Key Trends From the 2022 Milan Furniture Fair
Salone del Mobile showcased sustainable production and materials, airy storage, plush sofas and diverse influences
Salone del Mobile, or the Milan Furniture Fair, came back with a roar this month after two years of scaled-back events. The 2022 edition of the iconic Italian furniture and design fair exceeded organizers’ expectations with more than 260,000 visitors, including industry insiders, experts, brands, designers and design lovers from 173 countries (compared with the 400,000 visitors in 2019). Read on to see the top product trends Houzz’s international editorial team spotted at the June 7-12, 2022, event.
2. Circularity. The number of companies with their own R&D departments is growing, from Arper, which has eliminated glues from many of its products, to Cassina, whose Cassina Lab worked closely with the Politecnico di Milano to produce a polyurethane made of natural materials to make its products more easily recyclable.
B&B Italia, likewise, came out with a new version of its iconic Bambole armchair (pictured above and below) — designed by Mario Bellini in 1972. it looks the same as the original but is produced more sustainably. The company uses a quantitive assessment of circularity that takes into account the recyclability, dismantability and sourcing of the product and its components. The chair has gone from 17% circularity in its 1972 model to 80% today, according to this assessment.
B&B Italia, likewise, came out with a new version of its iconic Bambole armchair (pictured above and below) — designed by Mario Bellini in 1972. it looks the same as the original but is produced more sustainably. The company uses a quantitive assessment of circularity that takes into account the recyclability, dismantability and sourcing of the product and its components. The chair has gone from 17% circularity in its 1972 model to 80% today, according to this assessment.
The company accomplished this by abandoning the polyurethane-wrapped steel frame that held up the first version of the chair and opting for a hollow shell made of 98% recycled polyethylene. The new version also uses 70% less polyurethane foam than the original. Every part of the Le Bambole is also designed to be easy to disassemble and thus easier to recycle.
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The Bice chair by E-ggs for Miniforms (pictured) can be taken apart completely for easy recycling.
3. New materials. After two years of experimentation and research, Kartell has unveiled ReChair, designed by Antonio Citterio. The chair is made out of recycled espresso capsules from Illy, the historic Trieste-based coffee brand. “For the first time, waste capsules are being used to make design products,” says Kartell president Claudio Liuti on the company’s website. The chair’s material is made of imperfect capsules rejected during Illy’s production process, which Kartell then transform into a base for the chair’s high-quality plastic.
Nanimarquina also focused on production byproducts. Its stand was filled with piles of wool and yarn to give viewers an idea of how much material is wasted when making a rug. Its new Re-rugs (pictured) are made with that leftover material, lending the finished products their unique colors.
Connubia and its parent company, the Calligaris group, redesigned the production process of its Reef armchair (pictured) to reduce its environmental impact. With the Greenbow project, the group is working toward respecting the principles of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its focus thus far has been on creating upholstery made of recycled materials and structures that can be easily taken apart and recycled.
15 Design Trends Spotted at the Spring 2022 High Point Market
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Bookshelves and Closets Are Getting Lighter
An ode to airy transparency: There is a trend toward closets and bookshelves that are as open and minimalist as possible — and infinitely customizable.
Several brands have opted for exposed closets, in some cases closed off only by sliding glass walls. Pictured is Lago’s Air walk-in closet, completely open and with a light and airy effect thanks to its glass or bronze frame and the colored glass profiles on its doors, which lend it an architectural look. The basic philosophy here is to create a flexible tool that can function as a walk-in closet, a room divider or storage space.
An ode to airy transparency: There is a trend toward closets and bookshelves that are as open and minimalist as possible — and infinitely customizable.
Several brands have opted for exposed closets, in some cases closed off only by sliding glass walls. Pictured is Lago’s Air walk-in closet, completely open and with a light and airy effect thanks to its glass or bronze frame and the colored glass profiles on its doors, which lend it an architectural look. The basic philosophy here is to create a flexible tool that can function as a walk-in closet, a room divider or storage space.
Pentragram bookshelf by Lago
Bookshelves are more pared-back than ever before, practically blending into the wall with shelves that can be positioned in a variety of ways for total customization.
What’s New in Contemporary Furniture and Design for 2022
Bookshelves are more pared-back than ever before, practically blending into the wall with shelves that can be positioned in a variety of ways for total customization.
