Stand buys

SBHD: Stand by for the latest in furniture design at the Cologne exhibition, which is being held next week. Nicky Churchill finds out what’s in store

The 30th Cologne international furniture fair held each year in January is gaining ground on Milan, as more and more companies use it as a vehicle to seek international markets. This year promises 1500 exhibitors from more than 40 countries. Not surprisingly, the home team dominates the list of exhibitors followed by Italy, Spain and the Scandinavian countries.

From Finland, Inno will launch the Josephine armchair and the Napoleon chair, both by Harri Korhonen, and it will be showing a number of its existing models, which, for ecological reasons, the company has now introduced in a new waxed beech finish; Artek will launch the Periferia range of chairs and tables by Kari Virtanen in a natural oiled wood finish, and a new pair of timber bar stools with webbed seats by Ben Af Schultn, plus, of course, the well-known Alvar Aalto pieces.

From Spain, the SIDI group includes Perobell, Andreu World, Punt Mobles, Casas and Indecasa, and all will be showing new designs launched at Valencia last year. And from Italy, Flyline will introduce new caf chairs and tables and Moroso will bring the Ross Lovegrove M sofa system and Oscar Tusquets’ Doble X stackable chair first shown at Orgatec in October.

The majority of the British contingent will be showing reproduction and traditional furniture, but there is also a selection of new contemporary designs to be found in the avant-garde halls.

Zoeftig & Co will be launching a family of caf chairs to meet the demand for low-cost seating. Perhaps more exciting is The Jenkins Group’s new perch bench seating system originally designed for Buchanan bus station in Glasgow. No photo is available, but it promises to be an innovative design. If you miss Cologne you will have the chance to see many of the new designs at London’s Spectrum in March.

SBHD: Aero

British retailer Aero has exhibited at Cologne for the past two years with much success. This year, the company will be introducing new furniture and lighting for both the domestic and contract markets, including stacking extendable tables by Winfried Scheuer, a wooden extending table by Paul Newman, “animal” CD racks, and paper pendant lights designed by Nazanin Kamali. Also by Kamali are these Nesting tables made of epoxy-coated flattened wire rod and available in black or silver with glass tops. The three tables come complete as one set.

SBHD: SCP

SCP continues to develop its product portfolio with a select number of international designers. “We are not in the novelty business,” says founder Sheridan Coakley. “We build longevity into a design and are most interested in filling the gaps in our range as opposed to bringing out this year’s model.”

New designs from Konstantin Grcic include Mono, a set of functional tables and book cradle, and a glass wall clock. James Irvine contributes a revolving library bookcase on castors for the home market and from Matthew Hilton there is a new open-framed armchair in oak with matching coffee table. Although Cologne is a domestic fair, SCP will also show some contract pieces, including a new aluminium version of Terence Woodgate’s Public Seating System, first launched in 1992, and a multi-functional table programme in two-, three- and four-leg options, also by Woodgate.

SBHD: Interart

Matthew Hilton will also feature on the stand of Interart, a Dutch manufacturer of tables, shelving systems and cabinets. The new Shogun coffee table is made of beech and forms part of a range of tables and cabinets designed by Hilton. It will be available here in the UK through Viaduct, retailing at ú1095 plus VAT. Interart’s products are designed to complement the leather upholstered seating of its sister company Montis, which is also exhibiting.

SBHD: New Designers in Business

Ten members from New Designers in Business will travel to Cologne, thanks to the Department of Trade and Industry, the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers, and City and Inner London North Training and Enterprise Council. The products are varied and cater for both the domestic and contract markets. Watch out for Philip Looker’s bench seating made in the UK from recycled plastic, unusual sofas by DJS Design, Alouette Innovation’s multi-level table with rechargeable battery which has been updated in response to feedback from Cologne last year, and colourful flat-pack coffee tables by Jonathan Rothenberg Design.

SBHD: Fiam Italia

Fiam Italia will be showing its latest collection of glass furniture launched in Milan last April. On show will be a new table programme by Enzo Mari, a curved one-piece table by Roberto Semprini and Elio Vigna’s Meridiana shelving unit, featuring cherry-stained beech wood and curved crystal glass shelves. Less staid is Aria, a curved crystal glass showcase by Danny Lane. The base and top are made of hand-sculpted float crystal glass and supported on “rough cut” crystal glass legs – the Lane trademark.

SBHD: Artelano

Artelano will show the new Tempo chair by Pascal Mourgue, his 25th design for the French company, which combines wood, metal and plastic to form a versatile stacking chair. And the new Caf Marly collection by Olivier Gagnere, originally designed for the caf of the same name at the Louvre Museum in Paris and suitable for both interior and exterior use.

SBHD: Perobell

Tango by Mathias Hoffmann is one of the more traditional designs launched by Perobell at Valencia. Suitable for reception and leisure use, the armchair and pouffe have a solid wood structure covered in polyurethane and leather, with legs in lathe turned solid wood. m

The Cologne fair runs from 17 to 22 January.

SBHD: Listed below are those stands which, in our opinion, are worth a visit, with details of where to obtain products in the UK.

SBHD: Aero

0171 221 1950

SBHD: Andreu World

Clemente Cavigioli

0171 792 9616

SBHD: Artek

Coexistence

0171 354 8817

SBHD: Artelano

Dutch Design Centre

0171 221 8053

SBHD: Casas

Acanthus

01423 860003

SBHD: Disform

Clemente Cavigioli

0171 792 9616

SBHD: Fiam Italia

Bianchi Furniture Traders

01462 433130

SBHD: Flyline

Ambience

01483 306991

SBHD: Gelderland

Dutch Design Centre

0171 221 8053

SBHD: Interart

Viaduct

0171 278 8456

SBHD: New Designers in Business

0171 435 4348

SBHD: Montis

Viaduct

0171 278 8456

SBHD: Perobell

Clemente Cavigioli

0171 792 9616

SBHD: Punt Mobles

Neil Rogers Interiors

0171 498 1911

SBHD: Ycami Edizioni

JT Contract Marketing

0171 801 0206

SBHD: Zoeftig

0288 354512