7 Must-Visits On Our Itinerary For Salone Del Mobile, 2024
The usability of everyday things may, at some point, catch us off guard with how counterintuitively they are designed. For anyone awkwardly stumped about which way a door swings or how to operate an exotic-looking water faucet, the Salone del Mobile in Milan could very well demystify the appurtenances of home living.
In all likelihood, the legendary trade fair goes even further this year. A wine cellar that can analyse bottle labels and recommend storage conditions, bathtubs with smart temperature control, and fridges that, help cut down your food waste — the Fiera Milano fairgrounds in Rho will once again play host to more than 1,900 industry experts and pioneers who are revolutionising the domestic sphere.
According to Maria Porro, president of Salone del Mobile Milano, four major innovations at the 62nd edition will be the contribution of neuroscience to improving the visitor experience, adoption of human an-at-the-center philosophy, harnessing artificial intelligence, and doubling down on sustainability. Slated for 16th to 21st April 2024, with the theme ‘Materia Natura,’ DP has listed some invaluable pit stops you must make in your pilgrimage to the fabled exhibition.
Also read: Navigating Design Shows Like A Pro – Letter From The Editor
#1 Interiors by David Lynch: A Thinking Room — Pavilions 5 to 7
Precious little is known about that metaphysical plane where hidden desires silently pull the strings, dictating why we choose to adorn our built environment almost as an extension of our personality. Who better to depict this complex juggernaut of human emotions than the director of masterpieces like ‘Lost Highway’ and ‘Twin Peaks’? David Lynch’s thinking rooms are undeniably the most visionary installation on display. Curated by filmmaker and writer Antonio Monda, in synergy with Piccolo Teatro di Milano, the scenography of auteur cinema finds haunting expression in blue velvet walls and a sculptural wooden chair surrounded by seven gilded cylinders.
According to Maria Porro, president of Salone del Mobile Milano, “After all, what is design and furnishing in particular, if not a quest for and creation of objects that subconsciously make us feel safe?”
#2 FTK or Technology For the Kitchen — Pavilions 2 & 4
Consistently the benchmark for holistic interior solutions, EuroCucina 2024 will be reprising its cynosure of island culinary spaces and discreet appliances that spell quiet luxury, with a subtle nod to Japandi minimalism. An interplay of organic shapes and natural materials, such as stone, porcelain, or ceramic clay, embodies the growing appreciation of wabi-sabi writ large in our cultural zeitgeist. The mega-accessorised kitchens under the spotlight this year blend tactile richness with ergonomic upgrades, impressive enough to even make a Michelin Star chef feel like they belong here.
Whether it’s ovens that tap into intelligent algorithms to compute the correct oxygen levels for bread making or dishwashers that can automatically gauge how much detergent to use, the cutting-edge 9th edition of FTK, Technology for The Kitchen will be instrumental in anticipating needs people never knew they had.
Also read: 3 Reasons To Switch To Stainless Steel Kitchens With Küche7
#3 International Bathroom Exhibition 2024 — Pavilions 6 to 10
If personalisation is the millennial byword, then the International Bathroom Exhibition is redefining our next-generation lexicon. Touted as the most significant event for hi-tech bathrooms and sanitaryware, more than 180 exhibitors will emphasise the need to pay close attention to our water footprint in a rapidly shifting environment. From dynamic taps that send out an acoustic signal if a bucket is overflowing to voice activation features that can warm up lavatory seats, the imagination balks at how an aesthetic coefficient is no longer enough to convince buyers. After all, the bathroom is a sanctuary for intimate thoughts, daily rituals that prepare us to take on the world’s innumerable challenges, and even a home spa to feel pampered. Carrying on the ‘Materia Natura’ theme, a highly sought-after colour palette of beige and greens is offset by metallic fittings to elicit a calming, Zen ambience. In terms of materials, the front liners du jour will be polychrome marble and wood, enhanced by clean lines that appeal to our sense of symmetry.
#4 Under the Surface — Pavilion 10
A poetic brainchild of Accurat, Design Group Italia, and Salotto NY, ‘Under the Surface’ sits ethereally poised between abstraction and reality. This installation plumbs the murky depths of our daily water consumption and how a paradigm shift in bathroom design can reform our habits. “Ethics and sustainability are the drives from which Under the Surface installation was born,” elucidates Porro. Through the masterful use of data visualisation, we can expect to find ourselves at the bottom of a submerged island, experiencing intricate statistics in real-time.
Also read: 10 Fashion House-Led Designer Hotels For Luxury Seekers
#5 SaloneSatellite — Pavilions 5 to 7
This year also heralds the 25th anniversary of SaloneSatellite’s patronage of emerging designers from all around the world. With close to 600 participants hailing from 37 countries, competing projects will be open to feedback from a clique of seasoned veterans, chaired by Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator in the Department of Architecture and Design at MoMA (New York). The showcase will include international design schools, with some new faces from Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan University and Michael Graves College in the United States among others. Incentivising nascent creative minds by bridging the gap between their ideas and entrepreneurial interests from leading companies, the SaloneSatellite is heroically shouldering its custodianship of avant-garde talent and trailblazing discoveries.
#6 Workplace 3.0 — Pavilions 1/3 and 5/7
The significance of infusing organic warmth into office spaces is not lost on the exhibiting companies at Workplace 3.0. With the latest research on how sterile, uninspiring interiors can influence productivity and employee well-being, workplace design is now more indispensable than ever. Prophesying an alternative universe where coming to work is not a dreary exercise but rather something joyful to look forward to, this optimistic installation delves into the modalities of a porous fabric conducive to creative exchanges. Transcending insular cubicles, we are afforded a glimpse of how the trend is shifting in favour of a more open-plan, collaborative layout.
Also read: Tira Beauty’s New Office In Mumbai Is An Ode To Skin Redefining The Workspace
#7 S.Project — Pavilions 5 & 7
Offering a 360-degree panorama on au courant marketing trends and hybridised ‘nest spaces,’ the S.Project is a fluid, crosscutting exhibition at the Salone. From wellness products and fabrics to bespoke lighting and acoustic solutions, we find an extremely well-orchestrated culmination of the entire raison d’être for why symposia such as this one exist. It is not just the high-end sophistication we are after but the belief that our physical spaces must be an extension of how we feel within.
