Furniture design trends 2007: Between desperation and genius

Today, design is more important than ever and the demands on designers have also become higher and more complex than ever before. In a time when flawless function is taken for granted and quality standards are converging increasingly, design defines vital differences in today’s markets.

In order to fulfill their tasks successfully, designers have to be creative and innovative in their work. In the process they must not lose sight of the mainstream with its great buying power, because in the end design wants and has to differentiate, but at the same time must appeal to as many people as possible – a paradox situation. Many manufacturers react to this with designs, which, instead of standing out positively from the masses, become more and more similar to each other. Every now and then the attempt to create something new and at the same time appeal to the taste of the masses, even results in something comical. There are for instance chairs, which consist of a flokati rug draped over a frame, for which the name “Knut, the gruesome bear” – alluding to the internationally popular polar bear cub ‘Knut’ of the Berlin Zoo – would be fitting. Of a similar comical nature are efforts to turn completely unspectacular and random pieces of furniture into something special. If for example the traditional stitching of a chair has to be marketed by the PR department as “a kind of mosaic made of leather and fabric, which becomes a sophisticated and elegant dress” in order to turn a completely unspectacular design into something special, then this is very revealing. Such examples represent a platitudinous, superficial aestheticism or even worse: Sheer desperation.

However, fortunately there are also positive examples, pieces of furniture which are impressive thanks to their intelligent and innovative design – design, which is fun and exciting, and enriching our lives.

We would like to introduce you to the most interesting examples here in our trend gallery on the subjects “Colours”, “Forms”, and “Materials”.

>> Trend gallery "Furniture Design 2007“