At a press conference in London on 20 September, Caroline Till of the British design studio Franklin Till discussed the concepts behind the new Heimtextil trendbook for 2019/2020, Toward Utopia.

“Interior design and textiles, with their key influence on our personal environment, have an important role to play in helping us achieve our own sense of utopia,” she explained. “As we re-evaluate success and purpose, we also strive towards lifestyles and interior environments that complement our own belief systems. These can help us both lean out and lean in, as utopia encompasses both escape and belonging.”

The trendbook is divided into five key concepts – Pursue Play, Seek Sanctuary, Go Off-Grid, Escape Reality and Embrace Indulgence.

For Pursue Play, the emphasis is on uninhibited, tactile interaction and experimentation, with abstract forms and saturated colour palettes edging towards surrealism. Influences have been drawn from art exhibitions and installations such as the Camille Walala’s X Play at the Now Gallery in London and the Lego House by Big Architects.

Seek Sanctuary is about disconnecting in personal spaces, with stripped back designs and a minimal colour palette of neutral beige, grey and white tones, while Go Off-Grid draws on the trend towards transformational travel, drawing on the influence of performance sports and workwear, in addition to old-school twills and weaves. The key colour combination in Go Off-Grid is deep a deep blue/green and khaki, with a bright orange providing accents.

For Escape Reality, the designers have explored the potential of virtual and augmented reality. Influences include the first digital art exhibition opened in Tokyo by TeamLab Borderless and Sony’s Hidden Senses project. Much use is made of iridescent finishes for surfaces that catch and refract light, as well as metallic finishes land iquid-like patterns in dizzying pinks, blues and lilacs.

Embrace Indulgence looks to the future of luxury and at the same time evokes nostalgia, with the emphasis on the sensuous curves and arches of art deco and much use of textural contrast.

“The Heimtextil trendbooks have enjoyed a worldwide reputation for decades and represent the inspirational centrepiece of the show, which will have a totally revised concept in January 2019,” said Heimtextil director Meike Kern. “We are also intensifying our activities on the digital fron to strengthen the appeal of our trends and our new partner, Atelier Markgraph, is planning the Trend Space where there will be an array of inspiring and interactive experiences.

Heimtextl 2019 takes place in Frankfurt, Germany, from 8-11 January 2019.

www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com