with magnetic fronts (see the red and black drawer below, those front were simply attached magnetically to the drawer). These allow you to change the entire look and feel of the furniture without buying a new piece. Smart!
Thonet - for the design savvy dweller
Thonet is a famous German design brand best known for its refined selection of design chairs. Think of the bentwood classic No. 209 or the new and super comfy lounge chair 808 by Formstelle. I couldn't help but take a little break into the great lounge chair - after all design fairs are pretty exhausting. Moreover, their entire booth was lit up with the new pendants that will enter their range soon.
German Association of the Wallpaper Industry - where wallpaper has a sound
Last but not least we visited the funky stand of the German Association of the Wallpaper Industry (Deutsches Tapeteninstitut). This year their concept was to combine the visual impact of wallpaper with the audible dimension of our perceptive system. The idea is that you see a design and it evokes a certain sound in your head. They transported this idea by installing huge sound barrels that were covered in new wallpaper designs and featured various sounds. A very fun experience indeed!
Which of these four would be your favorite?
Photography by Igor Josifovic
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