Hardware for furniture, upholstery, kitchen, coatings and furnishing systems.

Furnishing Idea is the portal dedicated to the furniture and furnishing industry, designed to bring together different professionals such as architects, designers, carpenters, furniture makers and manufacturers active in the furniture market who represent the reference point in terms of innovation and quality of the product offered. On the other hand, the portal aims to provide a valid information service focused on products, projects, events and fairs and everything that revolves around the world of components, semi-finished products and accessories for the furniture industry.

 

The portal is divided into different sections where you can explore the different products according to different categories, get in touch with manufacturers, download catalogues to keep up with industry trends and watch videos of interviews with the best professionals and manufacturers.

 

In the articles section you can find all the information about the most innovative product technologies, such as furniture materials, furniture accessories and systems, furniture machinery, furniture hardware, manufactured by manufacturers with a solid experience in the field. In the companies section there is an overview of the manufacturers registered on our portal, divided by product category, where you can contact us for any request. Our portal also has a special catalogues section to allow professionals and operators in the sector to view in a practical way all the catalogues relating to the various products (furniture hardware, upholstery materials, furniture paints, etc.). In addition, to allow easy consultation of the products, our portal has reserved a product section, organized by categories, where you can find out about the technical characteristics, materials and functionality of each product. The video section, on the other hand, presents numerous video interviews given by professionals and manufacturers that report news, insights and informative content on the best technologies in the sector.

 

In addition, to keep you constantly informed you can also consult our Journal section which contains all the Furnishing Idea magazines dedicated to the furniture and furnishing industry, such as the edition dedicated to Sicam or Interzum, two of the most important trade fairs in the sector. The magazines can be consulted from the portal or easily downloadable in pdf format.

 

Thanks to the trust placed in us by many manufacturers, our portal is now recognized both nationally and internationally. In fact, there are already many internationally recognized and established companies in the sector, including the AIPEF group (Italian Flexible Expanded Polyurethanes Companies) which promotes scientific information on the use of flexible polyurethane foam in the sectors in which it is used.

The Smart Home market: research by the Internet of Things Observatory

The Smart Home market withstood the impact of Covid, albeit with ups and downs: 2020 first saw a slump in sales of between -60% and -100% during the first lockdown, followed by a robust recovery in the second half of the year, ending with a slight decrease compared to 2019, equal to -5%, maintaining a value of EUR 505 million. The same figures emerged in other European countries, especially in Spain (stable at 420 million) and France (1.1 billion, +3%), while Germany (2.9 billion, +16%) and the UK (2.8 billion, +10%) maintained significant growth.
The market slowdown has not, however, diminished the level of knowledge and use of connected objects by Italians: 69% of consumers have heard the term “smart home“ at least once (+1%), 43% own at least one smart object (+1%) and two out of three say they often use the smart solutions they have purchased.
These are the data that emerged from the research by the Internet of Things Observatory of the School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano, presented during the online conference “Stay at home, stay in a Smart Home: the smart home to the test of Covid“.
In 2020, two trends emerged that will shape the future of the Smart Home in the coming months,“ said Angela Tumino, Director of the Internet ofThingsObservatory. “Firstly, the progressive servitisation, i.e. the shift from the sale of hardware alone to the proposal of additional services, such as the possibility of activating an emergency response in case of danger for the elderly who live alone at home. The second is the entry of new players into this market, from furniture manufacturers to large-scale retail trade, from real estate to car manufacturers, widening the boundaries of competition“.


The Smart Home market


The pandemic has put the home back in the spotlight, boosting the sale of some smart solutions such as security solutions including video cameras, door and window sensors and connected locks, which retain the top spot in market share (21%) with €105 million, although down 30% on 2019. Growth also continues for smart home speakers, which hook security solutions into first place, with a value of €105 million (+10%), or 21% of the market. The results for household appliances were
also positive, with €100 million, equal to 20% of the market and up 17%, with some types, such as robot hoovers and air purifiers, recording a boom in sales.
The use of smart functions by consumers is also growing, accounting for 59% of those who own large and small household appliances (+19%), while boilers, thermostats and connected air conditioners for the management of heating and air conditioning have benefited from Superbonus and Ecobonus incentives, marking a growth of 15%.


Sales channels


The health emergency has favoured the boom in eCommerce: online purchases have reached €180 million, up 20%, making it the leading channel with 36% of the market. The traditional supply chain, on the other hand, is the channel that has suffered most from the impact of Covid-19: sales amounted to €175 million, with a 17% drop and a further loss of market share, in favour of eRetailers, after those already recorded in recent years (from 50% in 2018 to 39% in 2019 and 34% in 2020).

 

Consumers


In the ad hoc consumer survey carried out in collaboration with BVA Doxa, the term “smart home“ is now familiar to Italian consumers.
According to the survey data, both consumer awareness of the smart home and the spread of smart objects in the home continue to grow. In particular, among those who are familiar with the term “smart home“, the first brand that comes to mind is BTicino, which is tied with Alexa, the voice assistant developed by Amazon.
In the photo, the smart solution “Living Now with Netatmo“ by Bticino.

Bespoke Infinite Line refrigerators by Samsung: premium aesthetics and top performance

The new range, which includes fridge, freezer and wine cellar, will arrive in Italy in the first quarter of 2023
Category: Refrigerators and freezers
Publication date: 16/01/2023

Home Connectivity Alliance: Electrolux and other major manufacturers team up for a connected home

Alliance aims to ensure interoperability between different brands, platforms and apps
Category: Economy, News and Fairs
Publication date: 17/01/2022
Company: Electrolux

Haier Europe household appliances: new smart workplace inaugurated in Italy, headquarters of the commercial divisions

New offices at the Energy Park in Vimercate (MB) focus on sustainability, smart working and lean thinking
Category: Appliances
Publication date: 05/02/2021

The digital challenge: a great opportunity for all companies

The pandemic has led to a strong acceleration towards digital, prompting companies to make increasing use of these new tools.
Category: Industry news
Publication date: 24/08/2020

Web potential: advantages and opportunities of the network for companies

Covid-19: Internet traffic +30%, online sales +56.8%, data indicate a strong increase in web communication
Category: Industry news
Publication date: 17/04/2020

Smart technologies and digital services: SCM provides woodworking companies with remote support

With the innovative
Category: Woodworking machines and software
Publication date: 06/04/2020
Company: SCM GROUP S.p.A.

Mobile bonuses: six out of ten Italians intend to use it in 2019

According to the Findomestic Observatory, interest in smart devices is growing
Category: Economy and marketing
Publication date: 21/03/2019

Hettich rewarded with the Electrolux Supplier Innovation Award

Category: Industry news
Publication date: 11/12/2015
Company: Hettich Italia