spoga+gafa 2019: Trends for outdoor furniture

From 1 to 3 September, the latest trends and topics for garden furniture and decoration were on show at spoga+gafa. An overview of new products for the upcoming outdoor season.

The focus of spoga+gafa and many exhibitors this year was the global trend theme of City Gardening. More and more people around the world are living in cities, looking for a balance to the hectic everyday life there. With small gardens, green balconies and roof terraces, they create open-air oases in the middle of the metropolis. City gardeners plant flowers and bushes, meet friends for a relaxed BBQ or grow herbs and vegetables for self-sufficiency.

Clever design for small areas

For city gardeners, this year's spoga+gafa offered a wide range of novelties for small outdoor areas. To make the best possible use of the limited space of balconies or roof terraces, many furniture manufacturers offer modular, multifunctional or particularly compact models. New lounge groups, for example, have narrow individual elements that can be combined in any way, thus making optimum use of the available space. Even sunshades adapt to small outdoor surfaces thanks to new folding and installation technology.

More functions offer added value

More functions in one product is another motto in current outdoor design. Multi-position armchairs offer various seating options. Classic garden chairs are extended by a cockpit with bracket for tablet PC or smartphone. Planters illuminate the terrace with multicolored LED modules. Gardening is also made easier with multi-functional products such as a self-contained raised flower bed system with planters, water storage and automatic solar pump.

Elegant Purism

On the other hand, many new garden products follow a philosophy of "less is more". The Bauhaus celebrates its centenary and the straightforward design of the legendary design school seems more relevant than ever. New outdoor furniture takes a subtle back with a reduced design idiom, comes as elegant cantilever chairs or filigree garden armchairs with metal mesh. Clean lines characterize the minimalist chic, which is lightened up with bright colours for racks or colouful cushions.

Cheerful mix and vibrant accents

Otherwise, gray and natural shades continue to dominate the coloring of outdoor furniture, but the color white is also on the rise again. In contrast to the still prevalent muted colors, the trend color of the year "Living Coral" as well as bright colors provide bright accents. Like a red thread, a decorative mix of patterns and ornaments draws through the design of current outdoor accessories and gives an exotic touch to planters or carpets and cushions.

Sustainability in focus

In view of the current discussions about climate change, the topic of sustainability is becoming more and more important for garden furniture. In the development of new models today, more and more attention is paid to the fact that some or all parts are recyclable. As materials increasingly woods from certified cultivation or other natural materials are used. Especially with plant pots, recycled plastics are also finding new uses.

Sustainable design meets the need for a healthier life and the global trend of a new naturalness. As the largest garden fair in the world, spoga+gafa therefore devotes its own special focus to this topic. From 6 to 8 September 2020 "Sustainable Gardens" will be the focus of the trade fair. Then Cologne will once again provide an exciting overview of the latest developments in outdoor design.

More information at: https://www.spogagafa.de