Articles de Markus Hieke

Curated by Alcova Milano: The Heimtextil Trends 25/26 opens up exciting new perspectives for the textile industry under the title ‘Future Continuous’, impressively staged in the Trend Arena at Heimtextil from 14 to 17 January 2025.

The exhibitors' stands are one aspect of a trade fair. But what would the spectacle be without an informative supporting programme? Here are the highlights of the world’s leading trade fair for home and contract textiles.

From Middle Franconia to the flex-desk world: how Dauphin has further developed the Indeed swivel chair family specifically for use at shared workspaces.

The ever-evolving nature of collaboration demands office spaces that can adapt cleverly – for example, by incorporating the latest products from the leading contract furniture manufacturer, Brunner.

On behalf of the young bathroom brand FOR, the CGI experts of Danthree Studio once again artfully bring products and brand spaces to life in a universe of their own.

Under the motto ‘Time for more’, the internationally active wood-based materials specialist based in Austria has updated its much-appreciated collection for furniture and interior design, including new planning tools.

Villeroy & Boch's comprehensive collections also include vibrant colour options for more lively, luxurious and engaging bathroom experiences.

TOURS, TALKS & TOURS, LIBRARY TOURS and LIVE TALKS, big questions and clear answers as well as an elaborately presented material library: This is how you can keep track at the international marketplace for home and contract textiles…

For the upcoming edition in January, Heimtextil is adding an important new product segment, with textile floor coverings this year getting their very own stage.

This coming January, the international trade fair for home and contract textiles Heimtextil will address a style-defining ecological change in the sector with Heimtextil Trends 24/25.

In its anniversary year of 2023, Villeroy & Boch is rounding off its holistic range of bathroom products with a new product segment…

A model of success: In Mettlach, right on the frontiers of Germany, France and Luxembourg, Villeroy & Boch brings together all the expertise of its outstanding production network.

An inventive spirit, friendship and even a love story lie behind the enduring success of the Villeroy & Boch brand…

In its comprehensive Antao bathroom collection for Villeroy & Boch, design duo kaschkasch capture fleeting moments from nature to inspire washbasins, bathtubs, wall mirrors and fittings.

‘New Work’ describes not so much a state of affairs as a process of change that entails new tasks as well as changing demands on places of work, which is why it is crucial to react creatively.

The office needs heart, is the message from the Dauphin HumanDesign Group, which provides an updated concept for contemporary workspace planning under the title ‘Dauphin Workheart’. The future means the office as the centre of the company – and

Every organisation needs its physical centre, especially as collaboration becomes more virtual. The Dauphin HumanDesign Group proposes the principle of a ‘heartbar’ as the central meeting point of a company.

Every change needs pioneers to prove that it represents a step forward – even if at first glance it entails extra effort. For part three of the PALMBERG Intelligence Series – a series presented by office furniture manufacturer PALMBERG – we

Raumplus is setting itself up structurally for even more service orientation and internationality. Here, managing director Carsten Bergmann answers some questions about an exciting future.

The Verrière partition wall system from raumplus which recently received an award from the German Design Council allows open-plan areas to be divided up without sacrificing spaciousness.

Berlin-based architect and designer Michael Hilgers has developed a sliding door system for raumplus that is an elegant answer to the need for spatial separation in predominantly open-plan living spaces.

How well do we work with headphones in our ears? And why is complete silence not necessarily always optimal? In the second of three parts from the PALMBERG Intelligence Series – a series presented by office furniture manufacturer PALMBERG –

Door communication meets design: Intuitive and sleek, Elcom motion allows house entrances to make a contemporary first impression.

Specialists in partition wall, acoustic and room-in-room systems, family-owned Strähle is constantly developing new answers to the modern working world. The latest addition is Teambox…

In the third part of the Busch-Jaeger Intelligence Series – a series of three articles sponsored by the specialist for electrical installation technology and building automation – together with Prof. Dr. Michael Krödel from the Rosenheim

The name Waldmann has long been associated with the principle of biodynamic lighting in healthcare, office and industrial environments – what's new is the company's orientation towards more circular principles ...

By relaunching their iconic range 477/801 with new colour combinations, the Germany-based expert for barrier-free bathroom products gives new life to a design classic and refreshes care architecture across age groups.

Whether it is possible to work in a creative, concentrated and productive way in an office depends on a variety of factors. To kick off the Palmberg Intelligence Series – a three-part series presented by office furniture manufacturer Palmberg –

For AXOR, Barber Osgerby have immersed a compact bathroom entirely in green with added white detailing. The concept reflects their definition of luxury, which is also the focus of a new campaign from the Black Forest-based design brand.

In the third installment of the Bette Intelligence Series – a series of three articles sponsored by the German manufacturer of premium glazed titanium steel – we ask Belgian interior designer Nathalie Deboel how we can transform residential

With Proline T, Solarlux has combined its range of facade and balcony glazing into a comprehensive system family – including improved sound insulation properties and wind resistance.

At Milan Design Week 2023, visitors to Brera can look forward to the fabulous ‘Invisible’ pop-up installation by switch manufacturer JUNG – including an immaterial souvenir.

