This year was my first time visiting Milan’s Salone del Mobile – the world’s biggest furniture fair and the hottest event on the design calendar. For one week in April, anyone who’s anyone in the design world descends on the Italian city to suss out the trends and witness the latest in furniture launches and new designs. As well as the fair on the outskirts of the city in Rho, there’s exhibitions, installations and events galore – it’s an intense and inspiring few days, the many kilometres walked each day fuelled by strong Italian coffee and sugary sweet glasses of prosecco.
The scale of the fair is absolutely huge – comprising 24 giant halls, each roughly the size of a football pitch, showcasing the stands of both Italian and international design brands. Here, I’ve whittled down my finds to my top ten furniture launches from Salone del Mobile 2018. There’s familiar Scandinavian names we all know and love, plus new-found discoveries from Japan and Germany, evidence to me that our appreciation of considered, minimal design shows no sign of abating, no matter what country it comes from.
If I was to pull out a few themes from these ten favourites, it would be that – well-crafted, solid wood furniture will always be popular; everyone loves a wooden chair; thin, black metal legs are here to stay; the trend for new neutrals is embracing pastels with more muted tones, and bright ultramarine blue is the new accent colour that’s making waves. So let’s get to it:
New designs by Space Copenhagen for Fredericia
My favourite stand of the fair, Fredericia’s showcase was elegant, refined and effortlessly stylish. New launches from this family-owned Danish design brand, who pride themselves on exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail, focused on sculptural pieces by long-time collaborators Space Copenhagen.
The stand-out design was Tableau, a new collection of organic-shaped coffee tables – comprised of a solid oak top on a matching x-shaped base – that can be nested together or used alone. For the fair, Fredericia had created huge versions of the table in beautifully veined marble and stained wood.
Space Copenhagen’s Spine range has also been expanded upon, with a new upholstered bench and a simpler metal base with gently tapered legs for the collection’s armchair, dining chair and bar stools.
Says Space Copenhagen: ‘Spine Metal Base – a rebirth of the ever classic wooden Spine collection. We simply loved the idea of a lighter version featuring the combination of steel and soft, comfortable upholstery. The collection of dining, bar and lounge chairs are all about elegant simplicity.’
Montana Free Shelving System by Jakob Wagner for Montana
Danish furniture brand Montana introduced a new, minimalist, freestanding shelving system designed by Jakob Wagner – a versatile design that is easy to assemble and can be customised into multiple different configurations. From a slim, two-shelf bench that can be fitted under a window, to a six-shelf-high unit that can act as a divider in a larger room, the system allows you to play around with lacquered MDF shelves and optional textiles panels in various colours. Available in 12 standard compositions but with endless options, it’s all about creating a display that reflects your personality.
From £438-£1,816, panels £81, available in stores late August 2018.
Fugu chair by Jasper Morrison for Maruni
As well as the familiar Scandi names at the fair, it was Japanese design – beautiful in its simplicity – that also stood out for me. One such design was the charmingly petite Fugu armchair by British designer Jasper Morrison for Maruni. Crafted from solid wood, it makes use of the cutting edge technology that has made Maruni’s name to create the curved surfaces of the seat and reclining backrest. It’s available with small armrests or simply unadorned.
Images: Yoneo Kawabe, courtesy of Maruni Wood Industry Inc
Grace by Sebastian Herkner for Schönbuch
German brand Schönbuch were a new discovery for me – their simple, functional designs in precious woods and rich colours are manufactured almost entirely in Bavaria. They say, ‘Schönbuch is unmistakable and purist. Our furnishings and accessories combine practicality with clarity of design for organised, orderly interiors, freeing up surprising amounts of space – for pure living.’
Grace by Sebastian Herkner caught my eye – a serving trolley with a clean, minimal expression. Inspired by 1950s architecture, it’s a contemporary twist on the classic bar cart, made from powder-coated metal in black, night blue or rosewood. The wheels are made of lacquered MDF, while the top glass shelf is back-painted to match the colour of the trolley’s frame.
