Design studio Raw Edges has created Sense of Surface, a 3D-printed installation exploring the interplay between light and textured surfaces that was shown at trade show IMM Cologne.

Sense of Surface consisted of a semi-transparent printed curtain and four 3D-printed "volumetric spheres" that were design to appeared as if they were floating freely in the space.

"The installation is a captivating exploration of the interplay between light and textured surfaces, created specifically for IMM Cologne 2024," said Raw Edges.

The installation's 3D structures, which were hung from above, were constructed using a Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) printer that fused together layers of polymer power.

Once printed, the pieces were joined into three-dimensional volumetric shapes on-site "almost like a tailor's work", according to Raw Edges co-founder Shay Alkalay.

The installation responded to IMM Cologne's 2024 theme The Sensuality of Surfaces and examined how a flat surface can be transformed into a "complex and three-dimensional body".

"For a long time we have been fascinated by the relationship between 2D graphic patterns and three-dimensional forms," Alkalay told Dezeen.

"It can be seen in our wood-dyed Endgrain collection, where we turn flat graphic surfaces into three-dimensional objects and enjoy the distortions and how they affect each other."

Lighting levels were manipulated throughout the space, altering the 3D structures' appearance.

"We started to play with the idea of see-through surfaces, patterned structures and transparency and to see how light can interact with it," Raw Edges told Dezeen.

"We were interested in exploring how three-dimensional structures can feel transparent in a space when there is no light, but become more diffused and opaque when illuminated. "

Alongside the sculptural forms, a curtain was made from Apollo – a semi-transparent textile created from German textile brand Rökona.

The pattern was 3D printed onto the fabric using pigment ink developed by printing brand Kornit.

"The result is a see-through printed surface that beckons visitors to step into the installation, creating an immersive and interactive experience," said Raw-Edges.

Raw Edges designed Sense of Surface in a bid to create an area of tranquillity for visitors to enjoy while experiencing the trade show.

"It is an immersive installation that was there to let visitors take a break from the busy fair and to step into a different environment that allows you quietly to focus on the way light can interact with the surfaces," said Raw Edges.

Raw Edges was launched in 2007 by Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay to transform everyday objects into playful and inventive furniture, product, interior and installation designs.

IMM Cologne took place from 14 to 18 January 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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3 Days of Design, London Festival of Architecture and Design Shanghai are among the architecture and design events featured in Dezeen Events Guide this June.

Among the other events taking place during the month are IMM Cologne, Design Miami/Basel and NeoCon.

London Festival of Architecture
1 to 30 June, UK

The 16th edition of the London Festival of Architecture takes place during the month of June in London. It follows the theme named In Common, which focuses on communal spaces.

The festival includes exhibitions, tours, conferences, film screenings and workshops across seven areas of the city: Barnet, Brixton, the City of London, Clerkenwell and Holborn, Penge and Palace, South Westminster and the Royal Docks.

During the festival, the Ecocity World Summit runs from 6 to 8 June at London's Barbican Centre, exploring sustainable planning in the architecture and infrastructure industries.

Dezeen is a media partner for the Ecocity World Summit London 2023.

IMM Cologne
4 to 7 June, Germany

Design fair IMM Cologne presents 1,233 exhibitors from 139 different countries for its 2023 edition at Koelnmesse GmbH.

The fair showcases interior design product separated into three sectors: Home, Pure and LivingKitchen. Home includes furniture, Pure focuses on avant-garde designs, and LivingKitchen is dedicated to kitchen products.

Alongside the fair, the event hosts a number of networking opportunities and a series of talks led by architects, and product and interior designers.

3 Days of Design
7 to 9 June, Copenhagen

3 Days of Design celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2023, hosting more than 290 designers across 13 districts in Copenhagen.

The festival features a programme of over 470 events, including exhibitions, product launches, open showrooms, tours and talks covering interior design, furniture, lighting and materials.

Dezeen Events Guide has created a 3 Days of Design guide, highlighting the key events at the festival. Find out how to get your event listed in the guide here.

Design Shanghai
8 to 11 June, China

Four day fair Design Shanghai returns with an exhibition across three halls, showcasing established and emerging international designers.

The halls are separated into: furniture and lighting, kitchen and bathroom, and living and lifestyle. The event also hosts a series of seminars with over 100 speakers, an awards ceremony and networking opportunities.

This year, the fair celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Dezeen is a media partner for Design Shanghai 2023.

NeoCon
12 to 14 June, USA

NeoCon is an interior design fair that takes place annually in Chicago, and this year it presents over 400 exhibitors across three days.

Alongside the fair is a programme of keynote presentations and talks, CEU-certified workshops and an awards ceremony.

The event, located at the Mart, showcases products for the corporate, education, government, healthcare, hospitality, residential and retail industries.

Dezeen is a media sponsor for NeoCon 2023.

Design Miami/Basel
13 to 18 June, Switzerland

The 17th edition of Design Miami/Basel takes place this year, running alongside the Art Basel fair.

The fair presents collectible design, including objects, jewellery and lighting from galleries across the world, including Friedman Benda, Galerie Jacques Lacoste and Thomsen Gallery.

The event runs for six days at Messe Basel.

About Dezeen Events Guide

Dezeen Events Guide is our guide to the best architecture and design events taking place across the world each year.

The guide is updated weekly and includes virtual events, conferences, trade fairs, major exhibitions and design weeks, as well as up-to-date information about what events have been cancelled or postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Inclusion in the guide is free for basic listings, with events selected at Dezeen's discretion. Organisers can get enhanced or premium listings for their events, including images, additional text and links, by paying a modest fee.

In addition, events can ensure inclusion by partnering with Dezeen. For more details on inclusion in Dezeen Events Guide and media partnerships with Dezeen, email eventsguide@dezeen.com.

The post Six architecture and design events in June from Dezeen Events Guide appeared first on Dezeen.

Milan design week, Venice Architecture Biennale and 3 Days of Design are among the architecture and design events featured in Dezeen Events Guide for 2023.

Other events taking place in 2023 include the Design Shanghai 2023, Stockholm Design Week and IMM Cologne 2023.

Read on for the 2023 highlights and see Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

Maison&Objet
9 January to 23 February and 7 to 11 September

Trade show Maison&Objet is the largest event taking place at Paris Design Week and presents more than 2,000 exhibitors.

The event returns for its summer and winter editions with a programme of exhibitions, installations and awards to celebrate established and upcoming designers.

The show also hosts 38 conferences addressing topics such as hospitality, innovation and the latest design trends.

The fair takes place at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre in Paris, France. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

Stockholm Design Week
6 to 12 February

Stockholm Design Week returns in February for its 21st edition, after being held in September in 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The week-long festival includes exhibitions, open showrooms, an awards ceremony and the Stockholm Furniture Fair.

The fair, which runs from 7 to 11 February, showcases Scandinavian and international designs from more than 380 brands.

The festival takes place at various locations across Stockholm, Sweden. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

Object Rotterdam
10 to 12 February

Design fair Object Rotterdam returns to the HAKA-building in the Dutch city, exhibiting products and one-off creations by upcoming and established designers.

The event showcases design, crafts, fashion, architecture and art and welcomes interiors and design enthusiasts, art professionals and collectors.

The previous two editions have taken place in the summer due to Covid-19-related restrictions but in 2023 the event will return to the original winter dates as part of Rotterdam Art Week.

The event takes place in the HAKA-building in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

Madrid Design Festival
14 February to 12 March

Madrid Design Festival returns every February with a programme of exhibitions, installations, open showrooms, workshops, forums and talks.

The festival also hosts the Madrid Design Pro conference, with 25 speakers addressing challenges, trends and the future of design.

The month-long event covers architecture, interior design, graphic design, crafts, furniture and education.

Madrid Design Festival takes place at various locations across Madrid, Spain. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

Nomad St Moritz
23 to 26 February

Nomad is a travelling fair that celebrates art, architecture and design, and includes an exhibition presenting the work of 100 exhibitors.

To accompany the exhibition, Nomad St Moritz hosts a series of talks, tours and open homes.

The event marks the 11th edition of the fair, with previous editions having taken place in Capri, Venice, Cannes and Monaco.

The event takes place in St Moritz, Switzerland. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

Milan design week
17 to 23 April

As the largest annual design event in the world, Milan design week returns in 2023 with hundreds of events.

The festival includes the design fair Salone del Mobile held at the Fiera Milano exhibition centre, which showcases more than 800 brands.

The design week also features fringe events known as Fuorisolane, including exhibitions, installations, conferences and workshops.

Milan design week 2023 takes place at various locations across Milan, Italy. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

DesignMarch
3 to 7 May

DesignMarch is the largest design festival in Iceland, with more than 400 brands and designers participating in the event.

The event hosts exhibitions, workshops, talks, open studios and the conference DesignTalks to a variety of design disciplines..

DesignMarch 2023 takes place at various locations across Reykjavík, Iceland. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details. 

NYCxDesign
18 to 25 May

NYCxDesign is a seven-day festival taking place in New York City, which celebrates its 11th anniversary in 2023.

The festival hosts hundreds of events throughout the city's five boroughs, showcasing the work of more than 1,000 designers, including the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) and WantedDesign Manhattan shows at the Javits Center.

The festival takes place at various locations across New York City, USA. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

Melbourne Design Week
18 to 28 May

Melbourne Design Week is held for 11 days with the National gallery of Victoria, hosting fairs, awards, workshops, product launches, exhibitions, talks and tours.

The events include the Melbourne Design fair located at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, which showcases both national and international brands.

The 2023 festival, which marks the seventh year of the festival, follows three themes: transparency, currency and legacy.

Melbourne Design Week 2023 takes place at various locations across Melbourne, Australia. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

Venice Architecture Biennale
20 May to 26 November

Venice celebrates its 18th architecture biennale with an exhibition curated by Scottish-Ghanaian architect Lesley Lokko and educational tours and workshops.

The biennale will predominantly be hosted across two venues: Giardini della Biennale and Arsenale di Venezia.

Venice Architecture Biennale 2023 takes place at various locations across Venice, Italy. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

IMM Cologne
4 to 7 June

Design fair IMM Cologne returns in 2023 with more than 1,200 exhibitors from almost 140 countries.

The event showcases interior products, including seating, dining room furniture, beds and lighting.

The trade show presents three themes: Home, Pure and LivingKitchen. Home provides furniture and homeware while Pure focuses on avant-garde and innovative designs and LivingKitchen showcases kitchen appliances.

IMM Cologne 2023 takes place at Koelnmesse GmbH in Cologne, Germany. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

3 Days of Design
7 to 9 June

Danish design festival 3 Days of Design celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2023 with design, furniture and lighting.

The festival hosts exhibitions, open showrooms and galleries, product launches, workshops, talks and networking opportunities.

3 Days of Design takes place at various locations across Copenhagen, Denmark. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

Design Shanghai
8 to 11 June

Trade fair Design Shanghai is a four-day event showcasing classic, contemporary, kitchen, bathroom and workplace designs, as well as materials, objects and accessories.

The fair invites architects, interior designers, retailers and property developers to explore products by more than 100 established and upcoming brands.

Design Shanghai takes place at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

Design Miami/Basel
13 to 18 June

Design Miami/Basel returns to Switzerland for its 17th edition with an exhibition and series of talks.

Last year, the exhibition is separated into three spaces: Gallery, which includes classic and contemporary design; Curio, which showcases avant-garde designs; and Podium, with products selected by the event curator.

Each year, the fair takes place alongside Art Basel and follows a theme, such as The Golden Age, Human Nature and Smart Living.

Design Miami/Basel 2023 takes place at Messe Basel in Basel, Switzerland. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

Helsinki Design Week
1 to 11 September

Helsinki Design Week takes place in Finland's capital city to celebrate a range of mediums, including architecture, fashion, graphic design, product design, interiors and textiles.

The 11-day festival hosts hundreds of events, including exhibitions, workshops, open studios, fashion shows, discussions and lectures.

The design week celebrates its 19th anniversary in 2023, with each year having followed a theme, such as Co-Creation, Action and Commitment Matters.

Helsinki Design Week 2023 takes place at various locations across Helsinki, Finland. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism
1 September to 29 October

The 2023 edition of Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism is curated by architects Byoung Soo Cho and Eui Young Chun.

The fourth-anniversary event follows the theme Land Architecture and Land Urbanism within three key issues: ecology, topography and views.

One of the biennale's largest events is the Seoul 100-year Masterplan Exhibition which outlines long-terms plans for Seoul.

Seoul Biennale 2023 takes place at various locations across Seoul, South Korea. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

London Design Festival
16 to 24 September

London Design Festival takes place in September every year in the UK's capital city, hosting exhibitions, open showrooms, installations, tours, talks, product launches and workshops.

The festival takes place across 12 design districts in the city, showcasing architecture, fashion, interiors, furniture, textiles, art, graphic design and crafts.

Running from 20 to 23 September, the trade fair Design London is one of the largest events taking place during the festival.

London Design Festival takes place at various locations across London, UK. See Dezeen Events Guide for more details.

Design Week Mexico
October

Design Week Mexico is a festival that takes place in Mexico's capital city, featuring exhibitions, tours and workshops.

While the exact dates are yet to be announced for the 15th edition, the event is expected to return in October.

Design Week Mexico 2023 takes place at various locations across Mexico City, Mexico.

Design Week Lagos
October

Design Week Lago is also yet to announce the dates of its 2023 event, however, the previous edition took place in October.

In 2022, the festival hosted more than 40 events across the city including exhibitions, trade shows and roundtable discussions.

The design week invites local and international architects and designers to explore furniture, interiors, graphic design and industrial design.

Design Week Lagos takes place at various locations across Lagos, Nigeria.

Sharjah Architecture Triennial
November

Sharjah Architecture Triennial is expected to return in November following its inaugural edition in 2019.

The architecture festival follows the theme The Beauty of Impermanence: An Architecture of Adaptability, focusing on sustainability, innovation and re-use.

Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2023 takes place at various locations across Sharjah, UAE.

About Dezeen Events Guide

Dezeen Events Guide is our guide to the best architecture and design events taking place across the world each year.

The guide is updated weekly and includes virtual events, conferences, trade fairs, major exhibitions and design weeks, as well as up-to-date information about what events have been cancelled or postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Inclusion in the guide is free for basic listings, with events selected at Dezeen's discretion. Organisers can get enhanced or premium listings for their events, including images, additional text and links, by paying a modest fee.

