Lighting the way with Salone del Mobile

See what some of our favourite new editions were at one of the world’s most iconic furniture fairs.

01 June 2023 - 13:45 By Leana Schoeman
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Nia shared seating.
Nia shared seating.
Image: Leonardo Talarico for Dieffebi

Every year, designers, makers and décor enthusiasts from all over the globe gather in Milan to witness the best of what the world of design has to offer at Salone del Mobile, one of the world’s most iconic furniture fairs.

This year’s event, held last month, was a truly inspiring experience as designers celebrated the latest editions and the revival and reinvention of the old. With awe-inspiring installations and cutting-edge designs, Salone del Mobile was a feast for the eyes. We were fortunate enough to experience it first hand, and here share some of our favourite new editions.

TAKE A SEAT

Adagio collection.
Adagio collection.
Image: Note for Wittmann

Our love affair with seating continues and it was an almost-impossible task to select just a few favourites from so many outstanding designs this year. The Adagio collection by Scandinavian design team Note shifted the boundary between work and play with its “less stress, more flow” approach, with serene motifs and quilted contours repeated over the entire shape of each piece.

LIGHTING THE WAY

The Bloom Lighting design at the Rossana Orlandi.
The Bloom Lighting design at the Rossana Orlandi.
Image: Umut Yamac at Rossana Orlandi
Light installation from Salone del Mobile.
Light installation from Salone del Mobile.
Image: Umut Yamac for Vibia

Salone del Mobile’s dedication to lighting design through Euroluce, its international lighting exhibition, is a testament to the importance of this field in the design industry. This year’s brand-new City of Lights concept offered an innovative approach in showcasing these products and allowing visitors to appreciate them in a curated and thoughtful way. It was great to see how this exhibition continues to push boundaries and evolve.

RETRO REVIVAL

Remnant armchair in Byborre textile within a Marc Morro display for Sancal.
Remnant armchair in Byborre textile within a Marc Morro display for Sancal.
Image: Marc Morro for Sancal

Designers continue to embrace the rich history of design by finding inspiration in previous decades to embody retro elements in a fresh way, or to relaunch and reinvent older collections as part of their heritage statement. This notion often brings about exciting new shapes, prints and colourways, as seen at Sancal’s 1970s revival in celebration of the brand’s 50th anniversary.

BIG ON JAPAN

December lounge chair and ottoman.
December lounge chair and ottoman.
Image: Jasper Morrison and Wataru Kumano for Nikari

The timeless aesthetic and superior craftmanship we often see in Japanese and Scandinavian furniture design remains a strong trend in our search for calm and serene interiors. This aesthetic was perfectly embodied in Finnish furniture-design studio Nikari’s new collection of pieces and innovative natural textiles, as well as in Japanese wood furniture manufacturer Karimoku’s calming contemporary spaces (one of our favourite stands at this year’s fair).

Graphic appeal

Doblecara kilim.
Doblecara kilim.
Image: Ronan Bouroullec for Nanimarquina
Callas wallpaper by Marni for Londonart.
Callas wallpaper by Marni for Londonart.
Image: Marni for Londonart

Clean and confident geometric lines combined with simple colourways can have a great impact in any space, no matter what the material or object. This was certainly the case with Doblecara, Ronan Bouroullec’s new collection of kilims for Nanimarquina that skilfully combines the ancient kilim technique with the modernity of Bouroullec’s design aesthetic. Another great new edition that celebrates the powerful subtlety of simple geometric lines is the South by Konstantin Grcic for Magis, a collection of furniture pieces in powder-coated steel rods that remains true to Grcic’s rigorous yet elegant design ethos.


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