What’s New in Contemporary Furniture and Design for 2022
Ghost Wall by Mikal Harrsen for Cassina
Secret Cubic Shelves by Olafur Eliasson for Moroso. Photo by Alessandro Paderni.
Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall
Several companies played with decor elements that have been ignored for the past few years. We saw mirrors that open and close, with fluid shapes, touches of irony and a variety of glass colors.
The Glass mirror from Lago (pictured) has 45-degree edge and an integrated light, transforming it into a decorative feature.
Several companies played with decor elements that have been ignored for the past few years. We saw mirrors that open and close, with fluid shapes, touches of irony and a variety of glass colors.
The Glass mirror from Lago (pictured) has 45-degree edge and an integrated light, transforming it into a decorative feature.
Planck tables by Piero Lissoni for B&B Italia
These glass side tables from B&B Italia with a semitransparent surface have a hidden surprise: They double as a light source.
These glass side tables from B&B Italia with a semitransparent surface have a hidden surprise: They double as a light source.
Reva Twist by Patrick Jouin for Pedrali. Art direction by Studio FM, photo by Andrea Garuti
Colors
The key palettes at the fair ranged from milk and mint to rust, an array of oranges, earth tones, terra cottas, beiges and brick. We also saw individual green accents on sofas and armchairs, as well as a return to the white sofa in incredibly soft fabrics.
Colors
The key palettes at the fair ranged from milk and mint to rust, an array of oranges, earth tones, terra cottas, beiges and brick. We also saw individual green accents on sofas and armchairs, as well as a return to the white sofa in incredibly soft fabrics.
Ten years after the Juno chair (pictured) — designed by James Irvine for Arper — made its debut, the lightweight chair is back with an all-new, nature-inspired color palette. Its production process has also been revamped, and the chair is now made of 70% recycled plastic.
New Catwalk chair by Philippe Starck for Kartell
The HiRay bench, by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba for Kartell (pictured), is an outdoor bench made out of welded wire. The cushions are made out of recycled water bottles and PET. The collection is available in a variety of colors including brick, green, beige and black.
Juno from Arper, photo by AlgaStudio
Plauto by Paolo Cappello and Simone Sabatti for Miniforms
An Ode to Wood
A single material is the secret to a trend that spans a variety of product categories. From tables to chairs to decor items, 2022 is the year of wood.
An Ode to Wood
A single material is the secret to a trend that spans a variety of product categories. From tables to chairs to decor items, 2022 is the year of wood.
Kagikakko, mini wooden table organizers selected by Bud-brand
Small decor objects indulged in wood as well, leveraging influences from other cultures with a view to becoming the new classics.
Small decor objects indulged in wood as well, leveraging influences from other cultures with a view to becoming the new classics.
Tripot by Inga Sempé for Articles. Photo by Studio Sempix
Tobi-Ishi table by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby for B&B Italia
Amai tables from Extremis
Outdoor revolution
The outdoors plays the role of an extra room in the house. No longer going undecorated, they are turning into an important setting for fun and relaxation.
New outdoor spaces have gone multifunctional with tables that incorporate integrated lights or transform into bases for outdoor kitchens.
Outdoor revolution
The outdoors plays the role of an extra room in the house. No longer going undecorated, they are turning into an important setting for fun and relaxation.
New outdoor spaces have gone multifunctional with tables that incorporate integrated lights or transform into bases for outdoor kitchens.
Gea day bed by Emanuele Magini for Campeggi
Privacy, please! I’m relaxing. Part armchair, part bed, part sculpture, part toy. The inspiration for the Gea day bed by Emanuele Magini for Campeggi? Privacy, even when outdoors. Magini have created a soft, protective, cocoon-like and inviting retreat in the form of a cone in colored Lycra on a metal base.
Privacy, please! I’m relaxing. Part armchair, part bed, part sculpture, part toy. The inspiration for the Gea day bed by Emanuele Magini for Campeggi? Privacy, even when outdoors. Magini have created a soft, protective, cocoon-like and inviting retreat in the form of a cone in colored Lycra on a metal base.
The Base kitchen from Kettal Studio is a modular kitchen with an aluminium structure and stone elements, with a seamless and therefore easy-to-clean surface. The kitchen can be outfitted with a barbecue in addition to its cooktop.
Hydroponic Garden from Kettal Studio & Tectum Garden
IBZ chair by Jose Antonio Gandia-Blasco Canales
Hello, Sofa, You’ve Changed!
