In the spotlight at Heimtextil 2016

Trend colour Blue

Blue emerged as one of the trend colours at Heimtextil 2016 – and across all the Heimtextil ranges, from decorative fabrics and wallpaper to bathroom textiles. The tonality was wide-ranging: from light to dark, transparent to intense, cool to warm. The rainbow of colour spanned from light aquamarine, turquoise and dusty blue to Prussian blue, petrol, ultramarine and deep midnight blue. The silver and titanium looked sophisticated, as did the Bordeaux and Marsala and the richly contrasting orange, saffron and mustard. The colour palette also included friendly green shades such as mint, jade, lemon and Reseda, often in combination with pink and fuchsia. Non-colours such as putty, cream, sand, taupe and mud have proven themselves to be a long-term trend regardless of season.

A bright spot for windows

Scandinavian fashion is regarded as trailblazing and Scandinavian design is now also being rediscovered for textile interiors. Characteristics include large-format graphics and clearly contoured botanic décors with a bold, self-confident appearance. Home textiles have spent a long time focusing on florals, but graphic and geometric designs are now enjoying a huge revival – in a minimalistic style with straight grid patterns, dashed and wavy lines, subtle spirals and dots, and circles and spheres in the most varied of interpretations. Also seen at Heimtextil were triangles and zigzags in a handcrafted stencil look. This trend also includes flower and leaf motifs that are often depicted in a highly abstracted and stylised manner, sometimes reduced to a light and airy contour. (Horizontal) stripes are used as a highly decorative element in imaginative pattern mixes that can also combine various techniques such as jacquard, crash, cloqué and chenille.

Animated surfaces play a major role thanks to the use of shrink yarns, cloqué effects and bark structures. Scherli fabrics with fringed edges and floating threads also enter the world of 3D. Colour gradients are omnipresent in the form of ombrés and dégradés, while warp prints and chinés can be simulated in a skilful way. Changeant fabric shimmers in different colours thanks to the different-coloured yarns. Sparkling elements can be seen in all collections – as a fine gold contour on the edges, glittering lurex fibres, metallic shimmers or partial prints where silver and titanium combine with gold and copper.

Relaxed living with wallpapers

Key words in wallpaper trends at Heimtextil 2016 are relaxed living, slowing down, cosiness and sensuousness. These are implemented more in the form of introverted rather than extroverted designs that are characterised by subtle sophisticated details, visible and tactile relief structures and targeted use of sparkling accents. Metallic effects were first seen in 2015 and became even more widespread this year, giving rise to a cult-like glamorous style. Copper is paired with gold, bronze, silver and titanium, which all provide accents both in stringent graphic motifs as well as on delicate fern leaves, flowering twigs and artistic ornamental elements. Designs with blurred contours, soft overlaps and colours that flow into one another, transforming graphic elements into organic shapes are also new.

A particular focus is the motifs borrowed from nature such as quarry stone and brick, some with flaking plaster, weathered wooden boards, adaptations of concrete and stone, suede, tree bark and linen structures that can be experienced not only visually but also tactually. Textile and strié effects are once again used. The crush folding technique has been so well perfected and brought under control by one supplier that they have been able to depict decorative branches covering an entire wall.

Sun protection with additional uses

Duette pleated blinds enjoyed huge success at this year’s Heimtextil. They are available in several colours, structures and designs and appeal not only because of their decorative advantages, but also their versatile additional uses: thanks to their special construction, duette pleated blinds are energy-saving, reduce room noise and filter light. The technology is concealed in the interior. A double roller blind that can be switched between a blackout and transparent version has undergone further development. Instead of the standard stripe solutions, designs in the form of trapezes, ovals, lenses and quarter circles give rise to a sophisticated shimmering play on light and shadow.

Horizontal louvre blinds are once more in the spotlight and are one of the most versatile and proven products for modulating light. This applies primarily to narrow slat widths of up to 25 millimetres. Instead of being offered in a monochrome version in a plain colour, the blind is available in a coordinated stripe design or with targeted colour accents.


Digital printing combines productivity, quality and sustainability

Digital printing has become essential for interior products such as decorative materials, roller blinds, bedding, tableware and wallpaper and is becoming increasingly important in all segments at Heimtextil. With this technology, any motif can be depicted in a realistic way in high resolution on various materials such as polyester, cotton, linen, viscose, PVC etc.

The new water-based inks are characterised by their tinting strength and environmentally-friendly features. Some are even certified according to the Öko-Tex Standard 100. This means they meet the same standards for production efficiency, cost effectiveness, quality and sustainability.

Heimtextil 2016 – Facts and Figures

Heimtextil in Frankfurt am Main is the leading international trade fair for home and contract textiles. It finished with a clear increase in the number of exhibitors and visitors. Over 69,000 trade visitors (2015: 67,861) and 2,866 exhibitors (2015: 2,723) from across the world travelled to Frankfurt from 12-15 January to start the economically promising 2016 business and trade fair year together. Heimtextil in Frankfurt is by far the most international event of its kind. As was the case last year, 68 per cent of trade visitors came from abroad. There was an increased number of visitors from Italy, Spain, Sweden, Russia, Japan and South Korea in particular at Heimtextil 2016. And it is not just the visitors, but also the exhibitors that form a microcosm of a global industry. 89 per cent of exhibitors (2015: 88 per cent) come from abroad. This year’s Heimtextil saw a growth in exhibitors from Europe, in particular Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey, as well as international exhibitors from many other countries, including Brazil and the USA.

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