Dolunay Yerit, advisor to The Austrian Furniture Industry, offers an insight into current trends for the furniture.
Materials and surfaces
More attention than ever is being devoted to diversity of materials. The Austrian Furniture Industry has put a lot of development work into this area. Whether it’s wood, fabric, leather, metal or glass, 2014 will be bringing exciting new surfaces and structures. You will see warm, oiled, sometimes even wild-grained wood with cool coloured glass, or contrasting, varnished surfaces and smooth upholstery made from natural leather or fabric, combined with textured, sometimes embroidered cushions. These different combinations create thrilling contrasts and meet the need for individualised lifestyles. Structured, natural surfaces and materials which all tell a story are a solution to the quest for authenticity. In the kitchen, wood and high-gloss surfaces with punchy colour accents are also starting to appear. The winning combination for the outdoor area uses particularly robust, weather-proof materials.
Individuality
Having an individualised lifestyle, i.e. living in a space that is tailored to an individual’s personal needs and is different from other spaces, is of growing importance. Standing out from the crowd in an individualistic society can now also be achieved in one’s living space. Stylistic clashes, such as Grandma’s comfy wingback chair next to a chic designer lamp and that exquisite find from the flea market, are a sign of contemporary interior design. Furniture manufacturers, too, are pouring all of their energy into developing new, personalised and flexible solutions – be it an adjustable shelving unit or a made-to-measure wall cabinet. Austrian companies are clearly taking the lead in this area, and are making an impression with their variety of models and custom-made pieces.
Small rooms
Although, on the one hand, there is still high demand for XXL sofas, box-spring beds and pull-out tables, there are, on the other hand, an increasing number of solutions for small houses and rooms in urban environments. Here, the principle of ‘less is more’ applies. Instead of overloading a room with lots of pieces of furniture, it is better to resort to compact, multifunctional furniture. Thanks to modern technology, modern sofas can be transformed into a bed in a matter of seconds, and are equipped with various functions such as adjustable armrests and footrests; there are chests of drawers which contain an entire home office inside; there are also dressers and cupboards that can conceal a flat-screen monitor. Also ideal for small rooms are room partitions, which help to combine the different areas for working and living in an economical manner. Alongside these intelligent solutions, many companies are focusing on special individual pieces such as couch tables or lounge chairs, eye-catchers which help to enhance a room and add a little je-ne-sais-quoi.
Multifunctionality and technology
In the area of upholstery, there is a lot going on when it comes to functionality. Manufacturers are increasingly developing new features to make sitting and reclining as comfortable as possible. Here, we are also seeing a trend towards more individuality, such as neck supports that can be adjusted to suit individual needs, or foldable armrests. Home entertainment also has a big role to play. More and more pieces of furniture are being designed not only to allow the smart integration of high-quality technical devices, but also to provide them with an aesthetically-pleasing backdrop. Sofas are increasingly being equipped with docking stations for the iPod and co. as well as tables for laptops or tablets, allowing comfortable use of these devices without the need to have a separate table available. There are room partitions containing a flat-screen monitor, or wall units designed for high-end audio systems, where devices such as Blu-ray players, satellite receivers, Playstations or surround sound amplifiers can be comfortably stored away in the substructure. Thanks to their sliding doors and drawers, the technology can be quickly hidden on the one hand, but consciously put on show on the other. There are also a growing number of solutions for kitchen and bathroom, offering a smart combination of furniture and technology.
