This month one of our interior designers, Federica, visited the 58th annual Fuorisalone and Salone del Mobile in Milan.
Federica is no stranger to Milan, having lived there for 2 years, and she makes a point of going every year for the future design trends of the year.
‘Milan is attractive and charming with a vibe that balances old-world romance and history with urban grit and cosmopolitanism. Plus, since the city is a fashion and design industry capital, you are constantly surrounded by creativity. When I am in Milan I feel incredibly inspired.’
Now with 11 zones across 205,000 sq.m of the city, and comprising of work by the most well known designers and brands in the world, Milan Design Week takes over the city, transforming it into one giant curated exhibition filled with unique sculptures and installations.
Some clear themes and highlights emerged across MDW2019, which especially complement our on-going work with international real estate organisation, Vastint.
The Must-See
‘It seems that this year was the year of collaborations. Kvadrat’s exhibition in collaboration with Raf Simons was a must-see on my list. Located at Garage Ventuno, the pair presented four new textiles in their exhibition, accompanied by amazing mid-century furniture by Jean Prouve and Le Corbusier and a colourful, scented, blooming meadow from which the collections take inspiration.’
The Workspace
Acknowledging the current diversity of workplaces and the importance of employee wellbeing in the office, Elle Décor Italia created an office environment that is flexible for collaboration or working alone.
The design’s main feature is organic shapes (seen in the desks and wall partitions) that offer a natural and fluid movement within the space. Thought has also been given to the greenery in the space to improve wellbeing, as the use of ‘Sanseviera’ plants prevents the effect of radiation whilst providing a rich colour palette.
‘These concepts are vital in our development of the Vastint Business Garden lobbies. We have created welcoming environments with natural materials and a range of relaxed zones that encourage visitors to use the lobbies as flexible co-working spaces.’
The Colour Trend of the Year
A bold but warm red, ‘Radicchio’ by Farrow & Ball, was used effectively in the punchy ‘Perfect Darkness’ apartment installation by H+O studio and tiling company ‘File Under Pop’
The Material Trend of the Year
turnerbates have been using 3D tiles by Kaza concrete tiles in our design of Vastint Business Garden lobbies to create dynamic feature walls.
They could be found across MDW, with Fornace Brioni taking it a step further with new tile shapes and textures.
The Italian Terrazo: ‘Formations’ installation by Tarkett
Terrazzo is still a must-have. French company Tarkett, specialising in wall and floor covering, created a super stylish alternative thanks to their new collection iQ Surface in collaboration with Note Design Studio.
