IMM Cologne 2020: 5 German Design Pieces Everyone Should Know About!

Paid press trip
Last Monday I was invited to the International furniture and interiors fair IMM Cologne by the Association of the German Furniture Industry. It's become an annual trip which I look forward to  - and the perfect place to find out about the latest trends, discover new brands, catch up with people from the industry - and of course, pop along to the odd party! One of this year's highlights was a design tour of Germany's leading furniture brands including Rolf Benz, Kettnaker, Interlubke, Raumplus, Freifrau, Tojo, Schönbuch as well as innovative start-up Floating Offices. Five pieces on the tour really caught my eye - and I had to share them with you today!

1. Interlübke - just cube

Winner of The German Design Award 2020, the innovative new just cube allows a variety of configurations so that you can shape your furniture according to your needs. It's unique, 'clean' and highly functional.

What I love most: Let's just say, we have a tough time keeping things in order at home (ahem) and this beauty would help us no end. Did I mention it comes in 24 colour ways too?

2. Tojo parallel bed

This multi award-winning piece of kit designed by Nora Large and Alisha Hauk is genius. It's a bed base made up of six wooden feet which are used to connect the slats - no screws required! And you can make it as narrow or as wide as you like!

What I love most: the winner of several green awards, the bed is made from raw beech wood and is reduced to its absolute minimum. Also, who doesn't want to sleep like a star fish from time to time?!

3. Schönbuch - Simetria cabinets

It's always a treat to meet the designers behind a product and Eva Marguerre and Marcel Besau of Studio Besau-Marguerre were so inspiring! The design duo collaborated with Schönbuch to create the new Simetria cabinets. Contemporary, colourful and playful, the wall-hung cabinets come in 26 different colours and 7 shapes and can be combined in whichever way you like!

What I love most: A storage solution that doubles up as colourful art, what's not to love?!

4. Rolf Benz ADDIT

Gone are the days when a sitting room was reserved for, just well, sitting! These days the sofa is at the heart of everyday life and is used for everything from eating, working, relaxing, gaming, watching Netflix to socialising and sleeping! This was the thinking behind the new award-winning Rolf Benz ADDIT sofa, which is designed to accommodate all of these activities and more. The modular design means it can fit just about any space and be adapted over time - and add-ons such as shelves, trays and storage make it truly versatile. Very cool!

What I love the most: I'm a big fan of lifetime purchases - and this high-quality piece can be adapted to any new situation, making it a great investment and aa more sustainable option.

5. Floating Office

Anyone who lives in a big city will agree - space can be a challenge. And studies have shown our dwellings are getting smaller and smaller. The design world has responded with a load of smart, space-saving solutions - and this has to be one of my latest favourites! Darmstadt start-up Floating Office has created a vertical furniture installation with Nolex. The desk not only looks pretty cool, it can be raised to the ceiling at the press of a button to clear up space when not in use.

What I love most: The desk is surprisingly sturdy  - and completely out of the way when not in use. Genius!

Thank you so much to the Association of the German Furniture Industry, for inviting me to IMM Cologne. I loved the tour, VIP dinner and the exhibition featuring the winning motives from the #Zuhausesein (#beingathome) global photo competition.

Curious to see a little more? View a film of our German design tour here.

Have a great weekend folks!

Niki

This post was brought to you as part of a paid press trip by the Association of the German Furniture Industry, however all words are my own and I only ever work with businesses and brands I love and think you will too.

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Before And After: A Dated Cabin Becomes a Modern Scandinavian-inspired Colorado Retreat!

It's Friday friends - and that calls for something extra special, don't you think? And I have just the place! A few days ago, this magical cabin in Twin Lakes, Colorado dropped into my mail box. Photographer, author and teacher Christine Bayles Kortsch and husband Daniel Kortsch (also a photographer) had always dreamed of owning a remote cabin to visit at the weekends, as well as offer as a property for workshops, photoshoots, elopements and more. After years of drooling over cabins online, their dream finally came true in the shape of Alpenglow Cabin which they purchased and renovated together with Daniel's brother Jon-Marc and his partner Laura. Surrounded by rugged beauty and wild nature, the location was perfect, the cabin itself however, was in need of a little TLC. I caught up with Christine to find and out more. 