In addition, events can ensure inclusion by partnering with Dezeen. For more details on inclusion in Dezeen Events Guide and media partnerships with Dezeen, email eventsguide@dezeen.com.

The post Twenty of the best architecture and design events in 2023 from Dezeen Events Guide appeared first on Dezeen.

The organisers of furniture and interiors fair IMM Cologne have postponed the next event until 2023 after concerns about coronavirus made planning "almost impossible".

IMM Cologne was due to take place in the German city this January but has now been pushed back to January 2023, amidst a surge in cases of Covid-19 across Europe.

It is the second year in a row that the event has been cancelled as a result of the pandemic, after the January 2021 edition of the fair was called off in November last year.

IMM success "extremely endangered"

Trade fair organiser Koelnmesse made the decision on the advice of the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM), which is IMM's industry sponsor.

VDM CEO Jan Kurth believes the economic success of a 2022 event is "extremely endangered", with many exhibitors and attendees likely to withdraw.

"Following consultation with numerous exhibitors, industry representatives and trading partners, there is either no question of participation on the part of German exhibitors or exhibitors from the German-speaking region, or this is very much in doubt," said Kurth.

Koelnmesse said that a successful event is "not realisable in the current situation", with other industry partners echoing the advice of the VDM.

"The current special basic conditions in the interior design industry make the practicability of IMM Cologne almost impossible," said Oliver Frese, chief operating officer for Koelnmesse.

"We didn't make this very bitter decision easy for ourselves, but consider it to be our obligation to take this step now in close consultation with the industry. In this way we provide clarity and planning security in the interests of our exhibitors."

Other events still going ahead

Coronavirus led to the cancellation or postponement of many major furniture design events across 2020 and 2021, including the Salone del Mobile in Milan, NeoCon in Chicago and Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair.

Other Koelnmesse event cancellations included the 2020 edition of biannual office furniture fair Orgatec.

IMM Cologne becomes the first event of 2022 to be affected, extending the impact into a third year.

However, it is the only Koelnmesse fair to be cancelled so far. The organiser still expects to host Orgatec Tokyo in April 2022, while garden trade fair Spoof + Gaga is scheduled to take place in Cologne in June.

"This step is restricted exclusively to IMM Cologne and its specific requirements for trade fair operations," Frese said.

Decision to cancel was "industry-specific"

"We are principally planning, as before, to carry out our spring events in 2022," Frese added.

"The political guidelines allow for this, and, following the excellent and safe course of the past autumn trade fairs, this must remain our mission in the interests of the participating industries."

Frese described said the level of concern about safety varies across industries, and that the design to cancel IMM Cologne was specific to the interiors industry.

"We have determined a heterogeneous estimation among the exhibiting companies in the face of the enduring pandemic situation in Germany," he said.

"In the interests of cooperation in a spirit of trust, we are of course communicating closely with our industries and customers, in order to be able to reach just these kinds of industry-specific decisions."

Exhibitors offered other options

As of October – the latest date that exhibitors could cancel without incurring a fee – IMM Cologne was expected to host 600 exhibitors from more than 50 countries.

Following the cancellation, Frese said exhibitors will be offered alternative options, including the opportunity to exhibit at Orgatec Tokyo or Spoga + Gafa.

"We are currently working actively on options for also still being able to offer exhibitors of IMM Cologne an attractive trade fair presence at the international level," he said.

The next edition of IMM Cologne is scheduled for 16 to 21 January 2023.

Main image is courtesy of IMM Cologne.

IMM Cologne will take place on 16 to 21 January 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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The January 2021 edition of furniture and interiors fair IMM Cologne has become the latest industry event to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The fair, held in the German city each January, will next take place from 19 January to 23 January 2022.

"We've had to face the reality, even though it's painful," said Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse, the Cologne fairground that hosts IMM Cologne.

"In the end, because of the very dynamic way things are developing right now, the uncertainty among our exhibitors and visitors was just too strong."

Hybrid edition was planned for January

The decision comes three months after the show, which is Germany's most important furniture show and the first major event in the annual calendar, announced that it would hold a hybrid edition this coming January, with a mixture of digital and physical activity.

"Because the concept for the special edition was based on the offline and online formats being closely interlinked and mutually dependent, not even a purely digital event made sense under these circumstances," Böse said.

After disrupting most of the major international design events in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic now looks set to wipe out the calendar for most of the first quarter of 2021.

Many events in early 2021 cancelled

IMM Cologne's decision follows the cancellation of the February 2021 edition of Stockholm Furniture Fair. London's Surface Design Show and Cape Town conference Design Indaba, which both traditionally take place in February, have also been scrapped.

Homewares show Maison&Objet, which usually takes place in Paris around the same time as IMM Cologne, has been rescheduled to 26 to 30 March 2021.

Design Shanghai is moving from March to early June. Iceland's DesignMarch festivities are being shifted from March to 19-23 May.

London crafts fair Collect, which usually takes place at Somerset House, will take place entirely virtually for the first time between 24 February and 2 March 2021.

Milan's Salone del Mobile, which usually takes place in April, last week told Dezeen is was considering moving to later in the year, with September considered the most likely alternative.

For up-to-date details of more architecture and design events visit Dezeen Events Guide, which has a special page containing updates on events impacted by coronavirus.

Main image of Pure Editions stand at IMM Cologne 2020 is courtesy of IMM Cologne.

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Multiple European brands came together for MUT Design's Das Haus installation at IMM Cologne to create hybrid indoor-outdoor furniture prototypes that are now being put into production.

Each year, the Das Haus installation showcases one designer or design studio's take on the present and future direction of interior design.

For the 2020 edition in January, MUT Design focused on blurring the line between exterior and interior, and between architecture and nature, with a project titled A La Fresca! (Step Out into the Fresh Air!).

The studio wanted to do more than just adapt interior design for outdoor use or vice versa; they wanted to explore how home life might change if these boundaries were eased or eliminated entirely.

To that end, their space has five living zones – an Active Area, Cleanness Area, Resting Area, Kitchen and Patio. While some of these have a nearly traditional name and function, others are more flexible and open to interpretation.

For the furniture prototypes inside these spaces, MUT Design wanted the high standards of design and feeling of cosiness to extend across both the indoors and outdoors.

"We don't separate outdoor and living room furniture according to the usual norms," said the studio. "Nowadays, that's the only way the interior design can create a consistent overall picture."

To create the prototypes, MUT Design worked with multiple European brands including Gan, Preciosa Lighting, Sancal, Diabla and Expormim. Several of these brands are now putting the pieces into production.

Among the pieces is the Armadillo chair, launched at Stockholm furniture fair by Expormim, which is a reinterpretation of a papasan bowl chair that was popular in the 1970s.

The chair is made of rattan with a UV-filter coating that protects it from solar radiation, and has removable cushions.

Sancal is manufacturing the Roll chair, which has cylindrical cushions said to be inspired by the leg-press machines found in gyms. The chair is meant to look as attractive stacked and stowed as it is while in use.

There's also the Zig Zag hammock and rug, made by Gan. Both pieces are made of artificial fibres suited for outdoor use and feature an open weave that is meant to cast interesting shadows.

Another chair, the aluminium Grill, for Diabla is reminiscent of an outdoor barbecue, while the Bao pouffes for La Cividina are more like plush stones. Rounded shapes and playful approaches to weight are common themes across the pieces.

There is also a series of lighting for Preciosa and a set of coloured glass side tables for Pulpo.

The prototype bath collection in the installation will have a future too, as it has been developed into a range with Antonio Lupi that is also likely to launch in Milan.

MUT Design was founded by Alberto Sánchez and Eduardo Villalón in 2010 and is based in Valencia. Among their previous designs are the Twins outdoor chairs for Expormim and the chocolate-bar-like Onza tiles for Peronda.

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Outdoor furniture was out in force at the recent Maison& Object and IMM Cologne furniture fairs, as brands responded to a big increase in customer demand. We pick out 10 of the best new designs, including rugs, shelving and a kitchen.

The two fairs saw many established brands launch outdoor furniture collections for the first time, like contemporary Danish brand Muuto, which unveiled the Linear table and bench.

"Venturing into the outdoor furniture category is something that we've been wanting to do for a long time," explained design director Christian Grosen. "The demand has definitely been there."

Response "very positive" to outdoor shelves

It's not only simple tables and seating on offer – many brands are offering furnishings not traditionally found in the garden. One example is heritage brand String, which has adapted its famous shelving system for the outdoors.

"We started to get a lot of requests for bigger shelves that could be used outdoors and we realised that, with some adjustments, the metal range would work perfectly," said Peter Erlandsson, co-owner of String Furniture. "The response was very positive when we launched at IMM."

Rugs "even more important" outdoors

New outdoor textiles are also being developed making it easier than ever to bring soft furnishings into the garden.

According to Nani Marquina, founder of the eponymous rug company, the introduction of textiles has been transformative in garden design.

"As you know, rugs define a room and create different environments while adding warmth and comfort. Thus it's even more important in outdoor environments, where there's an absence of walls and delineated spots," she said.

Here are 10 of the most impressive new designs, picked by editor Amy Frearson:

String Outdoor by Anna von Schewen and Björn Dahlström

The String shelving system is one of the most famous Scandinavian design products of the last century. But now, for the first time in 70 years, Nisse and Kajsa Strinning's modular design is available for the garden as well as the home.

Debuted at IMM Cologne, String Outdoor comes with newly developed shelves in aluzinc – a steel coated with aluminium-zinc – making the product resistant to moisture and rust. Meanwhile the floor panels are hot-dip galvanised to prevent corrosion.

"The material we use requires no additional surface treatment. Should rusting occur, the material has the ability to mend itself and stop the rust from spreading," said String Furniture CEO Jonas Wetterlöf.

Outdoor by Nanimarquina

The first outdoor rug collection from Spanish brand Nanimarquina is designed to "transfer the warmth of interior spaces to outdoors".

Unveiled at Maison&Objet, the collection includes some of the brand's successful indoor designs, like the colour-graduated Shade Palette and Tres Texture ranges. It also features a new design by the brand's eponymous designer Nani Marquina, called Oaxaca, which combines floral and chequered patterns. All of the rugs are made from PET plastic, although they don't look like it.

"We were surprised that PET offered similar aesthetic characteristics to wool, as well as visual and tactile similarities," said Marquina. "PET has the same behaviour as wool in terms of fire resistance, but it provides great water and UV resistance."

Linear by Thomas Bentzen for Muuto

Danish brand Muuto has moved into outdoor furniture with a table and chair set by Copenhagen-based designer Thomas Bentzen, unveiled for the first time at IMM Cologne.

Based on the traditional picnic bench, the Linear collection is made from powder-coated steel, and characterised by clean lines and folded edges. The table top is hot-dip galvanised to make it weather-resistant. It is available in black, cream, brown and green shades.

"The Linear Steel Series has been very much about delving into every singular detail that makes up the design while using the simple lines of Scandinavian design as a guiding principle, to create something that would remain relevant for years to come," explained Muuto design director Christian Grosen.

Patio Fabrics by Karina Nielsen Rios for Kvadrat

Danish textile brand Kvadrat supplies fabrics to many of the world's leading furniture companies, so the launch of its inaugural outdoor textile collection could pave the way for even more designs to be adapted for outdoors.

Developed with Copenhagen-based designer Karina Nielsen Rios, the new Patio fabrics are made with three colours of a highly durable flame-retardant polyester yarn called Trevira CS. They are suitable for all outdoor spaces, even spaces with high-humidity and chlorine like spas and pools.

"In addition to its technical features, it also stands out for a soft touch compared to other outdoor fabrics and offers exceptional colour vibrancy," said Kvadrat.

Indoor-Outdoor by Bodil Kjær, reissued by Carl Hansen & Son

As well as new designs, outdoor furniture models of the past are also being launched. Among the brands doing so is Carl Hansen & Son, which recently added designs by Danish architect Bodil Kjær to its collection.

The Indoor-Outdoor collection is made from warm-toned teak, able to withstand changing weather conditions.

"Teak has a warm reddish-brown colour and, due to its natural oils, is highly durable," said Carl Hansen & Son CEO Knud Erik Hansen. "The wood requires minimal maintenance and takes on a more beautiful colour over time, if you choose not to treat it with oil."

The range was first unveiled in Milan last year, but is now available in stores.

Kettal Outdoor Kitchen

Outdoor furniture brand Kettal has added an outdoor kitchen to its collection, taking cooking al fresco to the next level.

Presented at IMM Cologne, the kitchen is made from aluminium with optional teak cabinet doors. It comes with a sink and a hob, and also provides space for a wine cooler or fridge. A matching trolley can be added, providing transport and additional storage.

Vimini by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal

Kettal's collection also includes a range of wicker furniture designed by Patricia Urquiola.

Launched in Milan last year, the Vimini collection is based on the classic Basket Chair designed by Nanna Ditzel in the 1950s. It combines a curving wicker basket with large colourful cushions and wooden legs.

"I fancied something really traditional, something a bit modernist, relaxed in the way we treated the fibre," said Urquiola. "And the Vimini, the chair with its classic braiding and baskets, is captivating."

Liz by Ludovica Serafini and Roberto Palomba for Expormim

Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor was the inspiration behind this outdoor armchair designed by Italian architects Ludovica Serafini and Roberto Palomba, which Expormim showed at Maison&Objet.

It comprises a tubular metal frame, with fabric stretched over it, plus a fully upholstered cushion and backrest.

"Liz is a project inspired by the flair of the 1950s," said the designers. "The elastic fabric stretching along the metallic tubular structure marks lines and transparencies, giving rise to a play of graphics and lightness that make you feel the soft embrace of Liz."

10th Mazzo di Fiori floor light by Massimo Castagna for Exteta

Italian architect Massimo Castagna has created an entire collection for outdoor brand Exteta, but one of the highlights is this outdoor floor lamp.

Handmade in burnished brass, each light comprises six stems topped with globes of polycarbonate plastic.

Globe Planters by AYTM

Danish brand AYTM has made its bestselling indoor products available for outdoors. The Globe Planters consist of a painted stainless-steel bowl perched on a golden ring base.

Debuted at Maison&Objet, the planters come in a wide variety of sizes and colours, making them suitable for any garden.

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Norwegian furniture and homeware brand Northern has introduced 12 new designs to its collection, including a daybed, a watering can and a flashlight.

