The 2024 iteration of Salone del Mobile is almost upon us! As we pack our bags and prepare the schedule for a design week extravaganza, we wanted to share some excitement about what this year might bring. There will, of course, be plenty of coverage both during and after the event, which runs during mid-April. Here, too, are some complementary guides from some of trusted industry partners at Living Edge and Space Furniture.
To kick things off and whet your appetite, here are nine products – in no particular order – that we’re especially excited to see.
Wittmann
Sebastian Herkner’s MORTON compact armchair can find a home in both spacious and compact rooms; as part of a seating group, as stand-alone pieces, as a faithful companion to modular furniture, as a favourite place to sit, and so on.
The series’ eye-catching shape, complete with the option to mix and match covering materials, has all the features and characteristics of the original iteration, only now adapted to new dimensions. The sweep of the backrest, which merges into the armrest, comes a little further forward for a more comfortable lounging experience. To retain the typical elasticity that defines MORTON’s backrest, in this piece it is dimensioned at a slightly lower thickness than in the chair. A range of colours and materials also allow for numerous design options with coverings.
Lodes
Lodes is launching its new lighting collection, Oblò, in collaboration with Paola Navone, OTTO Studio in its showroom during Milan Design Week. Each piece in the collection features a glass diffuser, which has a soft rounded shape, echoing portholes that dot the hulls of ships.
The pendants are supported by knotted cables containing a hidden LED light source, giving them a floating appearance, as if they are suspended in the water like buoys. Because of the concealed light source, the glass pendants are uninterrupted, designed to create the effect of looking through a porthole onto an endless seascape.
Carl Hansen & Son
Carl Hansen & Son is launching its first ever children’s wishbone chair at its new flagship store during Milan Design Week. Designed by Hans J. Wegner in 1949, the Wishbone Chair is now being presented in a children’s version. Like the original, it is made of 14 components, taking over a hundred production steps to assemble, all of which is done by hand.
Volker Haug Studio x Flack Studio
Me & You is co-designed by Melbourne-based lighting designers Volker Haug Studio and multidisciplinary architectural designers Flack Studio. The new collection of 13 decorative light fixtures will debut at Milan Design Week 2024.
As the name suggests, Me & You speaks to the collaboration, but also to the interplay of light and space – a relationship that the studios believe is perhaps the most important decision of the design process. The interaction of lighting and its environments determines atmosphere, holding immense power in forming an experience.
Nemo Lighting
In the heart of Lisbon, within the confines of a quaint studio, an auspicious meeting between Álvaro Siza and Federico Palazzari, CEO of Nemo Group, has led to the Lorosae lamp. Originally conceived by Siza for his solo exhibition at the iconic Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza, Italy, it was crafted in 1999. As such, the Lorosae lamp embodies timeless elegance and Siza’s esteemed aesthetic vision.
The lamp’s translucent glass diffuser, available in an array of pure and brilliant finishes, is designed to capture the essence of light, transforming any space into a haven of warmth and colour. It’s available in three sizes and five new finishes: jasmine white, ocean blue, sorrento yellow, sicilian orange, and rosemary green.
Arno Declerq
Baranzate Ateliers returns to Milan for a highly anticipated second edition, taking over a vast 1950s industrial building of 7300 square metres near Linate at Via Gaudenzio Fantoli. The brainchild of Zaventem Ateliers and founded by Lionel Jadot in 2019, it’s the latest example of a series of trailblazing initiatives transforming vast industrial wastelands around European cities into dynamic showcases for pioneering design talent. The focus is on exceptional craftsmanship and the creation of collectible art and design pieces, and all in a concept aimed at reviving the concept of something like a medieval guild.
The Zoumey Desk and Zoumey Bench, designed by Arno Declerq, are two exclusive limited editions – there are only eight pieces each! Crafted from burned and black oiled solid Iroko wood, the pieces offer a blend of functionality and artistic expression, while both are three metres in length and weigh over 300kg.
Lionel Jadot
Also at Baranzate Ateliers, Jadot’s work is, he says, about Anthropocene Adhocism. The seat is from Molenbeek and the back from Tervuren (two areas of Brussels with highly charged social and political connotations). A metal structure of reinforcing bars is fitted with concrete for this striking design.
The idea, adds Jadot, is to create objects with a strong narratives – ones that evoke storytelling to ask about why we produce objects.
Talenti
The new Lounge Chair Allure is designed by Christophe Pillet and set to be unveiled in a world premiere at Milan. The stated aim of the design, as the name suggests, is to create a seat with the power to attract anyone in search of peace and relaxation.
As such, the chair is something of an aesthetic magnet, a piece of furniture that – as the renowned designer says – conquers the outdoors from the first glance.
Fantin
Finally, a quick mention for Italian metalworkers, Fantin. As a family-owned specialist manufacturer of metal furniture and solutions, they bring a novel and eye-catching item to Milan this year. The Wave Desk comes in a range of striking colours, including Melon Yellow (pictured below), Sage Green and Anthracite.
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