• Thermally modified timbers meet shades of rust and loud, bright colours

• Textures are even more defined: from glass surfaces to the feel of split wood

• Exhibitors develop far-reaching guidelines on trends: “Perspectives up to 2018”, “Trend concept for 2013/2014” and “Colour Road trend colours for 2013/14” provide some guidance

In the furniture supplier and interior design industries, the interzum global trade fair in Cologne is the most important industry event for presenting newly developed products to a large audience for the first time, and for examining their impact in product studies. Many exhibitors reorient themselves around the two-year cycle of the Cologne trade fair in order to bring key innovations to the market.

The trade fair will be held in Cologne once again from 13 to 16 May 2013. Many exhibitors from the Materials & Nature segment are already revealing some of their innovations and are identifying the most important trends in advance: authenticity of materials through natural textures and colours, for example, but sustainable aspects are also playing an elementary role here.

Fine Decor from Bielefeld, Germany, is aiming to score points with new colours for PET foils. The high-performance PVC-free plastic surfaces for 2D application in high gloss and supermatt come in earthy tones and loud colours, among others.

Impress has six new inspiring collections prepared in order to show the wide range of possible combinations of colours and textures. Bright fresh woods with authentic surfaces predominate, as well as thermally modified timber with attractive elegant textures and warm bright tones. Authenticity and material choices have become key concepts at Impress.

Media profili believes that many consumers could move to using plastic components for skirting in the kitchen and bathroom, as they have been successfully doing in southern Europe for a long time. At interzum, the company principally wants to reach the big players from Northern Europe. The innovations of the Italian company include side and back panels for drawers made from semi-soft plastic. These can be bent, to go around the waste trap in bathroom or kitchen furniture, for example. Media profili has also thought about the drawer interiors, and offers the “Metal Line” plastic drawer mat in four different aluminium-effect surface treatments.

Pfleiderer Holzwerkstoffe is using interzum to promote its new range. Since the beginning of the year, the Pfleiderer range has combined the individual Duropal, Wodego and Thermopal ranges that were previously offered separately. Three megatrends can be clearly recognised here: naturalness, elegance and used look. Decors and textures incorporate these trends and reflect them through ever better printed designs and texture formats. Smart materials are equally important to Pfleiderer. Head of Communication, Stefan Göldner, believes that these will soon gain in importance to a disproportionate extent: “Particularly those that control the megatrends – so, for one, they support the decorative preferences, or they support the system concept particularly well. Lightweight construction is one example, and also products that promote ecology and sustainability.”

There will be plenty to discover at the Renolit SE exhibition stand. Along with the “Veralinga” embossing, the new “Magellan” split wood decor is set to cause quite a stir. So also should the attractive shades of rust and exciting fantasy decors such as “Kroko” and “Babylon”. “Thermo Oak” will be on display alongside other oaks and, not least, the “Colour Road trend colours for 2013/14” should inspire interzum visitors. Basically, Renolit is following the “natural” direction, but the company from Worms in Germany is showing a lot of courage with regard to colour and a sense for new surfaces, such as coloured glass surfaces, rough stone textures, concrete and rust looks, and split wood and bark imitations.

Resopal has also been busy with the trends for the next few years and has created “Perspectives up to 2018”, an extensive collection of materials and surfaces. The company is also introducing a new material that combines the advantages of laminates with those of foils. Resopal is getting active in recycling matters again following “Re-Y-Stone”, and showing how scrap decorative paper can be used again literally “on the front line”.

Schattdecor too is developing a trend concept for 2013/2014, which should dictate the rhythm at interzum. There is also a new range called “Unique Colours by Schattdecor”, a collection of up-to-the-minute trend colours that harmonise with the trend concept. Together with the natural-effect decors from the new “Smartfoil” collection with an irresistible print quality, the striking “Digital Visions” decors emphasise the creative competence of this design team from Thansau in Germany.

Süddekor are again fine-tuning the interplay of the look and feel of their products, bringing technology and design more into harmony with each other. Sustainable surface technologies and completely new products are also playing an important role: “At interzum, we will be presenting a new thermoplastic foil based on polypropylene. The surface, which is managed by Süddekor under the brand name D.Fin® Thermoform, is to be added to our portfolio of lacquered surfaces in the future. We will also introduce an innovative overlay technology for the HPL and CPL areas called D.Fin® Polytop for the first time”, says Tobias Lorenz, Head of Marketing at Süddekor.

Toppan Printing is promoting the new designs of the “G-effect-T” finish foil, with a higher quality and more natural look and feel. The Japanese company promises a successful matt finish with a realistic wood feel. Along with the true-to-life imitations using synchronised embossing and high-resolution printing of the finish foils, Toppan currently sees PVC-free, thermoplastic foils as the long-term future.

Source: Koelnmesse