Design highlights from the IMM Cologne

A colorful patchwork: Kerstin Bruchhäuser reinterpreted in this design Marcel Breuer's classic D4 folding club chair, conceived in 1927 as a practical chair to whip out on patios, boats and at sports events alike. Bruchhäuser used material from jeans, a kimono and military backpacks for a chair that is global and sustainable.

Milan Friedrich also turned to used denim as a basic material for his panels and tiles. He designed the lightweight, sound-absorbing modules for a project at the Berlin University of the Arts (UDK). The panels make great dividers within rooms, too, the designer says.

"Baschnja" — that's what designer Ilja Huber calls this lamp made of three elements that can be placed together or as separate units anywhere in a room. Depending on which way they face, the light is direct or indirect; when stacked, the lamp batteries charge. Huber won first prize at the IMM Cologne's Pure Talents Contest.

"The House" stands for visionary furnishing concepts at the IMM Cologne. Truly Truly, a studio from Australia, presents merging open spaces. The designers Kate and Joel Booy are into functional furniture and nature, so they chose material as well as plants as dividers for the space. The greenery has the added bonus of improving the air quality.

More than simply a decorative textile object, "Onda" by Brazilian-Dutch designer Joca van der Horst cleans the air with the help of nanotechnology. A nano coating reacts with daylight and improves the air quality. One touch, and a light even shows the degree of the air's impurity.

Designers at the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences came up with functional kitchen furniture, foldable triangular tables that can be pushed together to form a larger table. Mark Russ created the modular system that also includes benches, and is perfect for students sharing a house.

Kitchen manufacturers flock to the Cologne fair every two years for the "Living Kitchen" exhibits. Peter Sorg's compact kitchen won this year's "Pure Talents Contest." He designed a unique compact space for preparing a meal, doing the dishes and cooking — a smooth surface that is easy to clean afterwards.

Inspired by the loofah sponge gourd, Jingbei Zheng designed a sustainable kitchen sponge set entitled "Rebrush," complete with metal handles of different shapes and sizes that are simply dug into a piece of the rough environmentally-friendly plant fiber. The designer hopes the pretty gleaming handle will make washing dishes more "aesthetically pleasing and agreeable."