Making room for a cushy and casual affair

FRANKFURT: Living rooms are becoming more casual as large beanbag chairs replace classic chairs and low stools, ottomans and so-called poufs offer places to sit. Ordinary chairs are having trouble keeping up.

"The selection in furniture for seating has never been as large as it is today," says trend researcher Claudia Herke of Frankfurt.

Individual decorating tastes in one's own apartment are important, but on the other hand, cushions on the floor are more in keeping with modern living style, especially among young people, than a leather sofa.

"Today it's important to have furnishings that can be moved and that are multifunctional, says Kerstin Maenner of Frankfurt's trade show organization, which organized a recent lifestyle trade show. Floor cushions are ideal.

"It doesn't matter what apartment, they always fit in and don't wear out easily when they are moved around," says Maenner. "This can be completely different with a designer sofa."

A floor cushion known as "fat boy", made by a Dutch company of the same name, has become a classic. The cushion comes in bright colors and thanks to its water-resistant cover is suitable for the garden, making it simply the symbol for flexible furnishings. It furthers the trend of living down low, says Florian Mueller of fat boy.

People who think a beanbag is not enough in the way of furnishings should consider a pouf. These are well-upholstered stools whose legs can't be seen, and they are a long way from the classic uncomfortable wooden stools that were used in a pinch to accommodate unexpected guests.

"At large furniture trade shows, stools have taken on almost the same significance as chairs," says Claudia Herke. "They come in all variations and their advantages are they are multifunctional, can often be stacked and combined with a lot of other things."

Existing furnishings are often jazzed up with practical small pieces of furniture. Strong colors accent the room.

An example is the Hokka-Ido made by Koziol in Erbach, Germany. It comes not only in white or black, but also in bright red and soft green. The Hokka-Ido also fulfills some people's suppressed childhood dreams. It can be tipped and swung about without falling over.

The cone-shaped Fungo stool made by Loeffler in Reichenschwand helps people who sit on it stay in motion, but not just for the fun of it. It's more for health than anything else.

The movement that the chair encourages is an extension of that which is achieved on an exercise ball, says Werner Loeffler, chief executive of the company.

The Fly, designed by Olaf Kitzig of Lippstadt, Germany, attempts to fulfill another childhood dream, namely that of a magic carpet ride.

In a nod to the Arabian Nights an almost invisible Fiberglas frame enables a flat oriental rug to appear to fly through the room.

DPA

(China Daily 04/08/2008 page19)