Salone del Mobile 2023 Recap

At the start of the year, I talked about how travel feeds my soul and inspires my design work. 

Between April and May of this year, I spent a month traveling throughout Europe - a little bit for work, a little bit for vacation and all of it for inspiration. You may be able to tell from my social media feeds and blogs - I’ve been a little absent. I tend to live in the moment during travel, which is not ideal when your industry and business relies on a healthy IG feed. But I do take lots of pics and make observations in my own way while I travel and I’ll be sharing those over the next few weeks. 

Our First Stop? Milan! For the Salone del Mobile 2023 show. 

Salone del Mobile, also known as the Milan Furniture Fair, is a renowned international trade fair and exhibition that annually presents the latest trends and innovations in furniture and interior design. With its origins dating back to 1961, when a group of Milan-based furniture manufacturers and designers established the "Salone Internazionale del Mobile," the fair aimed to promote Italian furniture and design on a global scale. The inaugural edition took place at Milan's Palazzo dell'Arte.

Throughout its history, Salone del Mobile has continuously evolved and embraced innovation. The fair has actively embraced sustainability and the integration of new technologies in design. It has played a pivotal role in promoting eco-friendly practices, showcasing sustainable materials, and exploring the exciting intersection of design and technology through dedicated exhibitions and installations.

Today, Salone del Mobile remains a preeminent event in the design industry, attracting thousands of exhibitors and visitors from around the world. It serves as a platform for setting trends, fostering collaborations, and inspiring the future of furniture and interior design. The fair's influence on the design landscape continues to solidify Milan's position as a global design capital.

For all of these reasons as well as family ties and a personal adoration for Italy, we were off to Milan! Here are a few of my key takeaways from the show. 

Inside Out

I noticed a real emphasis on blending indoors and outdoors. Maybe because it was such a cold winter at home in Minneapolis, but I was really drawn to the breadth of new designs in outdoor furniture, lighting and accessories as well as new materials with durability, sustainability, and textures. I noticed lots of fun accessories, and interesting lighting that accents great landscaping.  Plus, the expansion of so many green spaces in Milan was a joy to see and experience in Spring.

Lighting

Lighting is a great place to spot the early signs of an aesthetic design trend as well as technological and sustainable advances in design.

I noticed lots of tubular fixtures in a mix of colors and finishes. To me, this option is a great alternative to recessed lighting, adding more of a design flair with the benefit of focused task lighting. 

There was also lots of glass in organic shapes, sizes and textures finishes. Earthy and organic seems to be a trend across the design landscape at the moment. 

Finally, I noticed a resurgence of architecturally inspired lighting for both indoor and outdoor settings including some really great functional options like dome lamps that incorporated outdoor heating elements. 

High Fashion

Of particular interest was how many luxury fashion designers have now entered the home design category including Lowe, Loro Piano, and Louis Vuitton, just to name a few. I have an obsession with wallpaper, so I was thrilled to see one of my favorite Italian brands, La DoubleJ, get into the wallpaper category. Still dreaming up a good place to use one of these fantastic designs. 

Fresh Faces

One really compelling reason to go to shows like this is the opportunity to be introduced to new designers I might not see otherwise.  The products from Ritzwell, a Japanese furniture maker, were a delightful surprise to see. 

If you’ve been considering this show as a design destination, I absolutely recommend it. You’ll experience a higher level of design than some domestic shows, and even some of the Parisian shows. There’s always something or someone new that I’ve never seen before. Not to mention Milan is a city worth visiting with great architecture, food, art and it’s an excellent entry point to hit other strong design cities within Europe. 

Speaking of which . . . next stop? Paris!