Color Trends

Color Trends from IMM Cologne

IMM Cologne

IMM Cologne, held each January, is one of Europe’s largest furnishing trade shows and over the past few years has developed a highly influential trend panel. The show has become a draw for many new design companies through its emphasis on "Design Talents" while the city helps sponsor a design festival with open houses, showcases and off-site design events.

Emotional Austerity
*Ancient High-Tech
*The Ritual Creates the Form
*Essentialism

Comments from members of the 2011-2012 IMM Cologne Trend Board:
*Rearranging

Emotional Austerity: Shapes and Details
Light and delicate forms, with their delightful, simple structures, are at the forefront. Circular archaic designs form a subtle contrast.

Emotional Austerity: Colors and Materials
Natural materials such as leather, felt, various types of wood and plant fibers are complemented by technical textiles and materials. The surfaces are often embossed or quilted. The main color is an earthy olive green, flanked by a bold green, and a pale green that shimmers white.

Comments from members of the 2011-2012 IMM Cologne Trend Board:

"We encountered a sustainable design approach in all four trends, but at times it pointed in very different directions. However, sustainable design does not mean merely giving things a green veneer without redesigning them in a sustainable way or radically rethinking them." —Harald Gründl

“I am very interested in trends that point at building a new idea of the future, of progress. Designers and companies should not introduce new products just for their own sake, but they should concentrate on giving a real meaning to new products. Similarly, materials can also literally be given more depth, as we said when we were discussing fabrics; if they become three-dimensional, for example, they become much more interesting and enrich the object." —Defne Koz

“We have all recognized that furnishing preferences and living styles vary enormously and that this area must be kept very open in future. Also, despite this huge range of options available, we still need a focus, namely, not only on making attractive things but also useful things." —Martin Leuthold

Re-Balancing
*Everyday Life Collection
*Local Seasonal
*Self Assembly
*Permanent Re-Creation

Re-Balancing: Shapes and Details
Angular and simple individual structures, producing circular forms when considered as a whole, offer comfortable opportunities for relaxing. Cushioning is generally soft.

Re-Balancing: Colors and Materials
Elastic and soft natural materials such as cork, sheepskin, mohair and horsehair set the tone. The surface structures are embroidered or woven, and in some cases hand-woven. A rhubarb red dominates, surrounded by a creamy white and sweetcorn yellow. A light brown, the color of mustard seeds, and terracotta brown form a rich contrast to these.

“We need to understand that today there are many different ways people can think something is innovative. Sometimes a new interpretation of something old or a particularly simple and intelligent manufacturing method is far more innovative than a new material or an innovative technology. The idea of innovation is changing. For me, it’s closely related to people’s needs and the way we use things." —Patricia Urquiola

“Currently it is very obvious that people are reusing a lot of things, for example, milk crates and wooden crates. It is not that it is new, but I think now people are even more into the idea of the whole lifecycle—no matter where you enter the chain, you continue the life of a product and try to reuse it.” —Marco Velardi

Transforming Perspectives
*Nature as an Idea
*Übermarketing
*Stale Luxury
*Ecostupidity

Transforming Perspectives: Shapes and Details
The form per se actually sinks into the background. Far more importance is attached to the materials and either polished or matte surfaces.