Nature themes, 1970s colors thrive in Cologne
By Brian Carroll -- Furniture Today, February 12, 2007
Cologne, Germany — To the line item expenses normally associated with exhibiting at the International Furniture Fair Cologne earlier this month, many of this year's exhibitors had to add a new one — landscape architecture.
Many, perhaps most, of the larger manufacturers here embraced nature both in their show space designs — which in several cases were stunning — and, more importantly, in their product introductions for 2007.
Warm earth tones; dark, natural woods; and a softening of the heavily architectural looks of shows past were hallmarks of this year's display of European furniture's softer, gentler side.
Sub-themes or trends within this larger, almost lock-step product direction included Asian-inspired minimalism and simplicity, producing looks that also embraced dark, dry woods and earth tones in fabrics and covers, and earth-friendly sensibilities. The surprise, and it doesn't neatly fit into any of the larger trends, was a return to the color palette, verve and, well, psychedelic abstractions of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The back-to-nature movement reflects a seemingly universal sentiment that consumers desire a safe haven from the hustle, hassle and threats of modern daily life.
Historically, the descriptives "cozy" and "casual" have been rare in the marketing materials circulated at this fair, and neither have they had much currency in IFF Cologne showrooms to describe the mostly contemporary furniture that dominates them. This year in the newly expanded Koeln-Messe exhibition complex, things were different.
"I think you're seeing a reaction to the clean looks and heavy use of metal in recent years," said Tamara Karcher, who handles marketing and press relations for German upholstery specialist Walter Knoll. "We've invested in more organic forms rather than right angles, and both of our new leathers are in earth tones."
A new walnut dining table from Walter Knoll features virtually no sheen in its arid, "just-cut" wood finish. Tapered legs and canted sides give the eating area an effect of almost lifting off of the floor.
A new corner seating solution from Walter Knoll is called "Lazy Island," hinting at the emphasis on comfort. But the piece can change configurations to accommodate more formal settings, like entertaining. This adaptability and flexibility also was common in Cologne's showrooms.
Style leader Rolf Benz showed another example with the new EGO sectional seating, which quickly and easily transitions from formal to casual or vice versa. This allows the average German living room of about 230 square feet to meet a variety of needs.
"Consumers want both — the formal and the casual — and they want it in one piece," said Juergen Hopf, marketing manager at the upholstery specialist, who reported a very strong fair for the company.
Rolf Benz going casual? Not quite, but the contemporary leader's introductions did combine the architectural precision for which it is known with concessions to comfort.
Upholstery specialist W. Schillig, too, emphasized comfort and function in its introductions, which included a new "seat & eat" dining program that is keyed by its bench seating.
"People want to be able to be themselves while at home," said David Stewart, national sales manager at the company. "This means the product needs to be soothing, but still with a sense of elegance and style."
Bench dining room seating clearly is a trend in Europe, or will become one this year. In addition to W. Schillig, companies prominently featuring benches include Rolf Benz, Walter Knoll, Hulsta and Himolla, among others. As the official show publication IMM Magazine put it, "The old-fashioned parlor is out. Family and friends sit around the dining table, and the products change accordingly."
Stewart said he had heard from American retail customers who expressed interest in the concept.
"I do feel it will catch on in the United States," he said.
Perhaps nowhere were ecological sensibilities more on display than in the Incanto space, where a new collection called Arborea boasts leather covers tanned without using environmentally troublesome heavy metals.
Supplied by the Italian Leather Group, which partnered with Incanto Group to develop the new five-leather, eight-color lineup, Arborea leverages technological advances already in wide use in the manufacture of automotive production, according to Leonardo Manzari, a sales director at Italian Leather Group.
"It is a return in some ways to vegetable tanning processes," he said. "We are re-proposing those same concepts but combining them with modern technology.... The market is asking for something not only new, but of naturality."
The four new eco-friendly groups were enveloped in the show space in an earthy brown, womb-like setting also decorated with mocha brown carpet, walnut veneers and tan, beige and brown cloth panels.
Incanto is working with Italian Leather Group because of the two companies' shared commitment to new technologies, said Incanto's founder and chief executive, Giovanni Sforza.
"We trust the potential of new technologies, so we are always looking for innovation," said Sforza, in between visits to his three show spaces, one for each of his divisions.
As if to reinforce the timing of Arborea, during the fair's run British retail giant Marks & Spencer announced it will be carbon-neutral by 2012, part of a $392 million "eco-plan" to make packaging and apparel biodegradable.
The re-emergence of 1970s oranges and greens, as well as the return of "Dating Game"-like flower power patterns, were perhaps most discernible in youth furniture, but those same hues could be seen in living room upholstery introductions in several major showrooms.
The retro colors are simply "fun," said Melanie Klarczynski, export director at German powerhouse Welle Mobel, which used the color palette in several youth bedroom introductions. "They have energy and bounce, the same reason they were popular 30 years ago."
In ready-to-assemble and MDF product, called flat-pack furniture in Europe, the show was notable for the return of pine. Thought to be dead and gone, pine is back, most of it in dark colors or merely painted white or black. The species gives manufacturers the price-conscious opportunity to market solid wood, distinguishing their goods from the sea of lower-priced product.
InCap's new adult bedroom and its new Lego line of youth furniture, for example, are made in solid pine and MDF.
