The Best of Salone del Mobile 2017

The crème de la crème of design weeks, Milan’s Salon del Mobile is the biggest trade fair of its kind, showcasing the very best and very latest in everything furniture, lighting and interiors. With designers and brands coming from all over the world, it’s a truly international affair that constantly bushes the boundaries and explores various concepts in the design world and beyond. As the last of the exhibitions have wrapped up, we take a look at the best of Salone del Mobile 2017.

The German brand with hundreds of years of experience behind it, Birkenstock is best known for its innovative sandals that feature the world’s first contoured insole designed for maximum comfort and to aid circulation. The company has now taken this comfort-led approach and applied it to beds, with a design that conforms to the body and relieves pressure. Of course, the style element is all there too, with finishes in natural wool, felt and leather.

In 2016, London designer Paul Cocksedge learnt that he was to be evicted from his Hackney studio in order to make way for a new property development. Deciding to take a little bit of the building with him, Cocksedge dug up the floor of his workspace (originally a Victorian stable), unearthing layers of various brick and concrete that now make up various tables. Cocksedge said the work both celebrates London’s creative hub, and highlights the increasing threat that property developers have on artists.

Danish Ecological Brand 'Really' Launched

In response to the textile wastage of Denmark’s clothing industry, Samsøe & Samsøe founder Klaus Samsøe has developed an innovative way turn cuts offs and leftover cotton and wool into solid textile board and felt. Together with Wickie Meier Engström and Ole Smedegaard he founded Really, which launched at Salone del Mobile with Max Lamb’s series of 12 Solid Textile Board benches, using the material.

Italian fashion house Marni ventured into the world of furniture with the Marni Playland, a sandy playground filled with reinterpretations of traditional playground games and equipment. Working with Colombian craftswomen, they used a traditional weaving technique to create swings, basketball hoops and push toys, as well as stools and rocking chairs.