After an overlong two-year hiatus, Milan’s Salone del Mobile – the fashionable furniture fair usually a yearly staple in every design lover’s diary – returned last week to a collective cheer from the creative community. Taking hold of Italy’s most stylish city, doors were thrown open, showrooms dusted off and stands reassembled as the interiors set descended for a week of unveilings, immersion and surprises. It was Milan how it should be – palazzos, courtyards and galleries draped head to toe in high design, buzzing with energy and overflowing with celebration for global creativity.

If we’ve learned anything in the past few years, it’s that our homes are extensions of us, places for self-expression and experimentation as well as retreat and sanctuary, and the modern interior is both exciting and full of life as well as a place to escape and unwind in. The Salone presentations echoed these dual desires – colour hovered around the natural end of the spectrum interrupted occasionally with flashes of more vivacious pigments, forms were sculptural yet soft, and materials channelled the organic as well as exaggerating and playing with it. How good to be back. 

Back in the 60s the first edition of Salone del Mobile saw 328 exhibitors (now there are over 2,000) spread over two pavilions, an event described by reporters as ‘a packed exhibition of everything needed to make the home beautiful and comfortable.’ This year, on the fair’s 60th anniversary, that glowing review still stands, and a handful of design brands also celebrated important milestones with new launches, limited editions, artist collaborations and experimental updates.

Top Pick: Arco K by Flos

Since its inception in 1962, the Flos Arco floor lamp designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni has become a true interiors icon, ingrained in modern society and instantly recognisable whether you’re a furniture fan or not. For the light’s 60th anniversary the legendary lamp has been released as a limited-edition redesign, the Arco K. The base, usually a solid chunk of Carrara marble, is newly realised as an innovative crystal block, supporting its distinctive curved stainless-steel stem and spun aluminium reflector with radiance, clarity and lightness.

Inside Out

The outdoors is becoming more and more of an extension of our walled-in living areas, spaces to be used routinely and habitually, so it was no surprise to see a bevy of renowned Italian brands stepping into the fresh air and launching incredibly chic all-weather collections. With these new pieces, design comes first and being able to withstand the rain is a quietly integrated feature that’s barely noticeable. Conversely, until-now-outdoor-only brand Cane-Line did quite the opposite, launching its first collection of indoor pieces which showcase its lightweight, woven aesthetic in a wide range of materials, proof that patios, sundecks, terraces and lawns are finally fusing with more classic living areas.

Top Pick: Flexform Outdoor

The Flexform Outdoor Collection, developed in collaboration with Antonio Citterio, is designed for all year-round outdoor living, and was created with colours, patterns, and textures akin to the elegant indoor collection, making the two ranges almost indistinguishable. Outdoor sofas, armchairs, daybeds, occasional tables, ottomans and accessories are made from high grade materials chosen for their weather-resistant attributes – sofa frames are formed from corrosion resistant stainless steel, timber is naturally temperature and humidity resistant Iroko wood and woven elements are recyclable polypropylene fibre, the colour palette tonal and in tune with nature.

Best of the Rest

Organic Objects

After taking solitude in nature for so long, we continue to seek to recreate it in our homes. While initially this was literal, through green shades and leafy motifs, for 2022 it’s subtler and more design-led via organic shapes, the imperfect and hints at natural intervention. An elegant progression from the previous trends for all things rounded and arched, here nature and the implication of time are quietly introduced, pieces created to look like manufacture never happened – did they grow out in the wilderness? The overall affect is one we can truly relax around, there are no sharp angles, shapes have an accidental feel like they have slowly evolved, and perfection is something we left behind long ago. Sink in and exhale.

Top Pick: Yves by Porada

A dainty take on a classic bean sofa, the Yves by G. & O. Buratti for Porada has a charismatic a grown-on-a-stalk-in-the-garden shape, a reminder of the power of the organic, and the impact geometric perfection has on the home. Comprised only of calming curves, its matching pouf neatly nestles into the front of the crescent like an oversized seed.

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Earth Tones

Physically digging deeper into the immersed-in-nature trend, the neutral hues all over Salone this year were drawn from the ground, spanning pale shades of sand, soft mid-tone clays, rich browns and red-tinted terracotta. Prompting images of bare feet on beaches and hands plunged into the earth, these colours are about connection to the elements and our external environment, reminding us of the simple pleasures in life and where we all come from. Such warm neutral tones are livelier and more varied than a classic beige, offering a diverse palette that has depth as well as being peaceful, sophisticated and fundamentally infused with life.

