Coral orange was the chromatic leitmotif of Milan Design Week 2024—a color that is no longer difficult to match! Designers did not shy away from this daring shade, whether it took the form of a small detail, an object, or an entire three-seater sofa. A bright, sunny, decidedly cheerful hue that no longer frightens, it was embraced by great made-in-Italy brands like Zanotta, Cassina, Poltrona Frau, and Magis. Whether it was in new products, such as the Z24 container by Muller van Severen for Zanotta, or reissues, like Magis’s Puppy or Bobo armchairs by Cini Boeri (cast in a coral color in a designer tribute Loro Piana orchestrated in the Milan showroom), it was clear that this crisp sunset color warms the soul. And now maybe our homes too. —Valentina Raggi, AD Italia
Marble Springs Eternal
In the air is a desire for solidity, for concreteness, for materiality—and pieces that carry their own weight, in every sense, are breaking into domestic design. So it’s logical that materials like travertine—and even more so, marble—are playing an important role in this design week.
It starts with the philosophical vision of the architecture and design studio Hannes Peer, which together with the Belgian company Van Den Weghe, a landmark in high-end natural stone processing since 1969, has created The Clearing, an installation of “talking” sculptures that transcend traditional creative boundaries, opening a dialogue on architectural complexity, and encouraging a move beyond conventional functionality. Then it’s on to the durability of functional pieces that immediately give character to rooms, such as the Mistral table designed by Studio Dainelli for Giorgetti with marble tops (Calacatta, Calacatta Viola, Grigio Astratto, Zebrino, Portoro, and three new finishes Dover White, Grigio Orobico, Rosso Levanto), to Salvatori’s covetable tables, Love Me Love Me Not by Michael Anastassiades and Taula by Patricia Urquiola, presented in new sizes and with a new selection of marbles.
Pieces by Antolini, Neutra, Lithos Design, Kreoo, and Molteni&C rounded out the trend. One detail, one piece, the whole: The extraordinary veining of marble is bursting into tomorrow’s furnishings. Elegant complements can also be found in SuonareStella’s sculptural vases for FiammettaV, which echo ancient Roman columns, and on the decorative masks of Testa dei Marmi, which displayed its creations with an installation in the gardens of Villa Borsani in Alcova. —Alessandra Pellegrino, AD Italia