In the second instalment of the Busch-Jaeger Intelligence Series – three consecutive features sponsored by the specialist for electrical installation technology and building automation – the Executive Director of Germany's Sustainable Building

In the ninth and penultimate part of our ISH preview of new products, follow us on a morning walk in the woods – with a bathroom collection by Kaschkasch for Villeroy & Boch.

With its new WC flush technology, bathroom brand VitrA will mark another milestone. Find out the secret behind this silent and powerful flushing principle in part seven of our ISH new product preview!

Wait, did you say smart water? LAUFEN Smart is the name of a new system for intelligent and networked water management in public sanitary rooms. Here we present a first impression of it, in part six of our ISH preview of new products.

Ever heard of an infinity bathtub? Bento in the bathroom, anyone? Designer Philippe Starck has created a fascinating bathroom series for Duravit derived from the Japanese snack box. Immerse yourself in part four of our ISH preview of new products!

Organic wellness sculpture: For the third part of our ISH new product preview, we climb into a bathtub designed by Diez Office for KALDEWEI that combines pure bathing pleasure with a compact shape and recyclable material use.

Effective water vortex: In the second part of our ISH innovation preview, we reveal how Geberit makes the WC more efficient in several respects.

To kick off our 10-part ISH preview of new products, we turn our attention to AXOR. In Frankfurt am Main, the design brand will present itself with its pronounced focus on individualisation and a washbasin and bathtub series by Philippe Starck.

Munich-based lighting specialist HEAVN's products track sunlight over the course of the day, and so work in sync with natural human biorhythms.

Together with circular economy pioneer Niaga, Object Carpet has developed the world's first endless circular carpet – the first step into a circular future...

With its new Metropole design, Silent Gliss reinterprets the tried and tested curtain pole as a highly flexible track with a patented, ultra-quiet running mechanism.

In the first installment of the Busch-Jaeger Intelligence Series – three consecutive features sponsored by the German specialist for electrical installation technology and building automation – architect Ursula Fuss speaks about an inclusive

For our second case study with König + Neurath, we visit three of international marketing agency Dentsu's offices in Munich, Frankfurt and Zurich.

With its curved, handcrafted shapes inspired by Japanese culture, the Zencha bathroom collection by Sebastian Herkner soothes its users in a meditative way.

Design and attention to detail have been traditions at Züco for over a hundred years. Now, following in the footsteps of the Averio lounge chair, comes the narrower Averio XS – also produced entirely according to the needs of the individual.

Achieving a feeling of space in its compact interior, the entrance area of Rosie – a laboratory for young space researchers in St. Gallen – was equipped with backlit architectural panels (clear-PEP®) from Design Composite.

DuraSolid Nature is the name of the remarkable result of intensive material research at Duravit, from which the Sustano shower tray range is now the first to be made.

In our first of three case studies with König + Neurath, we visit the headquarters of the TK Elevator brand. Customised furnishing solutions play a crucial role in the office interior designed by Seel Bobsin Partner.

In a new white paper, fittings brand AXOR gets to the bottom of the changing concept of luxury. Tristan Auer translates the paper's findings into a cinematic concept bathroom.

Cultural monument meets living space: In Düsseldorf, five penthouses were built onto the roof of a historical bunker. Licht im Raum set the scene for the luxurious homes within.

For Noah Living's first two creations, the Noah Sofa and Noah Bed, an uncomplicated design language creates comfortable, adaptable and sustainable no-fuss furniture.

With six new colours inspired by the various guises of the sea and its coastlines, Barber Osgerby's latest additions to AXOR's One collection of faucets really mix things up.

With unapologetically individual designs, AXOR's distinctive product ranges appeal to consumers and specifiers unwilling to settle, when looking to create more personal bathroom spaces.

Tristan Auer utilised his full creative freedom in a Blade Runner-inspired bathroom space for AXOR's Personalities campaign, made possible with the brand's uniquely individual product lines.

HPL board specialist Resopal has recently expanded its already diverse design range with the Creative Selection, featuring 200 new designs – for dynamic and individual interior surface designs.

This personally created retreat, designed by Sarah Poniatowski in southwest France for AXOR, blends together indoor and outdoor environments in a sanitary sanctuary of serenity and solitude.

Joulia's shower channels enable the heat from warm outflowing water to be recovered and recycled, thus offering a shower solution that's not only comfortable, but sustainable, too.

Who says classics can't reinvent themselves? Italian manufacturer Artemide has released the popular Tolomeo desk lamp in an INTEGRALIS® version, which effectively combats pathogens.

In the space of just ten years, Freifrau has become a brand of influence and stature within the design community, handcrafting signature pieces with a light and elegant feminine style.

The simplicity of Hanne Willmann's Nana chair for Freifrau is its biggest strength. With cloud-like upholstery, the perfectly balanced chair looks as light as it feels.

Christian Trzaska's new opulent Garden Eden fabric for Freifrau is poetry in emotion. A floral design that shrouds the German brand's comfortable seating in elegance.

