Salone del Mobile 2024

The focus of the Salone del Mobile 2024 was on kitchen and bathroom spaces, as per every second year. The fair featured 1,950 exhibitors from 35 countries across 174,457 square metres of exhibition space. Italian companies made up 70% of the exhibitors. The event attracted approximately 360,000 visitors, with a notable return of attendees from Asia.

Maria Porro, the esteemed president of Salone del Mobile, introduced a groundbreaking data collection method this year. Some attendees wore bracelets linked to neurological sensors to track their movements and reactions throughout the fair. This innovative approach aims to analyse and improve the flow and experience of future exhibitions. Leading companies such as Molteni, Minotti, Poliform, and Kartell occupied the final pavilion, drawing significant attention at the far end of the Fiera di Rho complex. This exhibition venue, designed by architect Fuksas, features two levels with a futuristic glass cover named Veil and travelators to ease the journey between pavilions. Even so visitors, myself included, walked an average of 16 kilometres daily to explore the diverse array of furniture and innovative designs on display.
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Earthy tones were the hallmark of this year’s palette, with natural stones like travertine and Levanto marble taking centre stage. Burgundy was a standout colour, prominently featured in numerous designs. Curves, organic shapes, and abundant greenery were central to many pieces and staging areas, creating a refreshing and natural ambiance. The stands dedicated to furniture were airier, featuring flexible spaces and multi-functional pieces.

Leather was largely replaced by animal-free materials, with rare exceptions for companies such as Poltrona Frau and finishes like Nubuk, a luxury leather with a soft, velvet-like feel. Boucle remained popular, though it no longer reigned supreme in upholstered items. Among the numerous high-profile companies that, each year, ensure high standards are maintained at the Salone del Mobile, a few stands particularly impressed me. The first was Caccaro, a company founded in Padova, which combined furniture and architecture, replacing walls with cabinets that create divisions, offer storage, and incorporate lighting and display areas for styling pieces or bags. Their bedroom setup, featuring floating integrated bedside tables with LED lights, seamlessly blended furniture and architecture, providing a functional yet elegant lighting solution.

Poliform introduced the Ernest sofa and Adrien table by Jean-Marie Massaud. The Ernest sofa, characterized by its modular and organic form, aims to create convivial and welcoming spaces. The Adrien table, with its asymmetrical six-legged design, is available in finishes ranging from marble to metal, offering a chic yet relaxed aesthetic. Bonaldo impressed with the Louvre table by Alain Gilles, featuring sculptural, angled legs that create varying visual effects depending on the viewer’s perspective.
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LAGO showcased creative uses of fabric, replacing traditional wardrobe doors and covering coffee tables to soften living spaces. Their use of glass structures gave the illusion of floating dining tables, beds, and bookshelves, adding a touch of magic to practical designs. Paolo Castelli displayed the Haibu pendants, made using groundbreaking 3D technology to give stoneware a light, organic feel, suitable for both indoor and outdoor settings. In a burgundy tone, Porro unveiled the Ventiquattro table by Piero Lissoni. This piece pushed the boundaries of glass tables by combining simplicity with an innovative cylindrical metal structure. Carpanelli introduced a lovely detailed green marble edging, placed on the top of a long timber console and showcased elegant bedside tables with the optional upholstery and a marble top.

In the "innovative materials" space, Cosentino launched its new Earthic, which includes recycled glass as an eco-friendly alternative to the engineered stone containing silica, to which Australia is implementing a ban. In appliances and sanitary-ware, a couple of intriguing innovations were presented. Gessi, showcased a kitchen faucet with an integrated coffee machine and introduced bamboo as a sustainable material for their new sculptural faucets range.
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Additionally, Miele showcased a washing cycle oven that uses water and soap to replace the pyrolytic system to clean the internal surfaces. The German brand also launched a new range in a warmer tone called Pearl Beige, aligning with the earthy tones that guided this year’s Salone del Mobile. Another interesting section located at the far end of the Fiera di Rho was the SaloneSatellite, a free entry event that showcased emerging designers under 35. This year, it celebrated its 25th edition. An exhibition at the Triennale marked this milestone, highlighting notable projects and designs from its humble beginnings in 1998 when 65 young talents exposed their works and prototypes, many of which have since gone into production. Notable designers such as Italian Cristina Celestino, Japanese Oki Sato (Nendo), and Australian Marc Newson were first discovered by talent scouts at the SaloneSatellite. In 2024 the SaloneSatellite featured 600 new designers, and the award was won by Studio Ololoo for its innovative lamp “Deformation Under Pressure,” which combines inflatable PVC with an aluminium structure. The Fuori Salone was a vibrant sideshow held in conjunction with the Salone del Mobile. It held 1,125 events throughout the city with 800 brands participating. This event always creates a dilemma for design enthusiasts like myself, torn between the two beloved exhibitions.

Open to the public, Fuori Salone featured everything from high-profile installations to launch parties and receptions in different parts of Milan, from Brera to Isola, through Porta Venezia and Tortona to the peripheral Alcova. This year, the two classic palaces, Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi hosted installations by more than 80 designers. As usual in Milan, fashion brands also made their contribution, with Gucci standing out for its respectful exhibition celebrating five iconic design pieces. These were revisited in the classic Rosso Ancora tone and placed in a neutral space to emphasize their aesthetic beyond mere functionality. The Salone del Mobile and Fuori Salone continue to define Milan as the epicentre of design innovation, seamlessly blending tradition with modernity. They captivate a global audience with the timeless allure of Italian design and craftsmanship.

Cover: Bonaldo Collection
Images provided by Elena Rajani