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 Große 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.