The Belgian design brand Extremis is introducing a new collection called “Marina” in spring 2012. Showstopper of the new collection is an extra-large picnic table by Bruno Fattorini & Partners. The longest version of the picnic set can seat up to 40 people.

Bruno Fattorini & Partners put the emphasis on material innovation. For the picnic table in its most basic shape, the designer decided to use pultrusion glass fiber profiles. The composite of glass fiber and polyester is a solid, durable and contemporary material that feels just like wood. However, it is considerably less sensitive to temperature changes and humidity. And the material allows to create tables in one piece that are seemingly endless.

“We of Extremis want to remain innovative and this collaboration with Bruno Fattorini & Partners fits that train of thought perfectly. It is not about which country you come from, which brand you represent or which name you carry: it all revolves around the final product. Many years ago in 1994 we started the production of contemporary outdoor furniture”, says head designer and founder of the brand Dirk Wynants. “Aside from innovation, we want to be known for maintaining a high level of functionality and creating togetherness. ‘Tools for Togetherness’ is our baseline. Bringing people together is the leading thread running through our work”, states Wynants. “That is why we often use rounded shapes so people can easily enjoy each other’s company, have a private dinner party and lounge on a lazy day. Of course, the need for elongated rather than rounded furniture exists, seeing as this provides more flexibility with regard to the number of people that can take place.”

In this particular design, we see the ‘Tools for Togetherness’ philosophy of Extremis: having a bunch of people over for a picnic on one table. The “endless” table is perfect for entertaining large groups of guests, friends and family. The piece of furniture is up to 12 m long, so that around 40 people can take place at once. “We could even double the length if we wanted to, but in that case the customer has to come and pick up his table himself”, Wynants jokes.

The Marina picnic set is also available without the attached seating benches to create a free-standing table. What makes it unique is the fact that you can put together your own personal picnic scenery. Do you just want attached benches to the table? Or would you rather have detached chairs around it? Furthermore, a combination of chairs and benches is also possible. This way, a picnic setting is created that is different on each patio.

The simple, elegant and timeless Marina products are presented first in pure white. Later on, the designs will also be released in colored versions in blue, red, yellow and green. The colored products are being tested at this very moment.

How can you eat healthily at work while taking as little time as possible? And how can you celebrate preparing and eating food in a hectic life in style? Ying Ying Ni, an up-and coming industrial designer from China, has investigated this question – and has developed a new concept for a mobile steam cooking unit as part of the Phoenix Design Academy. Her design approach is highly influenced by Chinese culture; however, it provides a solution for a global problem. That’s why her idea is also attractive to Western cultures.

Identity and the future
China looks back to an old, fascinating culture – and, like any culture, it grew out of cultivating food. Secure supply of food provided by agriculture set a new development going: tools for eating food were created, and rituals developed for preparing and eating food. Shared meals inspired the Chinese, who were freed from hunting for food, to compose poetry, music and paintings, which is reflected in elaborate illustrations. Only little is still left of this romantic, leisurely life, with which we associate China’s cultural past. The rhythm of today’s consumer society is determined by the working world. Thus, many companies are converting from chopsticks to spoons and forks, since people eat more quickly using them. Nevertheless, according to Wikipedia, China uses 1.7 million cubic metres of wood in the form of 45 billion disposable chopsticks for fast food meals, which roughly corresponds to 25 million fully grown trees. Motorised fleets of food delivery services are blocking city centres every day. Thus, a change of eating habits does not only bring about social loss, but also holds environmental dangers.

Ying Ying Ni found a solution in her own culture. The advantages of gentle cooking with steam have been known to the Chinese for thousands of years. This quick way of preparing food preserves a large part of vitamins and nutrients contained in food. The traditional, plain bamboo baskets, which can be filled with various ingredients and can simply be stacked onto each other to cook food, are also known in Europe. Ying Ying Ni improved this basic concept and made it sustainable with her design – ”a visionary approach and thus perfect for the Phoenix Design Academy. Our main aim is to anticipate needs and to present solutions at the Academy,” explains Tom Schönherr, co-founder of Phoenix Design. By using the steam unit, especially working people are able to enjoy a maximum of quality with minimum effort – by gently preparing fresh ingredients.

A system with special aesthetics
The elements of the classic steamer were combined in a new way to create a system with special aesthetics designed for easy transport and use. All in all, the system consists of at least three different elements: one or more cooking units, a steam unit and a heating unit with an induction hotplate. “The cooking unit can be filled with fresh ingredients at home or on the market and can be brought along,” explains Ying Ying Ni. It is set on the steam unit, in which water is heated and boils away. As an extra, noodles or rice can be boiled in the water at the same time. The water is heated by the heating unit and induction hotplate. In everyday use, the heating and steam unit remain at the office and the cooking unit is filled with fresh ingredients every day.

