Milan is not only THE place to be for fashionistas; interior design professionals also get their money’s worth here. Once a year, the Salone del Mobile, coinciding with the Fuori Salone, presents a large gathering to celebrate the latest design ideas.
This year, the major Italian event initially had to be postponed from April to June. But on June 7, the time had finally come: For 5 days, a total of 2,175 exhibitors presented in different showrooms and booths, which developments in interior design are waiting for the dealers of tomorrow. And there were quite a few. It was good that there were a few days to take a closer look at all the trends of the near future. And one thing can be said in advance: The motto was: sustainability.
Nine major themes distinguished the Salone del Mobile
It was already the 60th anniversary of the Salone del Mobile in Milan, and with it the numerous exhibitors once again showed all sorts of chic, special and exclusive things for the coming season of furnishing. And because the event is so well attended, there was not one fixed hall, but hundreds of smaller events all over the city. So it was difficult to choose which retailer to go to. Basically, several trends could be identified at once:
- Back to Essence
- 3 D Textures
- Roundness
- Graphics
- Colored Neutrality
- L.A. Glam
- Future Fluid
- Electric Bold
- Re-Made
Back to the roots at the Salone des Mobile
To explain all trends in detail would unfortunately go beyond the space available, so a brief overview of the contents of the 9 topics in total will have to suffice here. Ecological and sustainable design should function in the future, it must, in order to protect the environment. Visitors to the “Design with Nature” salon were able to see what this means and what makes up our ecosystem on an area of no less than 1,400 square meters. Following on from this, “Back to Essence” really went back to basics. Design as simple and functional as it gets made from natural, renewable raw materials. It’s authentic, practical and beautiful all at once. Curved woods perfectly balanced designer John Pawson’s chair. Only oiled wood was used here and nothing else. Minimalism at its best was also presented by Davide Groppi, but in the form of special lamps for kitchens and bathrooms, designed to give the room more lightness overall.
Here comes color into play
And because color and a dash of extravagance are essential, there was plenty to discover in this respect. Silent green, smoky rosé and light mauve had a lively rendezvous. In addition to furniture, textiles such as carpets and cushions in particular were wrapped in these soft tones like a cuddly blanket in the cold winter. In addition, Philippe Starck combined shimmering surfaces in his chair designs for Dior, which looked as if they were made of the finest silk. At the Aachen office of Molteni, on the other hand, it was very natural in cocoa brown and light green. This results in the perfect color combination for every taste.
New textures and shapes give pleasure
Grained woods, as seen in the L. A. Glam trend, make just as lively a rendezvous as special haptics that are simply a joy to feel and experience with all the senses the furniture and textiles of tomorrow. A good example is the “Bambola” armchair from B&B Italia, which is finally available again with elegant velvet covers after more than 50 years. The special feature, however, is not the reissue alone, but the special 3D texture in the print, which simply draws the eye without fail. Those who prefer something less conspicuous but still special will perhaps find what they are looking for in the organic shapes. Here, the round doesn’t have to go into the square, it can stand alone and work in the form of side tables, chairs and cushions. Bohinc Studio makes this look almost futuristic.
Image copyright: man64
