Surteco
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THE POWER OF THE IDEA German industry, but also creative service providers such as interior designers and designers, are driven by the innovativeness of the country’s medium-size e nterprises. The Surteco Group, a synergistic merger of furniture, floorings and wood-based product companies, offers technological expertise based on top-quality research, upto-the-minute design solutions and one-stop service. The company’s showcase at Interzum 2017 was based on a compelling creative concept – and a clear vision.
Surteco
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he Surteco Group surprised Interzum 2017 visitors with an extensive and striking stand concept. The Group delivers expertise from various surface finishing disciplines for furniture and floorings. “Whether we’re talking about coatings, impregnated products or digital printing, we have the industry’s top experts under our roof,” comments Dieter Baumanns, sales director at Surteco Decor GmbH. Just this June, the company was presented with the Top 100 title by Compamedia for its outstanding innovative capacity and success. The network of brands guarantees its customers a one-stop shop of integrated solutions. This explains the One in Motion motto for this year’s trade show platform, put together by Stuttgart agency Ippolito Fleitz. Because, as Surteco knows, “Motion is born of change. And those who want to move things on have to be one.” The 550 sq m stand on the central piazza at Cologne Exhibition Centre wasn’t just impressive for its prime location. The key objective was in fact to convey the diversity of the product range as an integrated service concept. “Instead of actual scenarios to demonstrate how our products are used, we employed eye-catching abstract images instead,” explains Josi Brunner, marketing and corporate communications director at Surteco Décor. “That’s an unusual design approach for our industry.” Several five-metre-high sculp tures towered over the stand like trees, with crowns meas uring nine metres across. The abstract fanned-out “tree trunks” provided information on the latest technical innovations, current highlights from the decor range and, above all, the results of the most recent Surteco trend report. Anyone
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glancing at the floor discovered cutting-edge materials and designs. A BauschLinnemann and Döllken’s edge-band showcase in the form of a wavy relief with a 3D look proved to be a real eye-catcher. A meetings and communications area put the finishing touches to the booth architecture.
A NATURAL BALANCE On the other hand, the world of Balance is shaped by sophisticated wood and natural materials. These suggest a realm where people can feel grounded, seek tranquillity and the chance to unwind, and materials that appeal to all the senses. Powdery colours and imaginative decors underscore the feel-good character of the style. Tibidabo reflects this outlook on life: naturally balanced characteristics with a subtle white patina engender softness and freshness in equal measure.
Peter Schulze, CEO/SCO of Döllken-Kunststoffverarbeitung GmbH, explains that the objective was clear: “In future, Surteco aims to launch designs more directly and in combination with our various substrates. Our competencies clearly lie in creativity and generating added value for our target groups.”
CLASSIC DESIGNS MEET STREET CULTURE
TRENDS DEFINE OUR WORLD This is also the motto of the trend report presented at the trade show. Every two years, Heike Schlosser, design director at Surteco Decor, and her team publish a forecast regarding abstract themes and challenges facing society that designers, interior designers and architects will encounter in future. An interdisciplinary, in-company team draws up the forecast, which is the basis for developing new decor products. The Surteco 2017/2018 trend report centres on three sources of inspiration, paraphrased under the headings Smart, Balance and Liberté. No clear-cut boundaries are drawn between these manifestations, but together they form a whole, always leaving room for individual interpretations. “Speed and constant availability are what shape the new media world,” explains Heike Schlosser. “This influences the way each and every one of us makes decisions and identifies with things. We make use of what’s already there and create our own temporary worlds.” Contradictions are dealt with creatively, seemingly stark contrasts are not mutually exclusive, but correspond with one another.
SMART AND PULSATING The Smart trend reflects our modern world. Technical innovations and connectivity play a major role. The essence of this style involves sensory surfaces, intelligent textures and reflective effects – of the less fussy kind, but inspiring nevertheless. One example is Surteco’s Strabo decor: elegant volcanic stone with a delicate shimmering effect.
The third trend, Liberté, follows the call for freedom. Exciting urban culture is all-encompassing. Yesterday merges with today, luxury meets street art. This style world is a blend of delicate materials with exotic patterns and exciting colours. Patchwork and layering are common themes. On-trend decors like Sinope Marble, an expressive type of marble with an impressive sense of depth, is a perfect choice. If you’re interested in receiving Surteco Decor’s One in Motion trend report, please contact Ulrike Brameyer (ulrike.brameyer@bauschlinnemann.de). To accompany the booklet, there’s also a film at surteco-decor.com that blends the cross-disciplinary study with the moods of the trends identified.