May 17, 2017

Milan Design Week 2017

Milan Design Week 2017

French style, retro vibes, warm colours and curvaceous lines were all prominent at one of the year’s most prominent events in the design calendar, Milan Design Week.

Elegance, soft materials, innovation and flexibility were prevalent across galleries and studios across the city of Milan. A distinct focus on materials dominated by stone, coloured onyx and velvets alongside compact furniture designs were common themes that expelled a nod to nostalgia.

A desire to also reconnect with nature was reflected with concepts of flexible living. This year the 56th Salone de Mobile exhibition closed with a staggering footfall of 343,602 attendees and we visited the capital to see hottest interior design trends in 2017.

Millennial Pink

Millennial pink, the tone that’s described to sit in between beige and blush, was having its day across furniture designs. Marc Ange, a Paris based designer created this pink bed. His Le Refuge installation was the most instagrammed image during the festival.

Objets Nomades by Louis Vuitton

Reinventing the Louis Vuitton’s Art of Travel, this new collection of travel inspired pieces was curated by creative international designers that include: Atelier Oï, Maartrten Baas, Barber and Osgerby, the Campana Brothers, Damian Langlois-Meurinne, Raw Edges, Patricia Urquiolo, Marcel Wanders, Tokujin Yoshioka, Gwenaël Nicolas and India Mahdavi. The 25 collectable limited editions engage with Louis Vuitton’s special historical pieces.

Hermes

Hermes decorated iconic building facades with its stunning wallpapers across the Brera district. In the atmospheric pavilion, La Pelota, the French House put on a stunning display of ten new pieces, Lien d’Hermes. Brick bridal leather combined with materials such as lacquer and wicker were shown across a beautiful collection of furniture and accessories.

Boffi_Code Kitchen by Zaha Hadid

In the heart of Milan’s design district, Zaha Hadid’s kitchen for Boffi was a show-stopping piece in the Boffi showroom. Her initial design evolved from her studio’s collaboration with Piero Lissoni. The kitchen island displayed the signature lines of her work in architecture using geometry, functionality and carefully chosen materials. The sculptural shape emulates the trend we are seeing for softer, curvaceous lines.

Flexible Lighting

Lighting designs have responded to our growing needs for flexible living. The extraordinary 1000 sq. ft Flos stand at Euroluce was an immersive journey featuring stunning new pieces by designers Philippe Starck, Michael Anastassiades, Konstantin Gecic, Barger & Osgerby, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Vincent Van Duysen, Piero Lissoni and new entries Nendo and Formafantasma.

Botanical Trend

The trend for health and wellbeing and a desire to reconnect with nature, living responsibly and as a dichotomy to our plugged in lifestyles, living plants and botanical layers were present throughout installations, exhibitions and product designs.

Samantha Finley