It’s baaaack. Salone del Mobile is the largest design and furniture fair in the world. It celebrated its 60th year only a few weeks ago at its home in Milan, Italy. The Rho Fairgrounds has 3.7M square feet of indoor exhibition space and 650K sq ft of exterior space making it one of the largest exhibition campuses in the world. For comparison, the Washington DC convention center has 2.3M square feet of indoor space and The Javitz Center in NY just added 1.2M square feet giving it a total of 3.3M square feet. While we haven’t been to Milan since before the pandemic, we scoured our favorite sources to bring you the latest in furniture and design.

Miss Twiggy

Architectural Digest features 35 new products that were debuted at Salone del Mobile. From furniture to lighting to kitchen and bath, AD was there to report on their favorites. We love the new Twiggy sofa system for Minotti designed by Rodolfo Dordoni. The geometry and channel stitching are giving us 1970s vibes but clearly with a 2022 twist. It reminds us of the 1972 Mario Bellini sofa from B&B Italia that is all the rage once again. The proportions and modular flexibility of the Twiggy pieces are quintessential Minotti.

Milan Salon

Wallpaper Magazine highlights Fuorisalone which is the official name for Milan Design Week which happens simultaneously to Salone del Mobile. Hidden courtyard parties, furniture showroom reveals, and the entire neighborhood of Brera features both up-in-coming and established brands. Boffi’s flagship showroom in Milan is in the Brera neighborhood and is the essence of Italian minimal kitchen, bathroom, and closet design. Having worked with Boffi on our Museum Peace project, we look forward to working with Boffi again soon. Check out their outdoor kitchens!

That 70s Show

Cultured Magazine revealed its favorite trends from the show including in the article Tell Your Mother, the 1970s Are Back. Italian brand Zanotta has reissued the Quaderna 656 line of desks and tables which were originally designed by Design Superstudio in 1972. They feature a white laminate digitally printed with black squares at 3cm spacing.
 
Another big trend no longer unique to music and fashion is the collab. Kohler, Alessi, and Rosenthal are some of the big brands collaborating with young, edgy, hip designers to produce incredible new pieces.

When traveling to Milan, WHAT MATTERS recommends…

HOTELS
Senato Hotel
Palazzo Segreti
Magna Pars Suites
The Gray Sina
Hotel Viu
 
RESTAURANTS
Contraste
28 Posti
Trippa
Langoasteria Cucina
Ristorante Berton
Paper Moon (lunch during a shopping day)
Salumaoi (lunch during a second shopping day)
U Barba (get the rabbit!)
Bicerin (wine bar)
Orsonero Coffee

On the boards

Construction for our #IMLivingOnTheEdgemoor project is in full swing this summer! This month we are showcasing the progress of the residence’s library.

Our design team worked closely with Ferris Custom Cabinetry to design completely bespoke millwork and paneling in this room — every inch of which will be painted in a beautiful, deep blue. See below for some progress pics. We’re excited to watch our designs come to life in the coming months!