Inside Salone Internazionale del Mobile: A Showcase of Innovation and Inspiration

What an opportunity it was to attend this year’s Salone del Mobile in Milan, Italy! With over 1,950 exhibitors from 35 ountries, and more than 370,000 attendees, the Milan-based event celebrated some of the most design-forward, technologically advanced design products in the world.  Salone’s mission as an immersive laboratory of experimentation and cross-pollination, a place to meet, interface and provide new opportunities was certainly accomplished. I’m eager to bring this fresh creative energy to our Studio as well as to current and future projects. 

Throughout the fairgrounds and Milan’s districts, there were several recurring concepts revealed through thematic events and installations. Generally, the latest trends in design seemed to center around biophilia, and our inherent need to connect with nature. Toward that end, the ultimate goal of wellness remained an underlying theme.  This was evident in soft shapes, materials and textures, and an abundance of colors that naturally occur in nature.  It also included functional, technological and material innovation to promote sustainability.