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Last week was a whirlwind for design lovers. Hundreds of thousands of industry aficionados (including yours truly) flocked to Milan for Salone del Mobile and admired an array of fashion-forward launches sure to shape interior trends in the months and years to come. From interchangeable, Lego-inspired stools to side tables that double as bongo drums, here are some of the most memorable releases I saw at the main fair (Fiera Milano in Rho) and beyond.
There was a line around the block when I arrived at Artemest’s L’Appartamento, and it’s no surprise why. Staged inside the historic Palazzo Donizetti residence, the lavish installation featured six A-list designer–crafted spaces dressed in the brand’s highly collectible, Italian-made furnishings, including a Brigette Romanek–curated dining room with astrological tablewares from Laboratorio Paravicini and Simone Haag’s heartstopping foyer scheme, which came complete with one of Bottega Veneziana’s blossoming Murano glass chandeliers and a celestial Wanderart table in lost-wax cast bronze and aluminum.
The “Inspired Nuances” installation in Brera was filled with of-the-moment treasures from French furniture brand Mercœur and Parisian designer Franck Genser. Enveloped in a custom-colored palette by Tonester Paints, the craft-driven exhibit presented a medley of the former’s heirloom-worthy offerings, such as Grégoire de Lafforest’s stained glass Iraty coffee table, alongside an array of the latter’s playful works, including a parchment leather–topped side table that you can play like a bongo drum.
Marrimor’s rippling Drape sofa took center stage in the Baroque-style staircase landing of the historic Palazzo Litta. Upholstered in Momentum Textiles’ buttery soft Soho fabric, the wavy-edged loveseat was designed to evoke the playful feeling of jumping in puddles.
Giobagnara’s Brera showroom was equal parts design studio and art gallery. The Nick Vinson–curated space showcased a hand-picked selection of the brand’s signature leather pieces—such as a royal blue Novare cabinet and a cherry red Ossicle round table—alongside original, museum-worthy artworks from founder Giorgio Bagnara’s personal collection.
At Alcova, Mexico City–based Sten Studio unveiled an otherworldly exhibit of organic stone furnishings called “Cosmic Resonance.” The launch boasts seven side tables and 12 totems constructed from raw materials, such as the Cosmic Traces VI table made of pink onyx, blue calcite and travertine, and the marble- and lava stone–clad Cosmic Relics VII totem.
Every room inside the Rossana Orlandi gallery was a visual feast. Though I came (and set aside a full hour) for Draga & Aurel’s highlighter-hued glass furnishings and Lucas Recchia’s cast bronze creations, Aline Asmar d’Amman’s petal-shaped Georgia sofa and chairs—and coordinating pastries—made me late to my next appointment.
Studio Ko debuted its Intersection collaboration with Beni Rugs in a former textile shop in the 5Vie design district. The series reimagines an assortment of everyday objects as 10 pure wool floorcovering patterns, including a grid-patterned design modeled after scattered documents on a desk and a stippled style based on a perforated sheet of paper.
Kvadrat debuted Diade, an eco-conscious textile made entirely of ocean-bound plastic waste by Canadian artist Kapwani Kiwanga. Presented in a polychromatic showroom installation with colored windows and cut-out screens composed of the fabric, the debut is available in 16 colorways, including pale pink, steel blue and burnt orange.
Tréca Paris delighted guests at the fair with a sumptuous assortment of designer-friendly bedding designs. In addition to a tailor-made Versailles bed swathed in a tweed textile by Lesage Intérieurs for Chanel, head-turners included the button-tufted Carat Brut headboard wrapped in deep burnt orange velvet by India Mahdavi for Pierre Frey, and the soon-to-be-released Olympia bench upholstered in bespoke Rouge Absolu fabric.
At the fair, Parisian design firm Pierre-Yves Rochon’s “Villa Héritage” installation was a sight to behold. The sweeping display spanned eight rooms showcasing a breathtaking mix of modern and antique furnishings, including a bright red drawing room adorned in Luigi Bevilacqua fabrics from the late 18th century, and a bathroom outfitted in bespoke mirrors by contemporary Italian furniture atelier Arte Veneziana.
Tuuci’s booth at the fair was brimming with outdoor-ready eye candy. Along with the quilted, director’s chair–driven Canyon Crue collection, introductions included the porcelain-inlaid Meritage dining table; the Ocean Master Max Bolero Ombré Blossom parasol, covered in hand-tufted flowers; and the Lulu day lounge, a tassel-clad beauty with an adjustable backrest and built-in ambient lighting.
Davide Groppi’s display at Euroluce was a study in form and function. In addition to the discreet, opaline glass Calma sconce, the serene showcase featured the toy speedway–inspired Race of Lights wall lamp, and Tao, a minimalist sphere suspended from an ultrathin power cable.
Poltrona Frau was one of the buzziest stops on my Milan itinerary, thanks in part to a duo of iconic collaborations. The first offers the Isidoro drinks cabinet and 1919 armchair, both clad in Fornasetti’s archival butterfly-filled Ultime Notizie pattern; while the second, the limited-edition Dezza 60th Anniversary armchair by Gio Ponti, presents the legendary piece upholstered in leather with a surrealistic print based on one of the late, great architect’s never-before-seen drawings.
Ingo Maurer’s booth at Euroluce was a wonderland of whimsical light fixtures. Noteworthy newcomers from the Munich-based brand included Strange Little Thing, which resembles an exposed circuit board; the undulating Nalum; the rhythmic Bruce Bringsteel; and Jasna Kuchnia, a wall-mounted design composed of five backlit porcelain dinner plates.
California-based design studio Mooomo made a splash at SaloneSatellite with its ultrainteractive line of adaptable stools. An ode to Legos, each piece is topped with a handcrafted upholstered cushion—with offerings ranging from solid-colored donut-shape styles to ones covered in shaggy green yarns that mimic moss—which can instantly be swapped out for another as the user’s tastes and needs evolve.
The Morpho debut at Salone was a love letter to art nouveau design. Set inside an enchanted forest–themed installation, the brand’s inaugural collection—designed by Great Library Design Studio and produced by Ethnicraft—features six mesmerizing nature-fueled furnishings, ranging from the outdoor-safe, twig-esque Zen adjustable lounger to Volita, a sculptural dining chair with a metal dragonfly-wing accent.
