After a 2012 with an increasing growth in all German speaking markets, from Germany to Switzerland and Austria, Porro returns to exhibit at IMM Cologne – the leading trade show in the German design sector.
With the goal of continuing this growth and consolidating the company’s position, Porro – an Italian brand that is recognized throughout the world for its high-quality furniture systems and collections for the home and office – will also participate in IMM Cologne 2013. The company will have a larger exhibition space located in a central position within Hall 11-2, the area where the most famous international brands have stands. Realism and abstraction, materiality and immateriality coexist in the Porro stand at Cologne, which features an open-plan ‘villa’ with flowing spaces designed by Piero Lissoni.
The attention to detail and elegant balance between colours and forms that are evident in each element reveals the decisive yet understated design philosophy of the company and its lead designer – geometric lines that leave ample room for customisation. Under a flat ‘ceiling’ that evokes a sense of extreme lightness, and amidst full-height green inserts and thin walls that divide spaces whilst providing a sense of continuity, six different environments are presented: two dining rooms, a bedroom, a living area, a home office area and a dressing room that is no longer a mere utilitarian space but instead a room in its own right, the new heart of the home.
The unifying theme of the stand’s design is the play of solids and voids, and the use of delicate, natural colours, including dove grey walls, light beige laminate floors, eucalyptus (an expressive and inviting wood that Porro has recently discovered and added to its catalogue, which offers a sense of intimacy and familiarity) and strokes of yellow, orange and green, which connect the predominantly black and white elements.
In the first dining room environment, the rectangular version of the Metallico table is displayed in a black finish. A play of shapes is created by pairing an extremely thin top with legs of the same thickness that are inset into the top. A Groove bench in black stained hemlock and two-tone Gentle chairs are placed around the table. The chairs feature metal back legs covered in black leather that continue upwards to create the curve of the back, combined with light-coloured wood front legs, which morph into arms and a support for the back. Ideal for storing plates, glasses and cutlery, the tall version of the Tiller sideboard in eucalyptus is displayed. The interior has two glass shelves to organise the space and between one and four drawers can be added as an optional feature.
A welcoming and cherished refuge, a place to rest and relax amidst the warmth of wood and the purity of Porro lacquer – the wardrobe has expanded to become a room in its own right, an American-style dressing room. Modern home design has witnessed a return to the tenets of the past. Similar to the transformation that recently occurred with bathrooms, wardrobes are moving into a new phase. Rather than purely functional and utilitarian spaces, they have become enjoyable areas that are continually growing in size. The dressing room is an intimate space where one can focus exclusively on oneself, where men can choose a suit and care for shoes and ties, and women can take pleasure in putting on make-up or creams in front of the mirror.
The star of this setting is Storage, a modular system from Porro that holds and displays objects, shifting naturally from a wardrobe environment to a dressing room. It is enhanced by a series of custom interior features and accessories – keeping clothes in order has never been so easy or inviting.
The shoe rack with lighted inclined shelves is placed in a niche, while the free-standing Storage Air is displayed in coal black oak with glass shelves and drawers. In the corner, the open wardrobe has open spaces that alternate with coal oak doors and Boite-Aux handles, and features the new hanging drawer unit with illuminated glass top, a lighted level shelf and a tie rack on the door, all visible in the Reflection mirror with satin bronze varnished metal frame.
The bedroom features an office area composed of a Load-It bookcase, with black stained hemlock panels and steel mirror and shelf, along with a Modern desk in black hemlock, a Conch chair by Decoma Design with natural beige melange upholstery and an office drawer unit in black hemlock, providing everything needed to work from home in complete comfort. Clothes are stored in the flush Storage wardrobe, which is displayed with dove-grey glass Scoop doors and ash hemlock interior. This creates the perfect backdrop for the Shin bed in black stained ash with leather-coloured cushions that match the colour of the bench at the foot of the bed. A black Truck stepped night table, two white Offshore night tables opened via a hole in the centre, the inlaid drawer unit Inlay and Ghiaccio armchairs in natural ash and white upholstery provide the finishing touches for the design.
The office environment is designed for those who want to bring the elegance, warmth and minimalist design characteristic of Porro residential settings to the workplace. It features two chairs and two armchairs from the Neve line with black stained ash frames and black leather upholstered seats grouped around an extendable Taac table with eucalyptus finish, which provides glimpses of the black aluminium internal structure. Against the wall, artistic LED lighting transforms the modular System bookcase in eucalyptus into a sculptural object. The bookcase is customized with a smoked glass sliding Iron door, a random arrangement of mustard yellow matt lacquer back panels and new tray drawers in natural and black hemlock. The final touches are two Jade lounge chairs in white leather with cross-shaped Canaletto walnut bases, a round Shahan table and two mustard yellow Modern cupboards with small doors that revolutionise the exterior, giving the surface a dynamic, three-dimensional look.
The second dining room environment features the new round version of the Synapsis table, with a 180 cm black back painted tempered glass top and chrome finish base, Como chairs with coal black oak frames and dark green leather upholstery, an Ex Libris bookcase/cabinet with glass back and side panels, and the Tiller low sideboard, which features doors on special hinges that open 180° and overlap the adjacent door, allowing a variety of appealing looks to be created.
The living area design includes inviting Living Divani sofas upholstered in natural linen, low Ghiaccio chairs in black stained ash and white linen, Balancing Boxes storage units in Santos rosewood and red gum, square low Modern benches in sand matt lacquer and eucalyptus and two Showcase Table table-cabinets in mustard yellow and chocolate. The Modern wall unit pairs a TV module with drop-leaf door and a module fitted with sand matt lacquer drawers that is perfect for multimedia storage, with a Flag shelf and TV panel in black stained hemlock that can swivel 90°, allowing the television to be positioned to suit the location of the viewer, and a horizontal Sidewall hanging unit in chocolate matt lacquer.
The passageways feature vertical Sidewall bookcases in mustard yellow, chocolate, flame orange and spring green glossy stains, a Chameleon storage unit/trunk with pear wood interior and an exterior covered with fine leather, which changes from white to black upon opening, and two Sundial clocks, which show the time reflected in their white metal surfaces.
Porro puts its best foot forward with a stand at IMM that emphasises simplicity, clean lines and a balance between shapes and colours, providing a broad overview of the company’s collection and its Modern, System and Storage furniture systems for living areas, bedrooms and the office. Its solid presentation targets the growing numbers of people in Central and Northern Europe that appreciate high-quality Italian design. Specifically, it establishes a dialogue with architects and resellers who are involved in interior design and are capable of realising the full potential of Porro’s product range.