Companies with products listed in the categories Furniture, Outdoor Products, Bathroom/Wellness, Office/Workplace, Building Fixtures, Walls/Floors/Ceilings, Luminaires, Textiles and last but not least products for Kitchen/Household may register for the competition until 7 November 2012.

The Interior Innovation Award – Best of Best 2013 label will be bestowed to 15 products overall; as an additional highlight three up-and-coming designers will be selected for the Interior Innovation Award at the D3 Contest 2013 talent show. The prize winners will be announced at the imm cologne opening ceremony on 13 January 2013.

As previously, the Winner 2013 and the Interior Innovation Award – Best of Best 2013 will be showcased in a special exhibition at imm cologne from 14 to 20 January 2013 at the Pure Village in Hall 3.1. The D3 Contest 2013 special show will also be staged here. A yearbook featuring all award-winning products together with other highlights of imm cologne 2013 will be published to accompany the exhibition.

The jury: international representatives of the design scene
All entries will be judged by international designers and representatives from the media and design institutes. This year the following persons will sit on the jury: Carole Baijings, designer and joint owner of SCHOLTEN & BAIJINGS, (Amsterdam); Barbara Friedrich, Editor-in-Chief of A&W Architektur & Wohnen magazine (Hamburg); designer Giulio Ridolfo (Udine); Gerhard Wolf, owner of Funktion Möbel furniture shop (Darmstadt); Sebastian Wrong, designer and co-founder of Established and Sons (London), and Andrej Kupetz, General Manager of the German Design Council (Frankfurt/Main).

imm cologne & kitchen show LivingKitchen
Since the pilot fair in 1929, the imm cologne has developed into the largest trend fair in 1950 and since 1983 has been the international furniture show with an annual staging. It is now the world’s largest exhibition for the furniture industry. The renaming of the event in 2003 to imm cologne initiated the development from a pure furniture exhibition to an interior design show. At the same time, the continued promotion of young designers set off, which became the D3 Design Talents project in 2006. For the second time, the imm cologne presents the kitchen show LivingKitchen, which alternates biannual with the event LivingInteriors. With over 1,200 exhibitors and the expectation of more than 140,000 domestic and international visitors, imm cologne and LivingKitchen will be regarded as one of the most important events in the field of interior design in 2013. At the beginning of every year, imm cologne offers the basis for successful business relationships within the interior design branch with international trends and marketable innovations.

German Design Council
The German Design Council is an independent and internationally active institution that supports companies in efficiently communicating design expertise and also seeks to strengthen the broader general public’s understanding of design. The German Design Council was established as a foundation in 1953 by decree of the German Federal Parliament, and champions good design through its competitions, exhibitions, conferences, seminars and publications. The circle of trustee-sponsors currently comprises 170 companies from inside and outside Germany, who together employ more than 1.6 million people.

For details on the competition and the online registration form please visit:
www.interior-innovation-award.com

“Lemon”, a new armchair by Kati Meyer-Brühl, likewise has its roots in the natural world. (photo: Brühl)

The return to nature is playing an ever-greater role in almost all areas of modern life. Today’s interior architecture, for instance, is increasingly coming to resemble landscape compositions: carpets are being laid out like fields, abstract pieces of furniture stand in the room as solid as rocks, and we are sleeping amidst gently rolling hills of cushions and covers.

But the design of the furniture itself is also increasingly taking its cues from nature. “Lemon”, a new armchair by Kati Meyer-Brühl, likewise has its roots in the natural world.

With its elegant, organic, leaf-like segments it forms a silhouette that resembles a blooming flower bud. The armchair fans out into five elongated leaf-shaped sections which taper towards the top, giving the piece a crown-like contour.

With Lemon the upholsterer Brühl wants to present a refreshingly vital, decorative and unique piece of furniture that combines elementariness with Mediterranean flair, adding an exuberant air to living rooms and lobbies. Arranged in a group, the armchairs invite companionship.

Base and seat/backrest can either be covered in the same colour, or in the same, elastic stretch wool fabric, cotton or leather in different colours. Individual slip-on covers are available for the leaf segments as a fun accessory to add colourful or floral accents.

The deep, softly upholstered seat; the alternating, either convex or concave elements, and the slightly cupped shape of the leaf segments mould themselves to the body to provide maximum relaxation and comfort, made perfect by the addition of a matching, handcrafted-looking, organically shaped stool. The light, nature-inspired colours are about to emphasise the overall effect of perfect harmony.

Up to 30 new product designs, the work of design students and young designers from around the world, will be preselected and featured in a special exhibition for the ninth time. The jury for the design competition, the Interior Innovation Award 2012, (due to be held at imm cologne) will then choose the three most talented up-and-coming international designers for 2012 from these nominees.

A catalogue will be published on the occasion of the exhibition and the nominated participants will be actively involved in the press activities associated with imm cologne. Closing date for applications will be the 26 September 2011.

Download the registration form here.

The large Boulevard of Innovations award exhibition along the northern boulevard presents the products that the jury awarded the “Winner 2011″ label as well as those from this preliminary selection proclaimed the 15 Best of Best 2011. The award-winning work of the three best newcomers together with around 30 prototypes from international up-and-coming designers can be seen in the [D3] Contest exhibition in Hall 3.2.

