HEMEROTECA
23 julio, 2015
The last Interzum has seen numerous innovations in furniture. But sometimes the essential is invisible to the eyes.
Interzum, the industry@¬#s leading trade fair, is considered the innovator and driver of new concepts and developments for the furnishing industry. And those invisible innovations which are hidden within the furniture itself make for particularly exciting discoveries, including fittings as well as new functions and improved types of functionality – real inner value.
Handle-free
The furniture industry has been investigating the topic of “handle-free” for some years now. Like many innovations involving open and close functionality, the kitchen was the primary area of interest before handle-free doors began to establish themselves in other living areas. Up to now however, the combination of mechanical opening support systems and cushioned closing action has proven problematic. The solution to this problem was a big topic at this year@¬#s interzum. Austrian fitting specialists Blum contributed in this area with their Tip-On Blumotion, which facilitates perfect handle-free opening in combination with soft-close functionality, all purely mechanical. Polish manufacturer Komandor went one better, laying claim to the role of pioneer for the combination of Push-to-open and Softclose functionality in sliding doors.
Light-weight design
Another key term taking centre stage in terms of importance is light-weight design. Advances in the development of alternative technologies and the refining of existing manufacturing methods make it easier to develop ever lighter materials, as well as process increasingly thinner materials. Here the reduced use of materials is not simply a design factor but also relevant from an ecological and economical perspective and thus also or even more particularly relevant for the furniture supply industry. Because often, it is new concepts and products of the furniture supply industry which first really set trend developments in motion. Austrian company Grass takes this firmly into account. For example, the hinges employed in the Tiomos series can facilitate furniture doors in a range of materials right down to a thickness of 6mm. The manufacturer is careful to ensure that conveniences like cushioning technologies, three-dimensional adaptability with continuously variable height adjustability and kinematics are not lost.
Grass makes its own contribution to the area of lightweight construction material with Pro Nova Scala – a two-walled sliding system. The aim of Grass@¬# developers was to reduce the space used for the guide-rail technology to the absolute minimum. Because reduced volume means reduced use of material and energy and less weight. And that@¬#s not all. This is precisely how the large-format glass solution Crystal Plus, with its suspended light appearance, can offer designers a range of new design options for interior furnishing.
Hettich is addressing yet another perspective of the weight issue. The East- Westphalian fittings specialists have been thinking about large, heavy upholstered furniture and have developed CoFix, a special connector fitting which can be invisibly integrated into the furniture. This means that sofas and armchairs can be completely dismantled, transported as individual components and then simply reassembled again at their destination. This means that they will no longer take up all the space in the removal van and narrow stairwells will no longer be a problem for your favourite couch – an important factor especially in light of current trends in urbanisation and more regular changes in apartments.
Weight also plays an important role in the functional Chelan fitting by Kintec Solutions for pull-out sofas. The integrated click-system means the seat unit can be separated from the base, guaranteeing optimum handling of the upholstered elements, for instance during transportation. Chelan aims at providing a slight visual impact too. According to Kintec Solutions, they have managed to develop a “Wall-Away” function with an invisible scissor mechanism. The lack of exposed edges to avoid the risk of pinching and cutting oneself is particularly remarkable, a development in which the company has invested 5 years and 1.3 million Euro.
Personalization
But it@¬#s not only the appearance of lightness which is heavily in demand at present: these days we also want our furniture to look as individual as possible. Customised dimensions and personalised surfaces give furniture a unique appearance. And so individual design is growing in popularity for furniture interiors too. Manufacturer Woodbox has come up with a hybrid drawer, the lateral elements of which are comprised of two different materials: wood or synthetic materials on the inside and real metals on the outside in copper or stainless steel. In addition, customers can order special décors which will then no longer be available to the rest of the market, the ultimate in customisable interiors.
Häfele strike a different note in terms of individuality, integrating music into furniture. These days, music is increasingly transported and consumed digitally, whether downloaded via a portal or streamed online. This means CD players and amplifiers are no longer required, leaving only the speakers retaining their purpose. With its 105 and 420 sound systems, Häfele want to transform the actual furniture itself into speakers and turn cabinets, sideboards or tables into entertainment centres, with no visible trace of the technology. Using a Bluetooth receiver and up to four acoustic transducers (“exciters”), the sound systems are specially developed to be integrated into furniture, including industrially manufactured furniture. The exciters can turn all hard surfaces (wood, glass or metal) into a resonator making music and speech audible to an astonishingly high level of sonic quality. Select music and adjust volume easily and comfortably with the smartphone, tablet or laptop, via Bluetooth, cable-free! It only remains to be seen which of these inner furniture features will be amazing visitors to imm cologne 2016.
* For further information: www.hafele.es