1. Please touch. Several sofas featured materials that are super soft to the touch, with upholstery that evokes clouds or fluffy sheep. This indoor sofa by Gandia Blasco is one example. It was inspired by the colors of Ibiza, Spain.
Shop for sofas and sectionals
Hello, Sofa, You’ve Changed!
1. Please touch. Several sofas featured materials that are super soft to the touch, with upholstery that evokes clouds or fluffy sheep. This indoor sofa by Gandia Blasco is one example. It was inspired by the colors of Ibiza, Spain.
Shop for sofas and sectionals
Onde chair by Luca Nichetto for Gandia Blasco
2. The formless sofa. The fair showcased sofas that are sustainable and driven by soft, less structured shapes. Zanotta say it put a lot of work into production processes and recycled materials to make the ZA:ZA sofa, pictured here, a comfortable and responsible product. “ZA:ZA is synthesis and deconstruction, in which the main elements of the sofa were studied individually, broken down, and stripped to the essential,” says Enrica Cavarzan of Zaven.
ZA:ZA sofa by Zaven for Zanotta
The structure is made of steel tubes and polyester straps holding up its cushions. The armrest, back and seat are tucked in to cover the frame. The upholstery features a non-removable inner lining in regenerated and recyclable polyester. No adhesives are used in its assembly.
The structure is made of steel tubes and polyester straps holding up its cushions. The armrest, back and seat are tucked in to cover the frame. The upholstery features a non-removable inner lining in regenerated and recyclable polyester. No adhesives are used in its assembly.
In the Soriana sofa in indigo blue jeans by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina (pictured), likewise, a metal shell allows the soft elements to be wrapped up to create a cloud-like effect.
We saw sofas acting as cozy corners, with soft forms and little structure, and a relaxed and informal philosophy.
The Pebble Rubble sofas, by the design duo Front for Moroso (pictured), are an exploration of shapes that bring homes back to nature. Depending on their colors, the sofas resemble large river stones, sweet green hills or mounds of moss in the woods.
The Pebble Rubble sofas, by the design duo Front for Moroso (pictured), are an exploration of shapes that bring homes back to nature. Depending on their colors, the sofas resemble large river stones, sweet green hills or mounds of moss in the woods.
Cultural Blend: The New Beacons of Evergreen Style
Brands are always on the lookout for new inspiration, relying increasingly on interesting combinations or influences from other cultures. The result? Objects that can become new evergreens or design icons. For example, the Graffiti rug, designed by Charlotte Perriand for Cassina and reissued this year (pictured), was inspired by a drawing displayed in a restaurant in Japan and made by hand in Himalayan wool.
Brands are always on the lookout for new inspiration, relying increasingly on interesting combinations or influences from other cultures. The result? Objects that can become new evergreens or design icons. For example, the Graffiti rug, designed by Charlotte Perriand for Cassina and reissued this year (pictured), was inspired by a drawing displayed in a restaurant in Japan and made by hand in Himalayan wool.
Patricial Urquiola’s Sestiere vases, designed for Cassina (pictured here) are wrapped by hand in rope in accordance with Murano glass traditions. Each piece is one of a kind, an homage to the historic artisanry of the Venetian lagoon.
The Goz Tsuchi rug by Kengo Kuma for Gan (pictured), features a mix of wool and teak wood. Made by hand, it is crafted from circular, semicircular, or square rods of teak wood and virgin wool.
Shop for a rug on Houzz
Shop for a rug on Houzz
Inspired by ancient Greece — its name, Klismos, refers to a type of chair in ancient Greece — Antonio Citterio’s design for Knoll (pictured) is also an homage to a piece designed by T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings in the 1930s, a modern remake of the Greek seat, made in wood and rope.
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Read more industry show and fair recaps
Find a home professional
Shop for furniture and decor
The biggest trend? The point that every exhibitor took into consideration? More than any color palette, shape or style, the brands present all agreed on one thing: sustainability. Areas of focus ranged from production processes to circularity, ease of disposal, durability and materials, but one thing was clear: Never has Salone del Mobile seen such a strong emphasis on sustainability.
1. Products as Manifestos. For many companies, sustainability is a new must, while others are taking it further by becoming spokespeople for global sustainability awareness.
The Plastic Rivers rugs designed by Álvaro Catalán de Ocón for GAN (pictured) are made by hand in India from 100% recycled PET plastic, and the designs are topographical maps of some of the most polluted rivers on the planet, from the Ganges to the Niger.
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