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international design event salone del mobile in milan

The Salone del Mobile.Milano, started by 13 Italian entrepreneurs in 1961 to showcase furniture from Italy annually, is a much sought-after and awaited celebration of furnishings and accessories. Italy has always been home to pathbreaking design, attracting designers from across the world.

This year, in its 61st edition from April 18-23 in the Fiera Milano district in Rho, the exhibits are conveniently spread across a single level for ease of exploration. Euroluce, the lighting design event returns after four years. Salone Satellite features young designers under 35, and facilitates relationships with businesses. Wandering through cathedrals, galleries and piazzas, the backdrop of Milan is enriching, where modern blends with ancient and hi-tech with antiquity, providing seamless experiences in an environment of bespoke heritage. Sustainability is the go-word, with new technology leading the fray, emphasising the need to conserve resources, protect human rights and reduce environmental impact. Here are some designs that caught  Property Plus’ eye at the Mobile:

Italy has always revered its individual masters of the arts right from polymaths as Da Vinci and Michelangelo to modern day Versace. Iconic brands shape design movements by creating a strong sense of look and feel. Highsnobiety Magazine’s collab showcases furniture pieces by renowned designers by designers since the 1920s, from Anna Maria Ferrieri to Jonathan de Pas and others. These head-turners are eye-openers for their early innovative use of plastic and distilled simplicity. Our pick is the Cobra lamp by Martinelli Luce, which speaks volumes of how mundane, everyday objects can inspire enduring forms that go on to become classics.

I’m a big fan of clever single material use. This gorgeous doorknob by Atelier Landon of Morocco brings mystic Eastern symbolism to blend with modern technology and skill in a single spin. Reminiscent of Indian Bidri-ware and surely inspired by craft, the knob is deceptively simple and made of brass wire. The beauty of this 10cm high knob of 8 cm diameter lies in its ability to turn wire into a spherical shape, one that resonates with nature as in the sun, moon, planets and stars. A bit like those famous lines by Blake — ‘To see a World in a Grain of Sand….Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand.’

Once functional spaces, bathrooms have notably become sanctuaries where you can pamper yourself and spend dedicated time in wellness. With 172 exhibitors covering an area of 17,000 square metres, the 8th edition’s focus is on sustainability. The Introverso washbasin by designer Paolo Lupian for antoniolupi uses sliced layers of Carrara marble, which you can literally break to create a jagged form. The transparency of the stone and the sculptural shapes are further enhanced by the possibilities of other dimensions — sound and touch. When you slide your fingers along the marble, you can hear natural music.

Gessi’s ‘Haute Culture’ explores intimate spaces of living with new collections launching at Milan Design Week. Inspired by nature, the bathroom fittings bring nuanced interactions that explore the regenerative element of water. Bamboo, a never before used material in bathrooms, makes its debut in faucet designs of the Jacqueline Collection. Hollow bamboo roots are handpicked, ensuring a smooth adaptation to the design, fulfilling a sense of natural well-being and harmony.

The Salone’s special International Lighting Exhibition known to bridge technology and poetry, architecture and design. Based on the theme of City of Lights, the centrestage for the 31st edition of the biennale titled Euroluce is set at Aurore plaza. The strong interdisciplinary nature of the event reveals itself in architectural photography by Hélène Binet titled Nature, Time and Architecture. Seven major exhibits take place in ‘intermezzos’ or modular structures of recyclable wood, which allow spaces to pause and reflect.