If several cooking units are stacked onto each other, a closed system is created. The steam spreads out evenly. Openings on each unit can be regulated with a slider to control the influx of steam inside the unit. Thus, meals with different cooking times can be prepared at the same time. To prepare your meal while working, the device only has to be turned on – it’s as easy as that. After the cooking time is over, you can enjoy aromatic rice, tender meat and crunchy vegetables, even on hectic working days.

The outside of the steam unit consists of bamboo – a material traditionally used to produce baskets and receptacles in China. The outside can also be used as a bowl after preparing the food. It remains pleasantly cool and can be handled very well because of its ergonomic form. The design of the
bowls and sides is also aesthetically appealing and very elegant with its net structure.
The whole unit can be carried in an elegant leather case: an appealing, personal accessory. “The individual design of natural materials turns the mobile steam cooking unit into an aesthetic companion. The system has the potential to revolutionize eating habits, whether in Shanghai, Boston or Berlin,” Tom Schönherr imagines how the future.

Textiles in restaurants, bars or hotels not only have to fulfil numerous functions, they have to exude a pleasantly cosy atmosphere and reflect the identity of the establishment as well. Besides offering a wide choice of curtain and furnishing fabrics in numerous colours and materials, Création Baumann’s range also features fabrics with special functions such as blackout or sound absorption properties.

The new products in the Hospitality Collection are specially geared towards the requirements of the contract sector and include flame-retardant, durable and above all easy-care textiles. Création Baumann’s new blackout fabric goes by the name of “Mystery”. A fine mélange structure on the front and a soft feel give the curtain fabric a natural, unobtrusive character. “Mystery” is available in 19 colours and is ideal for combining with the transparent “Sprint” fabric. “Henry”, on the other hand, is masculine and elegant with slightly irregular, linear stripes. This timeless upholstery fabric made from Trevira CS is extremely hardwearing and stain-resistant and can also be used as a heavy curtain fabric. “Henry” is available in a choice of ten neutral shades.

Because they are geared towards the hospitality industry, the textiles have to blend in with various types of surroundings and a wide variety of styles. For the new jacquards, the Création Baumann design team has therefore reinterpreted classic textile patterns and given them a young, modern flair. “Marva”, for instance, features a flowing wave design that is shown off to full advantage by a matt finish. “Gala” resembles an abstract floral web whereas “Selva” features fragments of a flowering meadow that looks as if it has been painted with broad brushstrokes. The three decorative fabrics can be used on both sides and are available in various colour combinations.

In honour of Ferdinand Kramer e15 presents a collection of re-editions of the renowned German architect and designer. Working closely with Kramer’s family and the archives, e15 debuts eight iconic designs from various creative periods, beginning from 1925 to 1959. Ferdinand Kramer, born in 1998 in Frankfurt, Germany, was one of the famous functionalist designers.

Designed in 1925, the iconic daybed FK01 Theban is a good example of simplicity and grandeur in design. The reduced form features Ferdinand Kramer’s enduring and subtle aesthetic. Inspired by Egypt and hence the name, the daybed is notable with a calm and inviting appeal. Theban is available in waxed solid European oak or walnut and features a hand woven surface finished with textile band or vegetable tanned leather, which is very soft and will patinate over time.

Kramer’s grip on simplicity is shown in the 1925 composed chair FK02 Karnak. The linear profile of the chair is boldly reduced to the essentials, featuring a gently curved backrest and hand woven seat. With its spare and refined aesthetic, Karnak is a signature piece and available in waxed solid European oak or European walnut.

The simple and elegant stool FK03 Aswan features a hand woven seat surface finished in a textile band or vegetable tanned leather. Inspired by Egypt and hence the name, Aswan is a clear example of Ferdinand Kramer’s alluring appeal in his designs of functional pieces. Available in waxed solid European oak or walnut, the versatile character of the linear stool allows for an application in diverse environments.

FK04 Calvert is from a series of coffee tables, designed in 1951 by Ferdinand Kramer during his time in America. Part of his “Knock-Down” furniture series, the square table is an enduring and modern piece. The easily invertible and collapsible coffee table consists of a tabletop and two crossing invertible sheets serving as a base for the table. Similar to a clothing pattern, the components of the table are cut out of a single plywood sheet. The intrinsically simple cut out base of Calvert is about to reveal a sculptural quality to the table. E15 offers the re-edition or in oak or walnut veneer, clear lacquered and a variety of coloured lacquer.

