From eco-deluxe to spontaneous creativity, Heimtextil showcased it all

Particularly well received at the Heimtextil event was the Trend Forum, an elaborate special area showing the trends for 2010 / 2011 using products from the show’s exhibitors.

The international Heimtextil Trend Table, with representatives of design studios from France, the UK, The Netherlands, Japan, Germany, and, for the first time, Sweden, defined four main trends: Futurustic, Temptation, Hypernature and Intuition.

The trends ranged from eco-deluxe to spontaneous creativity, from simplicity to the contrast between reality and fantasy.

Futurustic creations focussed on the need for simplicity and the strong demand for quality, which came together in a surprising return to earth.

“We aim to surprise people,” said trend expert Mayouri Sengchanh, who represents top design house Carlin International. “On the one hand, we want to create an artistic presentation. On the other, we want to remain down to earth.

“The result is always an attractive blend of unequivocal information and inspiration, which will stimulate the nerves and emotions.”

On show at the Trends Hall were designs that were ‘simultaneously haphazard and controlled, organised and flowing’, as well as creations from paper ribbons, pleated cardboard and boiled wood. The Futurustic trends also included a fabric range from leather, wool and hide.

Temptation mingled technological modernity and decorative classicism, resulting in designs that are part sensual and part offbeat. 

The Temptation creations also showcased electro-orientation and techno-boudoir styles to offer new versions of weaves in damask brocades, silky bases and jacquards.

Soft technologies set the mood for Hypernature, which avoids impacting or upsetting the environment. The designs are based on the fact that today’s consumers look for enjoyable experiences to help them cope with their surroundings.

Shulab Studio’s Lightpot, combining a pot and an LED lamp, makes it possible to grow house plants even in the darkest of rooms. Thanks to this light source, the plant can photosynthesise and act as an air purifier.

Intuition is about spontaneity, demanding designers abandon their usual discretion and functionality to break away from austerity and return to invention.

Intuition has opened doors to new cultures, discovering new ways for interior decoration to re-work geometrics and modular construction.