Furniture fans had to wait a long time, but finally there was another Design Week to be experienced in Milan. The Salone del Mobile had to be cancelled in April 2020, but in 2021 a compact version has taken place - the Supersalone. New furniture and furnishing trends such as cuddly armchairs, artful upcycling and a comeback of the 70s. There were 60,000 visitors and 425 brands showing from Italy and abroad. Some of the key trends reflected the current zeitgeist, providing colourful and practical ways to make the most of our homes for both work and relaxation.
At Supersalone, Molteni presents Flight D.154.5, an immersive installation by Ron Gilad replicating an airplane interior and featuring a reissue of the ‘Round D.154.5’ armchair, designed by Gio Ponti in 1954 and used within the Alitalia offices in Manhattan and the Alitalia passenger terminal in Milan. Line up two by two, soundtracked by the familiar ping of an airplane announcement. (Yes, masks are still required for this flight.) Knoll’s lineup of old and new seating options—from Piero Lissoni’s KN line to the Platner side chair—shine against a colourful skyline backdrop, an homage to the brand’s vintage advertising campaigns.
Lisa Corti's collaboration with Laboratorio Paravicini was a floral-meets-ikat pattern explosion tucked away on enchanting Via Santa Marta. The colorful world of La DoubleJ was on full display in the brand’s new shop on Via Sant’Andrea, where bamboo shelves held splashy tabletop creations. La DoubleJ founder J.J. Martin gushed over the brand’s latest holiday entertaining concept, a color palette of watermelon pinks and kelly greens.
Bold Colours - although certain colours, like white or earth tones, have become a staple in recent years, many furnishings at the event were super colourful. Colour is one of the trends to definitely emerge from the “supersalone.” The brands which dived into a visible and more energetic colour palette were clearly standing out. Capable of arousing emotions and even taking on a symbolic role. Maybe we have now learned more about colour psychology, its therapeutic effect, and dare to live with it? If you go to stories/highlights, you’ll see how much colour there was, more or less muted, but bringing more joy and vibrancy. Primary colours were placed side by side or used on a single piece of furniture, and bold even contrasting tones were used to create lively environments and make an impact. One example is the 265 Chromatica lamp by Flos which combines yellow, blue and red in an updated palette for the classic lamp.
On the trend front, it was no surprise that outdoor furnishings had their day in the sun, while notable offsite platforms included Alcova, which was bursting with exploratory furnishings. From immersive apartment installations to newly launched products ranging from a colourful, transparent glass chair that appears to stand without a screw, mount, or reinforcement in sight to a lamp that’s a plant an outdoor collection designed by artist-designer Jacopo Foggini, called A’mare, a pun that evokes Naples, the sea and the Italian summer. Transparent and reflective like glass and fluid and pure like the sea. An ambitious and experimental collection consisting of tables, chairs, armchairs and loungers made of pure methacrylate slats, an industrial material used in automotive design.
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