Visual display from individual companies at the Heimtextil trade fair has been a lot better in the past than it was at this year’s fair. Fewer companies made a splash of any kind at all. And those that did onted things down. There were really no show-stopping visual displays. That said, I still saw a few vignettes that were interesting and well done.
Texdekor overlaid a selection from their youthful Fluid collection of wallpapers (wallpapers are on-trend again) with a printed setting to show how clasic and modern items can both work with these fresh designs. The layering of black and white photo elements over their thin and wavy line design was so fun that I couldn’t help but wish they would sell THAT.
A square bamboo pagoda held pastel colored towels and robes for babies and toddlers at Santens N.V. It was a great all-natural story because these items are made with bamboo fibers. If you haven’t touched a bamboo towel, you won’t believe how soft that fiber can be. Even though the number of companies offering bamboo fiber towels is growing, Santens still makes some of the best-styled bamboo products of anyone out there. A picture is shown above.
I loved Sisley’s Black Baroque-inspired beds. Each one of them was cut flat on one side and suspended from a mirrored wall so it looked twice as wide. Set at an angle, the beds also appeared to be floating in the air. The first bed in the series (there were three or four of them) was dressed in dark Navy, which was a key emerging hue at Heimtextil this time. Some of the Navy Blues went so deep and inky that they bordered on Black. The darkest Blue in our color forecast, The Trend Curve Colors™ 2008, is a close match.
Laura Lancell created a collage along the outside wall of their stand. Red and Pink chenille mingled with Black and White flocking, 1920’s individual hues, fabrics, papers and patterns are doing a mash-up of color and style for the future.