From collectible design to intelligent ecosystems: Milan Design Week 2026 outlines trends for the next decade Cattelan Italia - photo Temenouzhka Zaharieva Milan Design Week is the most important moment of the year for the world of design – it is here that professionals and enthusiasts gather not only to discover new products, but also to exchange knowledge, to be informed and, ultimately, to do business. It turns every corner of the city into a stage for bold ideas, surprising installations and projects that shape the direction of interior design for the coming months. The event is so vast that even seven days are not enough to cover everything – from the main fair, the Salone del Mobile at Rho Fiera, to the Fuorisalone – the dozens of exhibitions and installations scattered throughout the city. Milan Design Week is not really “about furniture”. It is a fascinating cultural phenomenon that uses furniture as its medium and predicts how we will live, work and connect in the next de...
*A translation of my article in "More for the house"on-line magazine.
"The kitchen is the place in our home that best represents who we are and how our style and lifestyle have evolved over time," says renowned Italian designer Antonio Citterio. And not only that - during the past two years of restrictions we have realized that it is becoming more and more important to us. That's why it's useful to know what's new, what we can take advantage of. One of the most important sources of information on the subject is EUROCUCINA - the event dedicated to kitchen design at the Salone del Mobile fair in Milan.
The first full-fledged edition of the fair, which took place in June, included both events that usually alternate every year: Eurocucina and the International Bathroom Exhibition. The idea was to present the novelties and trends that have been formed during the time of predominantly digital representation.
With more than 80 participants on a total area of 16,000 m2, this year's edition of Eurocucina outlined one of the main trends in furnishing - the transformation of the kitchen into a multifunctional living space. On display were fluid, hybrid kitchens that break down barriers to merge with the living room and show how it opens up to the rest of the house.
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| my photo |
Islands are becoming increasingly popular, especially when attached to worktops or the dining table. Open shelving, integrated lighting and cabinets that hide appliances and fixtures help the kitchen blend into the living room to create hybrid spaces.
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| my photo |
The second emerging trend (which follows logically from the first) - kitchens have become invisible: pocket or folding doors can be opened when it's time to use the cooker, appliances or sink, and then closed again when the room is in use for break. Of course, hiding the appliances also means minimizing their intrusion into the space both visually and audibly. This year, several companies have introduced solutions to minimize the noise produced by hoods.
As a natural response to our growing desire to be outdoors and with friends, at Eurocucina we have seen many outdoor solutions: kitchens for the terrace, garden or patio.
Mini kitchens
Many solutions for smaller apartments were also shown - such as models that fit an entire kitchen in 2.5 sq.m. Dwellings are becoming smaller and smaller while performing more and more functions. And naturally, the key words in many of the new kitchen models are "compression", "reduction", "shrinking". Several proposals for mini kitchens are moving in this direction, which, although small, do not skimp on style or attention to detail.
These include kitchens with an island that take up only 2.5 square meters, as well as single-wall units no longer than 3 meters.
Multi-functional appliances create mini kitchens that do it all: washing, cooking, cooling and storage. An example is Fabita's Tutto, where the dishwasher also has a program for washing fruits and vegetables, and the induction hob can be hung until needed.
Tutto by Fabita
The soft lines of the furniture from the other areas of the home are increasingly entering the kitchens as well - the classic "hard" surfaces of the kitchen take on a softer and curved look as the design of the space incorporates its new role as a place of tranquility and a place to socialize. Curved lines invite you to run your hand along them, while sharp edges demand attention.
And the manufacturers of electrical appliances offer more and more options for a healthy way of cooking and storing products, some of which are approaching professional ones. Hoods are also becoming increasingly invisible. In the photo, Elica presents its new hood NikolaTesla Unplugged, built into the cooktop. It has a central glass cover that conceals the extraction area, activating it only when needed with a simple touch.
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| NikolaTesla Unplugged |
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