More popular than ever this year, the 62nd edition of Salone del Mobile, which took place last April in Milan, attracted more than 1,950 exhibitors from 35 countries as well as more than 370,000 attendees (that’s 100,000 more than in 2022).
This year the event was a feast of research, experimentation and innovation, brought together in exquisite, surprising and always inspiring forms. When it comes to culinary spaces, the vibe was especially enthralling – a delicious fusion of form and function derived from the lifestyle enhancing powers of technology and the experiential influences of exquisite materials.
At Nicholas Anthony, we have written before about the importance of both, from smart ecosystems in the home to the grounding beauty of natural woods, metals and stone – it seems we’re ahead of the curve. Here we review some of the hottest interior design trends from Salone del Mobile 2024, filtered through the lens of our expert team.
Unapologetically ornamental
We’ve had minimalism and we’ve had maximalism but have we really embraced ornamentalism in everyday use? Exhibitors at this year’s exhibition debated the idea of celebrating ornamental beauty in everyday spaces. For example, Laura Casañas Maya’s much-discussed weavings are rooted in symbolism and inspired by drapery, fringes and cords.
The granddaughter of a ceramicist and born in Colombia, Casañas Maya’s weavings bring materials together through knots and shapes without practical use. There is an irony in using nautical knots – a highly functional feature – in a decorative context. She also uses unusual materials – repurposing and reinventing steel, natural lanyard coatings, adhesive films and more – again using function is a context that’s all about form.
We love the idea of beauty for beauty’s sake and of interest for interest’s sake, and embrace the idea of ornamentalism used unexpectedly in design. For example, the kitchen is not typically associated with art or ornaments, but in one of our own recent projects both were our inspiration. We brought Gatsby glamour to a home on The Crown Estate, rooted in the family’s collection of objets d’art and making original 1930s vases, sculptures and paintings standout features.
Make mine marble
Materials are so fundamental to the look, feel and experience of a space, and this year marble is having a renaissance. The beautiful stone has never gone out of fashion but nor has it always been celebrated for the classicism and ostentatious elegance that it brings.
Imbued with ancestral charm as well as the knowledge that it’s been forged over millennia by the earth itself, it’s at once rich and minimalist, warm and cool, simple and extravagant. Featured in multiple installations in Milan, alongside other rich natural materials like wood and leather, we saw marble being celebrated in all its glory from countertops to seating consoles to coffee tables.
Sustainable style
Sustainability is arguably the hottest topic of them all, on everybody’s lips from world leaders to private homeowners. The debate as to how to be truly sustainable remains still very much in question as new ideas come to the market on a regular basis.
Salone del Mobile was a hub of excitement on that score, with something of a competition to create the most circular installation possible. From open and organic footprints to reuse and repurpose of heritage kitchens, it was a hive of ideas and opportunities as people sought to harness the discipline of design for the betterment of ourselves and the planet.
Recycled, recyclable, natural, low-impact and circular materials from FSC-certified timber to bio-based fabrics made their way to the fore and they did it in style. Sound-absorbing partitions from Italian brand Slalom, Saviola’s Ecological Panel® made from recycled wood, and the PAF PAF chair designed by Maria Cristina Irvine for Mattiazzi, made from feathers from discarded cushions – these were just a few of the ideas on show.
Proving that art and ethics can go together, a notable feature was the Catifa Carta – a re-edition of the famous Catifa 53 chair. The original concept featured a backrest-seat shell crafted entirely by bonding 29 sheets of paper with a natural resin binder, using fire in the process.
Technology ecosystems
We have written before about how technology is transforming the home experience. It’s a permanent fixture in all our lives from rest and relaxation to work and play. In the home we see technology as being its most powerful when it makes our lives easier, more enjoyable, more seamless, and crucially giving us back more of the one commodity we can’t buy – time.
In Milan we saw this illustrated on multiple occasions. Meanwhile, many of the suppliers we work with are leading the way in how they use technology for optimised lifestyle and experience. For example, Gaggenau, VZUG and Occhio, for example. Gaggenau has just unveiled their new generation of cooling appliances with five climate zones and extendable drawers that control humidity, all to keep different foods fresh longer. V‑ZUG has launched its new CombiCooler, showcasing Swiss innovation at its finest. SieMatic is always ahead of the curve, not least with the news of their SieMatic S2 generation combining wow factor with their iconic design, new materials and surfaces, precise finishes and innovative functions such as SieMatic SecretSpace and SecretService. We also can’t talk about innovation without mentioning Occhio – the leaders in lighting, famous for producing a CRI (Colour Rendering Index) certification of 97% – simulating sunlight to an almost perfect degree in a world where no one has yet produced a 100% certification.
The overall result is not merely one of novelty and aesthetic appeal – although they offer both in abundance – but this use of technology and innovation also facilitates healthier, more enjoyable, less stressful lifestyles as well.
Looking to the future of design
Alongside these outstanding trends in Milan, we were privileged to see micro trends that we can draw artistic inspiration from.
For example, colour immersion from bold lacquered red spaces (gloss lacquer finishes are having a revival) through to the total escapism of muted natural hues, both applied with liberal abandon, stand out as a departure from the past leaning towards small pops of colour. There’s a boldness emerging – perhaps an indication of a world matriculating from challenging periods and facing the future with bravery, kindness and mindful intent.
Whatever lies ahead, if Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024 is anything to go by, it has the capacity to be exquisite.