FRANKFURT, Germany–January’s Heimtextil show put the spotlight on new colors and designs, along with eco-friendly materials and manufacturing, across all of the featured product categories, according to a statement from Messe Frankfurt, the show’s owner and manager.

Judging from the collections at the show, beige and brown will be the “comeback” colors for the upcoming season, Messe Frankfurt said. “There is scarcely a collection in 2011 that does not have designs in which these two shades are combined,” the company said. Violet remains a popular color, but was seen in “shadowy” versions such as pale lilac or grayish aubergine.

The designs featured at Heimtextil ranged from opulent baroque to minimalist faux-uni (a design that looks like a solid color but is in fact a combination of colors). “Nature continues to serve as the model,” Messe Frankfurt said. “Flowers, blossoms, twigs and tendrils can be found as decor in almost any collection, as a classic embroidery pattern in the traditional style, as a true-to-nature print motif, as an abstractly stylized blossom or as an all-over pattern across the entire fabric panel.”

Regarding sustainable products, Messe Frankfurt noted that the vendors exhibiting at the show are making efforts to manufacture products with an eye toward ecological and social standards. “An increasing number of manufacturers are taking heed of this interest in sustainability and are making efforts to design their product ranges along these lines, as well as their production methods, their efficiency in the use of energy and raw materials and ‘green’ logistics,” the company said.