Gone dark during Covid and switching to an abbreviated June edition for 2023, international furniture and interiors fair imm cologne returned this year to its usual January dates at the Koelnmesse for the first time since 2020. Themed as “Connecting Communities,” the 2024 fair brought together roughly 750 exhibitors from 42 countries, with an emphasis on Northern European furniture makers. Record’s selection of highlights includes durable, adaptable pieces with almost limitless customization possibilities, along with fresh takes on modern classics.
Canvas
Following a 2005 brand revamp, Bavarian furniture maker Schönbuch continues to surprise with this superlatively customizable product line. Comprising cabinets, consoles, and more, the fittings and finishes of the Christian Haas–designed Canvas series can be configured in a multitude of different ways. It includes three subframes, 29 matte and 21 high-gloss finishes, 20-door and 12-drawer options with seven types of grips, and more.
schoenbuch.com
Audacious
The defining feature of the six-piece Audacious collection (a TV bench, side table, cabinet, sideboard, highboard, and curvaceous desk, all crafted from solid oak), designed by Jonas Søndergaard for Copenhagen-based Umage, are its interchangeable tambour doors. Available in faux leather or fabric options, the doors can be replaced for DIY interior refreshes.
umage.com
Palm
Designed by French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte for Parla, a century-old commercial-interiors brand based in Istanbul, Palm is a versatile line of low tables and seating/lounging options for indoor and outdoor environments. With pieces ranging from daybeds to armchairs and stools, the collection features what its designer describes as “dark, clean lines that flicker between light and shade.”
parladesign.com
Echo
New from family-run German furniture maker COR, Echo side tables are likened to colorful toadstools when arranged in a compact cluster of three, with “caps” of uniform diameters and “stems” available in a choice of thicknesses and heights. The bases of the Lukas Heintschel–designed tables can be upholstered in fabric or leather, while the tops feature a glass surface with a lacquered underside.
cor.de
Eclips
Following its recent debut at the Euroluce lighting fair in Milan, Amsterdam-based Hollands Licht returned to imm with recent offerings including the Evert Koning–designed Timber collections, the new Xio range, and Eclips, the brand’s revamped take on the Eclips floor lamp (pictured), an enduring Dutch design classic first introduced in 1960 by architect and industrial designer Evert Jelle Jelles.
hollandslicht.eu
Walter Knoll
Walter Knoll, the dynastic modern furniture mainstay founded in Stuttgart in 1865, debuted three special offerings at imm: a sustainable shell chair named Sheru Evo, five new carpet designs inspired by landscapes of Africa, and a series of limited-edition “artistic textiles” realized as hand-crafted cushions conceived in creative partnership with Swiss art and design duo Pascale Wiedemann and Daniel Mettler.
walterknoll.de
LUA
Known for its minimalist take on everything from serving platters to plungers, venerable German home accessories brand Blomus also does upholstered furniture. The new LUA sofa collection, designed by Sebastian Herkner, includes two- and three-seaters and a pair of stools. Available in 11 textiles, each in four muted colors, the range doesn’t stray from the family-owned company’s signature clean, pared-down aesthetic.
blomus.us
Pical
Released in 2021, Christian Haas’s Pical collection—side tables, a coffee table, and console (pictured)—is one of 87-year-old German-manufacturer interlübke’s most sought-after recent products. The signature shape of the sculptural lacquered metal table, the semicircle, featured prominently at its 2024 imm debut, which included a wall installation showcasing the deconstructed geometric forms comprising this lightweight, versatile piece.
interluebke.com
Pallone
First designed in 1989 by Roy de Scheemaker for a high-tech prototype residence conceived by a Dutch TV scientist, Leolux’s Pallone ball chair has received a makeover in celebration of its 35th anniversary. For the first time, the quirky classic is available with cozy bouclé fabric seats in lieu of all-leather. The birthday redux features six “Soft Season” upholstered-seat and leather-back color combinations; complete customization is also possible for those who’d prefer to go off season.
leolux.com
