The annual exhibition in Milan is eagerly awaited by everyone – design professionals, journalists who follow the latest trends in furniture and interior design in general, and many people who are simply looking for inspiration for their own home. And the recently completed 61st edition of Salone del Mobile has successfully completed this task. We saw a lot of interesting new products, real solutions for a greener lifestyle and production, as well as the magic of Euroluce – the biannual lighting exhibition within the fair.
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| photo @Temenouzhka Zaharieva |
Sustainability and the circular economy were once again the main themes for the Salone del Mobile Milano, the annual furniture exhibition, as well as the Fuorisalone, the many galleries, installations and events throughout the city. According to the festival's press release, there were 307,418 registered participants, 550 young designers from 31 countries and 28 design schools and universities from 18 countries. There was a 15% increase in attendance compared to 2022, with 65% of buyers and "sector operators" coming from abroad, notes Maria Porro, president of Salone Del Mobile Milano.
A large part of the new products shown at the fair was outdoor furniture, or rather furniture that works equally well for us indoors and outdoors. This is not a new trend, but it has gained even more importance after the pandemic – as many manufacturers have commented, customers are prioritizing the outdoor space, whether it is a terrace of a small apartment, a full-fledged garden or a backyard. In response to this demand, several luxury brands made their first entry into the category this year. Molteni&C presented its first collection built to withstand the elements, with highlights including a cement table by Foster + Partners, an iron and lava stone table by Ron Gilad and Gio Ponti's iconic D.154.2 armchair repurposed for the outdoors. At Armani/Casa, visitors also saw the company's first outdoor collection, which included the Terence sofa, the Timothy lounger, dining and side tables and Thelma, a folding armchair.
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| Molteni&C - armchair D.154.2 design by Gio Ponti, created in 1954 for Villa Planchart, in Caracas, transformed into an outdoor version, complete with hard polyurethane shell and water-repellent cushions for the Molteni&C outdoors collection. |
But from the point of view of the main theme of the exhibition, the Knotty benches of the Dutch company The New Raw are a more interesting product, because it combines both mentioned trends - inspired by knitting techniques: the project treats plastic waste as a continuous thread of material. which folds, twists and interweaves to create an intriguing tactile textile-like surface. "Knitted patterns" allow water to drain away and can be used equally well both indoors and outdoors.
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| Knotty by the New Raw. Image © Mathijs Labadie |
The theme of knitwear is clearly trendy because many of the new pieces of furniture shown at the fair used this element – such as Nika Zupanc's Knitty Armchair for Mooi:
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| source: Mooi |
One of the names that was relatively common during Milan Design Week was that of Italian designer Luca Nichetto, who presented many new products for companies ranging from Gebrüder Thonet Vienna and Lladró to Steinway & Sons. Paying homage to Gio Ponti, the godfather of Milanese architecture and design, Nichetto developed the Ginori 1735 Domus collection in collaboration with the Italian brands Barovier&Toso (glass) and Rubelli (textile).
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| Luca Nichetto's LaVenus Armchair for Ginori 1735 |
It is impossible to cover all the variety and wealth of inspiring new products, but here are a few more that impress with their design. For me, one of the most interesting is the new armchair of the famous company that we all know for many years with the widely used bentwood chairs. This year, they showed an armchair that looks like a fairy throne - the Mickey armchair design by India Mahdavi for Gebrüder Thonet:
The sofa by Egoitaliano – NEFELE –
which looks like a cloud.
There was also a lot of glass in various shapes, colors and applications:
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| Glas ITALIA, photo @Temenouzhka Zaharieva |
and
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Coffee table CC of multi-colored cast glass tiles design by Patrizia Urquiola for Glas ITALIA
The composition of a table made of colored bent glass Blur and a mirror by Naturedesign is one of my favorites:
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| @Temenouzhka Zaharieva |
We could see many interesting ideas in the special part of the exhibition in which young talents are presented - SaloneSatellite. Japanese design studio Honoka's Tatami Refab project won first prize with the idea of using leftover tatami mats - often thrown away in Japan - and mixing them with biodegradable resin. Then using a large 3D printer to make a hanging lamp and a table.
Of course, the Euroluce lighting exhibition was also very inspiring, as well as the huge amount of projects and installations outside Rho Fiera, but they require a special presentation.
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* This is a translation of my article that was publish at Oshte za kashtata magazine
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