Last Sunday marked the end of Salone del Mobile 2024 - a great celebration of design and undeniably the most significant international event in the field of interior design and architecture. According to the organizers, this year's edition was record-breaking in terms of the number of participants and global representation of markets from under the most diverse latitudes. And what trends in interior design can we forecast from the offer presented at the fair? We asked respected interior designers cooperating with the Domoteka Design Center about which proposals are particularly worth paying attention to.
Salone del Mobile 2024
Photo: B. Barczyk | © Domoteka materials
Salone del Mobile 2024, the annual furniture fair in Milan - the largest and most prestigious international event in the design industry - is behind us. This year's edition took place in the spectacular exhibition space of Rho Fiera Milano between April 16-21.This was the 62nd and record-breaking edition in many respects. More than 1,950 exhibitors from 35 countries (including Poland) presented their collections at the fair, and more than 360,000 people - designers, interior designers, manufacturers, retailers, journalists or marketing and communication specialists - attended the fair throughout the week. That's more than 100 thousand more people compared to the 2022 anniversary edition! As the event's organizers state in an official communiqué, Poland is among the 15 largest markets for Salone del Mobile 2024, along with such global players as Germany, France, the US and China.
Salone del Mobile 2024
photo: B. Barczyk | © Domoteka materials
The 62nd edition of Salone del Mobile exceeded our wildest expectations. (...) With 361,417 visitors, the fair once again confirmed its position as an international leader, and created a bridge to markets from the most diverse geographic regions - becoming a global city open to innovation, where competition accelerates the competitiveness of solutions in this key economic sector," stated Maria Porro, president of Salone del Mobile Milano.
The main program elements of this year's event were the "EuroCucina / FTK, Technology for the Kitchen" and "International Bathroom Exhibition" presentations. As every year, the strictly exhibition part was complemented by intriguing cultural proposals such as the installations "Interiors by David Lynch. A thinking room" and "Under the surface". The former is a surreal space designed by the famous director (equipped with a number of stylistic motifs peculiar to the author of "Twin Peaks"), with a projection of a conversation between David Lynch and curator Antonio Monda projected inside. And "Under the surface" (by Accurat, Design Group Italia, Emiliano Ponzi) is an immersive installation in the form of an island, whose theme was the problem of water as one of the most precious natural resources. The fair was also accompanied by numerous educational events - training courses and panel discussions. Many events were also held outside the Rho Fiera Milano space itself, including in the city space, such as in the showrooms of designer brands. Thus, all of Milan, even more than usual, for a few days became a vibrant, inspiring, multicultural and international design center.
Salone del Mobile 2024
photo: B. Barczyk | © Domoteka materials
Salone del Mobile 2024: The modern face of the classics.
So much for the numbers. And what did the last edition of Salone del Mobile look like in terms of content? The Domoteka Design Center asked renowned architects and interior designers about which design proposals made the biggest impression and which solutions were particularly worth introducing to the Polish audience.
This year's Salone del Mobile fair confirmed my belief that the upcoming trend that will be popular in interiors will be roundness, reports Katarzyna Sosinska, interior designer.
According to the expert, interiors in the coming time will clearly lean towards soft forms, which bring a bit more lightness to the modern style:
I had the opportunity to see many interiors - very classic, subdued - which, however, clearly departed from the typically modernist, geometric forms. Rectangular, sharp-edged sofas, tables or lamps have been replaced by lines and forms that are more organic and rounded, which break the strict divisions of proportions. I would call this a modern classic, which brings a sense of softness to the interior. Also characteristic of this style are natural colors, beiges, browns, green accents - for example, in the form of plants - or broken yellow. As for materials, here I have no doubt that the biggest phenomenon of Salone del Mobile 2024 was glass.
Salone del Mobile 2024
photo: B. Barczyk | © Domoteka materials
Architect Alina Badora, on the other hand, emphasizes the perfect quality of the designer brands' products presented at the fair.
I started my viewing of Salone del Mobile with the EuroCucina 2024 exposition, and I was very pleased that one of the main themes of this year's event was the kitchen. The kitchen is for most of my clients the most important place of the whole house, so they care about making its interior unique. I was impressed by the very high quality of the furniture on display - it was great to see furniture that is indeed "premium" in every detail of workmanship, in which you can see precision, technical expertise, with thought to the smallest detail, functionality, the use of the best materials..."- explains the architect.
Salone del Mobile 2024
Photo B. Barczyk | © Domoteka materials
For Badora, it is simplicity combined with precision and the highest quality that makes a piece of furniture timeless, and thus - the elegance of the entire interior:
I was personally impressed by the kitchen fronts presented at the fair, made of solid stone and brushed brass sheet metal. For me, this is yet another proof that furniture made of high-quality natural materials, such as real stone, solid wood or natural veneers, will always be a timeless product - even when it ages, it ages nobly and remains beautiful. This kitchen created an interior that, although simple and minimalist, was very elegant and timeless. This only confirms that exclusive minimalism is still an enduring international trend: quiet elegance whose strength is quality.
Salone del Mobile 2024
photo by B. Barczyk | © Domoteka materials
As architect and stylist Lukasz Siwiec adds, timeless classics are still an inexhaustible source of inspiration, and the influence of modern technologies can be increasingly observed in its current editions:
I noticed a continuation of the trend, which is based on subtle, natural color tones and distinctive textures - such as various interpretations of classic boucle fabric or furniture fronts with strong texture. At this year's Salone del Mobile, I noticed the development of a general trend - the interiors of our homes are becoming increasingly simple and minimalist, while at the same time becoming more technologically advanced. Some of the spatial arrangements presented at the fair reminded me of futuristic stage sets, which aesthetically brings us closer to the vision of science fiction, which is gradually becoming a reality.
Domoteka design report, or presentation of upcoming trends
At the annual design festival in Milan, representatives of both Domoteka itself and the exclusive brands that make up its offer could not be missing. Domoteka Design Center specialists are present at the fair every year, where they closely follow upcoming interior trends and proposals from top designers, which they then present to Polish customers. This time, too, the international audience of Salone del Mobile was presented with novelties from such luxury manufacturers as Artemide, Calligaris, Cattelani, de Sede, Dienne and Fiam, which are available in Domoteka showrooms. Traditionally, a Domoteka design report will also be prepared in cooperation with experts. Conclusions from the event will be discussed at the next Domodesign (May 10-11 at Domoteka) by experts consisting of: Olga Kisiel-Konopka, Łukasz Siwiec, Anna Koszela, Anna Grużewska and Szczepan Zalewski. The entire document will then be made available free of charge on the website www.domoteka.pl. Thanks to the report, all those interested in design will get a unique chance to learn about the latest proposals from designer brands and inspiring interior styling trends.
Salone del Mobile 2024
photo: B. Barczyk | © Domoteka materials
As in previous years, Domoteka has taken on the task of compiling a design report crowning the Salone del Mobile, also during the recent Milan fair. In this year's publication, readers will be able to find both information about the most innovative proposals in world design, as well as read the opinions of esteemed experts we invited to collaborate on the project - interior designers, journalists and influencers - who, with a substantive eye, personally observed the latest trends, says Olga Kisiel-Konopka, owner of OKK PR.
Salone del Mobile 2024
Photo B. Barczyk | © Domoteka materials