Northern enlisted 10 designers to create furniture and accessories to join its debut homeware range, which launched in Stockholm last year. Before that, the company exclusively produced lighting products, under the name Northern Lighting.

The new additions were unveiled at the IMM Cologne furniture fair in Germany.

Norwegian designers Morten Skjærpe Knarrum and Jonas Norheim, who head studio Morten & Jonas, oversaw all of the designs, including two of their own. Their contributions include a lamp and a day bed.

The Blush pendant lamp has a semi-spherical head and a long, narrow neck. Meanwhile the Daybe lounge sofa features a thin metal frame, plus a detachable backrest that allows it to be used as a bed as well as a seat.

Also in the collection is the Grab watering can by Norwegian designer Stine Aas, which consists of two interconnecting cylinders that meet at the base of the spout. It is available in a dark green, yellow or plum colour.

"The product meets the need for attractive, multifunctional designs while reflecting the popularity of urban gardening," said Northern.

Another product is the Ink wall lamp by Stockholm-based designer Felix Isidorsson, which features a concave disc-shaped body with a matt black finish. When turned on, the light creates a subtle halo effect, intended to evoke the glow of the moon.

The Oblong two-seater sofa by Chinese designer Mario Tsai comprises a simple metal frame and two rounded cushions.

The Ombre table lamp by Antoine Rouzeau has a flat, faintly curved head that rests of a narrow neck and cylindrical base, while the Reveal pendant lamp by Silje Nesdal comprises a hollow sphere of glass, framing a horizontal light suspended on a copper-coated cord.

Completing the collection is the geometric torch called Trace, created by design studio Gridy. It features a conical head and a cylindrical handle.

The brand has also launched updated versions of some existing Northern products. The Oasis planters, Peek wall mirror, Hifive modular system and Oaki dining chair are now available in new colours and finishes.

IMM Cologne 2019 ran from 14 to 2o January.

Other new launches at IMM included a "casual" desk designed by David Chipperfield and a collection of outdoor textiles by Kvadrat.

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British architect David Chipperfield has created a modular workstation, made using traditional joinery techniques, for German furniture company e15. 

Launched at this week's IMM Cologne trade show, e15 said that the Basis modular workstation is a "smart and casual" desk system designed to cater to the needs of modern living and working.

The desk design is an evolution of the Basis trestle table, which Chipperfield designed for e15 in 2017.

With a simple rectangular top made from wide flat planks of European oak, the desk is supported by matching flat legs that are angled slightly outward.

The Basis workstation collection also has a high table with a square or round top so that it can be used in private and public spaces.

"Focusing on the needs of creative and functional work environments, Basis workstation is a smart and casual desk system stripped back to the essentials while featuring the pure use of material and craftsmanship," said e15 of the reduced design.

"It does not interfere with or redefine work habits, yet it facilitates different styles of working."

The tables are designed to stand individually or be grouped together in offices.

"Offering flexible solutions for the home or office, it is designed to allow solo work as well as collaboration by combining any number of individual desks to work islands," e15 added.

Chipperfield's pared back design also features various wire management options along its central spine, as well as optional privacy partitions that double as acoustic barriers and magnetic pin boards.

These can be arranged both lengthways and widthways and integrated into the system without the use of additional hardware.

The Basics workstation was debuted at this week's IMM Cologne, which takes place in the German city from 14 till 20 January. It is being showcased alongside other new launches by Philipp Mainzer, Farah Ebrahimi and Stefan Diez.

Previous collaborations between Chipperfield and e15 have resulted in an equally restrained wooden coffee table and sideboard and a solid wood table, bench and stool.

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Copenhagen-based designer Karina Nielsen Rios has developed a line of outdoor upholstery fabrics for Danish brand Kvadrat that are both hardwearing and eco-friendly.

The Patio fabrics are made with three colours of a highly durable, specially-developed Trevira CS yarn, a flame-retardant polyester.

With two colours used in the warp and one in the weft, the fabrics can look unicoloured or more textured depending on the level of contrast between the colours used.

The brand has also introduced an environmentally-focused coating for the yarn that doesn't contain fluorocarbon - a chemical finish that is typically applied to high-performance textiles to make them water, soil and oil-repellent.

Made up of compounds of fluorine and carbon, fluorocarbon finishes produce toxic by-products that persist in the environment, polluting the air and water systems.

The new finish, developed over the course of three years by textile designer Nielsen Rios and Kvadrat, repels liquid and is fast-drying. It also provides resistance against chlorine, sea water and is flame-retardant.

Due to its high-performance properties, the fabric can be used across all outdoor spaces, as well as areas with high-humidity and chlorine such as spas and indoor pools. In addition to furniture, it can also be used to make screens, parasols and umbrellas.

"In addition to its technical features, it also stands out for a soft touch compared to other outdoor fabrics and offers exceptional colour vibrancy," said Kvadrat.

The Patio fabrics are available in natural and neutral tones, as well as bold highlight tones to create a palette that the brand describe as "fresh" and "sporty".

Patio was launched at this week's IMM Cologne, which takes place in the German city from 14 till 20 January. Presented on a stand designed by Danish studio GamFratesi, the Patio fabrics are displayed alongside other new launches from the brand.

These include a Melange fabric called Atlas by Margrethe Odgaard, a chenille fabric called Still designed by Georgina Wright and inspired by the panoramic paintings of Ivon Hitchens.

Slope is a new colour bleed Kelim rug by Hella Jongerius; the Sinuous rug, which explores "colour vibrations", is Simone Post’s first design for Kvadrat; and Scholten & Baijings will debut the Element rug, which comb matte wool with subtly shimmering viscose threads.

Also launched at IMM was a collaboration between WonderGlass and Nendo, called Melt, a collection of 12 pieces of furniture made from glass.

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Nendo's Oki Sato has designed a series of cast glass chairs for Venetian brand WonderGlass, which feature a U-shaped base formed by the effects of gravity on molten glass.

Designed by Nendo founder Oki Sato, the Melt collection features a chair that is comprised of an inverted arched base topped with a contrasting, flat pane of glass, and backed with a larger rectangle of glass.

As well as the chair, the collection comprises a dozen pieces of furniture all formed by gravity over a pipe or mould. These include an armchair, chaise longue, dining table, side table, partition and vase.

Drawn to working with WonderGlass for their highly-skilled craftsmen, the Nendo founder was inspired to design the Melt collection after watching the traditional way that these artisans worked with molten glass in the brand's workshops.

Sato told Dezeen that he was surprised to see the highly-skilled craftsmen shaping glass freely, "like a child moulding a piece of clay."

According to the designer, the idea was to allow the glass to control the design process, letting it flow by way of gravity and the weight of the material itself. "In a way, doing less and achieving more is the most complicated thing to do," he said.

For example, to create the chair, first molten glass was poured into a square frame while several craftsmen simultaneously evened out the surface using iron trowels.

The glass gradually cooled and, once it reached a certain pliancy, was moved and placed onto a U-shaped mould, allowing the glass to slowly sink or stretch around the mould to form an arch.

During this time, the craftsmen used tools to shape the arch, to ensure that there are no bends or cracks.

This process gives the Melt collection its name, as the objects' draped forms occur as a result of the molten liquid nature of the glass.

"I think flat surface glass stretched by the hands of craftsmen is beautiful," said Sato. "I discovered the beauty of glass when I saw that the plate-like glass created a beautiful arch by its own weight, when lifted by a number of craftsmen."

"I wanted to combine those beautiful flat surfaces with curves to design this collection," he continued.

The use of glass in furniture design is unusual given its propensity to break, but WonderGlass founders Maurizio and Christian Mussati hoped to "push the boundaries and capabilities of cast glass".

"Glass is rarely used as the main material of furniture. However, a special moulding technology developed by WonderGlass is capable of making big and thick products without using large-scale moulds," Sato told Dezeen.

"In this case I think a furniture collection is better suited for this technique than small cups or dishes," he added.

The Melt collection will be presented for the first time at this year's IMM Cologne trade show, which takes place in the German city from 14 till 20 January. It will be shown as part of an exhibition, accompanied by a photographic show.

This exhibit will offer a preview of what visitors can expect from WonderGlass at this year's upcoming Milan Design Week in April. At last year's festival, the brand created an installation of 30 spinning glass lamps inspired by a traditional Israeli dance.

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Copenhagen-based designer Thomas Bentzen has designed a wooden lounge chair for Danish brand Muuto, informed by a traditionally simple Scandinavian aesthetic.

With a clean and minimal aesthetic, the Cover Lounge Chair joins the brand's Cover Chair series designed by Bentzen – a long-serving Muuto collaborator.

While a lounging chair is typically entirely upholstered in fabric for a softer, more cushiony finish, the Cover Lounge Chair retains a stripped down wooden body, like the original all-wood Cover Chair.

Boasting a strong beech wood frame, the chair features a wide, rounded backrest in form-pressed veneer that curves downwards to form the armrests, in a bid to offer more comfort and an "inviting expression".

"The idea of a lounge chair in all wood is an archetypal element in the Danish as well as Scandinavian design tradition," Bentzen told Dezeen.

"It arises from the belief that you can achieve a great amount of comfort from a simple wooden chair and a light, open sentiment within the design; something that is firmly rooted in the Scandinavian design history from the 1950s onwards."

Bentzen set out to create "a comfortable lounging design in wood that was at once modern and timeless whilst deeply rooted in the traditions of Scandinavian craftsmanship".

Despite sharing this aesthetic with the regular Cover Chair, the lounge chair has a more relaxed appeal, with a more solid base and a taller back to allow for added comfort and a "grander" visual appearance.

"We spent a lot of time balancing the opposites of being at once solid and comfortable while also being open and airy in its expression," Bentzen told Dezeen.

According to the designer, the upholstered seat brings an "understated comfort" to the seat while giving its user freedom of movement across various seating positions.

Despite its wide-set backrest, the lounge chair has been designed to take up little space in a room. It is intended for use in spaces that serve the purpose of socialising, such as private homes, workspaces, lobbies or co-working areas.

Available in black, light grey or a natural oak colour, consumers also have the option of choosing an upholstered seat in either textile or leather.

Known for channelling authentic Danish design, Bentzen previously created a fluted steel sideboard for Muuto, which combines a traditional Scandinavian aesthetic with industrial references. Cooler steel elements are warmed up with solid oak components.

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Armchairs, mirrors and lighting designed by Space Copenhagen for the recently renovated Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in Copenhagen feature in Danish brand &tradition's latest collection.

Designed by Danish studio Space Copenhagen for &tradition, the 2018 Collection comprises colourful velvet armchairs, brass-framed mirrors white frosted glass lamps.

Each piece sits in the newly renovated interior of Copenhagen's iconic Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, formerly known as the SAS Royal Hotel, which was originally designed in 1960 by Arne Jacobsen.

Upholstered all over, the Loafer armchair features a semi-circular shaped backrest that mimics the hotel lobby's circular elements, such as its spiral staircase and columns.

"The Radisson Blu Royal Hotel lobby is an essential part of the legendary interior," said Space Copenhagen's Signe Bindslev Henriksen, who runs the studio alongside Peter Bundgaard Rützou. "We wanted to design a piece of furniture that could create a sense of intimacy in this very open space."

"At the same time the design had to relate to the signature spiral staircase and the circular columns of the space," added Bundgaard Rützou. "A comfortable design that would somehow also make you feel protected. Sitting alone or in a group, without feeling too exposed."

While the armchairs bring colour to the hotel's lobby, the Amore mirror series was commissioned for its bedrooms.

When designing the mirrors, Space Copenhagen analysed the building and its views, and how light changes depending on location.

"The façade is the iconic face of the building," explained Bundgaard Rützou. "We were fascinated by the light both outside the building and inside the rooms. Seeing the constant shift of reflections from the façade is truly distinctive to the hotel."

"We also wanted to somehow incorporate the views of the city from the top floors," he added. "There is a horizontal sequence of windows running from one edge to another. We wanted to echo that aspect inside the rooms, as well."

The result is a set of three slim mirrors that fold out to catch the reflection of the views outside of the window. The mirrors, which are each a different width, can be hung horizontally or vertically and are also available in a shorter version.

The frame is made from bronzed brass while the backside of the mirror is covered with a soft textile to avoid scratches on the wall.

In addition to the mirror and chair, Space Copenhagen also added to its Copenhagen lighting series with a floor light, wall light, table light and desk light version.

Originally designed as a modern version of the old maritime gas lamps that were used to illuminate dark cobblestone streets over a century ago, the Copenhagen series is made from mouth blown, satin opal glass and bronzed brass.

The lamps are each equipped with dimmable LEDs that allow the light temperature to be adjusted from an energy-boosting cold white light to a calming warmer light.

Collection 2018 was presented at the IMM trade show in Cologne last month. Other furniture launches at the fair included art deco-inspired seats by Neri&Hu for Chinese brand Stellar Works, and a range of glass tables by Sebastian Herkner for Pulpo.

For job opportunities at &tradition, visit their company profile on Dezeen Jobs.

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Neri&Hu has created a line of furniture for Chinese brand Stellar Works that pays homage to the art-deco architecture of Shanghai's Bund area.

Launched at IMM Cologne last week, the Bund collection comprises an armchair, a stool and a chair with timber bases and a range of softly curving upholstered seats with pulled-back detailing on the backrest.

The Bund, meaning embankment, is the name given to the waterfront area in central Shanghai. Stellar Works says this part of the city is made up of elements that reflect both its industrial origins and its colonial history.

Inspired by the Bund's varied architecture, Shanghai-based studio designers Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu, who also serve as the creative directors of Stellar Works, wanted to create a collection of furniture that reflected this style.

"The Bund is a symbol of Shanghai's past, present and future," said the brand. "The soft curves and rich fabric finishes observed in the Bund pieces pay homage to the art-deco style, which is permanently ingrained in the DNA of Shanghai."

In addition to the Bund collection, Neri&Hu also unveiled an update to the existing Utility Sofa at IMM Cologne.

Featuring a curved backrest and detachable shelf that hooks over the armrest, the Utility sofa has been reimagined by the designers – resulting in a more refined silhouette that "combines comfort with practicality".

Commenting on the 2018 Collections, Yuichiro Hori, founder and CEO of Stellar Works said: "We are delighted to take part in IMM Cologne for the first time this year and present a series of new designs that reflect our commitment to good design and craftsmanship."

