Everything Dwell’s Style Editor Scouted—and Loved—From the Showrooms of Milan Design Week
From stackable tea sets to Murano glass lighting, the studios, stores, and galleries of Milan did not disappoint.
From stackable tea sets to Murano glass lighting, the studios, stores, and galleries of Milan did not disappoint.
Sometimes we joke that it’s the "Superbowl of furniture design" or "South by Southwest for chairs," but more people attend Milan’s annual design week, anchored by the venerable trade show Salone del Mobile, than attend either of those events. Last year, "Salone"alone drew 307,000 visitors, increasing the population of the city of 1.3 million inhabitants by nearly 25 percent. For one week, Milan becomes the best place to discover the trends and ideas in furniture design from all over the world that will be coming to your living room soon.
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I’m in Milan and ready to pound the pavement, complete with a jam-packed schedule that I’ve been told is "ambitious at best"—but I’m confident I can squeeze it all in before aperitivo hour. I’m running around town with photographer Olga Mai, checking out galleries, stores, site specific installations, and the toilet everyone is talking about, with my portable phone charger in tow. Read on to join me on this totally manageable, not at all insane, journey.
Nilufar Gallery
It’s now my tradition to begin every Milan Design Week at Nilufar Depot. And after three years, it’s never failed to set the scene for what’s to come. Set in a former silverware factory, the sprawling ground floor is surrounded by more intimate lofted galleries, each taking on an entirely different personality with both vintage and new pieces. It’s no wonder that this year’s exhibition is titled "Time Traveler," connecting design from the past and the present.
Argentine artist Andrés Reisigner took over the atrium, stepping out of the digital space most know him for and designing 12 unique chairs for the physical world. They’re intended for more than just resting your legs, though, and are actually meditation seats.
Photo: Olga Mai
While I wouldn’t exactly call Milan Design Week meditative, I did feel a sense of calm when looking at the sparsely placed monochromatic white chairs, some cloud-like and bouclé and others angular and wood. But it’s not all minimal; neutrals are interrupted by a mosaic backdrop of apples floating in the clouds.
Photo: Olga Mai
I’ll never forget how Athens-based design duo Objects of Common Interest took over the gallery’s atrium last year, so I was excited to discover their presence at this show, too. Behind the sheer curtain, I found an entire room drenched in Barney-purple, outfitted with a carpet, dining table, stools with squishy seats, and resin tablewares that would certainly set the scene for an interesting dinner party.
Photo: Olga Mai
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