Record numbers of visitors (around 67,000 at the most recent count) descended on Frankfurt’s sprawling Messe exhibition complex last week to see the latest wallcoverings and fabrics showcased at international textiles trade show Heimtextil 2015. DesignerPages trawled the show’s 2700 exhibitor booths to bring you a round up of our favorite new launches and exhibitors fresh from the Messe’s halls.

BN Wallcoverings showcased a new collection inspired by the iconic works of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. Featuring the artist’s distinctive brush stroke textures, the designs recall well-known paintings such as the vibrant ‘Irises’ and the swirling ‘Wheatfield with a Reaper’ (above) as well as a collage of letters sent by van Gogh to his brother, Theo. Produced in collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the collection is designed and made in Holland.

Australian bed linen brand KAS’s booth was a riot of color and pattern thanks to its new ‘Art Editons’ collection. Painterly impressionist florals were layered with intricately embroidered tribal patterns, while tropical palm prints juxtaposed Art Deco geometrics in this cross cultural mash-up.

Stalwarts of the wallpaper industry Graham & Brown showcased an impressive array of recent designs – including wall art and pillows – on its perpetually packed booth. Our favorite was Skins: a line of six luxurious wallpaper designs that bring exotic animal prints from the great outdoors into the interior. Choose from zebra, leopard, tiger, alligator, ostrich and fur prints.

Similarly, Zimmer + Rohde‘s imaginative wallpapers draw upon the variety of textures and forms found in nature. Made using a three-step process in which the paper is printed, layered with a vinyl and then embossed, the Frankfurt-based firm’s shimmering designs have a staggeringly realistic texture and level of detail as demonstrated in its ‘Feather’ design shown above.

The humble bath mat got a contemporary update courtesy of New York designer Karim Rashid who created a line of bold graphic designs for Czech brand Grund. Called ‘Kolor My World’ Rashid describes the line of tufted bath mats as ‘warm, pleasurable, soft and easy-to maintain’. He says: “To me they are works of art worthy of the wall or the floor in any room.” His new collection also included a range of plastic bathroom accessories in equally bright colorways.  

Stationed at Heimtextil’s ‘Trend Themepark‘ – a new interactive area of the show where visitors could learn about new technologies, see new fabrics and experience trend-based installations first hand – Dutch designer Dienke Dekker was creating her innovative woven artworks live on site. Using striped barrier tape, striped tie-dyed yarns and her own striped paper strips, Dekker creates two- and three-dimensional weaves that feature complex repetitions and sequences that boast textural depth and intriguing color patterns.

Belgian wallpaper brand Omexco celebrated the launch of its new ‘Eternity’ and ‘Nomad’ lines at Heimtextil 2015. While the ‘Eternity’ collection of washable ecological non-woven wallpapers features photo realistic designs resembling marble, travertine, limestone and granite, the textural ‘Nomad’ line (shown above) takes inspiration from landscapes across the globe, from the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean to the silent and white Siberian taiga. The line includes seven metallic effect non-woven textile wallcoverings as well as a paper woven from waterlily leaves dyed in 8 different colors.

Of French brand Elitis‘ many new offerings we particularly admired the lace-inspired ‘Wonderland’ wallcovering and the delicately embroidered ‘Dolcezza’ fabric – part of a fresh linen-inspired direction for 2015.

Swiss brand Christian Fischbacher‘s booth ushered in spring with a new collection of floral bed linens called ‘ Garden Party’. Using prints taken from Christian Fischbacher’s interior fabrics and bed linen collections that were originally launched in the 1990s, the brand’s designers have reinterpreted the floral designs for the 21st century using a variety of techniques. Printed onto white satin using a 12-screen printing process, loosely scattered blooms alternate between sharp photo realistic focus and blur effects. 11 colors of pink, purple and bright green tones draw out the details of this summertime design.

Channeling more tropical climes, German-Australian brand Pad decorated its pillows with the flora and fauna of the rainforest – flamingos, toucans and pineapples were some of  the featured motifs. Elsewhere neon piping enlivened geometric prints in neutral tones.