What's New at imm cologne

The imm cologne furniture show is in full swing right now as thousands of people discover what's new and what's next in modern home design.

As in an auto show, many pieces at imm cologne are futuristic prototypes, a designers dream of what could be. And many of these will not be manufactured, or will be created only in very limited runs. Other designs will become important "it" pieces the likes of Karim Rashid's Garbo garbage can. But what always comes from imm cologne is a look at what trends will fill the market place.

And for the trend that's growing so quickly it will soon be unavoidable, look no further than Cologne's two hall exhibit labeled, simply, Smart. The smart halls are stock full of flat-pack items. They’re pieces of furniture that can be easily assembled and disassembled for fast packing and easy shipping. The pieces work for people who want to keep their nomadic lifestyles without giving a fortune to UPS.

Topping Cologne's Hit Guide this year is Rashid's Dragonfly for Bonaldo. It's a chaise lounge with a bottom half that flips upward and fits snugly into the top half of the chaise to create a chair. The design is a simple curve and has the "of course!" ingenuity that makes other designers wonder why they didn't think of it first.

As far as Smart products go, Dragonfly is certainly one of them but we find it a bit uncomfortable to sit in, and don't even think of gaining weight. The Dragonfly is narrow, a slick curved line reminding you to keep that diet going.