Alongside new pieces by Neri & Hu, Stellar Works also presented highlights from its existing collection, the Blink collection by Yabu Pushelberg, the Slow Collection by Space Copenhagen, the Exchange collection by Crème/Jun A Aizaki and the Valet collection by David Rockwell.

IMM took place in Cologne, Germany from 15 to 21 January.

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Danish brand Menu has enlisted Norm Architects to design a versatile chair for its multi-use co-working space in Copenhagen.

Launched at IMM Cologne earlier this week, the Harbour chair features an enveloping polypropylene and fibreglass shell seat.

Its armrests and a backrest are designed to bend subtly outwards to provide comfort and support.

Described by the brand as striking "a perfect balance between geometry and organic shapes", the Harbour chair was originally designed for Menu's new creative co-working space in the Nordhavn (Northern Harbour) area of Copenhagen.

Named the Menu Space, the destination combines an office, showroom, café, co-working and event space, and therefore, required a chair that could be used in a wide range of settings.

"The Habour Chair is the result of fulfilling a variety of needs," said the brand. "The dining chair is ideal for anything from restaurants, conferences, offices, or in the comfort of one's own home."

The chair comes with a base in either powder-coated steel, natural oak, matt lacquered or smoked stained oak.

The seat is available in black, white, light grey, olive, burned red or khaki.

Norm Architects, founded in 2008 by Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen and Kasper Rønn, were responsible for the design of the Menu Space, which opened last summer.

The office's sparse, concrete interior is inspired by its industrial harbour surroundings, and according to the architects "draws heavy inspiration from strong materials such as concrete and steel."

"We believe that to motivate each other, we need to put the focus on connecting - be it through work, design or engaging with our local community, connecting more encourages both a sense of freedom and a higher purpose," said Menu in a statement.

"It is this very synergy of co-living, co-working and codesigning, which inspired us to form a connected space that blurs the lines between home, work and hospitality."

Known for its minimalist approach, Norm Architects are long-time collaborators with Menu, and have previously worked with the brand on a series of rustic dining rooms at a restaurant in Copenhagen, and a canvas laundry bag made by craftswomen in Nepal as part of a wider project to prevent Nepali women from working in the sex trade.

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Swedish design studio Front has created a collection of colourful rugs, then transformed the design to produce matching poufs.

Front aimed to replicate the tessellating patterns of parquet flooring with the range, which is being launched by rug brand Gan at IMM Cologne this week.

Called Parquet, the collection includes three modular designs: Tetragon, Rhomb and Hexagon. Each of these designs can also be applied to geometric poufs, because the designers have transformed the 2D patterns into nets for 3D shapes.

According to Front, which is led by designers Anna Lindgren and Sofia Lagerkvist, the shapes in each pattern "fit together as a jigsaw puzzle".

"We were inspired by old floors in palaces and churches that often were decorated," they said. "We wanted to create a colourful rug with geometrical patterns."

Tetragon features a variety of different shapes and colours, which fit together in a pattern of octagons and squares. It folds up into a six-sided pouf, with eight-sided surfaces and flattened triangular corners.

Rhomb is a pattern of squares and diamonds, in shades of grey and orange. When folded up, it takes the same shape as the Tetragon pouf.

The Hexagon pattern is more simplistic, made up of striped diamonds that fit together into a honeycomb formation. Its matching pouf has 20 sides.

All of the products are manufactured from wool using an old flat-weaving technique called kilim, which is typical in the Middle East.

"The old craft of parquet flooring were translated by the skilled weavers in the traditional kilim technique," added Front.

Gan is showcasing the Parquet collection in Hall 22 at IMM Cologne, which takes place from 15 to 21 January 2018.

Other highlights from the fair this year include confectionery-inspired glass tables and mirrors inspired by those used by Parisian barbers.

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The plastic mirrors typically found in Parisian barber shops provided the cues for this design by French duo Normal Studio, for Scandinavian brand Muuto.

Launching at IMM Cologne this week, Mimic Mirror is designed by Normal Studio's Jean-François Dingjian and Eloi Chafaï as a contemporary take on the traditional table mirror.

The Paris-based duo based the design on the mirrors they had often observed in barber shops, which typically featured a sculpted pattern on their back.

A soft coated plastic surrounds the mirror's face, contrasting with the solidity of the sculpted cement stand. The designers suggest this gives the mirror a sculptural but friendly appearance.

The product takes its name from the various repetitive elements in the design – from facets around the base of the stand, to a pattern of triangles on the back – but also references the mirror's function.

"Mimic Mirror grew from the idea of having a table mirror with a sculptural expression, making for a design that is both an object of decoration and use," said Dingjian and Chafaï.

"We wanted for the design to exist in harmony with the space in which it is present while adding to the atmosphere of the room through its characteristic
expression. Bringing a new perspective to the traditional table mirror, Mimic has a playful appearance while serving its intended function with a friendly ease."

Mimic Mirror is the first product that Normal Studio has designed for Muuto. It is available in three colours: midnight blue, nude and grey.

Muuto is presenting the mirror at the IMM Cologne furniture fair all this week, along with a range of other recently launched products.

These include the Loft Bar Stools by Danish designer Thomas Bentzen, the Fiber armchairs by Copenhagen studio Iskos-Berlin and the Outline Sofa Chaise Longues by Oslo-based Anderssen & Voll.

With a minimal aesthetic and muted, pastel tones, each of the five products in the collection are intended to complement one another.

IMM Cologne takes place from 15 to 21 January 2018. Other highlights at the fair include Sebastian Herkner's confectionery-inspired glass tables for Pulpo, and Max Enrich's trio of nesting steel coffee tables.

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Sebastian Herkner looked to the dusted surface of Turkish delight when designing this collection of frosted glass side tables for German brand Pulpo.

With a bulbous, toadstool-like form, the translucent Delight tables are made from blown glass with a matt, translucent finish.

Herkner, based in Offenbach am Main, Germany, wanted the table's frosted finish to recall the surface of the jelly-like sweet Turkish delight – or Lokum – that is traditionally dusted in icing sugar.

The Delight tables are available in both small and large sizes as well as a choice of colours including transparent, smoky grey, white or aubergine.

They form part of Pulpo's Crystal Collection, for which Herkner has also designed the Stellar pendant lights – a series of spherical pendant lamps which are also made using frosted glass in transparent, smoky grey, white or aubergine.

Both collections are the latest in a series of handblown glass products designed by Herkner for Pulpo – the German design brand set up by Patrick and Ursula L’hoste in 2006.

Other glass products include the Oda table lamp and the Containers series, which was first launched in 2013.

A number of desingers have recently taken to using glass to create furniture pieces. Amsterdam-based Germans Ermičs created a collection of coloured glass furniture with strong pigments that fade to clear, while Kukka Studio designed a collection of side tables that pastel-hued panes alongside white quartz slabs.

Pulpo's Crystal Collection will launch at the IMM Cologne and Maison&Objet trade shows later this month – taking place from 15 to 21 and 19 to 23  January respectively.

At both shows, fellow design brand Petite Friture will debut a new collection that includes a table and chair set inspired by the practice of martial arts and a set of nesting tables with bulky legs and slender tops.

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The modular nature of this lighting system by Studio Truly Truly is based on the way that different letters are assembled to create words.

Rotterdam-based Studio Truly Truly created the Typography lighting system for Australian brand Rakumba. The product will launch during this year's IMM furniture fair, which takes place in Cologne, Germany later this month.

The entire system is made up of seven different lights and a rail, which the studio describes as "impossibly thin". The rail can be positioned horizontally or vertically and can be built up to create layered lighting solutions.

The lights, which range from long, tubular sconces to round plate-like pendants, can be placed in four different positions along the rail.

Each light can each be controlled independently, allowing users to create and direct different levels of light to the desired part of the room.

Creating a system that allows for an "infinite" amount of combinations was inspired by letters and words, according to Studio Truly Truly.

"The new Typography lighting system is inspired by the way characters form words, and how these can be arranged in relationships to create a language of expression," said the studio.

"Studio Truly Truly have designed a lighting system of exceptional purity of form in their first collaboration with us," said said Michael Murray, director of Rakumba. "Based on the discipline of typography, the system allows for infinite combinations of its several component characters, creating endless configurations or expressions – as we refer to them."

Studio Truly Truly operates from The Netherlands but was founded by Australian designers Joel and Kate Booy.

Previously, the duo created a collection of lamps featuring bendy LED lights arranged in loops, and designed a collection of plaid throws with Hella Jongerius for Eindhoven's TextielMuseum.

Their latest collection designed for Rakumba will launch during this year's IMM furniture fair, taking place in Cologne from 15 to 21 January.

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Sebastian Herkner has created a series of spherical glass pendant lamps for German brand Pulpo that contrast clear curved ridges with smooth frosted glass.

Comprising small, medium and large sizes, the Stellar pendant lamp collection is inspired by stars as seen through a telescope.

Each lamp is composed of two translucent handblown glass hemispheres that are joined either horizontally or vertically.

While one half is sandblasted to create a smooth frosted finish, the other features clear curved ridges that are designed to recall the surface of the moon.

Describing the lamps as "simple forms that utilise the ability of glass to distort and reflect", Pulpo said that the bubbles, streaks and other variations in size and colour that can be seen in the glass are all part of handmade production processes.

Herkner has a longstanding relationship with Pulpo, which has seen the German designer create over 12 products for the brand to date.

Among his previous works are more handblown glass products, such as the Oda table lamp and the Containers series –  first launched in 2013.

The Stellar lamps form part of Pulpo's Crystal Collection, which will launch at the IMM Cologne and Maison&Objet trade shows this month. The lamps are available in clear, white, smoky grey and aubergine colourways.

Fellow design brand Petite Friture will also be at the IMM Cologne and Maison&Objet shows where they will launch a new collection that includes a table and chair set inspired by the practice of martial arts and a set of nesting tables with bulky legs and slender tops.

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Spanish designer Max Enrich has contrasted simple, geometric panels with bulky, tubular legs to create a trio of nesting steel coffee tables.

Designed for French design brand Petite Friture, the THIN tables include three different shapes: a square, a rectangle, and a triangle.

Steel is used to create both the tubular legs and the slender surfaces of the tables.

They all stand at different heights, so that they are able to nest inside one another, creating a more complex shape when combined.

"I create furniture pieces with a purely aesthetic intention," said Enrich.

"They are objects to be observed. Objects in the form of a chair, table or lamp, but objects that play with visual elements, such as form, colour, light or geometry."

According to Enrich, the design is "an amplification of the strength and resistance of a metal".

"A thin tabletop is positioned on oversized legs, which hold it effortlessly," he added.

The tables are coated with grained epoxy paint in a range of colours, including white, burgundy, black, and blue.

Petite Friture was established in 2009, with an aim to champion the work of young French designers. The brand's recent launches include the Abstraction collection, featuring patterned lighting and wallpaper, based on optical illusions and modernist buildings.

THIN forms part of Petite Friture's new Villégiature PF collection, which will launch at both IMM Cologne in Germany and Maison&Objet in Paris, France, later this month.

Other designs in the Villégiature PF range include a sofa by Constance Guisset, patterned wallpaper by Lisa Laubreaux and steel wire shelving by Amandine Chhor.

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Swiss designer Jona Messerli has created a flat-pack table lamp with a lattice-patterned shade made from Japanese shoji paper. 

The Sol light, which launched at IMM Cologne, was made using a digital cutting plotter programmed to create an open-weave pattern.

Its shade is made from two layers of tear-resistant Japanese shoji paper, delivered flat and stretched across a frame. The woven pattern lets the material expand to cover the light without ripping.

The sculptural shade – created with Japanese designer Isamu Noguchi's Akari light sculptures in mind – acts as a diffuser, as well as holding the lightbulb in place. According to the designer, the paper creates an atmospheric glow that "brings the sun indoors".

Design duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have also referred back to Noguchi's work, with a series of paper lanterns made using traditional Japanese methods.

By using LED bulbs, which are cool to the touch, Messerli is able to place Sol's paper covering much closer to the light source. The lamp is assembled using magnets in the frame to hold the shade in place.

Sol was nominated in IMM Cologne's Pure Talents Contest for emerging designers. Products launched at this year's fair include a furniture collection made using a traditional Colombian weaving technique and an ultra-minimal light made using a bent rod that can be rotated to create different effects.

Designers also unveiled a new take on steam-bent furniture, a sombre puppet theatre based on fairytale castles and dappled terrazzo homeware.

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Romanian designers say they are about to storm the world stage – and they're not going to let the lack of home-grown brands, manufacturers or heritage stop them.

Speaking to Dezeen at the IMM Cologne fair earlier this year, young designers from the eastern European nation said their inexperience would not hold them back.

"A couple of us youngsters decided it was time for us to do something on an international scale," designer Mihnea Ghildus told Dezeen.

"We're finally ready for this market."

Among Romanian brands exhibiting in Cologne was Ubikubi, founded by designer Dragos Motica, who said that the ability to make something out of nothing is what defines the Romanian design aesthetic.

Motica agreed that his country's design scene is "slowly but surely taking shape" and that the lack of sophistication in Romanian products is their greatest strength. He described the local style as "clumsy, simple, innocent but honest".

"In all these products it is quite easy to observe some ingenuity and innocence, that are materialising in some simple and honest objects,"  he said.

The Bucharest-based designer kickstarted his own career with a concrete lamp that is supposed to be smashed. His brand's latest offerings include a lamp that is turned on and off by moving a metallic sphere from one indentation to another.

According to Motica, the Romanian design scene had struggled in the past because there weren't enough manufacturing resources to support the country's young designers. But brands like his, which keep prototyping and production in-house, are changing that.

Romania's cultural resurgence creates growing interest in design

Romania's cultural identity has been building ever since it broke away from communist rule until 1989.

Located in southeastern Europe, the country was under a suppressive regime for 47 years. As a result, residents were placed under severe austerity measures, which squashed flourishing art and design groups.

Its transition back towards democracy and capitalism resulted in an economic boom in the 2000s, and encouraged the growing middle and upper classes to invest in design. This cultural revival will see the country host the European Capital of Culture in 2021 in Timișora, a city in western Romania.

As part of Romania's cultural resurgence, this year IMM Cologne invited the country to exhibit as part of a segment established for companies that are too small to have their own stand.