Under the title ‘Workspace in Progress‘, students of industrial design at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna developed responses to the question of present and future forms of work – in close collaboration with Stefan Diez and Wagner

After "Oasis", Freifrau has once again teamed up with tattoo artist Christian Trzaska to create the new tapestry fabric "Garden Eden", which takes on baroque floral imagery and pretty much lives up to its name...

Silent.office.wall from Recytex offers highly effective acoustic solutions in a wide variety of forms for the workplace, which can be easily assembled, dismantled and extended at any time. Find out more here...

Axor demonstrates the meaning of the word 'icon' with its Axor Icons series – iconic designs designed by icons, Antonio Citterio, Jean-Marie Massaud and Philippe Starck.

The Lufthansa Lounge at Malpensa Airport in Milan shines thanks to luminaires and lighting systems from Artemide – literally brightening up passengers' time before or after a flight.

Cologne-based FLAT'N specialises in creating bespoke carpet designs, using innovative digital printing techniques to realise individual patterns, colour combinations and shapes.

Wingburg allows door and wall to become one, so that rooms are not simply subdivided, but can be perceived as a flowing sequence of spaces – illustrated here by three interior projects...

For 125 years, German brand Alape has been perfecting the visual as well as haptic experience of washbasins and washstands made of glazed steel.

With numerous design options to choose from, the double award-winning MX-3 cassette awning from Markilux provides shade solutions that are tailored to individual needs.

Freifrau’s new Nana chair by Berlin-based Hanne Willmann merges the designer’s straightforward design language with the seating specialist’s trademark comfort and elegance.

Swiss company Feller's high-quality sockets and switches meet the technological demands of modern life while visually celebrating over a century of manufacturing heritage.

The new premium version of Egger’s PerfectSense lacquered board allows architects to set new standards for matt and high-gloss surface finishes.

Now you see it, now you don’t. Sliding-door specialist Wingburg’s in-wall systems offer architects smart solutions for optimising space on projects with compact floor plans.

A new hillside home in Hobart demanded a project partner that would do its location and surrounding views of nature justice. Enter German window-and-door specialist Unilux...

For Ona Lounge, the latest addition to Freifrau’s versatile Ona chair family, designer Sebastian Herkner took a more elegant approach, while still managing to add some trademark Freifrau playfulness…

Tile brand Ceramic District’s premium-quality, German-made products explicitly address the needs of architects and interior designers, empowering the creation of first-class ceramic architecture.

In collaboration with The Future Laboratory, German bathroom fittings specialist AXOR has been exploring future trends in urban living, as well as where luxury fits into the picture.

Kymo’s new handwoven, high-gloss-banana-silk carpet collection channels the shimmering optics of metal, animating floors in exclusive living spaces.

Celebrated design duo Barber Osgerby have extended their archetypal AXOR One family of bathroom fittings. Discover their new products here...

For nearly three decades, AXOR has stood for perfect form and high levels of precision and quality – all created in collaboration with some of the world’s most sought-after designers.

Compact Luxury by AXOR answers the question of how to fit luxury into an increasingly compact and urbanised world. Find out more by downloading the Compact Luxury whitepaper...

Barber Osgerby’s AXOR One shower thermostat module from 2015 has now been expanded into a tactile new bathroom collection – one that has reinvented archetypes.

Occhio+ represents a broadening of the Occhio product portfolio into the larger contract sector, and, as such, is aimed explicitly at architects and planners.

Occhio's project service offers comprehensive, 360° support to clients – leaving no question unanswered when it comes to lighting design.

Planners looking to not only illuminate interiors, but rather achieve a sense of dramaturgy with ambient light, will find the right partner in Munich-based lighting specialist Occhio.

Trust Swiss textile specialists CRÉATION BAUMANN to develop a curtain collection that provides both comfortable indoor conditions and energy-saving benefits. Meet GLARE & HEAT...

KETTNAKER combines a systematic, unified design approach with high-quality materials and 150 years of tradition. The result is furniture that remains loyal to the virtues of its Southern German roots.

FURNITURE DESIGN WEEK: Open Wall from Bochum-based office furniture specialist FLEISCHER is a flexible, modular partition system that allows planners and designers to reimagine our workspaces – shaping not only where we work, but how we work.

Ergonomics are back in fashion, thanks to the seismic shift to home working. For AERIS, however, they never went out. For a quarter of a century, their Swooper ‘active’ seat has been keeping workers’ backs working.

ASB GLASSFLOOR has been lighting up the world of sport with its cutting-edge LumiFlex floor technology for years. Now, with DigitalWallpaper, it has set its sights on a broad new range of applications. Sunglasses optional.

Smart, quiet and discreet, the glassdraftAir worktop ventilation system from SIEMENS HOME APPLIANCE is optimally suited to modern, open kitchen spaces that are as much about sociability as they are about cooking.

Flexible workspaces call for flexible furniture. When it comes to office chairs, they don’t come much more flexible and fun than Fiore.

Sound Balance, the acoustic solution from German office manufacturer SIGEL not only optimises workplace acoustics, it also quickly and flexibly separates different working areas, creating a safer environment for employees during the coronavirus