Heimtextil presents its trend story: ‘Home-Maxxing – The Performance of Everyday Living’

At its next edition, taking place from 12 to 15 January 2027 at Messe Frankfurt, the Heimtextil trade fair will be showcasing a striking trend story. Under the title ‘Home-Maxxing – The Performance of Everyday Living’, Heimtextil Trends 27/28 demonstrates how our approach to efficiency-focused thinking and technology influences the design of spaces and textiles. Heimtextil Trends 27/28 will be on display in the Trend Space in Hall 4.2.

Better sleep, faster recovery, more efficient living: the quest for optimisation found its way into our homes and living environments quite some time ago. The more sleep, wellbeing, routines, materials and spaces are optimised, the stronger the desire becomes for a home that does not demand even more of us.

Textiles regulate light, absorb sound or filter the air

The demands placed on spaces are becoming increasingly varied. In a daily life that is becoming ever faster and more digital, spaces are expected to provide a sense of stability, meet functional requirements and, at the same time, offer tranquillity. ‘Home-Maxxing’ responds to this tension. Textiles regulate light, absorb sound or filter the air. At the same time, there is a growing demand for materials that feel pleasant to the touch, are sustainable and do not exert additional pressure to optimise. Whether at home, in a hotel, in the workplace or in healthcare: interior design must strike a new balance between performance and human needs.

Three trend directions

In collaboration with the Milan-based design platform Alcova, the new trend narrative translates this development into three trend directions: Staged Competence, Inside, Out and Hyper Presence. These range from visibly staged technical performance and visible fixings to materials where tactility, texture and sustainability take centre stage.

“Home-Maxxing” encapsulates two contrasting expectations of our time: the pursuit of ever-better performance and the need for tranquillity. Heimtextil Trends 27/28 broadens the perspective on textile performance: it is not just about what materials and products can do, but also about how their function can be understood and their material properties experienced. This opens up new avenues for the design and development of future products and spatial concepts”, says Olaf Schmidt, Vice President of Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt.

01 Staged Competence

Functionality is meant to be seen. Staged Competence describes an aesthetic in which technical expertise does not remain in the background, but is deliberately placed in the spotlight. Textiles and surfaces demonstrate what they can do and, increasingly, how they do it. Technical codes, figures, symbols and micrographic images become design elements. It is not just about a material’s actual function; its performance must also be visible from the outside. Everything that has been tested, developed and optimised should also look the part. Sustainability, technical sophistication and demonstrable quality become part of the aesthetic.

The colours reinforce this technically grounded character. Cool shades of blue and green, mineral hues and pale, almost synthetic colours are reminiscent of hardware, outdoor equipment and high-quality materials. A bright, acid yellow provides a deliberate accent.

02 Inside, Out

What lies within the things around us? Inside, Out responds to a world in which technologies and digital systems are becoming increasingly complex and difficult to understand. The trend counters this opacity with a new openness: structures become legible and connections visible. Screws, straps, seams, cables, zips and other fastenings are no longer concealed, but are deliberately incorporated into the design. A cover may show that it can be removed and replaced. Technology need not disappear behind a flawless surface.

This colour palette also thrives on visible contrasts. Dark anthracite and deep graphite evoke associations with steel and industrial components. A saturated red and a soft violet create contrasts that appear almost artificial. The palette is complemented by a subdued, cool green-grey.

03 Hyper Presence

All this optimisation also has a counter-movement. Hyper Presence focuses attention on what cannot be measured: how a fabric feels against the skin, how a material ages, or the atmosphere created by texture. Fabrics treated with beeswax demonstrate just how powerfully materials can stimulate the senses: when warmed, they release the natural scent of honey and propolis (also known as bee glue). The trend responds to constant digital overstimulation with a conscious physical presence. Materials therefore take centre stage: natural fibres, rough, richly textured surfaces, wool, leather and wood-based textiles appeal to the body and the senses. Creases, patina and signs of wear are not flaws, but form part of their character.

The colours, too, turn their backs on the digital world. Deep rust, burnt orange, ochre, dusty pink and a pale, warm off-white evoke images of fire, clay and oxidised metal. The colour palette is warm, earthy and soothing, creating a clear contrast with the cool, technical aesthetic of the other two trends.