Hello!

Tired, inspired and excited – that’s sums up how we felt this time last week when we had just got back from a busy and exciting five days at the Ambiente trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany. The Ambiente trade fair was the final show on our whirlwind Spring/Summer show season tour and it was also the one we were most looking forward too as nearly all our brand partners were exhibiting, which meant we would get to see all their new products in the flesh! Read below for a round-up on all the news from our brands…

The Ambiente trade show is the leading international trade fair for consumer goods and also one of the largest with 11 halls (some of which have up to four floors!) and with more than 4,800 exhibitors and only 5 days at the show we barely had enough time to see everything! But as we all know our German friends are great at organisation, and boy is Ambiente efficiently organised! Unlike Maison et Objet which can be a little confusing at times, the Ambiente trade show is clearly divided into 3 key sections: Dining, Giving and Living areas. The Dining theme covers the whole world of tabletop, kitchen and household products. Giving, as the name implies, covers the wide diversity of gifts and the Living area incorporates the home, interiors and decoration in all their dimensions. We had our brand partners in all 3 sectors, so that meant putting on our comfiest shoes (Sketchers all the way!!) and gearing up for some serious walking!

 

 

Our first stop was Hall 1.1, stand C40, where our Portuguese cork homeware brand Amorim were based.

Amorim are a world leader within the cork industry and have revolutionised the way we see cork by putting cork centre stage into everyday design-led home accessories. Cork is one of the most versatile and sustainable materials in the world – environmentally, socially and economically it is without doubt the material of the future – you heard it first!! Amorim have three distinct collections:

• The Korko Collection, a range of contemporary cork household object, designed to harmoniously integrate into the day-to-day life of your home, whilst simplifying routines and looking stylish when doing it!
• The Materia Collection, Amorim’s higher end product lines, is a collection of design-led products that work well and feel good, plus look good, in contemporary homes and lifestyles.
• The Soul Mate Collection, a joint venture between Amorim and Matceramica, this collection beautifully combines ceramics and cork within the universe of contemporary domestic needs.

One of my personal favourite products is the new Wine Bottle Holder from the Materia Collection, this simple but elegant bottle holder is the perfect statement piece for any dining table, plus it’s super functional too!

 

Next it was a quick trip upstairs to see the first of two Bosign stands in Hall 1.2!

Bosign was founded by brother and sister team Ulf and Helena Bystedt with the aim of producing thoughtfully designed solutions for the home that combine both modern Scandinavian styling with lasting functionality with some unexpected twists, resulting in lifestyle products that make everyday tasks and activities more enjoyable – even the washing up with their new Instant Dish Soap Dispenser! Read more about Instant Dish Soap Dispenser, which was selected in the Solutions 2016 Award category for functional innovative kitchen products, in our recent blog post on award-winning Bosign products.

 

The next hall on our list was Hall 4, where two of our brand partners were exhibiting, Kinto in Hall 4.0 and Italesse in Hall 4.2

The Kinto collection covers an extensive range of tabletop and household accessories, including coffeeware, teaware, tableware and kitchenware, all driven by the Japanese ethos of long-lasting, useable designs for everyday life.

Within Kinto’s collection you will find a wide range of both tea and coffee related products to satisfy even the most dedicated tea or coffee lover! (Added bonus they make a great cup of coffee on the stand – the perfect mid-morning pick me up!) We particularly love the Couleur tea set – crafted from colourful porcelain this compact set is ideal for a solo spot of afternoon tea with a stackable teapot, cup and plate. And for the serious coffee drinker, the Carat Coffee Dripper eliminates the need for a paper filter, making it possible to extract more coffee oil and allowing you to enjoy the authentic aroma of coffee.

One of their most eye-catching collections has to be the stunning handmade Dune Ceramic and Porcelain tableware ranges from their Tete Collection. Each piece is handcrafted to the highest standard using techniques that have been cultivated in Japan over many years. My personal favourite is the glossy Dune Porcelain collection in soft pastel hues – just heavenly!

 

After many cups of delicious coffee on the Kinto stand and feeling reenergised (if not a little coffee high!) it was time to say hello to our Italian friends on the Italesse stand in Hall 4.2.

Another family run business, this time based in Trieste, Northern Italy, our Italesse friends combine the art of creating perfectly shaped glasses for specific drinks, their champagne glass Optimum is known to be the best in the world, whilst combining the best materials, the coolest designers and the most fashionable colours…all in all a winning collection with a clear stamp of Italian flair!

New for this year was their stunning Etoile Collection, the official Maîtres Cuisiniers de France glassware range! Combining vision, design and technique with allusion, interpretation and application the end result is a testament to Italesse’s hallmark: aesthetics combined with functionality. These glasses really are able to complement the very best in cuisine and at totally affordable prices!

Another favourite of mine is their beautifully crafted Wormwood series. Designed by Giancarlo Mancino (one of the most distinguished opinion leaders of the cocktail world) and Luca Trazzi, and taking inspiration from the American Speakeasy and French bars, the Wormwood cocktail glasses take you back to the distinguished era of the 1930’s when decadence was all the rage and alcohol, prohibition or no prohibitions, was the centre of many an evening out but in a glamorous rather than excessive way. And I just love the delicate detailing of flower pattern on the outside of the glasses!

 

To continue reading about all the exciting new products from our brands at Ambiente go to our ‘Ambiente Part 2’ post as we had too many good pictures to share with you in just one post!

 

Thanks for reading!