Established technologies, new application possibilities

Lidewij Edelkoort provides an insight into the trends of tomorrow in the ZOW Trend Report on the Paris Design Show

[Bad Salzuflen, 30 October 2014] Trend expert Lidewij Edelkoort visited the Paris show Maison & Objet as a source of inspiration for ZOW - the International Exhibition for Suppliers to the Furniture and Interior Design Industries, and illustrates new design trends with which the furniture industry can delight its customers. Some completely new fields are being opened up to wood and concrete: Although designers are still making use of tried-and-tested methods, innovative areas of application are, nevertheless, being developed. Concrete furniture and exposed concrete have, for instance, long since made their way into people's own homes - what is new, however, is the production of home accessories from this heavy-weight material. Metals such as bronze, brass and copper are also currently experiencing a comeback and are opening up a wealth of entirely new design possibilities for the furniture industry.

Lidewij Edelkoort is presenting her analyses and prognoses in the trend report on the leading French fair.

The show "Maison & Objet" demonstrated the multifaceted possibilities for the application of diverse materials. Once again, the trendy ambience of the exhibition held some surprises in store with distinct contrasts - for instance wood was combined with marble, leather or steel. At the same time, the show focused on ingenious machining processes for surfaces: "Wood is no longer simply bleached, polished or stained - instead patterns are burned into the surfaces, thereby creating distinctive effects", explains Edelkoort.

A burned-in finish
While the technique of "poker work" was formerly used, among other things, to embellish cupboards or wooden chests, designers are now focusing on burning patterns into surfaces over large areas. This contributes to the effect of the piece of furniture accordingly: On the one hand, the various wood impregnations act as a contrast. On the other, this type of machining allows the wood to oxidise like steel and, at the same time, a textile look is created by the engravings on the surface", states the Dutch design expert.

From building shell to accessory
Concrete is becoming increasingly popular for application in living-rooms. Until now, the material was predominantly used in interiors, particularly for bathroom furniture, worktops and flooring. At Maison & Objet it was evident that creative designers are now also using this material to make home accessories, as Edel-koort emphasizes: "Concrete is a raw, rough and heavy substance, which was originally only used in the case of larger formats. Today, however, small, decora-tive objects are produced from this concrete mix." The trend expert underscores the diverse possibilities offered by mould design and construction: First of all, the concrete mix is cast and then formed, which means that the design options available are virtually boundless. With this technique, it is not only possible to create robust surfaces but also fine structures.

Lustrous highlights
Bronze, brass and copper are also topping the list of the latest trends in terms of colours and materials. Whether with a matte or shiny finish or as a counterpart to stone, marble or wood - these warm metallic shades epitomise basic principles of style which have been a source of inspiration for the work of many well-known designers. For instance, the designer Tom Dixon showcased a new collection of copper plates and bowls at Maison & Objet, which had been shaped into a rustic form by hand, and it is precisely this unique and unconventional design which makes this collection so distinctive. Another of his pieces featured a hand-blown glass vase, some parts of which had been covered with a wafer-thin layer of copper - an ingenious and sophisticated composition which is both new but still familiar at the same time.
In the next Trend Report, Lidewij Edelkoort will be reporting on the London Design Festival. This will then be followed by the Trend Report on the Dutch Design Week (DDW) in Eindhoven. The information and impressions will be used as a basis to derive projections for the future, which will be presented on some 2,000 square metres of exhibition space "ZOW trend_works" during the International Exhibition for Suppliers to the Furniture and Interior Design Industries in February next year.
As a result thereof, exhibitors, designers as well as trade visitors will have the opportunity to find out about groundbreaking trends in the furniture industry and will be provided with a platform at ZOW in Bad Salzuflen on which to exchange their ideas and experiences.

The Trend Reports published to date on the Paris Maison & Objet, the Contempo-rary Furniture Fair New York and on Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan are available on the ZOW trend_works blog: http://trend-works.zow.de.

Clarion Events can trace its roots back to 1947 and takes great pride in being one of the oldest independent event organisers in the UK. More recently the firm has developed an international portfolio of brands and now has interests in a number of global vertical industries.

Clarion Events Deutschland GmbH
Frau Viola Hoffmann
Meisenstraße 94 | 33607 Bielefeld
T: +49 (0) 521 96533-67
E: viola.hoffmann@clarionevents.de
W: www.clarionevents.de

Press contact
AD HOC PR | Frau Nicole Heymann
Berliner Straße 107 | 33330 Gütersloh
T: +49 (0) 5241 9039-37
E: heymann@adhocpr.de
W: www.adhocpr.de

This release was published on openPR.