Kitchen - Before

Christine, Daniel, Jon-Marc and Laura completely gutted the cabin, before painting the pine paneling white.

"We did the entire renovation ourselves (except the hardwood floors) and found primary inspiration in Scandinavian-influenced design. This included talks with our Danish brother-in-law and admiring photos of his family's summer cottage."

Kitchen - After 

Dated upper cabinets were ripped out and replaced with wooden open shelving for a light, relaxed and contemporary feel. The lower cabinets were given a lick of white paint and moved around to give the entrance more breathing space. 

"The copper collection is antique and was passed down from my sister-in-law Laura, whose heritage is Norwegian and German."

Main Living Space - Before

Nothing can take away from the staggering view of the mountains - but the hot tub was fairly dominant and there's no denying that the living space was incredibly dark and lacked cosiness! 

Living Space - After

A fresh lick of paint (I like how they still have wood on the ceiling and around the windows) and wood floors have helped turn the cabin into a fresh and airy, yet cosy and comfortable living space. The hot tub exterior has also been given a makeover - making it less dominant while still providing a dreamy spot from which to gaze out over the mountains. 

"My husband is a woodworker and he made the live-edge dining table."

"My brother-in-law Jon-Marc is a sculpture fabricator and had the wood stove hearth pad custom-made." 

Master bedroom - Before

Master Bedroom - After

A wall-to-wall carpet was ripped out and replaced with a dark wood floor for a modern feel. 

Simple, soft furnishings like this woven wall hanging by Sweet pea Artistry Co help to add a cosy alpine feel. 

Bedroom 2 - Before

Bedroom 2 - After

You can really see the Scandinavian feel coming through in this bedroom: the minimalist feel, botanical touches and the chequer detail!

"We are so proud of this cabin. It is tangible evidence of our blood, sweat, love of nature, passion for beauty and daydreaming. We felt a sense of real pride when our Danish brother-in-law Rune announced we had achieved a hygge feel!"

The beautiful surroundings - which offer endless options for hiking, back-country skiing, snowshoeing, paddling, rafting, rock-climbing and mountain biking - inspired the name 'Alpenglow' which according to Merriam-Webster is the "reddish glow seen near sunset or sunrise on the summits of mountains". Christine, Daniel, John-Marc and Laura also use the word to describe "that cosy feeling you get curled up by the fire with friends after a day of fresh air and adventure." 

Both versions sound wonderful to me, what do you think? 

Alpenglow cabin is now available on Airbnb for others to come and enjoy. You can also find more information / pictures on the Alpenglow Cabin website and instagram. 

Perhaps it's time to start searching for that dated property that's waiting for someone to come along and give it the TLC it deserves. Who knows, this time next year, we could be sitting in a hot tub overlooking Colorado's highest peaks! 

More cabin love / inspiration to be found here:

An idyllic Finnish summer cabin

A magical Norwegian mountain cabin

before and after: a dated property becomes a dreamy cabin in the woods

Thank you so much to Christine for submitting this project! If you have a project / home tour you'd like to share do send it my way. I can't promise to feature all of the submissions but will certainly keep an eye out for homes that are a perfect fit with My Scandinavian Home!

Right friends. I believe it's time for the weekend. WOOHOOO! Wishing you a relaxing, cosy weekend vänner! Thanks for a great week - I've loved reading your comments! 

Vi ses på Måndag!

Niki

Photography Christine Bayles Kortsch / Daniel Kortsch except the hallway which was shot by Molly Lo Photography.

