Textile Printing

Heimtextil 2018: Feel good, live and work healthily

Friday 02. February 2018 - More flexibility, more individuality, more innovation. Those who were looking for trends and innovations at Heimtextil found what they were looking for on many levels. From 9 to 12 January, 2,975 international exhibitors presented their latest styles, colours and designs for textile interiors in Frankfurt. One focus was on solutions for a healthier and sustainable furnishing style.

“The future is urban” was the title of this year’s Heimtextil “Theme Park”. Both the large trend area in hall 6.0 and the presentations by the exhibitors impressively showed that whether at home, at the office or in a hotel – people want to and should feel comfortable where they live and work. The omnipresent Hygge zeitgeist was represented in the form of harmoniously coordinated styles and colours.
Pastel with a prospect of purple
Powdery tones in combination with mostly light natural materials provide a relaxed, open cosiness. The palette ranges from delicate rosé, lilac and coral, and sand, grey and nude to pastel aqua and petrol varieties. These soft nuances are underpinned by clear lines, velvety surfaces, shine and sensual structures. In amongst these, the harbingers of a somewhat livelier world of colours announce themselves. In this world, tones such as apricot, berry, pink and mint look as if they have been given a boost and appear fresh and vital. Having already made its entrance to the world of fashion, purple also reinvents itself and runs the gamut from lilac and lavender tones to dark ultraviolet.
Blue classics
At the same time, the classic indigo blue continues to develop into a cool trendy colour. Typical designs here include e.g. new interpretations of traditional patterns, batik looks and washes that convey the impression of something being handmade. The mix of blue and natural tones has a particularly original effect on raw textiles, which contrasts the general digitalisation of life with the charm of the imperfect. Also on the rise are denim fabrics that sometimes give the interior a casual touch.
Green comes up trumps
In the urban jungle, lush green tones and lush plant and leaf motifs create a pure feeling of nature. Typical are tendrils, ferns, palm fronds, cacti or free botanical forms, often against a black background. The green colour scheme is interrupted by subtle berry and rose tones.
Black and shimmer effects
Black provides targeted modern accents across all colour trends. In combination with gold and meadowlark, a cool sunny yellow, it unveils its exclusive effect in graphic designs. The use of metallic shine is omnipresent. This not only gives the different styles an exquisite touch, but also elegantly brightens up darker wallpapers or curtains.
Casual designs
Graphic patterns are and remain in vogue. In amongst the many elements borrowed from the 1950s and Art Deco, there is increasing inspiration mixed in from a new ethno style that is young and fresh. Faded patterns, melanges, handmade and used looks as well as impulsive designs that look as if they have been applied with thick brushes have an artistic to casual appearance.
More structure
Structures that offer a very haptic experience and appeal to the senses remain a trend. In this respect, there are no limits to the ideas and the ways they can be implemented. On display at Heimtextil were grained and openwork surfaces, leaf structures as well as artistic graphic patterns or nature-inspired 3D effects on rough and high-gloss fabrics. The play with opposites, such as coarse and fine, matt and smooth, transparent and opaque, creates suspense. Such designs offer many exciting possibilities, especially for window design and room layout.
Contract furnishing: flexible and sustainable textiles
Whether spa, hotel or office: with the “Interior.Architecture.Hospitality Expo” in hall 4.2, Heimtextil placed a special focus on contract furnishing. In addition to the very high demand for flexibility, there is a noticeable increase in interest in the topic of sustainability. This applies in particular to innovations that bring the environment and economy together, such as the COEX fibre from Maasberg. The specially processed cotton is flame-retardant, washable at the highest temperature and is currently causing a stir in many sectors, e.g. clinics. The fact that environmental awareness is no longer regarded as a niche area is also shown by the Irish company Chieftain Fabrics. With its recyclable organic imitation leather, it has equipped major projects such as Dublin Airport and the Chelsea football stadium.
Trends and innovations in the individual product groups:
“window”: Curtains up for discerning designs
Major brands such as Apelt, Deco Design Fürus, Gardisette, Neutex Home Deco and Sarlas Italia have implemented their innovations in the coherent, almost monochrome colour worlds of the season. The interplay of metallic shimmer, graphite and black with petrol, rosé or nude and natural shades is timeless, exquisite and relaxed, as is the mix of brass and transparency. The sophisticated designs impress with their structure and lightness, graphic sophistication, impulsive creativity and a touch of opulence. It becomes more colourful and lighter towards the summer with romantic meadow flowers and butterflies.
“upholstery”: Textiles for breathing deeply
Healthy living and working remains one of the top themes in the furnishing and upholstery fabrics sector. Companies such as Drapilux and ATN, for example, each presented several new products that air-condition flats or dampen the sound. They are certified organic, waterproof and/or flame-retardant. The bottom line: despite all the high-tech, the textiles still look very natural. This also applies to outdoor fabrics in linen, flannel or woven looks from Ter Molst. When it comes to soft feel-good textiles for indoors, high quality wool is exploited to the full at Luidor. Dolce Vita combines natural fabrics with fresh colours for a bold mix and match with interesting structures and young ethno styles.
