One of Europe’s biggest furniture players, Himolla, will be making a highly-anticipated debut at the Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF), 18 – 21 July at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

Himolla is renowned for beautifully-designed and functional furniture, particularly state-of-the-art recliners and sofas. Established in 1948, the name Himolla comes from the German terms himmlisch, mollig and angenehm, which translates as heavenly, cosy and pleasant. Apt descriptors for the perfect sofa or armchair to sink into at the end of the day!

Palena recliner chair and stool. Image: Himolla

The company’s driving motto is “Quality from Germany”, which is much more than an empty marketing slogan. It is a philosophy that permeates everything Himolla do and is applied daily by their 3000-strrong workforce.

Their furniture is created in an advanced, 90,000 sqm production facility at Taufkirchen/Vils outside Munich. The latest technology meets the very best in German craftsmanship to produce some of the finest recliner furniture in the world.

Himolla’s dedication to perfection, quality and service is also evident in their customer service and partnerships with retailers around the world. All Himolla’s Retail Partners are thoroughly and continually trained in all aspects of their product range, comfort options, choice of functionality and finish.

We can’t wait to see the German giant’s impressive stand at the Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF) this year! Co-located with Decor + Design, together the shows will feature 500+ leading wholesale brands and are a must for retailers, hoteliers, commercial property managers, interior designers and decorators.

We asked Markus Lutz from Himolla a few questions about their design inspirations and what they will be bringing to Melbourne…

The theme of the Australian House & Garden International Seminar Series at Decor + Design in 2019 is ‘Global Village’. How much attention do the Himolla team pay to global trends?

Himolla is represented in about 70 different countries worldwide. Our art director and the whole team are always scoping global trends by visiting various furniture shows in different countries. It’s important to integrate needs and trends into new developments.

Retailers and suppliers are considered as partners and not only clients or consumers. Their feedback helps us create successful products.

It’s also important to think out of the box to create new trends. Which – of course – may end up being copied by other manufacturers!

EDEN recliner. Image: Himolla

Can you give us a snapshot of the design and production process for your products?

Himolla has one internal art director, Tamara Härty, who designs all our products. She then works with a team of around 70 people in the development of department prototypes for the shows.

All of this is still done locally in Taufkirchen/Vils. Relax chairs, lounges, sofa sets. As one of the last full range manufacturers, the sheer know-how and skills of this team have to be outstanding.

The whole set up of layout, display, covers and decoration is done by our art director for the individual shows all over the world.

Why have you chosen to exhibit at The Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF) this year?

Himolla is always interested to enter new markets and countries and for us it was time to offer our products in Australia. The requests have increased within the last few years, which has given us confidence that our products are of interest here. The AIFF show is one of the first steps for Himolla to display our recliners and functional sofas in Australia.

Chester Sofa. Image: Himolla

What can trade visitors expect to see from you?

For the Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF), we’ve focused on the more classical collection of products, with some special design awarded items which are more modern and designer.

Palena Recliner. Image: Himolla

Due to the fact that we are not able to display all of the 500 different models we have, we tried to do a selection of what we think will match the needs and the expectations of Australian visitors. However, we still have many more products available, depending on the tastes of the Australian market.

This is a fantastic opportunity for Australian trade visitors to discover products from one of the furniture world’s most impressive companies.

Register as a trade visitor to the Australian International Furniture Fair, 18 – 21 July at Melbourne Exhibition Centre and be sure to visit Himolla at Stand No. 012 + P12.