For 23 years, technical developments, advanced materials and exciting product innovations and concepts have been the focal point of the Interzum awards, organised every two years by Koelnmesse and Red Dot for the furniture supply industry.

From the 150 entries submitted by manufacturers from 18 nations, the jury eventually selected 52 products. Seven entries received a ‘Best of the Best’ award for their outstanding tour de force, setting new standards in their sector with their form and function.

A further 45 products and materials were recognised for their product quality, garnering an award for special achievements in form and function. The award-winners were celebrated on the eve of Interzum 2023. Among the ‘Best of the Best’ were:

FurnSpin (Paul Hettich GmbH, Germany): Thanks to a unique translational rotation movement, with the FurnSpin fitting cabinets can turn their interior (L) completely outwards around their own axis (R), providing convenient access to the rear areas of the cabinet.

The exciting alternation between closed and open furniture is effectively staged. Thanks to sophisticated kinematics, the turned carcase moves in a defined track so that the furniture edges cannot collide.

Amperos (Julius Blum GmbH, Austria) is the safe and simple solution from Blum for the electrification of furniture. Manufacturing, assembly and installation are extremely easy and do not require any assistance from an electrician.

Power is safely supplied to drawers or pull-out shelves without any free-hanging cables, allowing lighting, chargers and other electrical appliances to be used in and on moving furniture parts. Amperos also provides the basis for a variety of creative applications that will be made possible in the future.

Peanut Core (Intelligent Fixings Ltd., UK) is a newly patented technology that improves the connection of frameless lightweight panels for the furniture industry and interior design. It is easy to work with, free choice of fixing points on the surface and along the edge and can be assembled completely tool-free.

The most important component is the one-piece furniture connector. It is simply inserted into a small drilling in the edge and locked in place without tools. The Peanut Core head protrudes from the edge and finds its seat in a keyhole bore, which is appropriately placed on the panel surface. The head fits perfectly into the slot and a lateral shift connects and locks the parts with a strong fit.

Arfinio (Covestro AG, Germany) is a novel, injection-moulded polyurethane solid-surface technology from Covestro and Arcesso Dynamics that enables the production of seamless solid surfaces, such as this chair designed by Thomas Schnur.

Parts made with Arfinio are especially light-weight and have no joints or structural weak points, which improves their durability. High impact resistance and easy repairability ensure that these parts have a long service life, after which they can be mechanically recycled into new Arfinio products.

Nuo (Nuo GmbH, Germany) is as soft-as-leather and as supple-as-fabric used as dressing the first shoes, accessories and furniture and has also gained a foothold in the automotive industry. It is made of real wood, vegan and sustainable.

Nuo is made of high-quality veneer that comes exclusively from sustainable forestry. The veneer is bonded to a textile backing suitable for the application and the wood surface is then lasered.

The fine engraving gives Nuo its flexibility for use as wall and ceiling coverings with acoustic effect, for automotive interiors, and as a soft material for covering furniture and upholstery.

The award-winning products can be viewed at www.interzum.com/de/award.

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