Overview

COLORSTORY – Interview with colour and trend expert Katrin de Louw

Since last year, OBJECT CARPET has been a member of the COLORNETWORK® . The name COLORNETWORK® already suggests that colour plays a central role here. But what and who are behind the colour network? What is a Sustained Colour? How is OBJECT CARPET involved as a network partner? In our interview with the leading expert on material and colour trends Katrin de Louw, she answered exciting questions about the innovative network she founded in 2019.

What is special about the Colornetwork and what is the goal behind it?
Firstly, we see colours as long-lasting and want to promote enduring values in interior design that are nevertheless always in tune with the times as a result of modern material and colour additions. The architect and interior designer therefore retain maximum design freedom thanks to the versatility of our colours. At the same time, we make the products visible for the planner, trade and building owner through our Sustainability Statement for each individual product. This is how furnishing becomes sustainable in the broadest possible terms.

How do you implement the network idea?
Our partners offer products in the common colours which are coordinated with each other. These can then be seen and used by planners and furnishers on our online platform www.colornetwork.org. Not only does this save a lot of time in research, but they can rest assured that they have made the right colour choice.

How do you define the Sustainable Colour? Who decides and why?
An independent, interdisciplinary committee of experts made up of renowned interior architects, product designers and trend experts meets several times to define the new "Sustained Colour".

The possibility to combine it with hip woods, stones and metals plays an important role. But colour psychology is also important: Does the colour fit into the next decade and what does it trigger in those who see it? We also create the colour stories for this purpose. It is important to mention that our colours remain unchanged and our range grows by one colour every year.

FLOW × GLOW 773

feel jade! Sustained Color No.5

OBJECT CARPET × COLORNETWORK®

OBJECT CARPET has been involved in the COLORNETWORK® since the end of 2020: With a total of four products, the beautiful carpet qualities SMOOZY, MEET × BEAT as well as FLOW × GLOW are distributed among the Sustained Colours No. 1, 2, 4 and 5. The quality FLOW × GLOW 773 developed by OBJECT CARPET and Ippolito Fleitz Group is selected in the Sustained Colour No.5 feel jade! The loop quality, with matt and shiny fibres in a sisal look, has a naturally calm effect and fits perfectly into the colour of the year 2021.

Looking back from the start of the Colornetwork to today – how satisfied are you with the development of the Colornetwork?
We are still a network in its infancy and have only been online since 1st January 2020. Corona hit us with full force also and continues to do so, because we can almost only show our great materials, surfaces and products online, meaning the absence of the live character and feel of the surface. But measured against the extraordinary situation, the COLORNETWORK® has developed extremely well. With 26 partners already, we are more than satisfied with the development.

Why is OBJECT CARPET an ideal partner of your choice?
We see OBJECT CARPET as a very valued and great network partner in our COLORNETWORK®, both in terms of sustainability, the high quality of the products and the outstanding design quality.

What demands do you place on partners and also on OBJECT CARPET?
We commit to a Sustainability Statement for the product and make the entire process chain visible and comprehensible to everyone via the download – from raw material procurement to production, packaging, logistics and recycling.

Katrin de Louw

Managing Director of TRENDFILTER®, the agency that brought the network into being

Could you please briefly introduce yourself, Mrs de Louw? Who are you and what do you do?
I studied interior design and have been working for the furniture industry, its suppliers and material manufacturers for 23 years in product development and as a trend scout both nationally and internationally. My company is named TRENDFILTER and is now considered the leading agency in the German-speaking world when it comes to interior design trends. I am also a juror and author and write about interior trends for trade magazines such as the Konradin publishing group. I was able to inspire my husband Jorrit de Louw about COLORNETWORK® to such an extent that he has been on board with Trendfilter since autumn 2019 and largely looks after this networking work. In the past, he has worked with architects and interior designers all over the world on projects for furniture manufacturers and brings with him a great deal of international know-how for interior design.

OBJECT CARPET is committed to the COLORNETWORK for lasting values in interior design

The COLORNETWORK®

... brings together renowned manufacturers via a colour that is specified once a year - the Sustained Colour - which is to remain valid in architecture for about ten years. The aim of the network, founded in 2019, is to develop products for interior design that are colour-coordinated: Building elements, surfaces, furniture, lighting and textiles

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COLORSTORY – Interview with colour and trend expert Katrin de Louw

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