Taiwan's Furniture Makers Show Ample Innovations at TIFS 2013

A shoebox uses ozone technology to eliminate stench in footwear

The Taiwan International Furniture Show for this year (TIFS 2013), held Feb. 22-25 at the Taipei World Trade Center, introduced several innovative products selected from the over 10,000 items displayed by more than 100 exhibitors. Some bore global brands introduced by local agents as porcelain flatware by Kahla, known for innovation, individualism and multifunctional design and natural materials; while other exhibits consisted of excellent products with local brands which have earned international recognition for admirable quality and innovation.

Ozone Technology Shoebox by Shuter
The “Ozone Technology Shoebox” introduced by Shuter Enterprise Co. shows combination of modern technology and storage aesthetics, using O3 oxidization to eliminate odors, supposedly removing stench and bacteria from footwear. This practical item took the Gold Award at the 20th Taiwan Excellence Awards organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and sponsored by the Bureau of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The ozone technology shoebox utilizes a globally unique design, combined with roughness and durability of metal with softness, flexibility of plastic to create a lightweight sheet metal cabinet with versatile and user-friendly design, said Shuter, which claims the storage item to be the largest, most complete of its kind.

With an integrated column-less external appearance, customizable wood and sofa cushion, and a flexible interior design, the shoebox has simplistic curves in the exterior door to create ripple effect on the cabinet, satisfying demand for richness and color to achieve personalized, attractive storage.

It is exported not only to Europe and the United States, but also to quality-conscious Japan, where some buyers use the shoebox as secure filing storage in offices.

This shoebox is multifunctional, being not only a shoebox but also adaptable to any storage needs as seen fit by users, said Yira Wu, the general manager.

Stretch Chair by Kuoching Group
The Stretch Chair by Kuoching Group is a winner at the Guangzhou International Design Week as well as acquiring the highest honor at the China Hongmian Awards, the Hongmian Extreme Award.

The designers have been tweaking the chair since its launch four years ago, enabling the product to be one of the maker's best-sellers, also one with excellent reputation underlined by approval of the vast majority of customers.

The original design concept of the Stretch Chair was inspired by ergonomics, with the main aim being to create an office chair to seat comfortably virtually anyone in offices. Pursuing such concept, the designers emulated principles often used in auto design: streamlined, clean, simple.

The chair's center of gravity spreads out from one area, then through two simple and elegant back supports formed in the shape of the human spine, much as that seen in some of the top-end sports car seats, hence the “Stretch Chair” name.

As with top-flight car seats, the Stretch Chair has full adjustability, with its headrest, lumbar support, seat cushion, floor mat, handrails and so on all freely adjustable according to user's requirements. In short, this is user-friendly ergonomics redefined in an office chair, whereby any office worker can experience total comfort even with extended chair-time without suffering the usual maladies as backache.

Wave Series Lounge Chair by Kuoching Group
The Wave Series Lounge Chair is Kuoching's other winning product at the TIFS 2013. The design is inspired by the writing of the Chinese character “water,” whose room-temperature characteristics has, as is known to water-bed advocates, since the dawn of time suggested softness, total support to allow people to attain maximum comfort and relaxation when enveloped within.

The Wave series leisure chair has support structure of sectionally-formed curved wood spines, which possess high structural strength but low-energy production demand, and are painted with PU eco paint to meet HJ/T414-2007 standards. The upholstery is of renewable fabric with U.S. environmental furniture certification, the highest mark of green design.

The upholstery is actually made of the same eco-friendly fabrics specified for U.S. Major League baseball gloves, without any of the main eight heavy metals or phthalates, also being highly resistant to weathering (to UV4-plus), antimicrobial, lightweight, thermally stable, non-absorbent, and non-allergenic.

SPEC SEATS by Comewell International
The SPEC SEATS by Comewell International Co. is regarded a top-end product from Taiwan, being the top-of-the-range seats marketed in the United States for more than 20 years. It's easy to fold and can handle 300 kg load. “The seating system goes beyond convention with ironclad 10-year frame warranty,” the company claims.

Inheriting international big-name manufacturer CLARIN's century-old craft in chair production, SPEC SEATS is created through 50 precision handcrafting processes, 52 registered patents worldwide. Special ergonomic and X-form frame patents guarantee a sofa-level seat. Meanwhile, the ULTRATHIN technology earns international patent, allowing 100 seats to be stacked across only about 72 sq.ft.

SPEC SEATS are practical in home and office, dining halls, conference rooms, and schools.

With workmanship and skills continually improved over the past decades, Comewell offers custom order services providing practical functionality and enhanced state-of-art techniques addressing unique needs of every client.

The company claims to provide quality and eco-sustainable pieces, with total devotion to achieving reliable work and comprehensive customer service.

Adult Lego by KHC
The Adult Lego by KHC Company is an innovative creation, with stack chairs as bookshelf wall—an ideal solution for bachelor suites. Designed for modern condos with minimal space, KHC's “Cube Wooden Ark” allows more flexible use of tight living spaces to make urban lifestyle more convenient, practical.

This multifunctional product is both chair and bookshelf, also bedside cabinet, coffee table, or suchlike furniture with storage capability. Without taking up individual space as single-function furniture, this multi-tasker transforms into a chair if needed at an impromptu weekend party.

The “Cube Wooden Ark” is based on the principle of slots, enabling convenient stacking as with wooden blocks. Users can, at anytime or place, freely move around and alter the combinations, or add functional accessories to suit an interior layout as door-mounted shoe cabinet, living room TV cabinet, bookcase for study, utility cabinet and super storage for kitchen, bed set or wardrobe for bedroom, hanger for dressing room.

This product maximizes the most valuable asset in urban living: usable space. What's more, the Cube Wooden Ark is of solid, high-value wood.