Highlights of Salone del Mobile.Milano 2023 Furniture Expo

This year, wood emerged as a prime material for furniture brands again. The trend was to keep wood as natural as possible, with finishes that highlighted its grain. The lines of the furniture were minimal, often featuring delicate curves crafted by skilled artisans. For instance, Janus et Cie combined FSC-certified polished wooden tables and coffee tables with Carrara marble and plush cushions in its "Ares" dining and sitting room collection. Ritzwell showcased at the furniture expo a new extra-large version of its T table, which can seat up to 12 people and features an extraordinary plank of solid wood. MORE's "Avar" table features an imposing solid wood top supported by A-shaped marble trestles, while Toan Nguyen's "Joss" sofa for District Eight features a monolithic seat accentuated by the curvature of the solid wood base. Alpi and Konstantin Grcic showcased two new kinds of wood, Arcobaleno and Raggiosole, which play with colors to create an illusion of natural grain. Finally, the "Effetto 71" ping pong table by Teckell features a 15mm tempered glass top supported by a sculptural structure in American walnut, while the "Rara Avis" side table by Nomon is an artistic stylization of a wooden bird with a Rosso Levanto marble base.

The use of metal in furniture design is on the rise and the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2023 introduced some of the most innovative and extravagant creations in the industry. Manufacturers, even those without traditional expertise in metalworking, have used this versatile material to create solid yet slender forms, fusing design with technology. For example, Adrenalina's new "Passepartout" collection presented endless combinations of seats and accessories that blur the lines between home, office, and leisure. De Castelli's offerings were equally impressive, featuring asymmetrical bookcases, brushed brass tables, sinuous cabinets, and Art Nouveau-inspired coffee tables. Fermob brought joie de vivre to the garden with their colorful and sustainable aluminum collections, featuring standout pieces like the "Piapolo" series and the elegantly styled "Surprising" rocking chair. The Salone del Mobile.Milano 2023 furniture expo proved that the love of manufacturers for working with metal is not only here to stay but is also evolving and pushing the boundaries of furniture design.

Salone del Mobile.Milano 2023 showcased a transformation in home aesthetics, where the focus shifted to maximum comfort and relaxation. All developments were aimed to create environments that banish worry, anxiety, and frenzy, offering cozy atmospheres that evoke family memories and traditions. At the same time, 1950s-style divas, industrial warehouse lighting with a gentle twist, and unexpected attributes like car bumpers and a tray of chocolates had become the main source of inspiration for designers of the furniture expo. Prioritizing simplicity, combining such unexpected materials in lamps as leather and steel, featuring metal structures in seating options, and incorporating curving structures to support steel walls in bookcases appeared as the main findings in new furniture ergonomics and versatility. However, the most important fact is that you have to be ready for a new era of interior design that is natural, sustainable, and eclectic.

This furniture expo dazzled visitors with its impressive displays of brands' stands that pushed the boundaries of design innovation. The organizers of the exhibition made a clear statement about the importance of sustainability. Thus, this year, exhibitors embraced environmentally conscious practices by using disassembled and reusable rigs, avoiding carpeting, and utilizing recyclable materials. The prevailing trend at the pavilions was the lush and tropical green aesthetic, showcased in Nardi and San Giacomo's modernist spaces, as well as the Arflex area designed by Bernhardt&Vella and Baxter. We also witnessed a play of pure, monolithic volumes in stands like Oluce's by Ferruccio Laviani and FontanaArte's by Francesco Librizzi. Pink hues made a lasting impression, seen in Molinari's stand by Lucy Kurrein, Re Clan Milano's by Alessandro La Spada, and Arrmet's display. Earthy browns and sandy beiges, such as those in Belgium's Franken-designed Evolution 21, created a warm and grounded atmosphere. Additionally, many stands at this furniture expo incorporated earth and sand as symbolic flooring, drawing visitors closer to nature.

Also, among the highlights were Preciosa's "Crystal Beat" installation, a stunning grid of linear lights that pulsated to electronic music, and Roche Bobois' psychedelic and fluorescent space designed by artist Joana Vasconcelos. German brand Midgard created a small but impactful space made entirely of recyclable cardboard, while Innova's inflatable stand walls were held together by a system of zips, making them easily disassemblable and transportable. Milla&Milli's magical atmosphere was created by more than 500 suspended and laser-cut fabric pieces and Living Divani's space comprised a large transparent cube with etched glass panels, in keeping with Piero Lissoni's signature style. Finally, Et Al's stand was inspired by Italian Renaissance motifs, using simple MDF components and wooden laths to mark out geometrical wall patterns, while Saviola's walls were transformed with a chaotic accumulation of wood offcuts, highlighting the company's use of raw materials.

Reuse, regeneration, circularity, and energy-saving measures come to the forefront. Participants of Salone del Mobile furniture expo decided to promote materials from sustainable sources, build innovative stands that can be dismantled and reused, and, most important, create products designed with a circular approach.

Nowadays, brands are committed to using recycled and reusable materials, and many of them already could present products made of 100% recycled wood or recycled fiber padding. Natural raw materials like cotton, wool, and wood still also take center stage, processed using traditional craft techniques (for example, the Woodnotes brand operates traditional craftsmanship and advanced technology to process Finnish paper yarns). Beyond materials, sustainability also extends to creating "green workspaces", what the Porro brand demonstrated.

Recycling has played a key role in product innovations like Lema's "VentiTre" walk-in closet (with origami-inspired setups) and the "Soffio" seating system. Arper and Caimi brands showed as well that they actively utilize recycled and regenerated materials for their furniture.

At Euroluce, the lighting exhibition, the efficiency of LED sources use, circular economies and low-impact products were highlighted. For instance, Artemide and Flos presented innovative lighting solutions that are both environmentally friendly and efficient, using materials like FSC-certified organic wood waste and bioplastic derived from sugar cane.

The 61st edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano was a huge success, according to the CEOs and representatives of some of the companies that participated. Marc Montenegro Kronenberger, Managing Sales Director of Santa & Cole, praised the new layout and the success of the stands at the furniture expo, especially among visitors from Asia. Giulia Molteni, Marketing and Communication Director of the Molteni Group, also noted the return of visitors from Asia, as well as the opening up of new geographies like the United States, Australia, India, and South America, with their emerging and ready markets respecting the Italian design. While digital communications continue to make up for the fact that traveling has become more expensive for a lot of firms, this latest edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano furniture expo marked a break from the 2022 edition with stronger arrivals from Japan and China attending in person. With new energies and synergies, and renewed meetings, the Salone del Mobile 2023 was a successful international showcase for furniture design.