Events

Milan Furniture Show 2019

Events

FURNITURE FAIR

MILAN FURNITURE FAIR 2019
Text: Oana JACKSON

><img src= It's hard to appreciate the scale of Milan Design Week. This is not only due to the fact that more and more design ateliers and brands are choosing to launch their latest projects and lines during Design Week, but also to the fact that the tentacles of this event reach deeper and deeper into the city every year.
At the fair itself, up-and-coming designers exhibit side by side with the big names who come up with new and innovative products. At this 58th edition, the fair's creative platform brought together more than 1300 creators and several hundred thousand visitors. In other areas of the city, renowned artists, fashion houses, restaurants and public spaces are dueling for the attention of both professionals and the beauty-loving public.
As a professional, a visit to the Design Fair has become almost an obligation and, eventually, an annual ritual. While few of our clients want an interior that reflects the latest fashions and even fewer change their interiors at the pace of changing trends, many want an interior ambience that stands the test of time and ephemeral fashions, yet still looks contemporary.
Those at the top of the pyramid of stylistic taste influencers and tastemakers - influencers and tastemakers - have understood this and have done away with pronounced swings from season to season. Instead, as a trend ceases to be a trend because it ends up in every supplier's stock and, by extension, interiors, it is replaced by a variation, a complementary look.
Whether we agree with them or not, trends and trends influence us - directly or indirectly. A "trend" is not temporary. Contrary to popular belief, they continue to evolve over time, metamorphosing into new incarnations of the same movement. At a time when society is becoming increasingly aware of environmental impact and ethical issues, it is important to consider how aesthetic trends are turning into long-lasting trends, as well as the human desire to balance aesthetics, finance and sustainability.

Almost unanimously, customers' ideal seems to be a modern but not ultra modern interior, bathed in natural light and incorporating all the functionalities of everyday life. But they want accents that can be updated or trends that can be built upon and layered with successive additions, but without abandoning the original concept.
There was a lot of pink worn in 2018, in all its shades. This year highlighted any variation on the evergreen theme more always flaunted alongside the former favorite - pink. This is just to prove that keeping up with fashion is as simple as buying a green decorative cushion or upholstering your grandparents' armchair, which needed refurbishing anyway, with an emerald velvet.

Not all trends that are launched "catch on". Some ideas fizzle out when the Salon closes, others have a few glimmers of life in the vision of a few designers and survive for a while on the shop shelves. And some are exclusively for certain applications. The following is a brief overview of the main categories - by no means an exhaustive or prescriptive list, but an objective appraisal - and let's not forget that in the end, when done well, it is the unique, unique and out-of-the-ordinary design that is talked about, not the fashion chasing.

"Lead, don't be led by trends!" is a common motto.

Broadly speaking, this year's trends can be grouped around the following ideas:

Opening Borders - Scandinavian (Scandinavian + Japanese Design) or Mexicanese (Mexican + Japanese), in both cases, design from opposite poles of the planet distilled into a common essence. As true culinary experiences very rarely come from a single source, this trend also blends seamlessly with culinary art and bar and restaurant design.
Scandinavian fashion in pastel colors - an evolution of the Scandinavian style, often sober and lacking the warmth of a color palette, it is often used in the interior design of offices and workspaces of small businesses and start-ups.
Fluid interpretations - the return to monochromatic palettes is full of personality and at the same time simple and comfortable. Because it allows colors to take the floor it is often adopted by commercial spaces where it reflects their own brand.
Kaleidoscope of colors - often used in large commercial spaces due to the shock-effect and strong emotional effect caused by this rainbow of colors.
Childhood play - a festival of the imagination and a merry-go-round of fun that lends itself to nightclubs and bars.
Brute force is a trend we were bumping into everywhere else a few years ago, and after a period of oblivion it's back stronger and more ubiquitous than ever. Unfinished finishes, chunky objects and chromatic tones provide a versatile backdrop for artwork. An alternative to white walls which, with their darker tones give privacy and comfort to any interior. This calm and soothing texture can be found in residential architecture as well as bar and restaurant interiors.
Artisanal and handcrafted, a continuation of last year's "perfect imperfect" trend. Customers appreciate the human touch, the more relaxed style and unique element of each object, but also the fact that it takes us back to simpler times - applications in both residential and commercial architecture thanks to the tactile personal side that replaces the sterile finishes of yesteryear.
Retro reinterpreted chromatically - it's loaded with nostalgia with nature-inspired hues and sumptuous textures. Applications in residential architecture as well as relaxed and less formal new-style office interiors.

Once every two years, the furniture fair also makes room for lighting fixtures pavilions - an area of design that is advancing in leaps and bounds. Technology and innovation combine with art to complement the most varied interior styles. Light in architecture and interiors has moved beyond being a gimmick that was added towards the end of a project to become one of the essential design factors. It is the fastest growing category, and the beneficiaries are slowly beginning to understand the importance of quality light, the subtleties of creating accents, highlights and tones, the way in which the same space can polarize its ambient quality depending on how it is lit. In short, lighting design in interiors is on the borderline between art and science.
More than ever before, the influences at this year's Salone in Milan offer a wider world view, one that crosses cultures, borders and eras. Most of the exhibits have brought together a wide range of design influences - from the elements from which we draw our lifeblood to multicultural mixes and, last but not least, the joy of childhood.

Everyone comes away from the fair with their own conclusions, which also bear the stamp of their own taste, the projects they are trying to solve at the time, the resonance they have with certain suppliers and, without question, the influence of media channels.
What could I say about this year? Artisanal, craft and unique are starting to gain ground as visitors become more sensitive to the intrinsic value of an object that breathes personality.
For many years the reinterpretation of mid-century interiors reigned. A 60s influence followed for a shorter period. Surprisingly, the '80s are increasingly to be found in decor, with their good and bad. With this new passion we also find strong colors - cobalt, bright yellow, orange.
There is also a drift away from the preference for a one-size-fits-all interior - kitchen furniture in the same finish and color has been replaced by complementary materials and finishes - recessed cabinets in natural wood alternating with low cabinets clad in metal; alternating heights and different worktops on the kitchen island; a purging of space. As our lives evolve, there is less cooking, but more living around the open kitchen space. Friends drop by for a glass of wine and rest on the kitchen bar stools. It's also where kids do their homework for school. Are there days when you work from home? That's also where you put your laptop and cell phone during the day. It's a multifunctional space that is subtly metamorphosing.

But the most pronounced development this year has been technology. From smart products for our homes - combining thermostats and lighting in every room, music, TVs and security systems, all accessible through an app even when you're thousands of miles away, to robotics and smart home appliances put to work for us and the planet. The focus on reducing the impact our choices have on the planet is becoming more and more pressing.