After day one in Milan for Salone del Mobile Milano, a few trends have already made themselves known. Read on to learn about six themes that are popular on the show floor.
1. Lighting is Stealing the Show
Despite the fact that lighting isn’t featured this year (it is exhibited every other year, switching between kitchen and bath), it’s a major category at the show. Dissatisfied with lighting as a “hidden” element only there to highlight other products, fixtures are either oversized, dramatized with additional elements, or intrinsically fun.
2. Scale is Extreme
Scale has definitely increased, whether obvious with chunky weave or displayed as an oversized bunny. Salone exhibitors have had fun blending scale in a way that gives everything a moment in the limelight as the gaze stops on each product.
3. Post Modernism is Back
Throughout the show, post modernism's return is evident. The products showcased may be there to get the job done, but the ways in which they’re displayed and matched with ancillary products and artwork lets viewers know it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Few images can illustrate the re-emergence of post modernism like a reproduction of Andy Warhol’s Campbell Soup display
4. Nature is Coming Indoors
Nature is a theme in several different ways: through the emphasis on sustainability and recycling, the use of greenery, and integrating natural materials.
5. Mixed Metals Go Beyond Tri-Chrome
The trend of mixing metals has been on designers’ radar for some time, but Salone is taking this must-do aesthetic to the extreme with metallic hues beyond rose gold and silver.
6. Pastels Mixed with Jewel Tones
Mustard married to forest green, sky blue with crimson. We’re seeing a dramatic use of dualities through color tones.
Welcome from the President of Salone del Mobile