Distilling down the top trends and themes from an international design fair the size of 60 football fields (that’s 1300 tennis courts) is not a simple endeavor. Nonetheless, as I trekked in Frankfurt in mid-February through the massive design fest otherwise known as Ambiente, there were undeniably some recurring themes that I will share with you here, the first in a series of posts about my visit there.

Let’s start with logs.

MeroWings outdoor tree stump stool loves the elements as much as a real log.

Everywhere I went, there were logs. Numerous brands showcased their versions of the tree stump stool, which you may be thinking is “so last decade” but I still love them. Each is unique and, like the tree, evolves and changes as it ages.

Jan Kurtz, a German company whose outdoor furniture and accessories make me swoon, had a nice rendition of designer Sebastian Herkner’s “Feel” powder coated occasional table, above, but this one’s top was a slab sliced from a log.

Known primarily for its porcelain collections, Kahla’s Atelier offers designers the opportunity to experiment with combining porcelain with other materials in their product designs. Designer Anne Hohmuth did just this in her Tree Stump Table, above. Kahla’s porcelain Five Senses bowl functions as the removable tabletop, able to hold food, ice for drinks, or maybe a grouping of gorgeous succulents.

MeroWings log table.

Timber Textiles
There were pillows that looked so much like real logs, I had to touch the fabric to confirm that they really were not logs but soft replicas of them. My favorites of these timber textiles were from Stuttgart, Germany-based brand, MeroWings, whose indoor/outdoor collection included cushions, stools, and tabletop pieces in various fabric hardwood species.

Behind the MeroWings brand is the company’s lively founder whom I had the pleasure of meeting, Meena Valail-Dieter, a Londoner who launched their Forest, Robes and Trays collection at Ambiente in 2009.

Merowings tabletop collection includes these fauz wood placemats.

From America, Kikkerland Design’s squishy micro bead-filled log pillows, below, would be great to tote with you as a neck rest on your next long flight. (Want one? You can purchase them here.)

Photo via Kikkerland.

To light up outdoors, Jan Kurtz displayed their giant candles in teak root. I can see several of these rustic pieces arranged in a cluster, indoors or out.

I’ll go out on a limb here, but could the log theme be a reflection of our collective need to bring the natural world into our cold urban lives or at least to bring some of it indoors?

Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Robin Plaskoff Horton for Urban Gardens.

Disclosure: This is Part One of several upcoming posts about my visit with Modenus BlogTour to Ambiente 2015 in Frankfurt. I received transportation, accommodations, and meals during the five-day event sponsored by Ambiente, who provided us with in-depth insight into the fair and behind-the-scenes activities which enriched the experience and sent me home with loads of inspiration. All opinions are my own and I did not receive any additional compensation for this post. Read our Sponsorship Disclosure Policy.