After successfully exhibiting in previous years, Romania was one of the top 10 exporters in the section, which also includes India, Indonesia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Taiwan, Russia, Moldova, Kosovo and Ukraine.

Both Ghildus and Motica were exhibiting as part of the 14 designers representing the country's national pavilion.

Ghildus' Bucharest-based design brand, Dizainar, showcased an array of crafts-focused furniture like chairs covered with traditional Romanian patterns, papier-mache lamp shades and stools carved from tree-trunks.

"We are exploring and discovering a lot of new things," Ghildus explained.

"The Romanian design identity is very versatile. There's a saying in Romania that we can make something out of nothing and make it work as well."

Romanian Design Week champions the country's entrepreneurial spirit

Since 2013, Romania's fledgling design scene has also been boosted by Romanian Design Week, a small but growing festival that takes place in the capital city Bucharest each May.

Mihai Gurei, who curated the craft design section of last year's Romanian Design Week, said the annual exhibition has pushed local designers to think critically about the market for their designs, in preparation for global design events.

"There is a very young, entrepreneurial spirit here," Gurei told Dezeen.

"I am pretty sure that next year you are going to see Romanian designs at international fairs in Paris or Milan, that's for sure, I can guarantee you," he said.

Although admitting the design scene is "still at the beginning", Gurei, who runs a design store in Bucharest called Intro, claims that Romania's craft-driven aesthetic taps into the growing international interest in the use of natural materials in design.

Cork, ceramic and wood are popular materials among local designers, along with a focus on contemporary updates to traditional Romanian craft, Gurei said.

"In Romania you still cannot create products in plastic, because we still don't have manufacturing for plastics, so you'll see mostly natural materials," he said. "But this is a good thing for us, because it goes with international trends."

"There is a lot of enthusiasm, some traditional influences, and also an aim to align to international tendencies," he continued. "It is shifting fast and is trying to adapt to local customers' craving for new trends."

The success of the design week has also helped to change the perception of design in the country and expose the designers to a growing local audience, Gurei added.

"Until 2013 there was no feeling regarding a local design scene," he said. "The general public was not aware there were Romanian products available on the market, and young designers were thinking that it was impossible to start a career in Romania."

"But there is more pragmatism now, the quality improved a lot, and more people are starting to work in the design field," he added. "We have now local brands and smaller manufacturers willing to collaborate with designers."

New workspaces and production facilities help Romania hold onto talent

Gurei also noted that the capital has seen a rise in the number of co-working studios that have offered the design community tools and spaces for collaboration.

One example is NOD Makerspace, billed as a "playground for young designers to use different tools and create things". Its services include 3D printing and furniture production.

The company is based in Bucharest, but is considering opening branches around the country.

"The emerging of NOD Makerspace project one year ago is the proof that interest in design culture is increasing," said assistant manager Irina Mocanu.

These new facilities are encouraging the country's young designers, many of whom move abroad to study, to bring their talents back home.

Among them is architect-turned-fashion-designer Ioana Ciolacu who studied at London College of Fashion before working in the UK capital for world-renowned designer Stella McCartney.

Ciolacu moved back to Bucharest to make the most of the low cost of production after finding it "almost impossible" to establish her own brand in London.

"I realised production is really nice in Romania," she said. "I can actually see [the process] and the people I am working with. Prices aren't that high, so I can sell cheaper."

One Romanian designer who has already burst onto the global market is Cosmin Cioroiu. He co-founded Oslo-based product design studio Noidoi, which has showcased at Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, Milan design week and NYCxDesign.

Although aware that Romanian design will face tough competition at an international level, Cioroiu believes there is a positive future ahead in the hands of its ambitious designers.

"There is a certain hunger in Romanian designers and the brands to come on the market, and they want that," he told Dezeen. "The scene is at its beginnings, but it is blooming. I am excited to see what happens next."

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Israeli designer Bar Gantz has created a collection of furniture by steam-bending wood into twisted shapes.

The collection – which was included in Dezeen's list of 12 of the best products by up-and-coming designers at IMM Cologne 2017 – includes a table, trestle, shelf and mirror.

The bending process for each piece involves heating thin pieces of wood in a steam box, which makes them pliable enough to be moulded into curves.

After spending months researching the technique, Gantz became particularly fascinated with using it to create twists.

She began experimenting with ways of incorporating these shapes into furniture, using them in place of traditional supports.

"When I was first introduced to this technology, I immediately saw the potential, as well as the magic," said the designer, who completed the series as part of her final project at the Holon Institute of Technology.

"I fell in love with the idea of bringing back to life an old, traditional and ecological expertise," she said.

The coffee table has a circular tabletop supported by three strips of wood, which are bent into upside-down U-shapes.

Each of the legs is slightly twisted, and they are joined together at the top to provide additional support.

The trestle is also made from a pair of bent strips that run alongside each other, but split to form legs. Each of the legs is held in position with additional U-shaped strips of wood.

For the mirror, Gantz used a single piece of wood that twists around to form a support, while the shelf curves in the centre to form a flat surface for displaying objects.

This year's IMM Cologne trade fair took place from 16 to 22 January 2017.

Other new products on display at the fair this year included tinted glass shelving by Werner Aisslinger that can be customised online, and furniture made using a traditional Colombian weaving technique.

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Belgian studio Robbrecht en Daem has turned its hand to children's toys with a puppet theatre created for design brand Valerie Objects.

Robbrecht en Daem, which previously designed the Market Hall in Ghent, blended modern architecture with the typical shapes of fairytale castles to create a pointed facade.

The puppet theatre, which comes in red or black painted wood, launched at this year's IMM Cologne furniture fair.

A pair of pitched "medieval-like" rooftops top the structure, which includes various cut-out sections and shuttered windows to accommodate the theatrical action. The structure can be folded into itself when not in use, for storage.

"It is a return to my childhood," said the firm's founder Paul Robbrecht. "As a kid I grew up in a small town in Flanders called Lovendegem. Every week a local family set up a puppet show in the tiny backroom of a cafe. It felt like a miniature theatre. I was utterly mesmerised."

Robbrecht used the same measurement system applied to every other project his firm tackles – based on the numbers three, five and seven, and the proportions used by architect Louis Kahn.

The theatre is intended as an alternative to the "foul cacophony of shapes and colours" that feature in many toy shops, with its more sober appearance designed to encourage children to use their imagination.

"This theatre is similar to a box of wooden blocks," said Robbrecht, who became a temporary puppetmaster to test the structure on his own grandchildren, who reacted "quite positively".

Valerie Objects has collaborated with several designers, including releasing a collection of quirky cutlery made by Maarten Baas and Koichi Futatsumata.

Other labels that have launched products aimed at children include Magis, which worked with Big-Game to release a chair that could be adjusted as kids grow, and Kartell, which unveiled a range of plastic furniture designed by the likes of Philippe Starck and Nendo.

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In this movie Dezeen produced for Caesarstone, New York designer Todd Bracher explains why he chose to merge multiple rooms into one for his Das Haus installation at IMM Cologne 2017.

IMM Cologne's annual Das Haus installation tasks a designer with presenting their vision for a modern living space each year.

Bracher's concept for 2017 was to imagine what a home would look like if architects and designers were not limited by the architecture of traditional western houses, in which rooms are designated for specific functions.

"The idea was to find a way to shed away the architecture that we're normally exposed to and to go back to the essentials of what it is to live in the home," he explains in the movie, which was filmed at the furniture fair last month.

Bracher's installation consisted of three zones, including a darkened room for rest, relaxation and meditation, and an outdoor alcove with a shower for washing.

Bracher combined all the other functions of the home into a central space that he calls the "sustenance room", which featured a huge counter in the centre made from a quartz surface by Caesarstone.

"If you look how the home has evolved over the past 30 years, there's this evolution towards a kind of open-plan life, but we haven't really scratched through it," Bracher explains.

"We're dependent on living from what the architecture provides us with. So this project is the next generation – literally to merge multiple rooms into one."

Bracher used a simple material palette throughout his installation, which comprised a Douglas fir frame wrapped with a skin of semi-sheer pink fabric.

He selected a Caesarstone product called Sleek Concrete for the table to complement these other materials.

"We really wanted a material that felt monolithic, a material that felt neutral, and at the same time a material that's very strong and robust for communicating a pure, honest message," he explains.

"It's familiar, but it's also not traditional, and finding that balance for me was really important to help ground the space."

For Bracher, the central table is where he envisages all the daily activities in the home taking place.

"It's effectively a single point where we bring everybody together," he says.

"Folks could be cooking, they could be assembling, creating, destroying, learning, telling stories, sharing. It's about combining multiple aspects of sustaining your body, sustaining your mind and your spirit."

Dezeen filmed this movie for Caesarstone at IMM Cologne 2017, which took place from 16 to 22 January 2017.

The first Das Haus was realised by London duo Doshi Levien in 2012, followed by Italian designer Luca Nichetto's iteration in 2013.

In 2014, Copenhagen designer Louise Campbell converged two shingle-clad houses, using rolls of textiles between timber posts to create interior walls, while Neri & Hu's installation in 2015 was designed to "unsettle people".

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From a copper clock that uses perfume to tell time to spotted terrazzo tables and steam-bent wooden homeware, here are 12 standout products by up-and-coming designers showcased at IMM Cologne.

The annual January furniture and interiors show is the first trade event of the year, establishing trends for the months to come. Well-known designers including Sebastian Herkner and Werner Aisslinger launched products at this year's event.

There was also a showcase of emerging designers, and we've picked out 12 of the best.

Es Liegt Was in Der Luft by Patrick Palcic

Perfume leaks at hourly intervals from holes punctured into the copper face of this clock, created by German designer Patrick Palcic to offer an alternative way to tell time.

"From the uppermost hole, at 12 o'clock, the first liquid flows over the copper plate and leaves a trace on the surface," the designer explained. "The shell heats up and the first essence floats in the air."

Find out more about Patrick Palcic's Es Liegt Was in Der Luft clock ›

Collecta by Alberto Bellamoli

Candleholders, four bowls and two coffee tables make up by Italian designer Alberto Bellamoli's series of terrazzo homeware, patterned with large spots of leftover marble.

"I found the combination of terrazzo mixture and marble pebbles," he told Dezeen. "I cast a big block of terrazzo, and let it age for one month with the right conditions of humidity and temperature, almost like a handcrafted Italian salami."

Find out more about Alberto Bellamoli's Collecta homeware ›

Steam bending furniture by Bar Gantz

Israeli design Bar Gantz adapted the traditional wood-working technique of steam bending to twist thin strips of wood, making a mirror frame and a shelf.

"Wood bending composes of mainly bending the wood, however, I found the twisting of the wood fascinating and implemented this into every product," said Gantz.

Neo by Bernhard Osann

This ultra-minimal light by German designer Bernhard Osann is made out of a bent piece of rod so that it can lean against a wall and be rotated to create different illumination effects.

"I worked on a normal standing lamp and I had problems with the base and I got a bit angry and broke it," Osann told Dezeen. "Neo is a standing lamp without a base and without a lampshade."

Find out more about Bernhard Ossan's Neo light ›

Flexit by Pieter Peulen

After struggling for space in his student apartment, Pieter Peulen, a Belgian designer, combined a bed, desk and wardrobe into one piece of furniture to maximise space.

"I was looking for the perfect solution for this housing problem," he told Dezeen. "You can put the whole construction together in a room or split the compartments and put one part on the left side of the room and the other part on the right side."

Find out more about Pieter Peulen's Flexit furniture ›

The Colour of Hair by Fabio Hendry and Martijn Rigters

Searching for a sustainable alternative to ink, London-based designers Fabio Hendry and Martijn Rigters burnt human hair to create etch-like patterns across aluminium stools.

"For us it was important that we have a constant material supply," Hendry told Dezeen. "There are plenty of hairdressers so the material supply is aways guaranteed."

Find out more about Fabio Hendry and Martijn Rigters' The Colour of Hair stools ›

Nascondino by Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte

Belgian designer Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte used felt to create these alcoves that offer private seating areas – and opportunities for hide-and-seek – in contemporary open-plan spaces.

"Reminiscent of the youthful days of hide-and-seek, Nascondino creates a new space in which we can lose ourselves in reverie," he explained. "When we leave our feet poking out, it's usually because we want to be found."

Find out more about Pierre-Emmanuel Vandeputte's Nascondino chairs ›

Edge Tables by Roee Magdassi

A handle on this coffee table by Roee Magdassi, an Israeli designer, features a handle that makes it easy to carry around. When not in use, the handle becomes a raised edge that ensures nothing slips off the tabletop.

"Edge is a set of two coffee tables, which can be used either outdoor or indoor," said Magdassi. "The tables are made of powder-coated steel and aluminium and feature a carrying handle, which has both visual and functional values."

Major Tom by David Ciernicki

German designer David Ciernicki designed a rubber conical connection that makes assembling this modular table quick and easy. Its legs fold up into a cylinder when closed.

"The key component is a conical steep thread onto which module elements are screwed by a simple 90-degree rotation," Ciernicki explained. "With a click, an automatic mechanism secures this connection."

Pong by Simon Diener

Named Pong, Simon Diener's pendant light features a long cable with a heavy battery at the end that acts as the counterweight, so that it can be slung across furniture.

"The cable is not simply defined as a power line, instead it primarily serves a mechanical function, as a chord that allow the lamp to be loosely slung over banisters, suspended from beams or anywhere else," said the German designer.

Pico Balla by Enzo Zak Lux

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German designer Bernhard Osann curved a rod to make this simple light, which leans against a wall and can be rotated to create different effects.

Osann designed the Neo light, which was unveiled at this year's IMM Cologne furniture fair, after breaking the base of a previous design.

Trying to find another way to support the standing lamp, he bent the steel rod in two places so it could rest stably against a wall.

The minimal shape also allows the light to be rotated, offering either direct or indirect illumination without the need for a lampshade.

"I worked on a normal standing lamp and I had problems with the base and I got a bit angry and broke it," Osann told Dezeen. "Neo is a standing lamp without a base and without a lampshade."

LED modules are embedded in the profile of the upper part of the rod. When facing the wall, they create a diffused glow against the surface, while turning the lights away offers a sharper illumination.

Silicon is used for the points where the lamp leans against wall and touches the floor to secure the standing position, while cooling vents on the reverse of the upper lighting segment prevent overheating.

