Touchdown Milan: Navigate Salone Del Mobile with our editor’s itinerary

For one week in April, Milan becomes the centre of the design world because of Salone Internazionale del Mobile, arguably the most important design and furniture fair in the calendar. Now on its 55th edition, the fair – running from April 12 to 17 – continues to grow in size and influence, with brands upping their game year after year when it comes to their collections, collaborations and exhibitions. While it’s impossible to see everything (FOMO is a given), there’s more than enough design inspiration to go around and last you until the next installment. Here are five things that should definitely be on your agenda.

Check out new collections

The raison d’être of coming to Salone del Mobile is to feast your eyes on never before seen designs from around the world. From heritage brands like Minotti and Cassina ­­to smaller ones like Industry+, this is ground zero for designs that push the envelope as well as a hotbed for interior trends. This year, we’re excited to see Lee Broom’s Optical collection in person and to explore Moroso’s eight new collections in collaboration with designers such as Patricia Urquiola, Doshi & Levien and Front, to name a few. Of course, we can’t forget checking out Studio Job’s collection for Bisazza and finding out what Dimore Studio has up its sleeve.

Swing by EuroCucina

EuroCucina, the biggest and most important fair dedicated to kitchens, runs parallel to the furniture show. Expect cutting-edge design and a host of technological innovations all geared to make the heart of the home sleeker, better, and greener. German brand Miele has a large presence this year, with a classic showcase and café on the fairground as well as a gallery-like display at Zona Tortona called The Invisible Kitchen. Other key brands such as Bulthaup, Wolf and Sub-Zero are also presenting new pieces that increase functionality and improve our culinary creations.

Scope out special exhibitions and installations

Art and design mingle even more this week, with exhibitions and installations that are a league of their own. Nendo’s 50 Manga Chairs exhibition in conjunction with Friedman Benda Gallery is a good example of the intersection of the two disciplines. Fashion brands also come out to play – this year, COS is collaborating with Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto with a Forest of Light installation following their successful partnership with Snarkitecture last year. Scattered across the city are pop-up concepts, including Caesarstone’s The Restaurant by Tom Dixon, which allow design lovers to interact with products in a lifestyle setting.

Venture to creative districts

Ask a local where Milan’s creative area is and you’ll get varied responses – some may suggest Brera Design District, Zona Tortona, or a network of five streets called 5Vie Art+Design. Satellite events are aplenty, and these initiatives are collectively called Fuori Salone. There’s merit to veering away from the official itinerary – head out to concept store Rossana Orlandi (a must) and visit the Fondazione Prada and Armani Silos, which opened their doors just last year. Both places are definitely worth seeing for the architecture alone.

Ciao, Milano

A visit to Milano isn’t complete without an aperitivo, and that usually means a nightcap at Bar Basso, where everyone inevitably congregates, negroni in hand. Before you leave, we suggest a quick hotel recce: check out the Mandarin Oriental Milan’s design suites that pay tribute to greats design Gio Ponti and Piero Fornasetti, as well as the newly-opened Room Mate Guila designed by Patricia Urquiola – certainly the rooms to book for next year’s edition.

By: Kissa Castañeda

Lead image by Lea Anouchinsky | Living Inside, from the Home Journal archives, April, 2015 issue