The largest international furniture fair, Salone del Mobile.Milano, was held 56th time in a row, thus becoming a benchmark and a perfect example how one country’s culture and industry work impeccably, side by side…
Like in the previous years, we’ve had the privilege to visit Salone del Mobile.Milano and be a part of the exciting wave of enthusiasm which took over the city from 4th till 9th of April. During the fair, Milan turns into a bee hive, or rather an epicenter of innovation and latest trends in design, architecture, lighting and home accessories spheres. If you didn’t have the chance to visit it yet, we suggest you mark your calendars for next year, because this is a must-see event!
During the six days the fair lasted, 343.602 visitors from all over the world had seen the exhibitors from 165 countries and got insight regarding the latest trends in architecture and design. This year, Euroluce and Workplace3.0 exhibitions drew much attention, which show us the latest lighting and work place trends, while there was a noticeable increase in visitors by about 10% compared to the previous edition, which took place in 2015.
Like Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, said during the opening of the fair: “This is not just mere exhibiting of objects, it is a business culture which symbolizes joint work and in particular, approach to modern production”.
It is really hard to describe with words the feeling you have when you step into the Rho Fiera Milano. With over 2000 exhibitors, local and international, we were torn by one thought: “What to see first?”. Our curiosity guided us from one hall to another, so we did manage to see all the setups.
56th edition had shown more than any other before a strong synergy of Milano and fair organizers and important institutions.
This year, 20th anniversary of SaloneSatellite was marked, and this event gathered around 10.000 artists younger than 35 in the last 19 years. They have shown their prototypes during this event, and many of those made it to production. As such, SaloneSatelite was definitely worth of our attention and we enjoyed seeing works of over 650 designers as well as 16 design schools which participated.
During the SaloneSatellite, awards for the best design are given, and in that way, young artists have an ideal chance to begin their professional work in this sector. This year, the award ceremony was held for the eight time, and Comma Stool, created by PISTACCHI DESIGN from Taiwan took home the first place. It was modeled like an art sculpture.
Second award went to X Bench, a design created by EDMOND WONG studio from China, which also has a dual function – one moment it is a love seat, while in the other, it is a workout bench. Third place went into hands of Tatjana Repina, designer from Russia, for the design of Ëo, innovative sound panels.
Salone Internazionale del Complemento d’Arredo is an area dedicated exclusively to home accessories. 200 exhibitors in a space larger than 10.000 square meters have presented their living concepts. Those who are in the search of a perfect finishing touch for their space feel like they’re in heaven here. Never before have accessories had a role that important, whether we’re talking about fashion or interior design. Like perfectly fitting shoes, scarf or an attractive bracelet which defines someone’s style, perfect carpet, lamp or throw pillows bring in a new dynamic in an interior space.
While trying to explain the true meaning of light, leading people of Salone del Mobile said: “Light, when it comes to its significance, can be seen as a fourth dimension of architecture. It is one of the most powerful tools which architects and interior designers have at their disposal. Lighting influences wellbeing and quality of life. “
Euroluce, with over 450 exhibitors in a giant space of 38.000 square meters had shown us the latest technology solutions when it comes to lighting systems and automatized systems. When we say lighting, we think about all the different kinds of lights – from home to exterior, industrial, communal…
Workplace 3.0 is an innovative part of this manifestation, dedicated to design and technology of the workplace. In a space od 10.000 square meters, over 110 exhibitors have shown their vision of design, in form of humane working environments.
Atelier Swarovski Home, Studio Formafantasma, Caesarstone, Nude, Herman Miller and Moroso offered us some of the liveliest and attractive designs of furniture, lamps, textile and other designer pieces. Colors were running all over the place, and one of the most popular is Rose Quartz, which was dominating on the pieces which were exhibited.
Brands like Moroso, Muuto and Normann Copenhagen couldn’t resist the coloristic trend. Note Design Studio also chose millennial pink to be the color of the central star of their exhibition, attractive sofa by Sancal.
It seems that this year’s design trend is all about vibrant and bold colors, which goes hand in hand with 80’s inspired pieces which are dominating the market right now.
When we’re talking about colors, we have also noticed a lot of burgundy red, purple and turquoise, along with a whole pallet of green which is color of the year according to Pantone. Celery and avocado green could also be seen on the fair.
Legendary furniture company Cassina celebrated their 90th anniversary during the fair, with a unique coloristic retrospective, while their concept shop in Como street showed us Pierre Cardin 1970 collection.
Renewed Louis Vuitton brand presented their latest Objets Nomades collection with 10 objects which are inspired by travel and made in collaboration with numerous designers. We got the chance to admire Bomboca sofa by Campana Brothers in the shape of a cloud and Marcel Wander screens as well.
Innovation presented at Salone del Mobile goes further than expected. We were thrilled with works of C.L.Lamb designer from Hong Kong who presented Green Table collection made of biodegradable waste like lobster shells or tea residue!
Mars by Tonino Lamborghini tempted us to try out the furniture made from the finest leather in fantastic color combinations, while Formitalia presented their new collection Glamour, meant for the most exclusive interiors.
In hall 3, in xLux segment of the fair, renewed Italian brand Roberto Cavalli Home Interiors created a scene which left all visitor speechless, including us. A real natural jungle, which tall palm trees, greeted all the visitors upon entering the exhibition space, drawing you in the Cavalli universe marked with jungle motifs. Furniture in colors of gray, black onyx, green and dark bronze lured us all in.
Precious materials like silk, leather and different python, jaguar and giraffe patterns helped create a unique, lively, unconventional and exclusive mix, which is so characteristic for Cavalli identity.
We hope that we managed to transfer a tiny bit of the fair atmosphere to you, even though a visit to Milano and Salone del Mobile is an adventure hard to describe. A kaleidoscope of colors which marked this edition is still in front of our eyes.
We’re eagerly awaiting the next edition of Salone del Mobile.Milano, which is planned together with Bathroom, Kitchen and FTK (Technology for Kitchen) biennale exhibitions for 17-22 of April next year, but until then, you can enjoy the photos, which will tickle your curiosity a least a little bit…
