Editorial

Foto: Koelnmesse, Frank Erler

I don’t know about you, but even we can no longer pursue the theory of living space’s merger with the kitchen without a faint internal groan – and unlike you, we don’t have to deal with it every day. Nevertheless, it’s a subject we have to keep pursuing, because for many of your readers it is a new idea, an idea that concerns them, arouses their curiosity and electrifies them. The signs of this trend are virtually impossible to overlook. They are manifesting themselves in pink, in daring bridge constructions and exquisite veneers, in hovering base cabinets and multimedia features – even in jets of water and extractor hoods aglow with light and colour. It seems unstoppable – the kitchen is becoming our living room, the space where we experience life, our stage.

But the clearest signal of all is the kitchen’s (re-) entry into the “front room” of the furnishing industry. The imm cologne and LivingKitchen stand to reap equal benefits from this roomshare. It will, I believe, be extremely exciting to see where this relationship takes us: what started out as a partnership of convenience seems to be well on its way to blossoming into heartfelt mutual affection. But looking at this Content Folder, one thing seems absolutely certain: The sense of a new and creative beginning which – spurred on by technical innovations and consumer pressure to create open-plan kitchen concepts – has led to a veritable explosion of ideas in the world of kitchen manufacturers. Those ideas will certainly inspire the rest of furniture design as well: “To the same extent that living space components find their way into the kitchen, the kitchen will also provide new impetus for the living space,” says Hans Hermann Hagelmann of Nolte Küchen. His standpoint is typical of the many self-confident manufacturers whose verbatim statements we have compiled for you in the Manufacturer’s Voice section. You will find that, taken together, they paint an extremely interesting picture of the players in this highly innovative and export-oriented sector.

It is no coincidence that, in this first Content Folder on LivingKitchen, we have focused on the opinion leaders – in the form of interviews and statements, with voices from the relevant associations and with a sometimes sober, sometimes very entertaining analysis of the new kitchen culture from renowned designers (there are Designer’s Voice features on Karim Rashid, Andreas Enslin, Philippe Starck, Hadi Teherani). Indeed, the realisation of LivingKitchen as a platform for all the sectors involved in creating a kitchen – kitchen furnishings and fitted appliances, sinks, tap fittings, sophisticated kitchen worktops and kitchen accessories, lighting and kitchen-related services – has in the truest sense of the word been a community effort. We will continue our endeavours to let them all have their say.

What makes a Content Folder so interesting for representatives of the press is that it shows a cross-section of the industry. From a neutral standpoint, the folder presents products, concepts and opinions, provides an overview – of trends, interior design and the current status of technical developments in the kitchen – and provides the best prerequisites for a detailed examination of the topic of Kitchens & Living. This wealth of content is presented in a range of different formats: sometimes essayistic, sometimes specialised, but always journalistic.

Enjoy the read!

Yours sincerely,
Markus Majerus

P.S.: An update to this Content Folder will provide an overview of the latest innovations the industry makes public prior to the fair in January. As always, the entire content (whole articles or extracts, please credit all photos) may be used free of charge for editorial purposes.

P.P.S.: Whatever happens in the furniture industry, the iPhone App imm cologne will keep you bang up to date.