Green recreation area, outdoor living room, open-air office and outdoor kitchen - today in its capacity as living space the garden is a place of diversity. The garden, balcony and terrace top the popularity rankings of urban living worldwide. And here retro design is totally trendy. The biggest garden and BBQ trade fair in the world, spoga+gafa, will do justice to this diversity in Cologne from 16 to 18 June 2024. 

Namely international exhibitors will be presenting their new products in the Cologne exhibition halls again, among others from the theme worlds garden living and garden unique. A look ahead to the current trends for furnishing balconies, terraces and other outdoor areas. 

Outdoor is in: Diversity in the open air 
Whether relaxing on the sofa, while cooking and dining with friends or doing office work - activities that were mainly carried out inside in the past, are more and more frequently taking place outdoors. Hence, outdoor design is correspondingly versatile nowadays: Weatherproof, fast-drying and extendable upholstery creates a living room flair outdoors. Dining series can be combined together on the terrace for larger gatherings. Outdoor kitchens offer everything needed for open-air cooking and baking. Equipped with weatherproof business furniture, even outdoor home offices or co-working have in the meantime become the norm. 

Design for life: Furniture that grows  
The garden should be suitable for people in all phases of life – from the apprenticeship, working life through to retirement, for singles, couples and families. To this end there is plenty of growing garden furniture for both small and big outdoor areas. Modular and individually combinable elements can be adapted to suit changes. This makes furniture flexible, durable and thus also more sustainable. From the compact balcony set, to the spacious corner sofa, outdoor lounges are for instance extendable today thanks to simple connecting elements.  

The charm of yesterday: Retro design is a current trend 
Regarding new furniture for the garden not only the living environments are merging, the borders between modernity and nostalgia are also becoming more blurred. Traditional shapes are lent a contemporary touch and are modernised in a playful manner. New-style classics like the deckchair or a director's chair are celebrating a comeback. Spaghetti-style terrace chairs or sunshades made of wood and linen are reminiscent of past garden eras. Details like decorations with fringes, hinges made of brushed zinc or copper and upholstery covered with leather radiate nostalgic charm. 

Well-rounded: Soft shapes for hard times 
Many of the new products of the garden furniture industry are characterised by lavish upholstery, soft materials and organic design. The names of current models like "Paradiso" or "Peace" underpin this harmonious design trend. Soft beige and green shades as well as earthy brown create matching colour worlds. Weatherproof rope, textile fabric or extra-high backrests make relaxing in the garden more pleasant. Soft, rounded shapes are even adding new momentum to the outdoor corner sofa. There are a range of different alternatives for one and the same item of furniture. Tabletops, frames or seats are offered in different executions, so everyone can design his own green, feel-good space. 

Koelnmesse – Global Inspiration for Living, Contract and Public Spaces
Koelnmesse is the world’s top trade fair organiser for the areas of Living, Contract and Public Spaces.
At the trade fair hub of Cologne, in addition to imm cologne and interzum, other trade fair formats such as LivingKitchen, ORGATEC, spoga+gafa, FSB and aquanale are among the internationally renowned and established industry meeting places. These fairs comprehensively represent the interior and design segment, the furniture and interior construction industries' supplying sections, the kitchen world, all topics for the modern working world, garden lifestyle as well as public space, sports and leisure facilities and also sauna, pool and ambiente.

In addition to the events in Cologne, Koelnmesse is strategically expanding its portfolio in key growth markets around the globe like with the successful shows ORGATEC TOKYO in Japan, interzum bogota in Colombia and interzum guangzhou in China and interzum forum italy.
Further information: https://www.spogagafa.com/trade-fair/spoga-gafa-2024/industry-trade-fairs/

The next events:
ORGATEC TOKYO - SHIFT DESIGN - The leading international trade fair in Asia for the modern workspaces, Tokyo 29.05. - 31.05.2024
spoga+gafa - The world’s biggest garden and BBQ trade fair, Cologne 16.06. - 18.06.2024
ORGATEC - New visions of work, Cologne 22.10. - 25.10.2024