From furniture produced through age-old methods blended with cutting-edge techniques to elegant space-saving solutions for both the home, here are our highlights from IMM Cologne 2019.

Video by Jonathan Mauloubier for Burgbad

BURGBAD – RGB BY STEFAN DIEZ

Here is an innovative way to organize the bathroom – and truth be told, any other space at home. Diez produced a two-part mounting rail that can be vertically fixed to the wall with screws. The modular nature of space-creating panel system gives users creative freedom to configure arrangements and layer colour.

Photo courtesy of Gandiablasco

GANDIABLASCO – SOLANAS BY DANIEL GERMANI

The Solanas outdoor furniture collection was designed by Daniel Germani in collaboration with Gandiablasco and Dekton® by Cosentino. Using soldered power-coated aluminium as a starting point, Germani applied the Cosentino material – normally used for glass and ceramics – to the tops of the tables and the armrests for added protection with minimal thickness.

Photo courtesy of Pedrali

PEDRALI – SOUL BY EUGENI QUITLLET

By using traditional methods with a cutting-edge polycarbonate seat, Quitllet and Pedrali have created a chair that appears suspended on thin air and almost invisible. Fittingly, the appealingly curved object has been christened Soul by the Italian company. We’re not its only fans: the stackable chair received the Special Mention of the German Design Award 2019 in the Excellent Product Design Furniture category.

Photo courtesy of Please Wait to be Seated

PLEASE WAIT TO BE SEATED – ANZA BY PEREIRA AND FUKUSADA

Portuguese designer Rui Pereira and his Japanese peer Ryosuke Fukusada created a seating collection called ANZA – the Japanese word for ‘to sit at ease.’ The collection includes a pouf, a bench and a coffee table, with some very generous cushioning that truly justifies their name.

Photo courtesy of Poliform

POLIFORM – JANE BY EMMANUEL GALLINA

The Jane collection went back to the drawing board and came out with new components that add more comfort. As a result, the armchairs, poufs and benches designed by Emmanuel Gallina now feature cocooning dimensions and silhouettes.

Photo courtesy of Fast

FAST – FOREST BY ROBBY AND FRANCESCA CANTARUTTI

The Cantaruttis have produced a collection inspired by the forms of nature. There’s a stackable chair, an armchair, several stools and the new Forest lounge chair; these are all made of aluminum and come in 11 colours. Here's something else we found interesting, in terms of variety and adaptability of use: the chair and the armchair are also available also in chrome finish with polished legs and a swiveling base or with wheels.

Photo courtesy of Fiandre

FIANDRE – SAHARA NOIR

The Sahara Noir surface was inspired by one of the world’s most refined marbles – the hint is in the product name. Its pale streaking creates elegant games of light and shadows, and by providing the option of either a satin or polished finish, this elegant element can be used in multiple types of spaces.

Photo courtesy of Freifrau

FREIFRAU – CELINE BY LUCIE KOLDOVA

Czech designer Lucie Koldova has a gift for creating objects that look deliciously, lusciously edible – her curved and tactile-friendly pieces tend to activate the very human oral fixation reflex. The Celine armchair is no exception: the free-floating seat goes from tightly stretched to loosely gathered upholstery in a way that demands touching.

Photo courtesy of Fritz Hansen

FRITZ HANSEN – DROP

After overhauling its own branding elements, Fritz Hansen now went for a design icon: the popular Drop chair. By adding the options of grey, pink, yellow and blue to the original colour catalogue of black and white, the seat is fit to feature in today’s decidedly more maximalist spaces – yes, we have a collective thirst for colour after a decade of Airspace.

Photo courtesy of Minotti

MINOTTI – 2018 COLLECTION

With pieces from Rodolfo Dordoni, Christophe Delcourt, Nendo and Marcio Kogan, Minotti’s 2018 Collection became a display of the striking textural beauty of quintessential materials like wood, stone and glass.

Photo courtesy of Tobias Grau

TOBIAS GRAU – SALT&PEPPER

Let there be (21st-century) light: Salt&Pepper is a fully portable cableless lamp that can be recharged via USB-C cable for up to 10 hours of battery life and Bluetooth settings. But beyond the seamless tech, which works so well it can be taken for granted, its most notable feature is quite primal: the lamp emits an impressively warm glow.

Photo courtesy of B&B Italia

B&B ITALIA – RIBES BY ANTONIO CITTERIO

The sofas, chaises longues and ottomans that comprise the Ribes modular seating system are a gift to those with outdoor spaces that require some furniture flexibility. But the items are not only flexible as a system, but as individual pieces: for example, arm or back rests can be added to futon bases as desired.

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