Compiled by Peter Sobchak
Tama Living│Walter Knoll
Walter Knoll’s new products for 2017 include a new sofa (Tama Living, shown) and occasional tables (Oki and Joco) designed by EOOS, which is probably a phrase the industry is used to hearing, especially since the collaboration between the Austrian team and German manufacturer is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Craftsmanship and sensitivity to material still resonate in these lines; no doubt why the relationship is still going strong. www.walterknoll.de
Hoptimist
It’s small. It’s cute. And it bounces around. What more do you need? www.hoptimist.com
Heavy Metal Matt Black│Buster & Punch
There’s not an ounce of pretension in this pendant lamp by U.K. outfit Buster & Punch. An LED bulb in smoked gold crystal housing hangs from a matt black rubber cord, and swings with that East London garage swagger from which it was born. www.busterandpunch.com
Stanley│Magis
Philippe Starck has always thought of himself as a director, and now he’s taking it literally by reinventing that Hollywood icon. Originally introduced in the late 18th century, Starck’s version of the traditional chair features a single scissor-cross structure supported by a fibreglass-reinforced polypropylene frame. Any parallels between the irascible Frenchman and the chair’s namesake, however, are entirely open to debate. www.magisdesign.com
Alva│VITA
The new products that the playful Danish lighting studio brought to IMM are all based around the Idea, a new 3W, 125mm LED bulb that evokes the simple design of the original Thomas Edison lightbulb. Providing clever and alluring ways to control the gradient-effect glow are the Alva pendant lamp and Shade. www.vitacopenhagen.com
Caribe│Ames
Part of the Sala collection, the new Caribe outdoor furniture family consists of a chair, lounge armchair, high and low sidetables and a basket table. Utilizing the momposino weaving technique taught in regional schools in Colombia, German designer Sebastian Herkner wraps different coloured plastic strings around a frame of steel pipe and steel wire that is offered both galvanised and powder-coated. www.amesdesign.de
Sleep System│Birkenstock
IMM always has a surprise or two up its sleeve, and this time it was seeing Birkenstock – that’s right, the company that brought you leather sandals and hippies – expand its product range to now include beds, slatted frames and mattresses, as part of a partnership with mattress manufacturer ADA. There’s some logic to this, it seems: blending recognizable materials like granulated cork, natural leather and wool felt with a specially designed shock absorbent natural latex layer means not just your feet but now your spine can be supported, too. www.birkenstock.com
Margo│Vitamin Design
Perhaps a tad nationalistic, but Germans seemed to really love the Margo table, giving theHamburg-based company a 2017 German Design Award and an Iconic Awards 2017: Interior Innovation. Admittedly, the wooden table carries strong structural elements defined by clarity of line and clear, minimalist graphic expression (popular German hallmarks). www.vitamin-design.com
Ga Stuhl│Horgenglarus
One becomes two and two become one. This is, in simple terms, the principle of the Ga Stuhl. Swiss designer Hans Bellmann devised the chair in 1955 while experimenting with shaped plywood for seat shells, and Horgenglarus produced until 1970. Now Switzerland’s oldest manufacturer of chairs and tables has brought back what was originally intended for the garden (so says Bellmann’s widow, hence the “Ga” part of the name). www.horgenglarus.ch
PIN│Schönbuch
The PIN hook rail is inspired by the look of a music stave. Its fold-down hooks are made of solid wood, painted completely black and the lower ends are finished with polished brass ferrules. The rail itself is formed from round tubing and powder-coated, as are the wall fixtures. www.schoenbuch.com
Hoff│Petite Friture
Hoff is the name of a new collection from Petite Friture that consists of two modular stools, sofas and armchairs, from which entire landscapes can be configured. The brainchild of designer duo Morten & Jonas, the interplay of various colours, textures and Kinetic-style silhouette make it a great fit for spaces inhabited by high-level creatives. www.petitefriture.com
Agio│Rolf Benz
There are so many possible configurations for this new sofa from Rolf Benz, it’s like a living room’s Rubik’s Cube. Designed by Norbert Beck, the side elements can be folded upwards, so that they can be used as a backrest system for sitting cross-wise on the sofa. When folded completely outwards, the lying area expands to support the whole body. The back of each seat can be rotated individually by 39 degrees into a relax position, and the headrest element can also be adjusted. When the seat is turned forward and the side element moved away, one can also comfortably put up one’s feet. www.rolf-benz.com
Kerman│e15
Versatility is the name of the game for the Kerman sofa. Designed by Philipp Mainzer and Farah Ebrahimi for e15, the system is based around various combinations of seating modules, armrests and poufs. www.e15.com
