Preview IMM Cologne 2011

This elegant armchair is by Tonon, its name is Poppi and it is designed by David Fox:

Colour Splash by Vorwerk - colorful carpet tiles.
source: Stylepark 



There will be a new event at IMM Cologne - LivingKitchen 
"The very name leaves no mistake that the show will present the kitchen in all its manyand varied facets: as the hub of domestic life it is a gourmet restaurant, cook’s studio, club, children’s room and home theater all at once. The range of goods and services on offer mirrors this diversity: alongside kitchen units, the more-than 150 international exhibitors will also be showing kitchen appliances, sinks, taps and fittings, refined worktops, lighting solutions and accessories. Additionally, you can find out about the diverse services on offer to do with all things kitchen: technical innovations, functionality and aesthetics go convincingly hand-in-hand in the modern kitchen. You can already see how high-tech equipment along with innovative materials and design solutions is filtering down from the world of professional cooking and into the domestic kitchen. Electrical appliances, whose first commandment is energy efficiency, stand out through their sleek, stainless-steel appearance. And it’s not only the pros who are delighted by innovations like extractor fans that slide into the splashback or worktop. Or mixer taps that can supply boiling water on demand, or can turn filtered mains water into sparkling mineral water – with the amount of fizziness controlled directly by the end-user. Material combinations of wood, metal, plastic, synthetics, glass and stone are in high demand. Door fronts feature high gloss finishes without visible handles. Cupboards, pull-outs and drawers with electric or mechanical self-closing and opening are as much at the forefront as the integration of LED lighting technology that is being implemented in various ways. And on the subject of light: lighting design in the kitchen is one of the biggest topics."  
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Trend Hunter's 2011 Trend Report sneak peek

To deeply understand consumer trends, identify opportunities and make decisions with more confidence, we need sufficient information. With  TrendHunter' s 2011 Trend Reports and Trend Hunter PRO, you can gain access to the world's most updated, largest collection of cutting-edge trend research. Instead of relying on a few spotters, they spark innovation based on the collective insight of 40,000 hunters, 92,000 crowdsourced articles and 358,000,000 views of data.
Here is Trend Hunter's 2011 Trend Report sneak peek from  Art & Design category:

Cottage Couture

Cabin life conveys a toned-down opulence while emphasizing nature

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Implications - As cities increase more and more in population, the ability to get away from it all truly becomes a luxury. Once considered a vacation for those who couldn’t afford a trip overseas, cottages now serve as the ultimate nirvana. With the end of the recession, consumers make an attempt at being credit-savvy by showing off their money in a toned-down, eco-friendly manner. [More]

Interior Design Trends 2011

Doubleface by Florian Hauswirth (Postfossil photography/Nici Jost)

Are you curious to know what do the new trends for the 2011 look like? Have some brief impression from what I have found:
According to Heimtextil Trend there will be four trend topics: 

Sobriety – a return to the essential and traditional

- short-lived, seasonal trends end and consistent value begins; the new consumer landscape is characterised by quality, longevity, sustainability and significance. Designers are researching forgotten skills and traditional craftsmanship is making a comeback;

- Serenity, Classic Modernity and Minimal Luxury trends are also part of this topic.

Mix Mash combines the high-tech with craftsmanship, new with old

UTILITY - For Utility Lux designers have taken their inspiration from standardizsed industry and commercial fitments to create a refined look.Function is first.

Industrial Facility’s
Dryerhair

Wilderness – back to where we came from
One of the best examples is TreeHotel - Treehouses in woodland setting!

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And now - Color of the Year for 2011: PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle
A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.I like it! And expect that it will be more popular than this year's turquoise.

















More trends and examples will follow soon - visit regularly.






I am curious - what are your thoughts?

Dream about exotic vacation during winter holidays?

You might be able to win it - in the "Trips of a Lifetime" sweepstakes sponsored by JustLux. I just found that they have teamed up with some of the most prestigious hotels in the world to offer luxury vacation giveaways every month! Featured destinations are Paris, Greece, Vienna and others. There will be a Grand Prize destination that will be awarded on or near 1/15/2011 to a winner who will get a trip to Halekulani Resort in Hawai. Head to JustLux to enter!

The luxury of custom made

"Sometimes the best part of working with a client is taking their idea weather it be just a seed or a detailed idea and turn it into something tangible" - says Jory Brigham, a Californian designer. And something very special, I would say - it is real luxury to have at your home furniture that has been designed and produced just for you and that is of great quality and design. A good example - this small dresser with drawers and a sliding door painted  in a beautiful orange color by Jory Brigham Designs
 

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Tattoo Breakfast Table - a glimpse to Design Miami

Enjoy some superb pieces of design that were exhibited at the Design Miami/ 2010 show and that I liked very much:

Pedro Barrail's Tattoo Breakfast Table

I like the elegant fusion of folk art and contemporary design in Pedro Barrail’s Tattoo Breakfast Table. It is part of a theme Barrail began in 2008 with his bar stools, which are also at the fair. All Barrail’s pieces are a result of a collaboration between contemporary design and folkloric traditions maintained by the indigenous tribes in the Amazon. Barrail crafts the pieces from wood, and then they are tattooed by the tribes people with patterns, imagery, and symbols typical of their culture. Beautiful!
And something very modern - 'In power 10' project, by Arik Levy for Molteni&C

'In power 10' project, by Arik Levy for Molteni&C

Graft Architect's Phantom Table 

Made of carbon fiber and reinforced with plastic, Graft Architect's Phantom Table appears to be table cloth sweeping across a large table.  
















Another elegant piece of furniture is Bae Sehwa "Steam" bench combining venerated Korean aesthetic traditions, iconography and ways of making with contemporary ideas and forms:

Graft Architect's Phantom Table