Since 2011, participation in the Interior Innovation Award competition is no longer limited to imm cologne exhibitors. All companies in the interior design industry with products from the segments of furniture, bathroom, office/workspace, building equipment, wall/floor/ceiling, kitchen/household, lighting and textiles were eligible to apply for the 2011 Interior Innovation Award.

For the first time, a yearbook will be published about the competition displaying all award-winning products as well as further highlights from imm cologne 2011.

The jury 2011
Tomoko Azumi, designer, London
Barbara Friedrich, editor-in-chief A&W Architektur und Wohnen, Hamburg
Sam Hecht, designer, London
Andrej Kupetz, managing director of the “Rat für Formgebung”/German Design Council, Frankfurt am Main
Giulio Ridolfo, designer, Udine
Gerhard Wolf, Funktion Möbel, Darmstadt

Interior Innovation Award 2011
Since 2002, the goal of the Interior Innovation Award has been to recognise innovative products with outstanding design from all segments of the interior design industry. Initiated by imm cologne and the “Rat für Formgebung”/German Design Council, the competition has developed into an effective instrument for corporate positioning and product differentiation for participants and winners from the very beginning.

[D3] Contest
The international [D3] Contest for young designers has become a fixture for trade visitors and exhibitors at imm cologne. The [D3] Contest provides young designers with an outstanding forum to present their interior design ideas to an international audience.

On behalf of Koelnmesse, the “Rat für Formgebung”/German Design Council is presiding over and organising the exhibition and award for young designers for the eighth time in a row this year at imm cologne 2011. Up to 30 current works by design students and young designers from around the world are being exhibited. From this selection, the jury of the Interior Innovation Award 2011 competition, taking place at imm cologne, selects the three best international up-and-coming designers for 2011.

Interior Innovation Award 2011 – Best of Best

Product Flow Armchair (seat)
Manufacturer MDF Italia
Designer Jean-Marie Massaud

Product Rocker (rocking horse)
Manufacturer Richard Lampert GmbH
Designer Doshie Levien

Product Wogg 50 (chair)
Manufacturer Wogg AG
Designer Jörg Boner

Product Konnex (shelf)
Manufacturer Müller Möbelwerkstätten GmbH
Designer Florian Gross, Florian Gross Design

Product Conoflat (shower basin)
Manufacturer Franz Kaldewei GmbH & Co. KG
Designer Christopher Redfern, Sottsass Associati

Product TA 18 Zehn (table)
Manufacturer e15 Design und Distributions GmbH
Designer Philipp Mainzer

Product i-Cooking (cooking hob)
Manufacturer ABK InnoVent BV
Designer ABK InnoVent BV

Product SKE 63 M 05 EU Compact Built-in Dishwasher
Manufacturer Robert-Bosch Hausgeräte GmbH
Designer Inhouse Design

Product Material Structures – Salut / Ori / Bristol (decorative fabrics)
Manufacturer Kinnasand GmbH
Designer Lisa Perlitz, Kinnasand GmbH

Product Falling Star Floor (lamp)
Manufacturer Tobias Grau GmbH
Designer Tobias Grau

Product Pure Rost (wall covering)
Manufacturer Architects Paper
Designer Susan Krieger, Lydia in St. Petersburg GmbH

Product Cluster+ (lamp)
Manufacturer benwirth licht
Designer Ben Wirth and Killian Hüttenhofer

Product Trio (side table)
Manufacturer pulp0
Designer Julian Appelius

Product Lou (armchair)
Manufacturer Roset Möbel GmbH
Designer Patrick Jouin

Product Munich Lounge Chair
Manufacturer Classicon
Designer Sauerbruch Hutton, Matthias Sauerbruch and Louisa Hutton
[D3] Talents Contest

The jury presented two first prizes of 2,500 euros and one second prize of 1,000 euros.

1st place
Product OLA (table)
Designer AKKA, Oscar Terbom and Petter Danielson

1st place
Product Pressed Chair
Designer Harry Thaler

2nd place
Product Moody (sofa)
Designer Hanna Emelie Ernsting

photo: Kinnasand.

imm cologne exhibitor Kinnasand (Hall/Booth: 11.1 C010 D011) has been awarded the prize Interior Innovation Award – Winner 2011 for the contract collection Colours Unlimited.

The Interior Innovation Award is an international acknowledgement for design, innovation and outstanding product concepts. A renowned jury of experts evaluate product innovation, observing new products and the application of novel materials as well as complex production techniques based on innovative design revelation.

Kinnasand presents withColours Unlimited an innovative textile collection for the creation of individual objects: Colours Unlimited provides individual design concepts in unlimited colour varieties. Customers can choose quality, colour and pattern from the collection or create a customized textile for specific objects with their own indicated colour. Four flame retardant fabrics are available according to function in transparent, semi-transparent or dense qualities and as Dim-Out, applicable and flexible for any object.

Colours Unlimited by Kinnasand directly supports architects, interior designers and planers of objects demanding specific material, function and colour, in their intentions of enhancing a pleasant environment.

The winners of the Interior Innovation Award 2011 will be presented in a special show during imm cologne from 17th – 23rd January 2011 (“Boulevard of Innovations“).