Neo was on display at IMM Cologne, which took place from 16 to 22 January 2017. Other products that launched at this year's event include mirrors by Meike Harde that sit askew in their frames, a hybrid bed-desk by Pieter Peulen and a copper clock by Patrick Palcic that uses perfume to tell time.

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Sebastian Herkner's Caribe furniture range is produced by craftsmen in Santa Marta, Colombia, using a traditional technique many learn at school.

The collection, which has been made for German furniture manufacturer Ames, uses bright contrasting weaving to bring a "Caribbean mood" to interiors.

Strands of brightly-coloured plastic are wrapped around a tubular steel framework to form interlaced tabletops and seats.

"They are handmade, they might have imperfections, but they have their specific beauty," said Herkner. "On the one hand our environment is becoming more and more transparent and connected, but on the other hand we appreciate real tactility and values."

Round tables feature woven "skirts" that wrap around the legs, while chairs have stripe-patterned backs made from wrapped plastic threads.

Each piece from the collection is hand-woven in one of six colour combinations, including bright contrasts between orange and blue, and green and pink.

Herkner was approached by Ames company owner, Ana Maria Calderon Kayser, to design a collection two years ago.

He "fell in love" with the idea of working with Colombian craftsmen, after seeing furniture in the country made using traditional techniques.

"I saw these colourful crafted rocking chairs in the courtyards of houses and hotels," he told Dezeen. "Made of basic structural steel and coloured plastic tubes, they reflect the culture of Colombia – the joy and hospitality."

"Since I established my design practice about ten years ago, my studio has been interested in crafts, colours, techniques and technologies," he added. "The Caribe range gives a Caribbean mood to your terrace."

Other contemporary furniture that incorporates traditional crafts includes Studio Ilse's scoop-patterned hand-carved benches, and Wingårdhs' hand chiselled "tattooed" stools.

The Caribe range debuted at IMM Cologne 2017, which took place from 16 to 22 January. Other products that launched at this year's event include mirrors by Meike Harde that sit askew in their frames, a hybrid bed-desk by Pieter Peulen and a copper clock by Patrick Palcic that uses perfume to tell time.

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A group of design students from Germany's Angewandte Kunst Schneeberg have created a collection of furniture made of felt wrapped around simple wooden frameworks. 

The students used fibre composite Lanisor – a lightweight, flexible felt-like material – combining it with wooden panels and dowels.

Shown at furniture fair IMM Cologne, the range includes a bench made from only a single pair of rods, with Lanisor threaded through and zigzagging around them, and a cradle with a removable felt bed that can be transformed into a hanging seat.

The furniture is designed to explore the felt's potential, and contrast its "haptically appealing" surface with wood's solidity.

"The material Lanisor opens up new possibilities in use," Angewandte Kunst Schneeberg's head of Wood Design Jacob Strobel told Dezeen. "It combines the characteristics of felt and a plate material."

"The challenge was to get a 3D shape out of a flat material just by cutting, folding and sticking parts together," added Strobel.

The pieces are designed to be both long-lasting and, in some cases, customisable. The baby's cradle is intended to be used throughout a child's life, becoming a swing once its purpose as a bed is outgrown.

The students used traditional woodworking tools and machines to shape the felt, which can be folded much like paper but remains as stiff as wood.

Students made the most of Lanisor's flexibility, bending it around simple wooden frameworks to form shelving with an unusual curved structure. A slanted bookshelf has shelves made from wooden panels slicing through the felt.

A series of stacking boxes is made from pieces of felt that slot into one another, and are held in place by wooden dowels.

Students at the Bartlett School of Architecture have also experimented with the possibilities of felt, using it to create a composite material that could be stitched together to create tubular furniture.

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Italian designer Alberto Bellamoli has added to the growing trend for terrazzo, unveiling homeware patterned with coloured marble spots.

Launched at this year's IMM Cologne furniture fair, the Collecta series features candleholders, as well as four bowls and two coffee tables in different sizes.

Terrazzo, which is made from scraps of marble, has been used for centuries as a construction and finish material in buildings – most commonly flooring – thanks to its durability.

But a number of recent products have taken the material out of its usual context, like Besler & Sons' wedge-shaped home accessories, and the collection of speckle-topped tables Simon Legald created for Normann Copenhagen.

Bellamoli's take on terrazzo is distinguished by its large hunks of inlaid marble, which are so rounded as to look like dots. He has used two different colour combinations – a white base with marble spots in hues of green, and a darker base speckled with beige.

Bellamoli, who is based in Denmark, returned to his hometown near Verona, Italy to experiment with composition and design for the homeware series, aiming to give what the locals describe as "poor man's marble" a new use.

The industrial designer worked with local craftsman to develop a method for creating almost spherical marble chips.

He combined these with a terrazzo mixture of smaller marble chips, granite and concrete to create a large block, which he left to set and age for one month.

After curing, Bellamoli sliced the hardened​ ​terrazzo blocks into different thicknesses before using a CNC machine to shape the different homewares.

"I worked with one of the oldest marble chip suppliers in Italy to create super round pebbles of marble," the designer told Dezeen. "After that, I found the combination of terrazzo mixture and marble pebbles."

"I cast a big block of terrazzo, and let it age for one month with the right conditions of humidity and temperature, almost like a handcrafted Italian salami."

He finished the process by hand, polishing the pieces to reveal the different patterns created by the stones.

Other recent applications of terrazzo have included a camouflaged furniture installation by Max Lamb and inside a Singapore restaurant by Barber and Osgerby's Universal Design Studio.

Australian designer Brodie Neill also reinvented the technique, using fragments of recycled ocean plastic to construct a table.

Collecta was on display at IMM Cologne, which took place from 16 to 22 January 2017. Other products that launched at this year's event include mirrors by Meike Harde that sit askew in their frames, a hybrid bed-desk by Pieter Peulen and a copper clock by Patrick Palcic that uses perfume to tell time.

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German designer Meike Harde has created a pair of patterned mirrors for Pulpo with protruding frames that can be used to hang coats or jewellery.

Launched last week at furniture fair IMM Cologne, the Miro mirrors come in two flat-packed designs – a large free-standing model and a smaller version that can be mounted to the wall in various combinations.

Although they appear flat from some angles, both mirrors sit within three-dimensional rectangular frames that can double as coat racks or hangers.

The mirrors also feature a marbled surface created without copper or lead. Harde came across the process during project research and designed Miro to put the focus on this interesting pattern.

Near-invisible fixtures create the appearance that the mirrors are balancing within their minimal frames.

"I was thinking about suitable shapes which would show this very decorative, very organic pattern," Harde told Dezeen. "It's the reason I decided to work with a minimal frame."

"It's just a steel frame, and you can assemble it yourself," Harde continued. "It's flat-packed — this is also a key idea of the project, that you can shape it easily."

The larger design comprises a rectangular mirror set askew within a frame that Harde describes as "creating a room within a room".

During the design process, she realised that this space had the ability to function as a wardrobe, "because you dress yourself in front of the mirror", introducing a customisable dimension to the design.

The second design sits within a wall-mounted steel frame. It can be displayed at any angle that the user chooses when assembling the product.

Despite its smaller framework, the wall mirror can also be used as a hanger, this time to store smaller possessions, such as jewellery.

Harde set up her own design studio in 2013. Among her previous designs are glass platters that contain pressed plants and a range of benches made of foam mats fixed to wooden frames with elastic bands.

The Miro mirrors were on display at IMM Cologne, which took place from 16 to 22 January 2017. Other products that launched at this year's event include a hybrid bed-desk frame by Pieter Peulen and a copper clock by Patrick Palcic that uses perfume to tell time.

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German footwear brand Birkenstock has moved into the bedroom, adapting the principles behind its famous sandals to a collection of beds launched at this year's IMM Cologne furniture fair.

Best known for its open-toed shoes with contoured soles, Birkenstock's new sleep systems include mattresses, slatted frames and six styles of beds made using the brand's signature mixture of granulated cork and natural latex.

Since the 1930s, Birkenstock has created orthopaedic footbeds by studying the anatomy of the foot and using natural materials and shape to stabilise it.

The brand has now broadened its focus to the entire musculoskeletal system. It claims the resulting bed systems, which feature a high level of elasticity and individual contouring, promote a more restful night's sleep.

"The Birkenstock principles for walking and standing are now being applied to lying and sleeping comfort," said the brand.

"Just as the Birkenstock footbed fits the natural form of the foot, the form of these sleep systems is attuned to the entire body," it continued. "Their exceptional support ensures healthy and restful sleep."

The brand created its beds based on research by Germany's Ergonomie Institut München and worked with the Austrian upholstered furniture manufacturer ADA to realise the project.

Its bed designs are built from three elements: a base, a dual-layered mattress and a surrounding frame.

Several of the bases feature undulating beech wood slats in different shapes for various body types. Another bed base features elastic discs that are made of cork, like the brand's shoes, and set on springs to relieve pressure on the body.

Mattresses range from wave-shaped to flat, and feature a support layer made of natural latex with granulated cork that the brand designed to be shock absorbent.

The support layer rests on a base layer of either natural latex, a cold foam made with plant-based oils, or a micro-pocket spring mattress. Three different levels of firmness are available.

The bed bases and mattresses are designed to sit in Birkenstock's new bed frames, of which the brand showed six models at this year's IMM Cologne. Their headboards feature more cork, as well as jute, leather and wool-felt.

Each one is named after a different city and styled to suit different interiors. The Sao Paulo version has leather piping, while the Montreal features a solid oak base patterned like the tread of Birkenstock's shoes.

For the Canberra design, the headboard is made from hand-sewn extra-thick leather that marks with regular use, and the bed frame is covered in fine wool felt.

A mix of real leather, loden cloth made from Tyrolean mountain sheep's wool and pure wood cover Maine's rounded headboard, while leather straps on the Montevideo and Iona create a way to store newspapers and other bedside reading material.

Established in 1777, Birkenstock recently had a renaissance on high-fashion catwalks. Designers like Yves Behar have contributed to its collections.

IMM Cologne took place from 16 to 22 January 2017. Products launched at the fair include a hybrid bed-desk frame by Pieter Peulen that helps students make the most of tiny living spaces and stools by Fabio Hendry and Martijn Rigters featuring patterns made from burnt hair.

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Chairs that sculptor and painter Roman Modzelewski designed in the 1950s are available to purchase for the first time as part of a new collection launched by Polish brand Vzor at IMM Cologne. 

Up until now, the chairs in Vzor's Iconic Design collection have only been displayed in museums as prototypes.

The collection launched at this year's IMM Cologne fair, where Danish company Brdr. Krüger also presented a new line of furniture from a 1950s design – the Triiio table collection by architect Hans Bølling.

"Mid-century modern is timeless, it looks up-to-date right now," Vzor's Michal Woch told Dezeen. "Vzor's concept is to identify the historic original projects that have never been manufactured on a larger scale and adapt them to 21st-century needs."

To this end, Vzor has produced three of Modzelewski's prototypes. Influenced by impressionism, Modzelewski experimented with form and colour, and used modern materials.

"Our key designer is Roman Modzelewski because as a sculptor and a painter he would experiment with different materials and he didn't accept the typical limitations," Woch said.

"Only some years ago we were able to make his design an up-to-date product with modern technologies."

Handmade in 1958, the RM58 chair – which features a seat and armrest scooped out of fibreglass – is one of the earliest Polish examples of polyester-glass laminate furniture. Vzor describes its unusual shape as having no counterpart in Poland at the time.

As with the historic version, the chair is made using technologies applied in yacht construction. However, the team has adapted the production process so that it can quickly and easily make large batches of chairs.

Vzor has also made a matt version of the chair in new colours chosen with the patent holder – Modzelewski's widow, Wera Modzelewska – as well as an upholstered version.

The Polish brand has also produced Modzelewski's RM56 Wood chair. Made in plywood bent in two directions, the design was one of the first to explore the plastic properties of the material.

Vzor has slightly altered the original shell of the seat, which Woch says provides a better connection with the metal legs. The brand has also produced Modzelewski's 1956 version of the chair, made from PVC.

The final of Modzelewski's products in the collection is the angular RM57 chair, designed in 1957. Vzor's challenge was to create a comfortable upholstered seat that followed the simple diagonal lines of the original.

"Complete redesign of the seat manufacturing technologies, in particular its internal structure, enabled us to offer a product faithful to the original that at the same time guarantees surprising comfort," said the brand.

A 1955 wire mesh chair prototype by designer Czesław Knothe also features in the collection.

Knothe was forced to experiment with wire mesh due to the lack of materials available in Poland at the time. The only prototype of the chair is stored in the National Museum in Warsaw.

IMM Cologne took place from 16 to 22 January 2017. Products launched at the fair include a hybrid bed-desk frame by Pieter Peulen that helps students make the most of tiny living spaces and stools by Fabio Hendry and Martijn Rigters featuring patterns made from burnt hair.

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Perfume leaks at hourly intervals onto the copper face of this clock by German designer Patrick Palcic, which was presented at this year's IMM Cologne.

Palcic created the clock, named Es Liegt was in Der Luft – or There Is Something in the Air – to offer an alternative way to tell the time.

"The olfactory clock allows the user to experience the passage of time in a different way," Palcic told Dezeen. "Instead of the time being read, as with other timepieces, it hangs in the air and is inhaled."

Instead of hands, 12 small holes are punctured around the perimeter. Each hour is assigned a different fragrance, which is in the mechanism behind the clock face.

The copper dish turns slowly, so that its perforations hit 12 o'clock at hourly intervals, triggering a drop of essence to be released.

The perfume trickles down the copper face, which is heated up to cause the scent to evaporate. It also it oxidises the metal, leaving lighter markings on the surface.

"From the uppermost hole, at 12 o'clock, the first liquid flows over the copper plate and leaves a trace on the surface," the designer explained. "The shell heats up and the first essence floats in the air."

"The expiration repeats itself an hour later, only the plate is advanced by a hole," he continued. "The process starts from the beginning."

Es Liegt was in Der Luft is one of a number of atypical clocks. Among them is Breaded Escalope's touch-responsive clock that tells the time with shadows, while Zelf Koelman's Ferrolic clock uses magnetic ferrofluid to tell the time.

IMM Cologne takes place from 16 to 22 January 2017. Products launching at the fair include a collection of tables designed by architect Hans Bølling, a hybrid bed-desk frame by Pieter Peulen that helps students make the most of tiny living spaces and stools by Fabio Hendry and Martijn Rigters featuring patterns made from burnt hair.

