Salone del Mobile, the annual Milan-based furniture design fair, recently celebrated their 60th anniversary and after attending we can report that it is still one of the best and most comprehensive design events on the planet.
With more than 200 exhibitors and the release of many exciting products, it was evident that global product manufacturing has returned to full capacity this year. Herewith is a line-up of some of the most exciting trends that caught our attention during this crazy and wonderful week.
1. COLOUR THERAPY
With the world filled with far too much doom and gloom there is a need for colour and playfulness which was evident in many of the new collections. Even though calmer interiors spaces are still strong, pops of accent colours and patterns create interest and have that surprise element that uplifts the room as well as the mood.
We can always rely on the Spaniards to bring some playfulness and optimism to the world of furniture design and Sancal’s Loop sofa is no exception. The Loop sofa is available in soft monocolour, ways with its designer edition offering four variations.
The soft rounded sculptural shapes give it a stylish retro feel that combines seamlessly with the colour-blocking aspect making it the perfect statement piece in any room.
See Sancal.com
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna continues to maintain their eclectic and unique design aesthetic and this year sees the release of more exciting additions. India Madavi’s Loop armchair in lacquered primary hues was another statement piece that had everyone talking and is sure to become a firm favourite in many interior spaces.
While working with various drawing tools, Italian designer Duccio Maria Gambi felt inspired by the graphic structure that oil pastels and ballpoint pens generated when combined. This inspired Tempore, his exquisite and unusual rug collection for CC-Tapis, that feels more like a work of art that an average rug. CC-Tapis’s creative collaborations continue to push boundaries and always manage to inspire and excite.
See CC-tapis.com
2. FURNITURE OR SCULPTURE
The welcome return of sculptural aesthetics in furniture and product design continues to be a powerful trend. There was also a strong presence of textural upholstery in muted tones that adds to this aesthetic, with textured materials such as carved wood detailing, natural stone and engineered stoneware to complete the look.
Our favourite newcomer from Croatia, Milla & Milli charmed us with their exquisite eco-luxury collection of furniture that derives their unique fluid shapes and materials from nature that in turn blurs the lines between art and furniture. The use of some of the finest Croatian solid wood textures, immaculately combined with Sahara Noir black marble certainly makes these coffee tables stand out from the crowd.
See Millamilli.com
Flexia, designed by Mario Cucinella, is a light fitting reminiscent of Japanese origami and offers far more superior technical and visual functions, with flexible wings that can be adjusted to control the quality of light and an acoustic panel section that absorbs soundwaves within its environment. When turned off the light becomes a suspended art installation, offering various optical perceptions.
See Artimide.com
Kettal’s new Plumón collection by Patricia Urquiola in collaboration with La Máquina by Noumena takes 3-D printing to a whole new level.
By applying a 3-D printing technique that is traditionally devoid of spirit and life sees the creation of shapes and textures to embody handcrafted and organic characteristics to stoneware that serves as the table legs for the Plumón side and coffee tables.
See Kettal.com
3. OUTSIDE IN
Nature continues to be the main source of inspiration and we noticed many beautiful new interpretations and representations of the natural world as many designers embrace the therapeutic benefits of nature and the profound impact it has on our mental and physical wellbeing.
Moroso’s recent collaboration with Swedish design duo Anna Lindgren and Sofia Lagerkvist of Front Design, elevated the modular seating aesthetic to a far more sensory experience by deriving their inspiration directly from nature. Pebble Rubble consists of a 15-module furniture system of seats and backrests using natural organic shapes similar to massive rocks that allows you to create your own configuration that is ultra-comfortable and welcoming.
See Moroso.it
Another perfect example of bringing nature inside is Cacti, a brand-new collection of soft furnishings by multidisciplinary architect Fadi Yachoui from Beirut-based L’Inconnu design studio which created quite a stir at this year’s return of Salone Satellite. Drawing inspiration from the unique visual and functional characteristics of cacti plants, the collection embodies an inviting and grounding organic aesthetic.
4. RETRO REVIVAL
Nostalgia has become an integral part of our collective consciousness as we continue to search for familiar comforts from the past and it’s only natural that we see the return and reinvention of '60s and '70s design in interiors as well as fashion, art and culture.
A great example of this is the Le Mura sofa designed by Mario Bellini in 1972 recently rediscovered by Tacchini with the reissuing of this iconic modular sofa 50 years later. The style elements that make this sofa system so unique and timeless is its large, scaled cube-like silhouette that was inspired by gigantic boulders used in the building of ancient Roman walls. The design not only demands respect and presence but is built to last without losing its stylistic integrity while serving as the ultimate statement piece no matter the colour, textile or, evidently, time period.
See Tacchini.it
Italian design doyenne Patricia Urquiola continues to lead the way with her boundless creativity and impact in the world of furniture and product design. Deriving inspiration from Cassina’s Sengu sofa, her new dining collection for Cassina skilfully combines materials and elements that reflect a sophisticated 1970s aesthetic with the release of the Dudet armchair and Sengu table.
See Cassina.com
5. MATERIAL INTEGRITY
Honest materials seem to be a buzzword as many designers continue to return to timeless, durable, quality materials that are often handcrafted, sustainably sourced and seen as an investment piece rather than a temporary trend-dictated product that will be chucked away sooner rather than later.
This conscious movement also ensures the longevity, support and respect for artisanal furniture craft that in turn might reduce mass production of poorly made products that only end up in landfills.
German brand e15’s entire collection of handcrafted pieces embodies the beauty of using raw and natural sustainably-sourced materials such as leather, marble and solid wood to craft each design.
Among our many favourites were the Ilma lounge chair by Finish designer Jonas Lytz that managed to reignite our love for Scandinavian design.
Serving as a modern interpretation of the classic sling chair with a solid wood frame crafted in European oak or walnut, combined with soft leather, makes this chair the perfect addition to any environment
See e15.com
With craftsmanship spanning more than a century, Zanat’s unique visual identity and essences reflect the primitive hand-carving technique that originated from a small village close to their hometown of Konjic, Bosnia. Their latest collection brings this craft to life with a selection of seats, cabinets and smaller décor items that reflect their passion for this age-old technique, showcasing new and surprising tactile applications throughout, created in collaboration with designers such as Monica Förster, Patrick Norguet, Sabastian Herkner, StudioIlse and Michele de Lucchi, to name a few.
See Zanat.org
6. COMPACT GETS SEXY
Over the past two decades the aesthetic aspects in the product design process has become integral and almost more important that the functionality in some cases. With this in mind we are excited to see that basic cooking appliances have been reinvented to be pretty enough to display in any room and have the functionality to do so.
Fabita’s latest collection of induction hobs introduces a whole new level of design and technology. With 10 years’ specialising in induction and vitroceramic hobs, they have the design world buzzing with their latest collection. One of our many favourites in the collection is the Tutto compact kitchen unit that contains all the necessary cooking and washing functions in one stylish piece.
Another brilliant invention by Adriano Design is their Ordine induction plates that consist of two round plates that operate independently and can be hung on the wall to free up workspace. This also allows for spacing cooking zones to allow for larger pots, freeing you from the restriction of the traditional hob.
See Fabita.it
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