FK05 Charlotte is another coffee table of the “Knock-Down” series. Named after his friend, the artist Charlotte Poseneske, the round table bares sculptural qualities grounded in enduring and contemporary relevance. Like Calvert the table’s components of Charlotte are cut out of a single plywood sheet and easily invertible and collapsible. The measurements of the base are identical to those of the square Calvert. Its round table top, however makes Charlotte the larger of the two coffee tables. As well as the little brother, the re-edition of Charlotte is offered in oak or walnut veneer, clear lacquered or in different colours.

Designed in 1942 and also from the „Knock-Down“ series, the table FK06 Alden is a distinctive example of the proportions and the constructive finesse of Kramer’s designs. Part of a furniture series for inside and outside conceived during his time in America, FK06 Alden captivates with the balance between the 30 mm thick tabletop and the connecting V-shaped legs.

The iconic table FK07 Frankfurt is considered to be a significant example of Kramer’s progressive and enduring designs. Designed in 1959 as part of the “Knock-Down” series for the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt, the precise form with the signature corner detail is about to accentuate the unique character of the table. The triangle-connection is simultaneously a stabilising factor. With a powder-coated MDF tabletop or lacquered oak-veneer, the re-edition offers a variety of finishes as well as a range of colours for the powder-coated steel frame.

FK08 Uni is a simple and remarkably modern coat rack, designed around 1954 as part of a family of products for the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Frankfurt. The functional, reduced coat rack made of powder-coated steel is available with three or six hooks and in contemporary colours with invisible mounting.

All over the world, a growing number of consumers are using technical products in their bathrooms – from MP3 players over flatscreens all the way to computers and online services. Certainly the technology won’t stop at sanitary products. Rarely has the bathroom industry experienced a wave of innovation to match the current advance of electronic products into the domestic sector. The technologies recently introduced into private bathrooms herald an improvement in day-to-day life and stand for a new generation of products that focus firmly on their users’ needs.

Taking a bath has now become even more comfortable with the new Kaldewei Comfort Select. Harmonised to blend perfectly with the design baths in its Avantgarde and Ambiente range, Kaldewei for the first time offers an electronic fitting with digital, user-friendly operating panel to regulate water inlet and outflow, water temperature, and shower or bath function.

The Kaldewei Comfort Select system consists of three components, which can all be individually combined: an operating panel with electronic control unit, drain and overflow fitting, and a shower hose. The Kaldewei Comfort Select was designed by Phoenix Design. The operating panel of the Kaldewei Comfort Select with electronic control unit integrates virtually flush into the rim of the bath and allows precise setting of the desired temperature even before running the water.

A real innovation showed Kaldewei in the shower section: The new enamelled shower floor panel named Design-Studie 2012 is said to blend with the bathroom floor in a harmonious balance, uninterrupted by an outlet, which is discreetly integrated in the wall. The new system consisting of an enamelled shower floor panel and integrated wall outlet follows the trend towards a harmoniously designed, open bathroom architecture. The wall outlet is concealed almost invisibly behind an inconspicuous cover, its bottom part matching the colour of the enamelled shower floor panel, while the top section can be designed individually in harmony with the wall. Always centred, the wall outlet of rectangular shower floor panels is positioned on the long side. Its high runoff rate ensures quick drainage of the shower area. Hence, fitter and customer can fully rely on the expertise of Kaldewei as a premium manufacturer.

Based on a matching foot frame, the new enamelled shower floor panel is as quick and easy to install as the planning is effortless and straightforward due not only to the fact that all dimensions have a standard low panel thickness, but also that the enamelled shower floor panel can be combined with all current front-wall installations available from various different manufacturers.

As a complement to its enamelled shower floor panels in the colours of the Coordinated Colours Collection, Kaldewei now also offers its Asymmetric Duo, Centro Duo, Conoduo and Ellipso Duo baths in five exclusive matt colours: Lava Black, Oyster Grey, Seashell Cream, and Arctic White are reminiscent of pure nature, but also combine ideally with surfaces such as wood, marble or other natural stones. Elegant City Anthracite Matt rounds off the Kaldewei colour range for baths in harmonious style.

In view of demographic developments, the future task of modern bathroom design will be to make life easier for as many people as possible. The new, barrier-free bathroom pursues the idea of “Universal Design” and is also convenient, versatile and smart. In this field Hewi has built a reputation.

With their new washbasins Hewi wants to extend the design options. The minimalist style of the washbasins made of mineral composite fits perfectly into the existing design of the Hewi systems. Both models are wheelchair accessible and have integrated support rails. On the one hand, an oval washbasin with dimensions W 100 cm x D 55 cm will be available. This provides generously sized surfaces for bathroom utensils. On the other hand, a washbasin with dimensions W 45 cm x D 40 cm will be available. Due to its size, this washbasin is ideal for small bathrooms.

