Hello friends. I am excited to share my experience with my Mood Spaces exhibition at Domotex 2024. It was an honor to be entrusted with the planning and design of this project for the second consecutive year (2023 edition is here). This time, I collaborated primarily with the Concept Store by Möbel Staude and Caparol Icons. Additionally, I invited artist Lena Petersen as a guest to paint a wall live in my space, along with a distinguished circle of experts and interior influencers who delivered daily lectures on design, trends, social media marketing, and business within the Mood Spaces.

The concept was developed to draw fresh attention to Domotex’s expanding presence in the world of interiors. The goal was not only to further enhance their brand image but also to create a hub of inspiration and education for visitors. The Mood Spaces served as a convergence point for furnishings, paint, and rugs, providing a platform for learning from experts, gathering inspiration, forming new connections, and strengthening Domotex's brand identity.

One of the primary challenges of this project was time management. Executing my vision required significantly more hours than initially anticipated. The project was labor-intensive, involving extensive manual work, including transporting and setting up materials during the week leading up to the event and dismantling afterward. I am deeply grateful to my friends and family, who generously assisted me, understanding the importance of this project. My team at Domotex were amazing - Ines and Anne-Kathrain, Annette and her daughter Robyn…. Their support was invaluable, especially as I worked through the holiday season to ensure everything was perfect for the January launch of the Mood Spaces.

The next challenge was transforming a trade show space dominated by rug dealers with stacks of carpets into an inviting and elegant interior setting. To achieve this, I would need to incorporate walls, a welcome desk, interior settings, lighting, furniture, paint, and a giant scoop of creative magic. Seating for guests was essential, as well as engaging activities, possibly including food, beverages, or entertainment. I considered adding music, speakers, and a monitor to enhance the atmosphere and make everything easy for the guest to access. My team was undeniably supportive of my plans and ideas, which made even challenges feel exhilarating vs. hard or draining. Quite the opposite - I loved this project from start to end.

I began by brainstorming and drafting various concepts, carefully contemplating how to create an inspiring, educational, and visually appealing space where visitors would want to linger and connect. My aim was to offer more than just visual inspiration; I wanted to provide valuable learning experiences. This space would teach visitors new skills, such as guest experts who could speak on topics such as understanding the production process of weaving and making rugs, effective sales techniques, and leveraging influencers for online marketing. They would also explore color theory, design trends… And I knew that I wanted to teach daily workshops on the how to get started making mood boards to spark new ideas and projects.

With a plethora of ideas swirling in my mind, I needed to organize and refine them. The challenge was to select the most compelling concepts and orchestrate them seamlessly to create a cohesive and captivating environment. I needed to identify and collaborate with partners and professionals to bring the project to fruition. I needed to find rugs, special rugs, to show in my 6 spaces. This included securing partnerships for furniture and paint, additional suppliers for rugs and other accessories, as well as enlisting multiple speakers to deliver lectures and lead workshops at Mood Spaces. Additionally, I had to present the architect with detailed space plans, including precise dimensions, required materials, and every specific detail, such as lighting outlets and the design of the welcome desk. I wrote the text for all of the walls, decided on logo placements, and developed a daily tour of the space that I would give to the press and guests.

The positive feedback from visitors was incredibly gratifying. I was thrilled to see my friends and colleagues participate in the workshops and engage as social media influencers once again this year. Overseeing the back-to-back lectures for three days and ensuring each session started and ended on time was a rewarding experience, especially since personally welcoming each guest added a special touch to the event. I love people, so this was quite wonderful for me - to be surrounded by such good energy and the many curious visitors.

Lena Petersen's wall painting (shown below) featured her own idea with patterns and birds she selected, using colors from the walls in my Mood Spaces by Caparol Icons, which unified the space and served as a nice spot for my guests to interact and observe her work-in-progress over the course of four days.

The influencers unanimously expressed that the Mood Spaces were the highlight of Domotex 2024. Even RTL, who visited us for a TV spot, regarded Mood Spaces as the premier experience of the entire fair in addition to the “Nighttime in the Palace” exhibition by Designer Lila Valadan (which I also loved). These types of exhibits really matter for fairs - they elevate the entire show and can have amazing reach beyond the fairgrounds to the digital world.

The appreciation and recognition by so many, including the various sellers participating at Domotex, affirmed the success of Mood Spaces as both a PR and marketing triumph.

I am so proud of Mood Spaces. I am also so proud of my team at Domotex; Anne-Kathrain Jain, Annette Levy and Ines Kirch along with the many others at Domotex who were responsible for making MOOD SPACES a success such as Kerstin Lohrfink and Marc Staude, Marco Teepe, Bernd Berger, Fabian Sanker, Atelier Verfürth, Niklas Skodock, Annika Murjahn and the Caparol Icons team and anyone else I’m missing here - thank you ALL.

In the coming days, I’ll provide further insights into Mood Spaces, detailing the colors and the six themes I developed for each area. Additionally, I’ll highlight the speakers and collaborators who contributed to this project. For now, this overview offers a glimpse into the essence of Mood Spaces and the creative process behind its realization at Domotex 2024 in Hannover this past January. I hope that you’ve enjoy it.

Love,

Holly

Photography: Marina Schell Photography (unless otherwise noted.)