Chair, foot stool and magazine rack, by Italian design company Skrivo
Chair, foot stool and magazine rack, by Italian design company Skrivo
(Image credit: TBC)

Kicking off the design fair calendar for 2012, IMM Cologne once again pulled in big design brands from near and far this year but also proved a magnet to a younger generation of talent. Another new direction for the fair was a special exhibition dedicated to decorative interior furnishings, titled LivingInteriors.

Weaving our way though the packed halls, we were happy to stumble across fledgling family-run German design company Loehr - which was showing a selection of geometric tables, stools and chairs - and, somewhat surprisingly, we found ourselves stopped in our tracks by some rather lovely bins from Böwer .

Elsewhere in the fair, our eyes were drawn to the D3 stand - exhibiting the winning products of IMM's annual young design competition. South Korea's Lee Sanghyeok proved himself worthy of praise, with his beautiful wooden desk design, while Germany's Adreas Mikutta made us want to lie down and take a break on his enticing daybed.

Out of the confines of the fairground, we sped over to the Design Quartier Ehrenfeld, which played host to events including the exhibition for young talent, 'Designers Fair 2012', where Cologne duo 'Kaschkasch' - one of this year's entries for the Wallaper* Graduate Directory (W*154) - caught our attention once again with its elegant benches and coat rack.

Side tables by E15 Selected

Side tables by E15 Selected

(Image credit: TBC)

Bench by Belgian design company Bulo

Bench by Belgian design company Bulo

(Image credit: TBC)

Chairs by Spectrum

Chairs by Spectrum

(Image credit: TBC)

Stools by new family-run company Loehr

Stools by new family-run company Loehr, which showed for the first time at IMM Cologne

(Image credit: TBC)

Chair by Loehr

Chair by Loehr

(Image credit: TBC)

Tables by Loehr

Tables by Loehr

(Image credit: TBC)

Daybed by Germany's Andreas Mikutta

Daybed by Germany's Andreas Mikutta, one of the winners of 'D3', IMM Cologne's young designers competition

(Image credit: TBC)

'Light within light' by South Korea's Eunhak Lee and Hyunjin Yoon

'Light within light' by South Korea's Eunhak Lee and Hyunjin Yoon, winners of 'D3', IMM Cologne's young designers competition

(Image credit: TBC)

Table by South Korea's Lee Sanghyeok

Table by South Korea's Lee Sanghyeok, one of the winners of 'D3', IMM Cologne's young designers competition

(Image credit: TBC)

Bins by German design company Böwer

Bins by German design company Böwer

(Image credit: TBC)

Table by Böwer

Table by Böwer

(Image credit: TBC)

Sideboard by Böwer

Sideboard by Böwer

(Image credit: TBC)

Storage cabinet by Böwer

Storage cabinet by Böwer

(Image credit: TBC)

'Secreto' armchairs by Italian brand Colé

'Secreto' armchairs by Italian brand Colé

(Image credit: TBC)

Kitchen unit for Naber DesignLab by Kilian Schindler

Kitchen unit for Naber DesignLab by Kilian Schindler

(Image credit: TBC)

Shelving unit by Mexican company Hierve Diseñeria

Shelving unit by Mexican company Hierve Diseñeria

(Image credit: TBC)

Display cabinet by Hierve Diseñeria

Display cabinet by Hierve Diseñeria

(Image credit: TBC)

Display cabinet by Hierve Diseñeria

Display cabinet by Hierve Diseñeria

(Image credit: TBC)

Side table by Hierve Diseñeria

Side table by Hierve Diseñeria

(Image credit: TBC)

Cooker with kettle by Hierve Diseñeria

Cooker with kettle by Hierve Diseñeria

(Image credit: TBC)

Cabinet by Danish design company Naver Collection

Cabinet by Danish design company Naver Collection

(Image credit: TBC)

Shelves by Naver Collection

Shelves by Naver Collection

(Image credit: TBC)

Sideboard by Naver Collection

Sideboard by Naver Collection

(Image credit: TBC)

Bedside table by German brand Interlükbe

Bedside table by German brand Interlükbe

(Image credit: TBC)

Vanity table by Martha Schwindling for Schönbuch

Vanity table by Martha Schwindling for Schönbuch, originally produced for Wallpaper* Handmade

(Image credit: TBC)

Glassware by Louise Lang

Glassware by Louise Lang

(Image credit: TBC)

Jug and glasses by Louise Lang

Jug and glasses by Louise Lang

(Image credit: TBC)

Vases by Louise Lang

Vases by Louise Lang

(Image credit: TBC)

Chair and table by German designer Karoline Fesser

Chair and table by German designer Karoline Fesser, shown as part of the joint exhibition 'Frankfurt trifft Köln'

(Image credit: TBC)

Storage compartment by German designer Karoline Fesser and 'Fragment' table by Thomas Schnur

Left: Storage compartment by German designer Karoline Fesser. Right: 'Fragment' table by Thomas Schnur, shown as part of 'Frankfurt trifft Köln'

(Image credit: TBC)

Desk by Sebastian Hecht

Desk by Sebastian Hecht, shown as part of the joint exhibition 'Co-Laborat'

(Image credit: TBC)

Lamp by Leoni Werle and ladder/ coat rack by Christian Kim

Left: lamp by Leoni Werle and right: ladder/ coat rack by Christian Kim

(Image credit: TBC)

The Kaschkasch stand

The Kaschkasch stand

(Image credit: TBC)

Sofa by German company Wittmann

Sofa by German company Wittmann

(Image credit: TBC)

Sofa by Richard Lampert

Sofa by Richard Lampert

(Image credit: TBC)

Chairs by Richard Lampert

Chairs by Richard Lampert

(Image credit: TBC)

Outdoor furniture set by Richard Lampert

Outdoor furniture set by Richard Lampert

(Image credit: TBC)

Dining table and chair by German company Zeitraum

Dining table and chair by German company Zeitraum

(Image credit: TBC)