For use in the professional care sector Hewi has developed a new surface: Warm Touch products are said to combine the visual properties of high-gloss chrome surfaces with the haptic properties of polyamide. The material is pleasant to touch and feels warm. Warm Touch is therefore particularly suitable for patients with gout or persons with rheumatic complaints. The high-quality chrome-look coated polyamide is particularly environmentally friendly, as neither chrome III, nor nickel or copper is used and the products are recyclable.

Two new mirrors supplement the product portfolio. Due to its dimensions (100 cm x 57 cm), a rectangular mirror with soft edge design enables the mirror to be used at the washbasin by both seated and standing persons, without pre-adjustment. The mirror is made of float glass and is asymmetrically back-painted in signal white. A round mirror with diameter 60 cm will also be available. This is made of crystal glass with polished edges.

A brief interview with Eva Paster and Michael Geldmacher

What context do you picture your product in?
Kya blends in well with all kinds of interiors, whatever their stylistic direction. It fits in with the leather-dominated setting of a swish historic hotel bar, the understated clarity of an urban bar or a modern private interior. It’s the ideal choice for any place that’s not meant to radiate a cool, chilly atmosphere, where the vivacious materials and craftsmanship will be noticed and appreciated.

What makes the product special?
Besides the elaborate craftsmanship, Kya’s seating function differs from the classic ergonomics of a barstool. You can either sit on it the traditional way or as if it were a saddle. It invites the user to change position and play with the different possibilities.

And what’s special about Cologne the imm cologne?
Lots of things! Cologne is a lively, open-minded city. We’ve been coming to the trade fair for many years now and very much enjoy the Rhineland hospitality and Kölsch beer. We’re pleased that the imm’s significance as an international market place is enjoying greater awareness again, especially in Italy, and it’s no longer the case that all the new product launches are kept under wraps until Milan.

The idea to create furniture by his own is more than ten years old. Already during his study of fashion design Christian Dorn works as a product designer and designs inter alia for Mövenpick terrace chairs. His next stops are in the design team at the fashion lable s.Oliver and Aliseo, an international hotel supplier. In 2011 Dorn founded the design studio Stiltreu together with Marie-Luise Muckenhirn. At the imm cologne 2012 he presented his first own collection.

Mr. Dorn, how would you describe the Christian Dorn furniture collection in a few sentences?
Christian Dorn is straightforward, transparent, and honest. Uncompromising in quality and obsessed with detail. What counts for us are the “inner values” that are not visible at first glance. Thus, even the “invisible” interior construction of our upholstered furniture is also built from high-quality materials. For us, German master-craft has a high priority.

Whom are you addressing with your collection?
In principle, a superior genre. This results especially from the high quality and complex workmanship. Because of the high degree of individualization, the spectrum ranges from classical to pop. The target group is people over 30, who want to have a unique piece as an eye-catcher or individual pieces of furniture.

Your collection made its debut at the imm cologne. What impression did it make on the people who visited your booth?
We made a lasting impression. We met with a very good response from both visitors and the international press. A lot of people agreed that our collection added a nice highlight. And we want to continue creating highlights in future.

And what impression did the trade fair and Pure Village make on you?
All in all, the trade fair concept was pretty good. Because of its architecture, Pure Village seems a bit livelier than the other halls and its mix of categories makes good use of the space.

There’s the designer Christian Dorn and the design studio Stiltreu with the collection Christian Dorn. Can you please explain this constellation in more detail?
Stiltreu is the design studio I am running together with Marie-Luise Muckenhirn. Here we design and develop new products – from the cup to the tap. The name of “Stiltreu”, which means “faithful to style”, expresses our self-understanding, marked by straightforwardness and loyalty to our work. The idea for this has been there ever since I was a student. Now, since the beginning of 2012, my own collection of furniture is available under the name of Christian Dorn, which we are selling ourselves via the high-end specialist retail trade.

You studied fashion design and worked as a product designer in the past few years. How did you get into furniture design?
During my studies of fashion, I already designed furniture in my spare time. And I did the same later on when I was employed as a product designer. Mostly, I’ve never liked the furniture as it was. So I started designing my own furniture. I want to create furniture that stands out from the crowd, but does not appear obtrusive, and that is both comfortable and beautifully shaped. As far as furniture design is concerned, I’m an autodidact.

