Madrid - INTERGIFT February 2012 presents an extensive exhibition of decoration trends

From 1 to 5 February 2012, the halls at FERIA DE MADRID will host the staging of the sixty-second edition of INTERGIFT, the International Gift Fair, one of the leading points of reference at an international level regarding home furnishings and decoration.

The fair will once again feature the participation of nearly one thousand exhibiting companies, based on a comprehensive exhibition at which visitors can explore the latest trends and new business opportunities, as well as establishing contacts with the leading members of the industry. This plural event, packed with highly specialised and innovative ideas, will offer trade visitors an extensive range of ideas and suggestions when it comes to successfully designing their sales campaigns for the next few months.

As is customary, the extensive exhibition at INTERGIFT will be presented through out seven halls, all of which are perfectly signposted and interconnected, bringing together all of the different sections that make up the fair. In this respect, the odd-numbered halls (Halls 3, 5 and 9) will present the new features offered under the headings of children's and young people's gifts, gadgets, promotional gifts, imaginative items, curiosities and opportunistic items for large-volume operations. Visitors will also come across a hall featuring travel items and leather goods.

For their part, the even-numbered halls (Halls 2, 4, 6 and 8) will provide a key point of reference regarding the latest fashion and decoration trends for the home. A combination of cultures, styles and mass consumer lines, as well as a series of veritable treasures under the heading of furniture and accessories, will make up an exhibition packed with international trends and ideas designed to suit all tastes and pockets.

With the actual staging of INTERGIFT just around the corner, the companies that are due to take part at this edition propose a springtime ambience dominated by sensorial design, one that appeals to the emotions and features an entire series of Chinese-influenced furnishings and ornaments. Chairs, commodes, benches, sideboards and bedside tables made of varnished and multi-coloured wood, as well as tapestries, vases and porcelain lamps, among other elements, confer a certain air of calm and elegance under the heading of decoration and provide an excellent example of the Western World's fascination with the many-thousand-year-old traditions of the Far East.

Alongside this trend, visitors will come across other more romantic lines, based on a predominant use of pastel shades such as rosewood, watery green, light blue ... velvet and flowers, or a “Made in England” style, based on the unmistakeable appeal of Victorian furniture for lovers of traditional styles, or fabrics, crockery and rugs decorated with British flags and even typical London buses, in their coolest version. Visitors will also find a rural ambience based on a “new rustic” style, which combines the best of traditional design with practical contemporary ideas. Wood and stone are updated with modern formats, dimensions and colours.

The starting-point for any decoration project in the living-room is the sofa. At this edition, a series of highly elegant and timeless designs will stand out, such as the Chester or the chaise longue, upholstered in velvet, cotton and leather. The upholstery designs will feature a considerable amount of colour, such as brown, red, green, mauve, pink and blue, as well as patterns, whilst the rugs will present models of all sizes and colours. Patchwork will make up a separate trend all by itself.

Furthermore, fireplaces, mirrors, closets, small tables, bookcases, pictures and figures, all ideal for personalising the home, will continue to play a leading role. As far as tableware is concerned, we will find crockery sets in many different formats, featuring cheerful colours in tune with the summer season, not to mention glassware and cutlery to match, as well as tablecloths inspired by nature, offering a new and different touch. In short, mealtimes will be accompanied by a great deal of colour.

In the bedroom, four-poster beds will be all the rage and, for children, rooms that serve as multifunctional spaces. Furniture companies have designed a series of practical and functional bunk beds that leave a large area for playing and studying free and available.

INTERGIFT will also present a series of interesting ideas under the heading of bathroom furnishings and furniture for the organisation of toiletries and beauty products, not to mention accessories for decorating these rooms, such as candles, vases and mirrors. All of these items endow these parts of the home with a dash of elegance, with towels providing the final harmonious touch.

Images from Intergift September 2011