IMM Cologne - Kitchen Thoughts
I am writing this on the plane on my way back from IMM Cologne, the Living Kitchen trade fair in Cologne, Germany. I was a guest of Blanco, as were four other bloggers (Paul_Anater, Jamie Goldberg, Cheryl Clenendon and Leslie Clagett) who are also part of the Blanco Design Council. It was an AMAZING trip. Germany is rich, culturally, and visually beautiful, not to mention on top of its game, showcasing innovative kitchen design and that includes Blanco's line of products which were exactly on the mark for today's (interestingly, US) consumer.
So, I think the best approach might be to present my discoveries, impressions, and information in an organized way. I have just spent the last five hours of this flight sorting into categories, one by one, just around 2,360 images, taken over several partial days. THAT is a record for me!
My singular goal at any show is to size up products and displays quickly (for the most part) and be ready to shoot fast, really fast, even as I see people walking into the image I want to shoot. In a nano second, I know that a section of an image can easily be cropped, so there is no dilly dallying, camera in hand. As a result, speed and quick right brain visualizing gets me lots (and lots) of good information in my images. It's an obstacle course, and I love it!!
That said, I'm trying to do several things at once at the show...understand the products, the details, and the design, ask questions of those working at the booth...and move on! A veteran of 20 years of trade shows has made my particular process into a science!
Now that the images are categorized, I think (unless I change something later) I will do an in depth series on the following topics.
Here are the categories that we will be covering over the next few weeks:
- Kitchen Living Show Overview-talk about trends
- Appliances
- Countertops
- Cool and Uber Cool Kitchen Design Details
- Dining Tables
- Kitchen Stools (so fun to look at, I think!)
- Drawer Inserts (wait till you see THESE)
- Hardware
- Overview of Kitchen Design Trends
- The "Living Kitchen" Special Exhibit
- Sinks and Faucets
- Color and Texture
- Possibly flooring
Oh yes, and I really want to include a post on kitchens on a budget, as I have been inspired by some of the displays I've seen - let's just say, high design/low budget is SO doable and you've got to see how easy it is to achieve a fantastic modern kitchen.
If anything else comes to mind, I will adjust the agenda. What about you - what information are you interested in knowing??
I'm soooooooooo excited - it's great to feel that spark of excitement..many sparks in this case! (I took this image below while on the train from Dusseldorf to the Blanco factory in southern Germany - what views!)
Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 06:02PM | 9 Comments | Share Article | tagged design, germany, kitchen, trade show, trends 
Reader Comments (9)
Good work. All of your kitchen designs are worth seeing.
very much looking forward to the high design/low budget kitchen ideas and your show coverage.
Hope you had a safe trip home. I'm looking forward to your kitchen thoughts, especially on the low budget kitchens. There are awesome high-end kitchens here, but unfortunately most of us can't afford them or have other priorities in our lives.
Nice view of the kitchen.
The faucet looks elegant.
These are some nice kitchen designs. It seems like people tend to spend most of their time in the kitchen so it's worth making it look nice. Great post.
Bring it on!!! Especially the High style/Low budget designs. Dreaming up my new kitchen and crave ideas.
I LOVE the paper mobile in the first picture.
Great design.
Lauren from www.charlesandhudson.com
Thanks for bringing the show home to us! How is the "green" evolving over there? Looking forward to more posts
Can't wait for your blog about "Kitchen Living Show Overview-talk about trends"! Hoping to hear about some new trend setters.