Where do you get your inspiration and your ideas from?
Others can cook well and have a sense for combinations of flavours, and I have a sense for shapes, colours, materials. I sometimes feel like a “human sponge” walking through the world and sucking in all the impressions, surfaces and shapes surrounding me. I am constantly disassembling my environment in my mind into materials and colours and putting them together in new shapes and surfaces. Then I simply need a sheet of paper and a pen…

Boundaries have lost the significance they once held in many areas of our daily lives and in society. For many, life and work are no longer separated by a great divide, while at the same time ever greater value is attached to the quality of our surroundings. This is true of the office environment, and increasingly also the home, as a growing number of people work partially or completely within their own four walls. The conditions they work in have to be just as professional here as they are in the corporate workplace. To date, the design of office chairs has concentrated on ergonomics and uniform functionality.

“When the styling of office chairs appears to be merging into an amorphous mass, then it is high time to question what lies behind their design,” explains Thomas Starczewski, proprietor of designship in Ulm and designer of Volume 8, the thinking behind the concept. This is the point at which we may safely abandon the mechanical consideration of technological features and ergonomic benefits and accept these as a given. The launch of Volume 8 sees comfort and emotion take centre stage. Sumptuous volume and skilfully crafted details raise this chair above mere considerations of efficiency in the workplace and project it into the comfort zone of our private world.”

By implementing these ideas, interstuhl continues to pursue its course of elevating the accepted concept of the office chair onto a whole new dimension. In the mind of the company Volume 8 is an innovative office chair designed to comply with professional demands of the modern office but which simultaneously embraces the special and the unique. What makes Volume 8 different is not just its exceptional functionality but the promise of homely comfort expressed by the expansive volume of its inviting seat. Any associations evoked by this unique chair with classical upholstered furniture are not quite accidental. Anyone claiming Volume 8 as their chair in the office will bring a little bit of home to the workplace, while home workers can enjoy a comfortable office chair.

The upholstery in felt or leather combines with crafted workmanship details to create a unique appearance. The design quality is reflected to particularly good effect by the natural aniline leather upholstery option, whose contrasting seams lend a striking added dimension to the overall look. And if all this individuality is not enough, the Volume 8 can be individually tailored to address specific needs and manufactured either as a oneoff or a series which is completely unique to you.

That’s why Interstuhl doesn’t just see this product in an office setting, but also – or especially – in a home zone as well, where living, work and pleasure converge. At its booth in Pure Village the company – a first-time exhibitor at the imm cologne – used the Interstuhl classic “Silver” and the new “Volume 8” model to show how living and work areas can grow together. As if to say: separation was yesterday, home zone is today.

All in all Helmut Link, Marketing + Sales Director at Interstuhl, was extremely satisfied with the firm’s participation in Pure Village: “The days at the trade fair far exceeded our expectations. The visitor volume was very high and resulted in lots of new contacts, especially with the home furniture trade. We’ve already made up our minds to return to Cologne in 2013.”

Designer and interior architect Bernd Benninghoff is rejuvenating Janua’s product range with a table that consists of nothing but two clamps and eight slats of wood. The two clamps are connected via a crossbar and are intended to impart a floating character to the solid wooden top. Because the individual slats of the tabletop aren’t glued together, it can be dismantled into its individual parts, is easy to transport and can be assembled by just one person. In order to ensure maximum stability, the slats of the tabletop are joined together with domino dowels. The two clamps are made of flat steel sections. Clamp is available in various types of wood, including one variant made of approx. 200-year-old oak. So as to preserve the authentic vintage look of the timber, little holes or irregularities are not corrected.

A brief interview with designer Bernd Benninghoff:

What context do you picture your product in?
I’ve got the prototype for Clamp at home and it’s become a popular focal point in our daily lives – it’s the kind of table where friends and family get together; it’s where we work, eat, read, play, drink and discuss things. I think the product blends in with a wide range of very different domestic settings because its aesthetic vocabulary is reduced to the essentials. The centre of attention is a valuable and very distinctive solid wood tabletop – it’s the kind of thing anybody feels attracted to.

What makes the product special?
What’s special about Clamp isn’t actually the tabletop but what goes on underneath it. I wanted to develop a simple frame that connects individual planks by means of traction – without the need for gluing. The construction consists of two steel clamps that function in the same way as big vices – with the result that, even though it’s made of solid wood, it only takes one person to transport and assemble the table.

What’s special about the imm cologne?
The start of a new year and Cologne – in my mind, there’s been a direct connection between the two for years now. I love going round the trade fair and the “Passagen” events – I enjoy the exchange with colleagues, companies and consumers. And when evening comes and I’m full of new impressions, it’s wonderful to digest what I’ve experienced over a few glasses of Kölsch.