I recently returned from an incredible trip with a group of seven other interior designers to the Milan Salone del Mobile Design Fair. For me personally, it has been a long time since I have visited Europe and being in that part of the world again was such a treat. We saw so many inspiring things and it has taken me a while to process it all. Here is my summary of the Trends from the Milan Design Fair.
I would say overall there was a theme of the home as a harmonious environment and a place of peace and well being. Coming out of Covid, this wasn’t surprising and this was highlighted in several common threads.
1. Curves
It is fair to say that curves were everywhere. Sofas, dining tables, coffee tables, shelving. There was hardly a straight line to be seen. Organic shapes help create a sense of movement and softness.
2. Warm Colours
There was a predominance of earthy colour such as orange, terracotta and rust. Not my personal favourites to be honest but I did love the warmer grey/green of this curved wall which complements this colour well.
3. Texture
In contrast to the earthy colours above, I saw a lot of beige being used as the neutral. A smaller textured boucle was seen on a lot of furnishings, often with a detailed piping.
4. Mixed Materials
Combinations of materials featured on a lot of the furniture. Mixing of natural products such as marble with stone.
Or metal with leather.
Marble with timber.
5. The Enhanced User Experience
The brand Gessi have taken the idea of creating a sense of luxury and well being in the bathroom to another level. Their newly launched Haute Couture products feature a beautiful bamboo range of taps and accessories.
Equally as beautiful is their Perle range with a Murano glass or marble round tap which resembles a jewel. Again both ranges highlight the mixing of materials, bamboo, glass and metal.
Their new Billi range of taps was very exciting. The one tap features hot, cold, and carbonated water. It had an interactive face with the ability to program the spout to dispense a particular amount of water. All available in a range of finishes and interactive with an Alexa command.
6. Lighting
The focus of this year’s Salone del Mobile was lighting. In general, the lighting on display was very soft and layered. Wall lights and single pendants were common, with the ability to create an ambience. The theme of mixed materials was evident too. Here are some of my favourites.
Woven wall lights and pendants.
This beautiful pendant is by Lladro featuring handmade suspended porcelain butterflies.
I loved this Lladro lamp too.
Although this summarises the Trends from the Milan Design Fair, for me the warmth of the Italian people and the beautiful quality of their products was the real stand out. I’m already saving up for next year!
Belinda XO