After finishing an apprenticeship as cabinetmaker and graduating in architecture, Michael Hilgers set up his Berlin based agency for interior and product design, “!idee“ in 2001. Beside interior design projects for international lifestyle labels (La Perla, Mandarina Duck) Hilgers is specialized in discovering product niches to implement innovative design solutions. Thus, his own label www.rephorm.de, focused on balcony products, has developed some often copied urban gardening archetypes. Michael’s desk Flatmate has been awarded with “Best of Best / Interior Innovation Award” and has been nominated for the “Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland’ in 2012. He is currently working on a project called www.noroom.de, a label that offers space saving furniture solutions for working, cooking & living.i.