Graduate Designer Sabine Hoffner

2023 Author : Hannah Pearcy | [email protected] . Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39

Master painter and graduate designer Sabine Hoffner from Caparol FarbDesignStudio talks to Malerblatt about the development and trends of new surface techniques.

Malerblatt: What inspires you when developing surfaces?

Sabine Hoffner: We encounter structures and textures always and everywhere. In nature, in architecture, but also in the digital and virtual world. Everything that is new or can be reinterpreted, has a certain aesthetic and is also haptically attractive is inspiring. It plays a subordinate role, whether it is the structure of a surface / shape printed in 3-D or a facade that has aged with dignity, the traces of use of which make up the charm of the surface. I get my very own source of inspiration for the development of new surfaces when traveling to foreign countries and cultures. Almost everywhere in the world, homes are designed individually by their residents. No matter whether it is a simple mud hut in Ethiopia or a Maharadascha palace in India. Exotic color and material combinations in connection with unusual processing techniques leave room for free interpretations.

Please explain the process to us? How do you go about developing special surfaces for customers?

There are two ways of doing this. There is the customer who has a precise idea of what a wall surface should look like. The aim here is to reproducibly reproduce this requirement with the right combination of tool, product and application process. The other variant is to generate a customized surface / structure as part of an overall concept for selected objects. The special challenge is to meet technical requirements and requirements in addition to an appealing and innovative surface appearance. We tackle these tasks in the creative workshop, which is attached to the Caparol color design studio. We have the ideal conditions here to develop experimental or specifically object-specific surfaces. An interdisciplinary team of technicians, designers, craftsmen and product developers meets at regular intervals to work together on problems or new strategies.

Im Moment sieht man häufig Besenstrich an der Fassade. Was sehen Sie als nächsten Oberflächentrend?

Are there recurring surfaces that were once in fashion and are now becoming “hip” again? Brush strokes and ridges are good examples of facade techniques that are not new, but originally served a different function. Techniques that were used to make concrete surfaces easier to grip. Today, these processes have become established and are used on wall surfaces for purely aesthetic reasons. Surfaces that show signs of use in some form are currently booming. The flaw is wanted and is deliberately incorporated into the wall surface. Aging processes of surfaces such as oxidation (cf. rust, copper), whether artificially induced or in the form of a natural patina, are desirable and are made visible. Not new, but material-style surfaces are still trendy. Wood-,Stone, bronze or classic concrete looks are implemented using painting techniques. Like color or fashion trends, wall surfaces are snapshots of a constantly changing zeitgeist. Continuous observation of current trends in different design disciplines is the basis for a continuous further or new development of surfaces in order to meet the requirements of the trend-oriented customer, including product-technical developments.in order to meet the requirements of the trend-oriented customer, including product developments.in order to meet the requirements of the trend-oriented customer, including product developments.

Has something ever worked out? Where do you come up against limits?

Any surface technology apart from standard processing is a challenge and does not always work right away. Especially when certain specifications or concerns on the part of technology show us limits, you have to rethink the process. Then the famous look outside the box helps. This activates your own creativity and can be very effective.

What distinguishes good surface technology?

It should be individual, aesthetic, functional, technically mature, reproducible and mechanically resilient, feel good and of course be ecologically harmless. These are complex requirements that we can meet with our Caparol products. Our standards are high, but we owe it to our customers. After all, good craftsmanship is booming.

Photos: Caparol Farben Lacke Bautenschutz

Source: Malerblatt 8/2017