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A Rental Becomes a Charming, Budget-friendly Family Home

From a relaxed home in Malmö in earthy tones (yesterday) to an equally laidback family home in Osnabrück in Northwest Germany today - I love that Scandinavian style inspires homes far and wide! There's evidence of Lena's passion for all things Nordic at every turn in her white, black and neutral rental. From IKEA freestanding furniture (especially practical for anyone who rents since there's no drilling required!) to the HM Home and Søstrene & Green accessories, Lena's home is a practical oasis for her, her partner Torben and 6-month old baby Frida. It's also perfect budget-friendly inspiration for anyone who's renting a space and wants to make it their own! 

Sinnerlig pendant, Vadholma kitchen island, HM Home rug

"I like a natural style, fresh flowers, calm colours and attention to detail" - Lena.

Pick up a vintage school chair here* (be sure to check that they are a standard seat height and not for young kids!)

The yellow windows are everything in this space!

IKEA sofa. Try The Poster Club* for similar prints.

The IKEA wood freestanding furniture in Frida's nursery has been pimped up using Pretty peg legs. The little wired rainbow is from Lagom world. 

We all know how important it is to black-out a baby's room to optimise sleep (if only for your own sanity!) and a simple handmade curtain is a handy way to prevent light from the hallway creeping in. 

What a great tour! 

I hope it's given you a few ideas for your own home!

You can see more little corners of Lena's home over on her instagram @Lena_living.

Fancy a few more tours today? 

How about:

A pared-back family home with handmade pieces

A cosy riverside cabin where Cali warmth meets Scandi cool! 

A dreamy holiday oasis in the heart of the city

Have a lovely day! 

Niki

Photography: @Lena_living with thanks

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The Small, Cosy Vintage-Inspired Home of a Malmö Florist

Oooooh have I got a wonderful flat to show you today. And it's thanks to Victoria over at SF Girl By Bay who featured this yesterday and reminded me I needed to share it with you guys! It's the wonderful former home of Sophie and Gustaf Wiking and their cocker spaniel Farfar here in Malmö. Sophie and I have got to know one another through her beautiful flower shop Florista of which I am a very regular customer (you might recognise the name from my local guide to Malmö). Malmö based photographer Andrea Papini and stylist Alexandra Papini (who also own the very cool Cafe Noir in town - yes, it's a small world!) went along to photograph it before Christmas just before the gaff was put on the market. And I have to say, what a feast for the eyes! Dating back to 1904, the small apartment (it measures 54 m2 / 582 f2) is teeming with vintage pieces, art, and books. Layers of textile help to create a cosy retreat from which to recover from a cold, early start at the flower market! Välkommen in! 

Sophie and Gustaf built the bookshelves in the living room by hand. Source similar sheepskins from Black Sheep (White Light).

As with all cities, bikes are often stolen in Malmö (I've had two stolen in the past year, it's absolutely infuriating!). This wall hung solution is perfect for a small space. 

Sophie wanted to create kitchen cabinet doors out of brown metal sheets but felt it would be too heavy and expensive, so she painted the wooden cabinets with an oxidised colour to give them a dark bronze effect.

My guess is that the Artek stools are vintage (Sophie loves to pick up items from antique shops and flea markets) - even so you can pick up new ones here* or shop for a vintage set here*.  They're perfect for a small space since they take up little room and can also be stacked. 

 

Simple linen bedding adds a load of texture on the bed and makes the room feel instantly calm and relaxed. This one* is similar. 

In case you missed my guide, here are a few snaps I took of her beautiful shop. A must if you're in Malmö! 

I hope Sophie and Gustaf's home has inspired you as much as it has inspired me today! 

And just how adorable is Farfar?! He's always in the shop helping out!

I can't wait to see what Sophie and Gustaf do with their new home! 

I'm proud to be a part of such a creative community - and was excited to see these photographs featured in Elle Decoration Sweden with the text written by none other than Ida Magntorn - who's poetic 19th century house I featured here. 

Happy lill' lördag (little Saturday!) vänner! 

Niki

Photography: Andrea Papini / Styling Alexandra Papini - shared with kind permission.

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