With "Elastica", Innocenzo Rifino and Diego Rossi from Studio Habits span the light across the room and from the floor to the ceiling. The luminaire can be controlled with a simple hand movement.

The Future of Living: On the initiative of the Center za kreativnost – the Center for Creativity in Ljubljana – the exhibition on contemporary design from Slovenia is currently touring Europe’s design metropolises. On show are sustainable, innovative, functional but also socially committed creative projects.

What's new in the kitchen? Which materials, which styles are in demand? What current ideas are the creatives and manufacturers offering? We have put together a selection of the news for you as part of our Novelties Stage.

Studio Besau-Marguerre has created an interior design concept for the workrooms of the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe MK&G in Hamburg that combines different trends.

Villeroy & Boch has fitted out the bathrooms of the “Kaunas”, a historic 4-star superior hotel in Lithuania and in the process combined contemporary design with clever details that make for maximum comfort.

Colored faucets – in the mid-1970s, they amounted to a revolution in the market. For Italian design workshop Fantini, they marked the dawn of a new age in several respects: Their “I Balocchi” mixer, which translates as “the toys”, designed in 1977 together with Davide Mercatali and Paolo Pedrizzetti, represented the company’s entry into the world of design.

Werner Aisslinger has designed the robust "1140" table for Thonet that boasts a host of ingenious details. It has excellent chances of becoming something that accompanies its owner through all the various phases in life.

Robust and colourfast: The carpet tile "Blurred Edge 854" is one of the latest novelties from IVC Commercial.

To make its cars with internal combustion engines carbon-neutral, Mazda is supporting research into a biofuel made from algae.

Jorge Pensi has collaborated with Italian furniture makers Pedrali for over a decade now – his classic “Ara” chair celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The architect and designer has just created flexible solutions for a new world of work in the form of the “Ypsilon Connect” room divider and the “Temps low back” task chair.

The Canadian artist, designer and architect Omer Arbel moves between disciplines with his creative works, creating extraordinary objects and buildings that fascinate and offer a new experience of space. Phaidon Verlag recently published the first monograph on his work.

"Camira Knit" by Camira produces technical textiles that offer sustainable covers with a perfect fit and high-quality design thanks to advanced technology.

Stylepark raffles off one "Miura" bar stool by Plank.

With "Pointbreak", Piero Lissoni has designed a reduced outdoor light collection for FLOS, which, following the example of the candle, offers orientation with sensual light and creates a pleasant atmosphere.

Arper has supplied the furniture for the Humanitas University campus designed by Studio FTA near Milan – thus promoting dialogue between students and teaching staff.

The detail makes the difference – for the highest functionality, best material quality and excellent design. As a specialist in drainage systems, Dallmer has set itself this high standard from the very beginning.

"A design is always a cooperation, a synthesis of two attitudes," says Sebastian Herkner. For Freifrau, he opted for that extra touch of sensuality and elegance, when recently adding new items to his "Ona" collection.

Flexible, practical and reduced to the essentials: The new outdoor seating system "Palco" by Kim Colin and Sam Hecht for Kristalia.

Bette presents the world’s first shower tile made of glazed titanium steel that can be glued directly onto the screed enabling floor level installation. Designer Dominik Tesseraux explains the concept in interview.

“Cedral Outdoor Flooring” is not only robust and low maintenance – it also boasts a wide range of designs to lend your own outdoor space that vacation feel.

With many strings to their bow – Berlin-based Ertl und Zull are a design studio, creative partners, and a workshop, all rolled into one. Their aesthetics, on the other hand, are relatively uncomplicated.

Sebastian Herkner designed the "MASK" wall coat rack for Schönbuch, which combines function and aesthetics in a space-saving way.

burgbad is firmly committed to the topic of sustainability and demonstrates this wholeheartedly from production through to the product themselves. Its current bathroom furniture collection “Eqio” has been awarded the Blue Angel ecolabel.

George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg have designed a modular piece of outdoor furniture for Tribù. The “Nodi” sofa scores points for its flexible design with the finesse of indoor furniture.

Thanks to the emergence of NFTs (non-fungible tokens), virtual works in art, design and architecture have received immense attention in recent months – and polarised strongly in terms of value and sustainability. Designer Andrés Reisinger is currently taking a middle course with Moooi.

In times of the home office, flexible solutions are needed - Müller small living also knows this and, in collaboration with the designers Alissa Arends, Leon Bucher and Yelim Kim, presents the "PLATO" table, which enables a variety of uses.

A classic in a new guise: "Pan Black" is the name of the new limited edition of the "Pan" chair by Christian Hoisl for Garpa, which brings light elegance to outdoor spaces.

AXOR has joined forces with British designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby to expand its “AXOR One” bathroom collection. The new products score points for their ingenious technology and timeless design.

Zumtobel has collaborated with Japanese corporation Nichia to develop the Spectrum technology based on the properties of natural light. The optimized lighting is both easy on the eyes and improves our wellbeing.

The lifestyle Gekko House hotel in Frankfurt/Main makes much of contrasts. One of the places where this is highly visible is in the design of its bathrooms, each equipped with its own distinctive washbasins and toilets by Laufen.

On Michael Erlhoff’s death.

Flexible, homely and with fine details - jehs+laub have designed a modular lounge sofa programme for Brunner.

With the flexible LifeSystem, HEWI supports the care and independence of users. The re-design in elegant chrome, anthracite and white also scores points in terms of aesthetics.

When (self-)limitation gives birth to a passionate wealth of ideas then great things are sure to come about. Dutch interior designer Dirk van der Kooij is a prime example of this phenomenon. His passion is for plastic that would otherwise end up on the rubbish dump.

"The Power of Design" is the title of a recent documentary by Reinhild Dettmer-Finke, a collaboration between ZDF/ARTE and Kobalt Documentary.