Visiting Salone di Mobile 2019 Milan

April 26, 2019

Visiting Salone di Mobile 2019 Milan

Salone di Mobile

Visiting Salone di Mobile 2019 in Milan is something I have been looking forward for months. After last year’s fairly intensive day trip to Milan, I vowed to make sure I would not repeat it. So this time I went for a longer day – meaning 4am wake up and arriving back at 1am the next day. I would call that an improvement.

Knowing I was going to Italy that day, I skipped coffee in the UK – just to make sure I get my caffeine fix straight after landing, I went to a previously discovered cafeteria straight opposite the exit in Milan Malpensa. It is not fancy, but in Italy you do not need fancy to get an amazing coffee. Or, as the Italians call it, caffè.

The transport to the fair was very efficient with delegated buses running between the airport and the exhibition centre. This year, I wanted to focus more on living rooms, sofas and chairs. However, anyone who ever attended a design show, even not as big and thrilling as this one, knows that despite arriving with a carefully planned list of exhibitors, it is easy to let the discipline slip and find oneself being drawn from one stand to another. And this was exactly what happened to me.

Lots of inspirations

There were a few finds that unexpectedly caught my attention at the Salone di Mobile 2019, whether because of their design or ingenuity.

Firstly, I stumbled upon some beautifully detailed large timber tables, including one with an oversized hinge in the middle. I can only assume this means you can fold the whole long table in half if you like.

Next, I noticed a company that made an acoustically hermetic booth where you can have an undisturbed conversation with someone while being in an open plan office or even at home. This was a pod with glazed doors, and soft padded interiors and neatly detailed sockets.

I later found a similar themed solution where another company made a contemporary version of a phone booth, where you can plug in your phone and have a conversation with someone on your mobile – which you can charge in the process too.

I was very inspired by visiting a company which makes themed children bedroom furniture. In the recent months we received many enquiries from Clients about more bespoke bedroom designs for children.

Who knew that four espressos and several halls of walking later I would be exhausted. My appetite for discovery is satisfied, so it was time for a break. I could finally catch up on emails and slowly head back to the airport.

Like my visit to Paris’ Maison Objet earlier in the year, the Salone Di Mobile is a treasure trove of colours, the ever-present attention to detail and of course, above all, very good quality of design. I am surely looking forward to my next trip.