To those who love design, the beginning of a new year in Europe means the exciting start of a new series of fairs to visit. The first on our agenda is the international interiors show IMM Cologne in Germany. Having taken place from 18 to 24 January, the festival offered a wide range of exhibitors and talks given by designers.

Out of the kilometres of pavilions filled with the newest collections by the most famous design brands, the event nobody wanted to miss was the new Das Haus – Interiors on Stage installation.

Every year, a studio or designer is selected by the discerning team at IMM Cologne to conceptualise and create a completely new model residential house. The project is then showcased at the centre of the exhibition hall, over 2,500sqft of space. Most often, Das Haus is a fusion of the candidate’s aesthetic sensibilities and the design trends of the moment.

This year’s winner was Sebastian Herkner, who set up his studio at the tender age of 25 in his native Germany, and has already garnered a reputation for his work with brands such as Moroso, ClassiCon, Very Wood by Gervasoni, Sancal Diseño, LaChance and Rosenthal, to name a few.

His Das Haus concept was a building that would be open to everybody – in the most literal sense. The circular, transparent, almost wall-less house symbolized free living without spatial limits. At the same time, the project delivered a message against contemporary society’s tendency towards isolation. The transparency of my Das Haus expresses the need to face the changes we are living through now with a much more open mind, Sebastian Herkner told us. Sebastian also wanted to play with light, perspectives, and points of view.

The curtains – created by German textiles company and project sponsor Nya Nordiska – eliminated barriers, and the entire structure was easily accessible on foot thanks to the walkway surrounding the house. The bedroom and the bathroom, meanwhile, made for more intimate and collected environments.

The interior decor was dominated by patterns and lighting. Sebastian designed and selected furnishings that would not invade the space, but complement it, such as a Rosenthal partition, a Linteloo chair and a Pulpo lighting system. The end result was a sensual, unique experience that fair-goers didn’t want to miss.

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