A report from Cologne from the IMM Cologne exhibition in January: classic furniture not only returned lost positions, but also forced itself to imitate ...

Passing the gallery

A photo: Vitaly Nefedov

Materials prepared: Dilara Muradova

Magazine: N4 (71) 2003

40 years ago nobody believed in it. Optimists predicted her oblivion, skeptics promised doom. Having shown uncommon abilities for mimicry, borrowing the techniques of his opponents and persecutors, raising to the shield eternal ideals and traditional values, classical furniture not only restored lost positions, but also forced itself to imitate. So victory? About the most effective tricks of the conservative party - a report from the January exhibition IMM CologneEvolutionary approach Everything is very traditional: clean, simple lines, perfect surface treatment, solidity and good quality ... Signs of "age" are optional and more likely even alien. And so it is clear - a classic. But in this furniture the elements of great-grandmother's wardrobes, grandmother's buffets and even walls look like an integral attribute of our apartments of the past days. According to this version of the traditional setting, you can study the evolution of classic furniture of the past century. Time-honored "remnants of the past" look extremely fresh. The current image includes new accents in the choice of objects (minimum decorative, maximum functional things), the northern "mood" and the tree of light species.Hiach anahoreta Rough surfaces, massive forms, "democratic" wood species ... There is no stiffness or falsehood in this furniture, and even the patina is perceived here as an organic element. Easy negligence, which constitutes its main charm, hints at the distance from civilization. Provincialism recalls the forests of Burgundy, the fields of Provence, the houses of Giverny ... Complemented by exotic accessories, the “village” classics shift the accents. The scenery is changing, and in front of us, instead of the dwelling of a French peasant, is the hut of a hermit aristocrat who rejected the comfort of a metropolis for the wild beauty of some Indonesia or Seychelles. The main source of inspiration is nature. Additional values ​​- the colonial style in the spirit of Moem's novels.Classic mimicry Making classic furniture an integral part of modern life - this is the most relevant slogan of the last decade. In the role of catalysts of this process, as usual, there are current trends, new techniques and materials. The most inoffensive borrowing - the use of the latest methods of processing and synthetic "fillings" while maintaining the classic look in general. The most cardinal is the replacement of well-established materials and forms. Plastic replaces the transparent glass, magenta and green suddenly appear in the strict range of colors mandatory for use, and kitsch invades classical interiors. An interesting fact: representatives of the family business (and the classic is, as a rule, a family business) invite industrial designers to work on their models. The result - an unlimited exchange of ideas and trends - makes you think about rethinking the classics in the spirit of postmodernism.Modest charm of the bourgeoisie Grunge, retro, medieval, vintage - a good deal of trends that have won recognition in recent years, not only fully rehabilitated the modest charm of the bourgeois classics, but also brought it back to popularity. The grunge-ridden edge, the traditional environment that had compromised itself, natural materials that would have been laughed at some twenty years ago, and finally the “human touch” sung by the new generation of Luddites, were in demand. The family reappeared family values ​​(which means there was a need for large dining tables and buffets), the state had a history (how can we do without patina), humanity as a whole has a dream of an ecologically clean paradise natural materials).Novelty syndrome Marketers note an increased interest in the so-called replicas - replicas of pieces of furniture from bygone eras. Such copies sometimes cost only slightly less than the originals and, as a rule, are status symbols of the powerful. Without them, no self-respecting government agency, no solid bank can do. Especially prized are the good taste of English and the "pomp" of Spanish masters: luxurious objects, recognized as standards and consecrated by time. Recognition, greatness, intelligence here are the key words. The position of status symbols, however, does not detract from the paradoxes of the phenomenon itself, because the popularity of replicas is nothing more than a hymn to antiquarian things ... With a complete denial of their history.