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German designer Thomas Schnur's 21 Common Things exhibition at IMM Cologne pays tribute to everyday objects including watering cans, plastic bags and clothes pegs.

The show is based on the designer's book of the same name, which explores Schnur's experiences and thoughts related to different products.

"These are objects you don't know who designed them, who produced them, who invented them and if you start to research about them you find no clear information," he explained.

Schnur chose objects for their ubiquity, including mass-produced items such as plastic bags, chopsticks and wire coat hangers that would appear similar regardless of where in the world they are used.

"These kinds of objects are part of our lives and our personal environments, if we want it or not," he told Dezeen.

Schnur's own personal experiences played a part, with objects in the book arranged in chronological order as they related to his memories from childhood onwards.

For the exhibition, the designer arranged the objects on pieces he designed himself in recent years, placing a green plastic watering can and a plunger on side tables created back in 2014. Meanwhile, chopsticks and a glass ashtray appear on his Stand Up shelf.

Many of Schnur's own projects have been based on or inspired by everyday objects. In 2016 he presented a collection of pieces inspired by traffic cones and metal barriers. He has also designed tables based on the shape of classic Parisian bistro furniture.

"The exhibition is a mediator to bring people from physical objects to ideas and thoughts, and with this to win a new perspective on apparently familiar things and stereotypes," he said.

21 Common Objects is on display at furniture fair IMM Cologne, which began on 16 January and continues to 22 January.

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Alain Berteau's hybrid bed-bench and Alain Gilles' easy-to-assemble chair are among the Belgian designs featured in an installation of monochrome office furniture at this year's IMM Cologne.

The MAD office installation features the 11 designers selected by fashion and design centre MAD Brussels to furnish its co-working space, which is set to open in Brussels later this year.

The working space of MAD Brussels will be all white — a blank cube that highlights the current Belgian design – and all the chosen furniture will be black, grey and white. It is also all sourced from Brussels-based designers.

Alongside Berteau and Gilles, other featured designers include Benoît Deneufbourg, Beaverhausen, Coralie Miessen, Hors Piste, Jean-François D'or, Julien Renault, Nathalie Dewez, PJ Mares and Sylvain Willenz.

Products include Berteau's Keypad seating system, which turns a bench into a daybed for napping, an armchair or a sofa.

It is accompanied by the Keyboard desk – a flat-packed "soft-desking" system upholstered in noise-absorbing material.

Gilles' plywood Buzzifloat chair intends to use the minimum amount of material for maximum comfort. It slots together easily like a foam-board mock-up, with a flexible back support for extra comfort.

Bold architectural shapes informed Beaverhausen's lacquered metal Elements bookends, which are shown in a papyrus white. Other desk accessories by the studio include a letter holder for storing napkins, papers and business cards.

Aluminium side tables by Hors Piste are also included. Made using a hand-casting process, each piece in the collection, named Hors Série, features different sand-printed markings.

Three products by D'Or feature in the display, including a black aluminium tray that can also be used as a placemat. D'Or's June table features a long top and storage space beneath, where a collection of the designer's stackable wooden July trays slot inside.

The Sanba table by PJ Mares, which designer Tom Mares described as showing "the logic of the Scandinavians and the sexiness of the Italians", is also included in the installation.

Alongside it are Renault's round and rectangular marble side tables, which can be used in different combinations. It features technology to charge any electronic device.

Rounding out the installation are Miessen's modular floor tiles made of felt waste from industrial production, Deneufbourg's handmade solid ash Paddle Chair, Dewez' Elipse pendant light and Willenz's Radar chair.

"MAD's mission is to promote young entrepreneurs, to encourage new initiatives and to support all passionates of fashion and design in order to strengthen their development and growth in these fields, inside and outside of Brussels," said the MAD Office.

Furniture fair IMM Cologne takes place from 16 to 22 January 2017. Products launching at the fair include a collection of tables designed by architect Hans Bølling, customisable glass shelving by Werner Aisslinger and stools by Fabio Hendry and Martijn Rigters featuring patterns made from burnt hair.

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A bed, desk and wardrobe are all combined into the framework of this piece of furniture, created by designer Pieter Peulen to allow students to maximise space, and on show at this year's IMM Cologne furniture fair.

Peulen, a Belgian designer, was prompted to create Flexit after finding it difficult to furnish and personalise his own student bedroom, due to lack of space.

"During my studies I was living in student accommodation," said Peulen. "Those rooms were hard to furnish because they were very small, hard to personalise and not flexible."

"I was looking for the perfect solution for this housing problem," he told Dezeen.

Flexit is made up of two compartments with a vertical frame at each end. A horizontal frame slotted between can be arranged on three levels to create a bed, a desk or a bunk bed.

A set of clips allows students to arrange a nightstand, a shelf and baskets, as well as a wardrobe and mirror in different configurations around the frame.

"The horizontal frame is designed in order that every standard board material perfectly fits in it," Peulen explained. "This board material can transform the frame into a desk, and you can also put a mattress on the frame and turn it into a bed."

Each frame weighs about eight kilograms and is designed to be easy to assemble – Peulen estimates that it takes only 20 minutes. The two compartments can also be separated to allow for different arrangements in various spaces.

"You can put the whole construction together in a room or split the compartments and put one part on the left side of the room and the other part on the right side," he continued.

"This creates endless possibilities so you can use and take Flexit with you your whole life."

Flexit is the latest furniture piece designed to make the most of every inch of the floors, walls and even ceilings, as living spaces get smaller and smaller.

Other recent solutions include a hanging storage system by Jordi Iranzo, a space-efficient box by Till Könneker and a shelving system that comprises three interchangeable desktops by Matej Chabera.

IMM Cologne takes place from 16 to 22 January 2017. Products launching at the fair include a collection of tables designed by architect Hans Bølling, customisable glass shelving by Werner Aisslinger and stools by Fabio Hendry and Martijn Rigters featuring patterns made from burnt hair.

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London-based designers Fabio Hendry and Martijn Rigters have used burnt human hair to create patterns on aluminium stools, which they are presenting at this year's IMM Cologne furniture fair. 

Hendry and Rigters developed their own technique for transforming the abundant natural material into a sustainable ink for printing patterns on metal.

The duo chose human hair, allowing them to use offcuts from local hairdressers. They then referenced both old ceramic techniques and modern printing techniques – like etching and screen printing – to refine their process.

"For us it was important that we have a constant material supply," Hendry told Dezeen. "There are plenty of hairdressers so the material supply is aways guaranteed."

"We've developed this technique that we can create patterns on different types of metals."

Called The Colour of Hair, the stools feature seats with curved edges, and uprights that extend down from two edges.

During manufacture, all of these parts are placed inside a reconfigured industrial barbecue grill for 10 minutes.

Hair is then applied to each of the heated panels for five to 10 seconds, carbonising instantly so that it acts as a form of ink that has similarities to etching and anodising. Afterwards, the sheets are rinsed and cooled.

The reaction is caused by the hair's main protein, keratin. The transformation during the process is permanent and durable.

"We use proteins as a printing matter, and in our case we've been using hair because hair is a protein and the largest part of this protein is keratin, so it works even better," Hendry explained.

"We heat up the aluminium for five minutes and then after these five minutes we apply hair onto it and when the hair touches the hot surface it carbonises, which means it sorts of liquifies and penetrates the aluminium and leaves an imprint, but the hair dissolves on this impact, so there's no hair there anymore," he continued.

This is not the first time that leftover human hair has been recycled by designers. Zsofia Kollar used it to create a series of scented objects, including a wall hanging and a U-shaped necklace, while Ola Giertz stuffed clumps into plastic pouffes for padding.

Hendry and Rigters have developed five different techniques using a range of hair lengths to create a variety of patterns for the stools, as well as counters, shelves and tiles.

One involves trimming short hair to create a fine powder. This is pushed through a sheet material with holes, similar to screen-printing, leaving an imprint identical to the template.

"We trim the hair into very fine powder and this powder we treat as ink," Hendry explained. "We push through a stencil and we get a negative of the image."

"Any digital image can be transformed into a rasterised vector or bitmap, which can then be cut out by laser, or transformed with an emulsion onto metal-mesh in order to make the stencil."

Hair shavings are applied by directly sieving hair fibres through multiple meshes with different hole sizes. The longer the sprinkle, the darker the prints get, allowing for different colour gradients.

Medium length hair stands can be used to create a marble pattern.  The hair is evenly distributed onto a backing paper and sprayed with a liquid mixture of hair-gel and water.

It is then pressed in a heat press for two minutes into a flat sheet. The gel hardens and the water dissolves, creating a strong joint where the single hair-fibres overlap.

The denser the distribution of hair, the more marbled the print becomes. The fabric made of hair is roughly 40-by-40 centimetres and called hair papyrus.

In another technique, longer hair fibres are tied as a bunch and attached to a handle to create different types of brush, each with different strokes. Wide brushes make it possible to paint large tiles and fully cover a surface.

What's important in the process is that it has to go quite quick, hair papyrus, so you have these hair sheets and those you have to apply on and it makes this nice marble effect," said Hendry.

A lock pattern can also be created from a cut of ponytail, which is directly distributed onto the metal surface, leaving spherical patches.

IMM Cologne takes place from 16 to 22 January 2017. Other products launching at the fair include a collection of tables by architect Hans Bølling and tinted glass shelving that can be customised online by Werner Aisslinger.

Also on show is this year's Das Haus installation, which Todd Bracher designed to challenge typical home organisation.

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Todd Bracher has become the latest designer to create a contemporary living space at IMM Cologne, with an installation that "ignores the architecture and starts from the beginning".

The New York designer was tasked with presenting his vision of a modern living space for the furniture fair's annual Das Haus installation.

In response, he created a living space free from designated rooms – allowing each area of the house to be open to interpretation.

"You open any typical interior design publication, you'll see that the bed goes there because the window's over there, you'll see two side tables with little lamps on them," Bracher told Dezeen. "It's a typical organisation of how we are educated to live."

"What if we ignore the architecture and start from the beginning with the essentials for life, and let the architecture reveal itself," he continued.

To form the building's exterior, Création Baumann's semi-sheer textiles – which Bracher describes as a skin – were stretched across wooden frames.

"The house is conceived as almost an organism, the textiles are meant to act as a skin and to allow air and light in and out," he said.

"I chose natural-looking materials and tried to remove opinion. It's built purely around purpose and intent."

For the interiors, Bracher looked to the main purposes of the home and divided them into three categories – provisions, relaxation and hygiene.

Visitors enter through a Douglas fir-lined space with a long table in the middle. Surrounding shelves, much like a cabinet of curiosities, are used to display personal objects and food. A cubby hole at one end of the space is filled with tools.

A smaller, darker area behind the space is designed for daydreaming rather than sleeping and includes a large white lamp intended to resemble the moon.

Washing areas are located outside in a small alcove surrounded by rocks.

"We think of bedrooms to sleep in, but for me there's so many more aspects that our homes don't provide," said Bracher. "What's most important is sustenance, sustaining your body, mind and spirit. You need to rest, and you need hygiene."

The first Das Haus was realised by London duo Doshi Levien in 2012, followed by Italian designer Luca Nichetto's iteration in 2013.

In 2014, Copenhagen designer Louise Campbell converged two shingle-clad houses, using rolls of textiles between timber posts to create interior walls, while Neri & Hu's installation in 2015 was designed to "unsettle people".

IMM Cologne takes place from 16 to 22 January 2017. Products launching at the fair include a collection of tables designed by architect Hans Bølling and tinted glass shelving that can be customised online by Werner Aisslinger.

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German designer Werner Aisslinger has used furniture fair IMM Cologne, which began yesterday, to launch a tinted-glass storage system that can be easily adapted to suit different living spaces.

Aisslinger designed the Mesh collection for German brand Piure, a system furniture company that allows buyers to customise products online.

The aim was to create an open frame for a collection of shelving, sideboards and cabinets that can be produced in different sizes and materials on an industrial scale.

A thin metal frame made of aluminium segments forms the structure. Large panels of semi-transparent materials, including subtly tinted glass and perforated metal panels, slot inside in different configurations.

"You have to design the furniture in a way that it can be adjusted to clients as the customer wishes," Aisslinger told Dezeen, "but you have to design it in a way that the object or system is easy to assemble."

"Most storage furniture is made of pieces of wood, like they are boxes made of boards," he continued. "The idea is to get rid of the boards of wood or whatever it is and to try and produce open structures, which can be filled with different materials."

Invented in the Roman era, coloured glass has recently seen a resurgence among designers such as Patricia Urquiola, who used iridescent glass to create a furniture series for Glas Italia last year.

Coloured glass also emerged as one of the trends at Milan design week last year. Urquiola showed a new cabinet featuring stained-glass doors, and the Campana brothers presented a buffet with blob-shaped holes filled with green and blue glass.

Other variations for the Mesh furniture include the insertion of flaps, doors and drawers into the gaps, while a wide variety of coloured matt lacquer finishes from red to dark green and purple are also available to coat the metal.

Aisslinger, who has created pieces for Moroso and Flötotto, launched a cabin covered in colourful Kvadrat textiles at last year's IMM Cologne.

Earlier this year he created an installation that predicted a whimsical, sustainability-focused future that combines domestic life with farming and robotics.

IMM Cologne continues until 22 January 2017. Other products that have launched at the fair include the Triiio tables by architect Hans Bølling, which were designed in the 1950s but never before produced.

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A collection of tables designed by architect Hans Bølling in the 1950s but never produced has launched at IMM Cologne, which began today.

Danish company Brdr. Krüger is producing the Triiio table collection for the first time. Originally sketched out by the influential Danish architect Hans Bølling in 1958, the tables come in coffee, side and dining versions.

As the table never went into production, the collection's launch at this year's IMM Cologne marks the first time they have been available to purchase.

"We've worked with Hans for three generations," the Brdr. Krüger's creative director Jonas Krüger told Dezeen. "One day he was at my workshop and it was time for us to move forward into new furniture, and I asked if he had any ideas."

"He had a very rough prototype he made when living with his parents in 1958, and it had been in his shed since then."

From this prototype and Bølling's original sketches, the company developed three versions of the table.

Each table features a circular glass top set upon wooden legs. The two parts are attached by hidden magnets.

"We followed his original drawings but added a finish to it," said Krüger. "He designed it with a hardwood tabletop, which I thought hid the design underneath."