Mauro chair by Mauro Pasquinelli for Established & Sons
A common theme running through the fair was the relaunch of design classics or prototypes that never quite made it past the first stages of development. Often the technology at the time didn’t match with the ambitions of the design. One such example is the stackable Mauro chair by Italian designer Mauro Pasquinelli, brought into production for the first time by British brand Established & Sons this year. Initially designed in 1976, the chair now utilises the latest CNC technology to create a distinctive, gently curved seat that supports the back. Available in European oak or solid ash, the design comes with the option of a leather seat that will surely just get better with age.
Images © Peter Gunnel, courtesy Established & Sons
N01 chair by Nendo for Fritz Hansen
Simple Japanese design and timeless Danish craftsmanship meet in Fritz Hansen’s latest launch – the N01 by Japanese design studio Nendo. The pure, honest, understated wooden chair combines a solid wood frame with a veneer seat that utilises the same techniques as the Danish design brand’s classic Arne Jacobsen chairs. It’s assembled by hand from 23 wooden pieces that combine together like a puzzle so that the joint sections appear as if they are touching each other as little as possible.
‘If you sit on it, you will notice that this is a Fritz Hansen chair. If you live with it, you will realise that this is pure Japanese design,’ says Oki Sato, founder of Nendo.
Available from April 2018 in beech, oak or black coloured oak with the options of a seat cushion in fabric or leather.
Enfold sideboard by Thomas Bentzen for Muuto
Muuto’s new Enfold sideboard is a versatile, functional design that fuses industrial references with a Scandinavian aesthetic. Designed by Danish designer Thomas Bentzen, the name comes from the way the ridged, lacquered steel gently enfolds the solid oak top and bottom. It’s available in two different heights, with adjustable shelves, and four colours – black, light grey, dusty green and sand yellow.
‘Enfold Sideboard came from the many factory visits that I do as a designer, prompting me to explore the aesthetic appeal of industrial objects. I wanted to translate this element into the modern home, combined with an appreciation of the Scandinavian design tradition,’ says Thomas Bentzen.
Panorama chair by Geckeler Michels for Karimoku New Standard
Karimoku New Standard was another new find for me and I don’t quite know why I haven’t come across them before. Collaborating with up-and-coming international designers since 2009, they manufacture a range of innovative and functional wooden furniture from central Japan, combining cutting-edge technology with traditional craftsmanship.
Their new Panorama chair by Berlin-based design duo Geckeler Michels is a plain, simple design made of sustainably sourced Japanese oak wood. The softly tilted seat and back rest is crafted from bent plywood to give the illusion of sheets of paper. Coming in pure oak, grey, black, blue and moss green, it is also available in versions with small armrests and a tilting base that allows the sitter to rock back and forth.
Separat wall divider by Cecilie Manz for Nikari
You might be forgiven for thinking Nikari sounds Japanese. The design studio and furniture manufacturer is in fact Finnish – founded in 1967, they’ve expanded on their close collaborations with Nordic masters Alvar Aalto and Kaj Franck with contemporary designs that make use of the same cabinetmaking traditions. Their designs continue to be made in Finland – with a gentle, conscious mindset and a sustainable approach, their factory backs onto the forest where the wood comes from and there’s even a hydro-plant on the site.
New for Nikari this year is the Separat wall divider by Danish designer Cecilie Manz. Wooden panels, available in Northern pine or European ash, are joined together by flexible joints made of naturally tanned leather.
Image: Cecilie Manz Studio, second image: Nikari/Studio Chikako Harada
VON work chair by Hylnur V Atlason for Ercol
Ercol have created a modular seating system that has all the hallmarks of the classic, timeless design we’ve come to expect from this much-loved British brand, but with a new, clean, contemporary twist. Designed by Icelandic designed Hylnur V Atlason, VON comprises seating units, benches and tables that can be assembled together to create various configurations for the home and the office.
The versatile VON system has a similar, well-crafted frame as some of Ercol’s other designs, such as founder Lucian Ercolani’s 427 chair form 1956, but it is designed to reflect the blurring lines between living and working and the need for furniture to adapt to different settings – with many of us working from home or wanting to feel at home while working.
So what do you think of my top picks? Any that catch your eye or that you can see in your own home?
All images courtesy respective brands unless otherwise specified. I was invited to Salone del Mobile by the organisers, who covered two nights accommodation in a hotel in Milan for me.
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