The interview with Peter Thonet
Read here the interview at lenght with Peter Thonet, CEO of THONET GmbH, Frankenberg.
Mr. Thonet, after a four-year absence you and the Thonet company are returning to imm cologne. What were your reasons for taking this step, and why did you decide to place your stand in the Pure Village area?
Peter Thonet: imm cologne has always been an important trade fair for Thonet. Our customers are regular visitors, as the fair is a veritable magnet for visitors from all over the world. However, a medium-sized company always has to operate to a strict list of priorities. For us, it's an absolute must to participate in Orgatec and other trade fairs focussing the interior design. At Orgatec, the focus is on the office facility business, which is extremely important for Thonet; at the other fairs held abroad, we meet all of our international partners. The opportunity to present our company in the Pure Village exhibitor area at imm cologne ideally combines these elements for our company - the right surroundings and good presentation conditions at an acceptable level of cost and effort.
What will the visitors experience when they visit the Thonet stand? What will you be showing?
Peter Thonet: We will be showing the wonderful residential furniture collection of Naoto Fukasawa, Chair 130 and Table 1130, Claudio Bellini's current collection for the dining area, Chair 580 and Table 1580, as well as some of our classic designs in new variants. And because we will be exhivitors in the Pure Village area and will therefore have only a limited amount of space available, we will do all of this in a setting that is highly original.
What important trend do you see at the moment in the area of interior design?
Peter Thonet: For one thing, there's a big trend toward sustainably produced furniture and objects for the home. In addition, fresh colours that can be very effectively used to create accents in the living area are playing a major role. Many different technologies and materials are available today for the individual surface processing of separate pieces of furniture. And of course the textile suppliers are offering fantastic ideas here as well.
What special challenges does a brand like Thonet face? On the the hand, you can look on a very long tradition and are very well known; on the other, you need to demonstrate your excellence againand again in today's fiercely competitive market environment.
Peter Thonet: Our company's history puts us under a obligation to always strive for innovative as well as long-lived design. Every designer who comes to us has his or her own idea of Thonet. That's because Thonet is the oldest and best-known furniture brand of all. We work together with every designer in an effort to find his or her very special and individual formula. We always remain true to our company slogan "Thonet, a desire for innovation". In conjunction with the idea of the designer, the result is a new hamonious whole, about which one can say in turn, "That's a typical piece of Thonet furniture - in other words, it's comfortable, long-lived and innovative."
Thank you, Mr. Thonet.
