Non-wood materials taking greater share in exteriors market

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ITTO/Fordaq
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While wood is in the ascendance in the interiors sector, the IMM Furniture Fair in Cologne between 16 and 22 January highlighted that alternative materials are making more ground in the exteriors sector. Exterior furniture continues to become more and more flexible and decorative and adapts to growing demand for pieces that can be used both inside and outside.

This demand is driven both by new materials and lifestyle changes in which more people spend time on balconies, decks, patios and similar spaces which combine features of gardens and rooms.

Solid tropical wood garden furniture is increasingly substituted by outdoor sofas and chairs comprising modern, weather-resistant materials, with water resistant cushions and frames created using steel or plastics woven using traditional wicker techniques.

Teak is still popular, but mainly to accent and soften furniture made primarily in other materials.

A star attraction of the show was the Caribe collection of outdoor furniture designed for Ames by Sebastian Herkner, a leading designer who was Guest of Honour at the IMM Cologne show in 2016, in collaboration with Colombian craftsmen. The pieces were made of woven plastic string and steel using the "Momposino" weave which is taught in school as a craft in the Santa Marta region of Colombia.

While not made of wood, the message conveyed about the Caribe collection in the IMM show publicity is relevant and should give encouragement to manufacturers of tropical wood furniture.

The IMM organisers observe that “the Caribe series stands for a trend in the interiors industry which is exemplary of the growing need for meaningfulness among manufacturers and consumers. And contrary to some expectations, this trend is evidently being carried by the market.

It is not always the case that one succeeds in combining sustainable production with an aesthetic concept in a pilot project while at the same time also accommodating the increasing interest of people for authentic products. However the number of products that tell their own special story is constantly growing.”

Another trend at the IMM show that could be exploited by the tropical timber sector is to extend the use of solid wood into the climatically difficult environment of the bathroom. Together with the bathroom furniture manufacturer, Keuco, the company Team 7 from Austria was displaying the Lignatur edition at IMM Cologne which utilises natural wood to provide a high quality and unique finish to bathrooms.

Again, the material used in this instance was not tropical timber, the traditional European favourites of walnut and oak being preferred. However, use of tropical wood would offer manufacturers both technical and aesthetic advantages in high-end bathroom furniture.

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