"We decided for the glass tabletop that we needed a way to fix it, and chose brass – although it was a little difficult to work with. We added hidden magnets, which goes inside the legs and are strong enough to move it around without anything happening."

Hans Bølling was born in 1931 in Braband, Denmark. He first attended an art school hoping to become an advertising designer but later graduated as an architect from the Royal Danish Art Academy.

The Triiio table collection is launching at IMM Cologne, which takes place from 16 to 22 January 2017.

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Dezeen promotion: during this year's IMM Cologne, Czech furniture brand TON will present a range of furniture by Florence-based Eggs Designs Studio that is based on the forms of trees.

The Leaf Collection, which was unveiled during last year's Salone del Mobile, is made up of a chair, a barstool and a table with either a rectangular or a rounded top.

Eggs Designs Studio, which was founded by Gaia Giotti and Giona Scarselli, wanted to reference nature when designing the collection, which is made using TON's wood-bending technology.

For the chair, the supporting frame is made from solid wood intended to resemble tree trunks, while the seat and backrest are constructed from moulded plywood, described as petal-like by the designers.

"When designing, we primarily considered products that would be lightweight, rational, and – at the same time – would address the issue of TON and its connection with nature," explained Gaia Giotti.

"For us, a rational product is one that correctly balances between the inspiration and the actual production processes."

The Leaf barstool is a similar shape to the chairs, but features corners that bend down around the chair legs, instead of folding upwards into the backrest.

The rear legs are formed using TON's manual wood-bending technologies, which have been used by the brand since 1861.

This bending process involves steaming squared lengths of wood in special vats for several hours, before placing the softened wood into metal forms.

A flange is then attached to place pressure on the wood so it takes the shape of the mould while it cools. Bent sections are afterwards dried and air-conditioned for several weeks, then finished with oil, stain or lacquer.

The technique was developed in 1856 by Michael Thonet, who used it to create the No 14 chair – still a staple in cafes worldwide.

"The Leaf Collection contains a number of elements that emerged directly from the production process conditions, for instance, by using the same type of moulded seat for the chair and barstool," said the designers.

The table is available in either a rectangular or a round shape, and features rounded details on the upper leg endings.  A curved indent create the illusion that the legs are detached from the tabletop.

During the development process, the team tested the ergonomics and construction strength by applying a weight of 130 kilograms in a cycle of nearly half a million simulated sitting-down actions.

TON will be showing the Leaf Collection at IMM Cologne 2017 in Hall 2.2, stand J020, from 16 to January 2017.

www.ton.eu

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German brand Walter Knoll showed a selection of new products during this year's imm Cologne furniture fair, including a chair designed by Foster + Partners (+ slideshow).

The London-based architecture firm created an upholstered dining chair entitled Foster 525. It features two slender panels instead of legs, and these extend upwards to form armrests. The firm previously designed a backless leather sofa for the company in 2009.

Also on show were several new versions of chairs first created by Turkish designer Sadi Ozis. The Fishnet chair – originally made from net woven between a steel framework in 1959 – features a bent petal-shaped chair and back, resting on slender metal legs.

The Burgaz chair has also been re-released, with an upholstered seat replacing its original woven seat, alongside an updated version of the Rumi chair, which features a half-moon-shaped cutout in the backrest.

Other furniture presented at the fair included pieces from Walter Knoll's Classic Edition range, which encompasses updated versions of historic products, launched to mark the company's 150-year-anniversary last year.

These included a new version of the 375 armchair, originally released in 1957 and described by the company as "not a chair for lolling around, but taking a seat". Walter Knoll's in-house design team has also created a new range of marble-topped tables, designed to accompany the chairs.

Other reissues include the Votteler chair, created by German designer Arno Votteler in 1956. The furniture rests on a tubular steel framework, and features armrests made from triangular panels of solid wood.

Walter Knoll has also added a new sofa and armchair to its Isanka range, created by Austrian design firm EOOS, and new editions of its Liz range of chairs, including woollen fabric with metallic threads, and a leather covered version.

This year's imm Cologne ran from 18 to 24 January. German furniture manufacturer Thonet also debuted new editions of classic furniture at the fair, showing outdoor versions of its Bauhaus chairs.

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German designer Werner Aisslinger has built a cabin covered in colourful Kvadrat textiles for the Danish brand's stand at this year's imm Cologne furniture fair (+ slideshow).

Titled Garden of Wonders, the stand is located within the Design Post exhibition, which is taking place in the halls of a former post office in the Deutz quarter of Cologne.

Aisslinger was asked to create an installation to show off the range of textiles from Kvadrat, as well as sister brands Danskina and Kinnasand.

These include three textile collections by Cristian Zuzunaga, Åsa Pärson and Scholten & Baijings, and a trio of rugs by Hella Jongerius.

The designer chose to build a "small piece of architecture", which has padded walls covered in upholstery.

This small hut is entered via steps up to its entrance, or through a larger circular hole in another of its four walls. Vertical louvres in two of the partitions are slightly opened to provide more views into the cabin.

A patchwork of blue and green materials covers the exterior, while red and orange tones are used inside.

The interior also features rounded seats and small tables, upholstered in Kvadrat textiles. A bicycle dressed in a yellow cover is parked by the door.

Colourful fabrics were also draped over a wooden grid suspended from the ceiling, along with a few plants.

"Together we came to the concept of a collage of fabrics hanging overhead, evoking a feel of exotic places such as India or South America where wonderfully coloured fabrics wave in the wind," said Aisslinger.

Swatches are hung over horizontal wall-mounted wooden rods, and more are laid out like tiles on the floor.

Larger rugs rest over raised trestles or are presented flat across the ground.

Designers including Faye Toogood, Richard Hutten and Raf Simons have previously used Kvadrat textiles to create garments and furniture. The brand has also worked with David Adjaye and Peter Saville on its London showroom.

"Kvadrat is the brand designers love for the sophistication of products and the care Kvadrat takes in projects, ideas, concepts and continuous research," said Aisslinger.

"Their showrooms are also unique and are great places to experience fabrics which spark the conversation about design projects, interiors and architecture."

Previous Kvadrat trade show installations include a stand surrounded by hundreds of fabric ribbons by Raw Edges, created for Stockholm Furniture Fair 2013.

This year's imm Cologne runs from 18 to 24 January 2016.

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Movie: Thonet is launching an outdoor range of classic chairs by Mart Stam, Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, reveals CEO Thorsten Muck in this exclusive movie Dezeen produced for the German brand.

Called Thonet All Seasons, the new collection will be unveiled next week at the imm Cologne 2016 trade fair and consists of four tubular steel chairs originally designed in the 1920s by teachers at the famous Bauhaus art school.

Stam's original cantilever chairs are included in the collection – the S 33 and S 34 – together with Breuer's S 35 lounge chair and Mies van der Rohe's curvaceous S 533.

"We were missing our classic tubular steel products in a condition where they were suitable for outdoor use," says Muck in the movie, which was filmed at Thonet's factory and headquarters in Frankenberg, Germany. "We chose the really iconic pieces."

The chairs feature ultraviolet-resistant mesh upholstery on steel frames treated with a special weather-resistant coating called ThonetProtect.

"We use the same steel as our classic pieces, but we treat it in a very special way with a surface that is resistant against harmful outdoor environments," Muck explains. "They can last for decades."

Customers will be able to mix and match frame and upholstery colours, while the S 34 and S 35 chairs will be available with either mesh or wood armrests.

"You are able to combine different colours to produce very individual furniture," Muck says.

The frames of the chairs are produced at Thonet's Frankenberg factory by bending three-metre lengths of tubular steel.

Although the furniture is machine-bent, each angle must be checked and adjusted by hand due to slight differences in the tolerance of the metal.

"The tubular steel comes in a size of seven metres, and is polished and then cut down," Muck explains. "Every single chair is approved by the person who operates the machine – a person has to control the work of the machine to make it really perfect."

Thonet was founded by German carpenter Michael Thonet in 1819 and became famous for its steam-bent wood furniture, especially the iconic No 14 cafe chair that it still produces today as the 214 chair. The company expanded into bent steel furniture in the 1920s.

"Everything started with the bent-wood furniture and the Vienna coffee house chair," Muck explains.

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"Then the teachers of the Bauhaus came to Thonet to ask if we were able to bend tubular steel in the way we were able to bend wood."

This movie was filmed by Dezeen in Frankenberg, Germany, for Thonet. Additional photography is courtesy of Thonet.

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Cologne 2015: the first collaboration between German designer Sebastian Herkner and Danish furniture manufacturer Gubi has resulted in a minimal pendant lamp.

Each design in Sebastian Herkner's collection features a hand-blown glass bulb and a spun aluminium "collar", added to reflect light onto the ceiling and give the product a distinctive appearance.

According to the designer, the form of the Collar Lamp was driven by the combination of the two materials used.

"I have an approach to materials and the production process, which is often my starting point and inspiration," Herkner told Dezeen. "In this case it was the combination of metal and glass in a lamp."

The Collar Lamp comes in two sizes and is available in five different colours: black, grey, taupe, terracotta and sand.

"As Collar Lamp is designed in two sizes and five colours, it is easy to put your personal touch to it by mixing sizes and colours," said Herkner.

"But of course it is also perfectly suited as a pendant lamp over the dining table. It has an international spirit with a distinct Nordic touch."

The collaboration between the Danish manufacturer and the German designer began two years ago.

"Jacob Gubi and I had the first conversation at Maison&Objet in Paris in 2013," Herkner told Dezeen.

"We talked about quality, tradition, genuine materials, and value. All these attributes are important to Gubi and to me as a designer," he said.

The Collar Light was launched at imm Cologne last month, where Claesson Koivisto Rune presented a stripy wooden furniture collection and Neri&Hu installed its vision of the home of the future.

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Cologne 2015: Milan studio Skrivo has collaborated with Danish brand Soft Line to design a chair with a backrest that is inserted into the seat like a wafer in an ice cream.

The Halo chair's bulbous seat sits on a bent steel pipe base, elevating it slightly from the floor, while its rectangular backrest slots into a groove.

"Usually a sofa has a backrest that goes to the ground and a seat," Skrivo founder Stefan Krivokapic told Dezeen. "We thought it might be interesting to simply deepen the seat and wedge in the backrest."

The system is named Halo because the designer saw more of a resemblance to a crown of light.

The seat cushion and flat backrest are separate, enabling reconfigurations into a public seating system and a three-seat sofa.

The seating system features a wider backrest for two separate seats.

"At airports people always try to avoid siting right next to a stranger, so a three seater will usually only be occupied by two people," said the designer. "I thought that it could be interesting to share the space but also have a bit of privacy."

The sofa version combines the larger backrest with one wider seat. The long, high backrest is designed to provide privacy, improve acoustics and enable the seat to be used to zone areas in the same way as a room divider.

"We saw a growing trend of furniture that would give the user more privacy but they tend to isolate the person from the surrounding environment," said Krivokapic.

"We tried to think of a halfway point that would allow the user to have more privacy but still be able to interact with their surroundings."

Skrivo's Halo system for Soft Line, which is available is a range of colours, was exhibited at both the imm Cologne and Maison&Objet trade fairs earlier this month.

Croatian-Irish product designer Stefan Krivokapic founded Skrivo in 2011. Previous projects include a chair featuring layers of thin cushions based on children's story The Princess and the Pea, and a traditionally caned chair with a contemporary steam-bent angular frame for Italian brand Miniforms.

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Cologne 2015: Japanese designer Jin Kuramoto has launched two collections of wooden furniture under his own brand Matsuso T (+ slideshow).

Jin Kuramoto has added the Sally chair and table, and the Molly shelving to the range offered by his Matsuso T furniture brand, which he launched last year.

Working with Japanese craftsmen that still use traditional carpentry techniques, the designer has created the new maple products to demonstrate these skills.

The first is a simple chair that features a gently curved seat. Its angled front legs extend up to support a rounded back rest, secured in place by two black screws on each side.

The two back legs point out in the opposite direction, braced with small joists positioned just below the seat.

"With the Sally chair, we have finally succeeded in producing a really strong structure with minimum parts," said Kuramoto.

A four-legged table with a circular top is made from the same wood and constructed with pairs of matching black fastenings.

The designer has also created a modular shelving system based around a square grid of compartments.

Sections of the wooden shelves and stands are covered by upholstered doors, which hide some of the legs.

"The Molly shelf series has an unusual expression stemming from the contrast between crisp, right-angled wood joints of the structure and generous, fabric-covered surfaces," Kuramoto said.

Dark-coloured boards are placed onto the back of the units, offset from the vertical elements.

Molly is available in a variety of sizes and configurations, some large enough to act as room dividers.

Both designs were unveiled at the imm Cologne trade fair earlier this month, where Matsuso T also debuted a collection of stripy wooden furniture by Claesson Koivisto Rune.

Last year the brand showed a range of pentagonal furniture, also by Claesson Koivisto Rune, as well as Kuramoto's own designs at the Stockholm Furniture Fair.

Photography is by Takumi Ota.

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Cologne 2015: Dutch designer Ineke Hans has incorporated slender drawers beneath the surface of this table to store items such as cutlery, letters or tablet devices (+ slideshow).

The Drawer Table's legs and thin top are made from solid wood. The drawers that slide out from beneath the table's surface are made from a felt-like composite produced from recycled plastic bottles.

Ineke Hans designed the furniture piece so it can be used as both a dining table and a desk.

"Tables have to be multi-taskers nowadays and serve as working, dining and socialising spots," said Hans, who has launched the product with Dutch furniture brand Arco.

"The old kitchen drawer-table is in fact a very practical table to store things quickly when activities change, but not very elegant when materials for drawers and tabletop add up and compromise leg-space," she told Dezeen.

The table is available in various lengths, dictated by the width of the drawers that each equate to one person's seating space.

"Using recycled PET [polyethylene terephthalate] makes the drawers slide well and simply – and by moulding it, you can keep the wall thickness thin, creating more space for your knees and legs," said Hans.

"People are amazed by the thin table top, and than flabbergasted when the rim also proves to hide spacious drawers."

PET also has acoustic qualities, which the designer cites as a benefit when the piece is used in office environments.

The Drawer Table was launched at the imm Cologne trade event earlier this week, where Inga Sempé showed seats clamped into shape with metal frames and Neri&Hu installed its vision for the home of the future.

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