The Kunstmuseen Krefeld move in the field of tension between art and design, avant-garde and tradition, architecture and interior – expressed through incomparable exhibitions and presented at three venues: the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum in the city centre and the brick mansions designed by Mies van der Rohe, Haus Lange and Haus Esters in the residential area of Bockum. For more than 120 years, the art museums in the former textile city of Krefeld have acted as pioneers and written museum history with their important exhibitions.
A commitment that is now receiving a very special award: The Kunstmuseen Krefeld have been named ‘Museum of the Year 2022’ by the German section of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA).
With curiosity and intuition, with a fine sense for detail and a great deal of patience, Nina Ruthe and David Antonin devote themselves to the subject of materiality and the development of innovative materials. This also applies to CORCRETE – a material that originated from the intention to make concrete lighter and to create a natural-looking material for interior design and architecture. Made of warm natural cork and cool concrete, this unique composite material presented the design duo with a number of challenges: finding the right production partner was one of them. With HARTIS, a passionate Belgian family business, they have found such a partner, and have implemented their first collaborative projects, such as the new headquarters of the sneakers label VEJA in New York.
The dedicated CORCRETE website provides detailed information for architects, interior designers and other interested parties and also includes the option to order samples: corcrete.de
New in – chair Bee by Actiu. An innovative seating furniture for the contract sector, ideal for the hospitality and corporate segments. Characterized by a delicate silhouette, Bee is nevertheless resistant and ensures durability. The designer of the new product is Actiu founder Vicent Berbegal himself. With his design, he wants to enable a future rethinking of spaces.
Stackable, colorful, for outdoor use. The elegance and suppleness of its shapes make Bee an aesthetic protagonist for almost any architectural context. Complementing its iconic design, the product is characterized by stability and resilience, resulting from the material combination of polypropylene with fiberglass. In the category 'Excellent Product Design' Bee currently received a 'Special Mention' of the German Design Awards.
With ReForm Maze, Ege Carpets introduces a new collection – and takes up the success of the popular predecessor model ReForm Calico. A selected design in various attractive colors creates the basis of the collection. The creative process focused on the desire to simplify making decisions when selecting a product – especially for the office and hospitality sectors. With ReForm Maze, Ege Carpets offers a wide range of design options on a carefully chosen design and a predefined color selection that perfectly matches the current interior trends. Unlike the other collections in Ege Carpets' ReForm concept, Maze sets itself apart with its cut pile and deliberately takes a step back in design. A soft, cozy and soothing addition to any interior.
New inspiration. After a very successful launch in 2022, Leolux – together with Brand Friend Vandenberg, as initators – is taking Destination: Design into the new year: from 22 to 24 January 2023, professionals from the fields of interior design and architecture are invited to discover 49 international exhibitors – including Leolux and Pode – and their new collections in Eindhoven. The renowned Klokgebouw will serve as the event building. The Dutch studio Daphna Laurens is responsible for the interior concept – uniformly designed stands ensure visual coherence, the focus is on the products of the brands themselves.
Art of Bath: Since its foundation in the 1970s by the European Ziggy Kulig, who is still the president of the exclusive manufacturer for bathrooms and private spas, GRAFF has been about a great enthusiasm for high-quality materials, functional design and traditional craftsmanship – combined with the clear vision of rethinking the bathroom with courage and seriousness for sustainable design, creativity and precision. 50 years later, GRAFF has made a name for itself internationally as an avant-garde manufacturer of exciting and forward-looking fittings and bathroom interiors. In the coming months, the bathroom specialist will be presenting numerous collections for the kitchen area and transferring its Art of Bath philosophy into modern kitchens – into luxurious and sustainably equipped rooms. The Harley Kitchen collection will kick things off.
A place of exchange and security, the heart of every good house party – VARIO finds: What the kitchen can do in private, it should also bring into the working world. This is precisely the idea behind the new VARIO Office Kitchen. To make this work, VARIO takes the classic office kitchen out of its niche and redesigns it as the centrepiece of a new room concept, so that it becomes a focal point for communication, standing freely in the room. The kitchen unit can be supplemented with a counter and the free rear wall can be used for a wide variety of functions. In this way, the VARIO Office Kitchen quickly becomes a think tank and provides impulses for an active working day.
As the leading international trade fair for modern working environments, Orgatec proved its unbroken appeal last week – an adequate stage for the Danish premium manufacturer Ege Carpets and the wonderful staging of its brand and innovations in the Cologne exhibition halls. Inspired by the claim "let's weave a greener future", Ege Carpets placed a strong focus on its holistic sustainability strategy. In addition, the premium manufacturer staged the ReForm Shadowplay collection (design: Carol Appleton) at its trade fair stand designed by the Düsseldorf office Raumkontor, alongside the 56 new colours for its Eco collections – created and curated by textile designer and colour alchemist Margrethe Odgaard. Closely linked to the topic of well-being, acoustics also took a prominent place as one of Ege Carpets' heart projects – both Acoustic Rooms Modular and the add-on line Flow could be experienced at the stand.
The Pode collection is growing: no fewer than five new products from the Dutch lifestyle brand are making their debut. Rounded corners and a low, deep seat define relaxation and comfort at Nivti: the new programme by Meike Harde includes distinctive sofas and add-on elements and offers individual design freedom. A wonderful addition: Jolt table series (design: Yonoh Studio) stands for stability and lightness at the same time. Also from the pen of the Spanish design duo Yonoh is the Tresto lounge chair: the large seat shell tempts you to curl up in it, while the base, available in any colour, sets accents. Pode Art Director Claire Vos is responsible for the new home accessories: the Chillow cushion is inspired by 'puffy' quilted products from fashion, the island-shaped Shallow rug follows the trend of round, organic shapes and has a depth effect.
With the Bali collection, presented for the first time in 2020, GRAFF pays homage to the unique Balinese irrigation system Subak for rice fields, which follows the Tri Hita Karana principle and thus the traditional philosophy for life on the island of Bali. The focus is on human harmony in harmony with nature. According to the Subak system, the landowners irrigate countless rice fields. Some of the rice terraces thus created are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites due to their uniqueness and the size of the architectural work.
Green Luxury: The Bali collection by GRAFF is a tribute to Bali's connection with the land, water and nature. In addition, Bali is a series of fittings that describes the balance between sustainability and luxury that is so important for GRAFF like hardly any other collection. The Bali collection is now available in new designs and with state-of-the-art water-saving technology.
Many years of know-how in the technology and metal sector, a spirit of discovery, a love of experimentation and a keen sense of original design were the ingredients with which Carlo Panzeri began the success story of his eponymous company - with the dream of creating light and the conviction that he would become a pioneer in the lighting sector. That was 75 years ago. Today, Panzeri, now in its third generation of family management, continues to write its thoroughly Italian history. Congratulations on a special milestone!
Textile designer and colour alchemist Margrethe Odgaard has created 56 new colours for Ege Carpets. An extraordinary and effective colour palette with the talent to give people a feeling of security and well-being. A colourful search for poetry and humanity.
Odgaard takes a holistic sensory approach to her work with colour. She is convinced: interiors created with the intention of strengthening body and soul can have a remarkably positive effect. She wants her colours to stimulate energies and create atmosphere, to make a space a physical experience through its finely considered colour scheme. A holistic approach that premium manufacturer Ege Carpets also uses as the basis for its diverse collections - and which the two are now pursuing together in their current collaboration.