Press Release
Baltic Furniture - 2007
From 4 to 7 October, International Exhibition Centre in Kipsala welcomed visitors to the international furniture and interior design exhibition "Baltic Furniture - 2007", which was the biggest common show of furniture manufacturers from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in the Baltic countries.
It brought together 169 companies from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Belarus, as well as from the USA, Israel, Vietnam, China, India, Italy, Malaysia, Russia, Spain and Germany. The fair was attended by 35907 visitors.
The exhibition presented home and office furniture, furniture hardware, interior details, light fixtures, component parts, and finishing agents. Also it was possible to use services of designers and furniture restorers. The fair featured both latest collections by Baltic manufacturers and the first presentation of new products by some foreign manufacturers in the Latvian furniture market.
Furniture manufacturers from Latvia presented their latest products at the fair trade. Dailrade company displayed birch living-room and dining-room set collections Campus Plus, as well as a beech collection Campus. Visitors were able to evaluate a hazel veneer living-room wall unit Goya, pine library shelves Cliff, and an interestingly designed multicolour children room set Agate.
Nordi Dizaina Klubs introduced their new furniture collection Enas by Miks Petersons.
On display was a cherry bed Khaya, manufactured by Lord Ltd, the only company to make beds from whole wood not veneer.
Wenden Furniture stand this year featured in total 14 different collections of Scandinavian-style living-room sets manufactured from Latvian-grown birch. As a novelty they introduced modern-line furniture set Vincenzo.
Latvijas Finieris (Latvian Veneerer) presented office furniture and a children furniture line.
Latvian manufacturer Nakts Mebeles (Night Furniture) in cooperation with Amsterdam designers showed a yet unseen beds collection.
The fair showcased not only new collections by Latvian manufacturers but also
foreign manufacturer collections yet unseen in Latvia. Dailrade offered soft furniture
and sofas of high quality finishing by German manufacturer Albert Ponsel.
Nordi Dizaina Klubs gave an opportunity to see Spanish manufacturer Akaba making high quality chairs and tables for public spaces. During this show the first time presented Danish company Hoppekids and its furniture designed for children - both toddlers and teenagers.
Company Froli Baltic introduced health enhancing bed systems and mattresses made in Germany. A novelty at the fair was frolexus viado matresses and pillows equipped with flexible synthetic luxury lamellas. They would take care of the pressure relief from the spine and muscles, healthy sleep and ventilation.
Company Krassky presented Scoop bathtub (by Italian manufacturer Falper) - the winner of the prestigious Red Dot Award 2007.
Nordi Dizaina Klubs presented to professionals a product completely new for Latvia: fabric- and leather-covered doorframes, baseboards and mirror frames.
Intar-sija stand demonstrated the process of wood adhesion using the top product of Kleiberit company, PU-Adhesive 501, that as if welds the bonded wood making it load- and water-resistant. A special guest of this stand was Hannu Sallinen, a technological engineer from Kleiberit, who introduced its novelty, Purmaxx adhesive systems, and answered questions about Kleiberit adhesives and technologies.
Silena Ltd presented ready-made cabinet fronts for manufacturers of kitchen, office and other furniture.
"Baltic Furniture - 2007" introduced to the widest audience a kitchen furniture concept made in Latvia ornamented with Swarovski crystals.
Lemon Loft, a Latvian company, offered to audience's assessment the centrepiece of the Big Mama concept designed for private house kitchens. To create this piece was used accessories designed by cutting edge technologies, a gas stove of unconventional forms and design, originally designed panels, as well as a worktop and facades made from composite materials. Furniture hardware, such as handles is decorated with Swarovski crystals.
Martins Udris, a designer and the author of the project, told that "working on the design and the concept itself Lemon Loft had an objective to prove that things purchased abroad hardly differ from things made in Latvia, and our masters are as skilful as theirs". Moreover, Maris Udris emphasized, this concept was made for this event with an idea to urge other furniture manufacturers also to offer their furniture concepts during furniture exhibitions.
During "Riga Chair 2007', an event held at the stand of the Latvian Chamber of Crafts and Riga Technical University, chair makers representing Latvian regions presented an original and unique chair crafted exclusively for this trade fair.
For example, Janis Balodis has created Riga's Chair shaped as a stylised Jugendstil mask.
Member of Latvian Artist Society wood-carver Janis Straupe has made an unusual chair from linden wood.
Andis Sauss introduced Latgale's Chair, and Madars Vibans - Vidzeme's Chair.
Young artist Kalvis Kiesneris presented a chair based upon legs made from a large quantity of twigs.
In an improvised workshop, one was able to meet craftsman Arvids Plotks and metal artist Aleksandrs Kalvans.
During the "Riga's Chair 2007" event some research papers on the chair culture evolution were delivered.
The exhibition was organised by the International Exhibition Company BT1 in cooperation with association Latvijas Mebeles (Latvian Furniture), Estonian wood processing association Eesti Puutooliit, and the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia.
An exhibition and professional contact forum for furniture-making supplies "Woodworking. Machinery. Technologies. Tools - 2007" - one of the largest exhibitions for woodworking and tools in the entire Baltic region - took place at the International Exhibition Centre in Kipsala at the same time.