Top Pick: Pochette by B&B Italia

B&B Italia’s Pochette armchair by Piero Lissoni combines unfixed cushions and a low-slung shape with a creamy grey-ish nude leather which is wrapped around the tubular frame, a shade easier to live with and more laid back than white or ivory but with a similar crisp, chic impression.

Best of the Rest

Sea Shades

Summoning visions of the ocean disappearing into the horizon, Mediterranean mornings and treasure-like pieces of sea glass, this season’s statement touched-by-nature hues are gloriously fresh and enlivening, radiating the promise of sunnier climes and (like us all) calling out for adventure. Hovering between hazy shades of blue-tinged sage and turquoise tones, these are introverted blues and greens tinted with grey so they don’t overwhelm, sitting in the home smoothly and – as all found-in-nature tones do – harmonising easily with their surroundings, tranquil and inobtrusive while radiating vitality and joy.

Top Pick: Leggera by Cassina

Gio Ponti’s 1952-designed icon the Leggera chair embraces neutral shades as well as a vibrant watery palette for its move into the outdoors. After extensive in-depth research to replicate the renowned seat’s original slimline frame in garden-proof stainless steel, the coloured choice for the new Leggera Outdoor by Cassina is a peppy turquoise-tinted green with optional upholstery in blue recycled polypropylene, the makings of a spirited summery classic.

Best of the Rest

Sculptural Bases

We’ve seen table tops a plenty at Salones spanning far back in time and welcomed in trends from solid stone to high tech ceramics, strict angles to smooth curves and chunky tops to the more delicate. Now it’s all about looking down. The contemporary table is leaning heavily on leg work, the supports now pieces of art in their own right and, given the chance, able to sit in the home as standalone sculptural objects. Adding an element of surprise and delight to the dining room, each artful base feels like a discovery, something earned and a small secret waiting to be uncovered.

Top Pick: In-Between by Lema

The In-Between dining table by Ximi Li asks the diner to focus on the space between the base’s forms and consider instead the chunky segments of air formed by the irregular legs. Arranged in a staggered position, the flattened supports stand apart, almost – but not quite – meeting in the middle, the rounded marble top (with optional Lazy Susan) drawing them together and making the decorative piece whole.

Best of the Rest

Wild Sofas

Gone are the times of sitting daintily on the sofa, these days we spread out and sprawl. The comfort movement has arrived, and that means sofas are becoming more attuned with the shapes we make when relaxing, breaking free of their classic linear boundaries and exploring new directions as well as being a little more imaginative. Arms are drifting from their usual bookend positions, we’re seeing the integration of additional elements such as built-in tables, drinks holders and storage units, seat shapes are expanding, and backrests are going through an experimental stage. With good looks as well as a thoughtful side, the sofas of 2022 are utterly focused on wellbeing, taking into consideration lounging positions of all kinds and how to make life more convenient.

Top Pick: Aldora by moooi

The Aldora Sofa by Cristina Celestino for Moooi presents a graceful flowing backrest inspired by the shape of the Calla lily, making the seat as much a piece of sculpture as it is somewhere to get comfortable. It comes as a chaise long with one support for elegant solo reclining or with a wing-like double back that invites two people to sit together and converse.

Best of the Rest

Rule Breakers

Stealing the show and drawing in Salone crowds were a few unique pieces that refused to be put into a box or go along with the rest. What do they mean? Next year will we be talking about the return of pattern, even more extravagant shapes, kaleidoscopic stones and vivid shades, or are they just one hit wonders? We’ll see you next year to find out.

Top Pick: Stami by Gallotti & Radice

The Stami Daybed by Studiopepe for Gallotti & Radice wilfully ignores traditional design convention, its black ash legs seemingly dripping from the edge-less leather-enfolded oval base and cylindrical headrest.

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We look forward to welcoming these fresh Milanese launches – and more! – to our curated collection of designer greats both online and at our 25'000 sq ft luxury lifestyle showroom in Greater London. Want to get ahead of the crowd? Talk to our Design Team with our livechat function and we’ll put your name on it.