The international design crowd descended upon Milan for the world’s most important furniture fair, Salone del Mobile. From the Rho fairgrounds to the urban exhibition spaces, here is a quick recap of the best that the design world has to offer for 2015.
■Artemide’s ‘Spectral Lights’, designed by Philippe Rahm, are adapted for different inhabitants of the home—be it people, pets, birds or plants—to give them with the kind of lights they require to see, grow and photosynthesise better.
■Bright, bold and strong, Hypetex’s Halo chair is made of carbon fibre. It is so light that you can pick it up with just one hand.
■ After years of working in the family business at Azucena, Marta Sala has dived into her own furniture venture. Debuted in a cozy showroom in Corso Monforte, the 12-piece collection was designed by Rome-based Carl Pickering and Claudio Lazzarini. Brass-trimmed rugs, upholstered screens with built-in lamps and dining tables that can be reconfigured into desk were among the edition pieces to launch. As were leather armchairs with incorporated side tables.
■ Caesarstone took up residency at Palazzo Serbelloni during Salone del Mobile to host a groundbreaking exhibition, Movements, with Philippe Malouin. Made up of two parts, this show explored the unexpected applications of Caesarstone quartz surfaces, including the much-enjoyed swings.
■ Titled ‘foiLED again’, tiny micro LED lights are embedded into the handcrafted works of Marcus Tremonto, creating a beautifully warm and simultaneously cool effect on the copper arrangements.
■ Algorithm by Spanish lighting brand Vibia is the new system created by Toan Nguyen. Governed by a mathematical order, these globes can form anything from a constellation-like display to a frozen rain shower, undulating wave or modern, geometric shapes.
■ Italian brand Cole made their Design Junction debut with their take on traditional styles, including Bauhaus and Scandinavian-inspired designs. Pictured here are their Loka armchairs and Secreto Coffee table.
■ Beyond Object’s new Desktop Collection designed by Poetic Lab brings a sculptural finish to any desk. Pictured here is their tape dispenser; they also have pen pots, pencil sharpeners, letter knife and ‘Empty Memory’ USB sticks.
■ Slamp:’s cloud-light lamps by Adriano Rachele radiate iridescent reflections in a rather modern yet romantic way. Regular shapes formed of transparencies and smoky reflective glass sound like they might be a chaotic arrangement, but they create and ‘glow’ more akin to bright candlelight.