GERMANY – When conducting ongoing, international trend research, Schattdecor considers the megatrend of urbanization. The requirements and demands placed on the urban living environment will present companies and service providers of all kinds with new opportunities and challenges in the future.

In places where many people meet, living and working space becomes scarce and expensive. Alternatives must be well thought out and served. Locations where people spend time between activities will also have to meet new demands and offer additional options in the future. Claudia Küchen, Head of Design, Marketing, and Communications at Schattdecor: “An increasing number of people around the world are moving to metropolitan areas and surrounding regions. Cities have been and remain a driving force behind trends, innovation, digitization, and connectivity. They offer an attractive range of jobs and vocational training opportunities, an efficient infrastructure, and a variety of cultural activities. This trend is placing new demands on modern surfaces in residential, business, and public environments, and on us as a surface specialist and decor developer.” This is why when conducting ongoing, international trend research, Schattdecor considers the megatrend of urbanization. The requirements and demands placed on the urban living environment will present companies and service providers of all kinds with new opportunities and challenges in the future. In places where many people meet, living and working space becomes scarce and expensive. Alternatives must be well thought out and served. Locations where people spend time between activities will also have to meet new demands and offer additional options in the future. New architectural models, pragmatic modes of transportation, and modern forms of community and connection create unconventional solutions for an ideal living space. This also places high demands on decor developers, as decors and concepts must reflect tomorrow’s trends and correspond to the required environment with regard to function, use, and design. Schattdecor’s objective is to create a customized total package for customers from the wood products or furniture industries that meets the requirements of the future and for that purpose divides the places we spend our time into three categories: first places, second places, and third places. The “first place” refers to your own home. New, creative solutions are needed in cities in response to housing shortages and steadily increasing real estate prices. Housing shortages and steadily increasing real estate prices mean that new creative solutions are needed, like “skinny houses.” With an extremely small floor space, they offer an alternative to the traditional single- family home in the city. With this in mind, surfaces like Schattdecor’s Pyramid decor are a perfect example of the light, warm wood tones and natural material colors that dominate the warm, cozy style of the skinny house. In addition, light colors make narrow rooms feel more spacious. With its graphic surface, Pyramid is extremely versatile – whether as a floor surface, wall panel, or furniture décor. Stone decors such as Grey Caspio are also used in all residential areas and create a comfortable, cozy atmosphere. The term “second place” refers to either workplaces, schools, or vocational training facilities. In a working world that is constantly changing, new possibilities for unconventional workspace design are opening up. It isn’t just residential space affected by increasing prices – commercial properties in cities are also scarce and expensive. Coworking spaces represent an efficient alternative. They offer temporary creative and complex working space for projects, meetings, workshops, or events – allowing people to create new networks and enjoy greater flexibility in the process. Since coworking spaces are furnished in a very cozy and creative way, there is no shortage of accessories and individual pieces of furniture. Materials that exude comfort are used for workspaces and lounge areas. Plants enhance the cozy feeling – light Scandinavian-looking woods such as the Frost Pine decor, in combination with technical features such as integrated charging and power outlet systems, meet the requirements for functionality and design. Places where people meet or otherwise spend time are described as “third places.” These include public spaces in the city, but also airports, train stations, educational institutions, or shops, restaurants, and bars. Time and comfort also play an important role here. An increasing number of people are ordering furniture online, especially those who live in cities far away from the nearest furniture store and who have difficulty transporting their purchases without a car. More and more brand pop-up stores are being set up in urban environments that allow discerning online shoppers to see the pieces in real life. Furniture configurations make custom solutions possible. An attractive appearance requires a range of well-defined possible combinations. Decors such as Canyon Malibu Chestnut, with its fine, modern look and subtle, rustic elements, can be beautifully combined with other wood and plain decors or other materials.