“wall”: Change the wallpaper instead of moving house
Cool loft, industrial style, alpine hut or birch forests? When it comes to a simple change of scenery, the photo-realistic motifs by A.S. Création render a move unnecessary. Inspiring variety is also provided by the individual accent walls by Grandeco, Limonta and the wallpaper factory Gebr. Rasch. The trend is towards geometric designs, impulsive brush strokes, young ethno patterns and artworks as well as motifs such as leaves, pineapples and parrots. The exquisite, Venetian looks, elaborately flocked textile wallpapers as well as plaster or leather looks exude opulence. Metallic shimmer provides elegance and optical freedom.
“floor”: Individual carpet art
The “Carpet by Heimtex” area of the Association of German Home Textiles Manufacturers offered exciting potential for floor coverings. Ege Carpet gave an insight into the fascinating photo-realistic future of the carpet. In cooperation with Werner Aisslinger and Hadi Teherani, Vorwerk has succeeded in creating a highly flexible, bitumen-free tile concept. Its geometric cuts and free forms allow for the creation of individual, expressive carpet compositions. A further focus – both for commercial and private use – is on hybrid indoor/outdoor solutions. Artistic patchwork, patches and used looks in design continue to follow the major trends in terms of colour.
“sun”: Attractive invisibility
The new products in the field of privacy and sun protection also ensure the right transition between indoors and outdoors. For example, MHZ presented a new roller blind design that combines all mounting and operating modes in one model. Rooms with different possibilities can thus be designed in a visually coherent manner. With an eye on both the environmental aspects and the demands of urban nomads, Kadeco is expanding a “small solution” for the motorisation of blinds and roller blinds. The solar panel, which functions independently of power sources, can easily be removed and installed when moving flats, including the roller blind.
“digital print technology”: Digital printing provides highlights
Digital printing provides an increasing number of possibilities and greater precision. Kornit Digital, for example, develops colours with special luminosity. The new process integrates the neon tones pink and yellow directly into CMYK printing. This means no change of cartridge is necessary, whether for neon highlights or simply more luminosity for different textile types from single jersey to swimwear. Imaginative, floral designs and neo-Romantic artworks in photo-realistic quality stand out in the designs. HP works together with the designer Elli Popp, among others. Motifs of this kind decorate not only walls, but also elaborately structured sound-absorbing textiles for individual workspaces.
“All about pets”: Animals on trend
The assumption that dogs and cats see only in black and white has long since been refuted. This is not the only reason that stylish beds and accessories for the design lovers among our four-legged friends are in vogue. For example, dog beds in the industrial style from Lex&Max or rattan baskets from Laboni are in demand, which are very stylish – but not tasty enough to be chewed on. The Darling Little Place cushions are also clever: they appeal to both humans and animals, always keep their shape and are extremely suitable for travelling.
“bed”: Stylish bedding
Enjoying stylish living comfort is, of course, also of top priority for humans. Brands such as Biberna, Bierbaum, Home Flavours, Kas, Schiesser, Strenesse and Tom Taylor met the desire for new bed linen in the latest design trends with their new products. At the very forefront are coherent colour worlds of powdery nude, lilac, rose or petrol tones, finely balanced with black, graphite and natural nuances. The prints are dominated by flowers, leaves, birds and butterflies. In amongst these, the precursors to the new range of trendy colours appear in the form of bright turquoise, salmon, denim and meadowlark. By the way: the days are finally over when sets are all required to have the same motif. Matching designs in an exciting mix create variety. Smart pillows provide for a healthy awakening. These are connected to your mobile phone and initiate the waking phase to ensure you get the right kind of sleep.
“bath”: Casual spa feeling
After getting up, you can start the day relaxed. The Möve towels and bathrobes in a stylishly woven jeans look – including seams and retro labels as well as matching accessories for bathrooms and toilets – look sophisticated and casual. Between the currently trendy compositions of pastels, dove and natural tones as well as black and white and indigo, bright salmon and mint are blinking through with increasing intensity at Joop and Kleine Wolke. Others like Vossen rely on sophisticated camouflage in olive and petrol. Structures and very high-quality fabrics ensure the right spa feeling across all colour trends.
“table”: Fresh compositions and stylish sets
Creating a completely new look in a relaxed and light manner is the USP of home textiles in the “table” area. To this end, Sander presents fresh compositions of mint, salmon, pink and red as well as stylish sets in indigo for spring. Motifs such as pineapple and pelican are essential by the time we get to summer. In between these, rainbow-coloured fish splash about and create a holiday feeling. Exquisite compositions in lilac and violet by JPF spread a little bit of castle ambience. And good news, not only for parents of small children: the good old wax tablecloth is celebrating a real comeback. Gemitex supplies stylish all-round worry-free sets including matching seat cushions for indoor and outdoor use.