In the upcoming Salone del Mobile, Spanish brand Capdell will present a collection inspired by the a Nordic feel: Belk was designed by Poland’s Szpunar Studio.

Belk enhances the natural elegance of wood and its workmanship, a collection of chairs with extremely clean lines and a Nordic design. Pure beech wood, powder blue upholstery and an innovative series of bands securing the seat’s cushion in place. The seatback, available in beech wood or upholstered, is a perfect and comfortable support for the back and is separate from the bottom of the chair. The seat cushion is attached using an incredibly distinctive arrangement of visible bands, acting as a contrast and an original decorative motif.

The collection includes two types of chair: the dining chair and the lounge version which is wider and more comfortable.

Milan Design Week 2016 is an opportunity for Sarpi Bridge_Oriental Design Week to consolidate the bridge with China, in partnership with Design Radio, emerging Chinese media that works to promote the design and Jillion Art Collective in Shanghai that deals with design and contemporary art.

With them Sarpi Bridge_Oriental Design Week promotes in Opificio 31 of Tortona design district the exhibition OO!CHINA, a significant exposure where China surprises, “oo!”, between art and design, a glimpse of a much project wide that will be accomplished in the coming months.

In OO!CHINA the “bridge” is not only between East and West but also between art and design, because the exhibitors have created using both the artistic thought that the expressive power of design, focusing on the research of materials and trying to combine aesthetics and functionality. Their projects were selected because they are the result of the optimization of the traditional Chinese process: from a simple concept is created through the material and the ability to expression an interesting project, valuable cargo.

The background is full of multiple identities, some of them are architects, others curators, artists, designers, writers and even scholars and researchers of Buddhism.
The curator is Sun Chenzhu, project director is Fan Yiping and in exhibition there are Hu Jian, Ivan Cheng, Li Hanyuan, Liu Tao, Liu Yi, Liu Yichun, Tan Zhipeng, Wu Hao, Xiao Aibin, Zhang Muchen, Zhang Zhaoying.

OO!CHINA 设计之外 

Milan Design Week 12 to 17 april 2016 

Meisterstücke’s sculptural bathtub and washstand are the highlights of the Kaldewei premium collection that the company will present at Salone Bagno 2016 (Salone del mobile Milano).

Working with star designer Arik Levy, Kaldewei has extended its Meisterstücke premium collection and, at the same time, has added matching washstands. The ensemble of the Meisterstück Emerso bathtub and Meisterstück Emerso washstand feature captivating and extraordinary style elements: the free-standing, fully enamelled bathtub has a slightly rising edge so that, like looking at a silk ribbon rolled in on itself, the eye is seemingly allowed to roam infinitely. The coordinated washstand is the inverse counterpart whose edge swoops inwards into the body of the piece.

Meisterstück Emerso bathtub was designed for one person. With its high back rest and long base area, it is an ergonomic and modern interpretation of historical bathtub shapes. The edge of the tub, turning in on itself, makes this model into a flowing sculpture that appears to develop infinitely, sensually connecting diagonal and horizontal lines. The bathtub is entirely made of steel enamel with seamless, conical coating, flush-fitting waste cover and discreet overflow outlet. The exceptional design makes this model into a free-standing piece of perfection for the bathroom.

The Meisterstück Emerso washstand is the inversely designed counterpart of the bathtub. Its edge curves inward, visually swooping into the body of the washstand. In this way the ensemble of bathtub and washstand produce a harmonious, self-contained unit. Thanks to its fully enamelled shape, the Meisterstück Emerso washstand can be installed with the descending side either facing into or away from the room. It is available both as a free-standing or built-in model.

Japanese company Sanwa will exhibit at EuroCucina during Salone Internazionale del Mobile for the first time. Sanwa will introduce to the Italian and European market a highly innovative project for the kitchen: four new solutions suitable even for small spaces, combining contemporary design and cutting-edge technology with a special attention on the quality of materials and finishes.

Sanwa is a Japanese company that for 35 year has been providing planning, development and sales of building materials and housing and commercial features, with a special focus on kitchens, washbasins, bathrooms, doors and fittings, tiles and flooring.
The company stands out for selling products that combine the most advanced Japanese technology with the typical minimalist design, simple and plain.

The spirit of the collection lies in the claim: Modern in style – Japanese in spirit.

For the upcoming Salone del Mobile 2016 Fendi Casa presents refined furniture for the everyday life. A disclosure of a contemporary lifestyle defining new living concepts in the sign of a refined aesthetics. A harmonious blend between design and fashion, furniture and complements enhancing FENDI unique craftsmanship and savoire-faire in a timeless balance between tradition and innovation.

The collection includes:

CONRAD SOFA. The Conrad sofa features elegant yet geometric lines in the sign of the highest refinement. The seatback, with a lowered profile in line with the sofa arms, embraces big cushions in a play of smoothness and volumes. In line with the Collection aesthetics, the upholstery celebrates creativity and material combination by blending the structure and the seat in velvet with the back in an elegant astrakhan pattern fabric.

PAGODA SECTIONAL SOFA. The Pagoda sofa celebrates the FENDI distinctive style and know-how. Resulting of a skilful interpretation of shapes and geometries, it features a comfortable and embracing seat accompanied by an elegant arm enhanced by the iconic Selleria stitching.

BRYANT SIDEBOARD. The Bryant sideboard is enhanced by its new proportions. Highlighted by its sculptural allure, it celebrates a granite-like aesthetic synonymous with a modern design. Finely crafted, it features an Ebony Macassar top and mirror glass shutters defined by the graphic touch of the handle matching with the metal finish of the frame.

ANYA COFFEE TABLE. Anya is a set of coffee tables with an elegant rounded shape proposed in three different heights. The tables are enhanced by a unique combination of materials:  Rosewood top and polished brass finish steel frame.

GRAFF presents an iconic art gallery at the next edition of Salone del Mobile in Milan, called Art of Bath Gallery. It’s a new artistic and emotional journey undertaken by the brand and created by Davide Oppizzi in partnership with D-­‐Cube Design.

The GRAFF booth at the International Bathroom Exhibition is a veritable art gallery, an the visitors are invited to see, from a modern angle, classical artworks in which history, art, symbology and sensuality, past and present, mingle. The latter are reinterpreted by Vincent Calmel, an internationally known photographer, specialized in portraying eminent, international personalities. The display revolves around five pictures: the Birth of Venus by Botticelli, Death of Marat by Jacques-­‐Louis David, La Grand Odalisque by Ingres, Ophelia by John Everett Millais and Gabrielle d’Estrées by the Fontainebleau school.

The architecture of GRAFF’s booth is serious and monumental at the same time. Spaces are customized, room-­‐by-­‐room. Shower systems, faucets, showerheads and accessories connect, weaving interesting, colorful and iconic threads. The result is a strong and vibrant “canvas” depicting the most salient items from the latest GRAFF collections.

Each piece proves to be, in its own way, the protagonist of such invaluable “mise en scène”, aligning itself with a specific aesthetic philosophy: the search for essentiality, free of ornamentation. If demonstrating adroitness and bravura for a company coincides with being capable of capturing a shape and turning it into a trend, GRAFF is a master of it.

Salone del Mobile 2016 preview: ICELAND – bench with backrests, project by Bartoli Design for manufacturer Segis.

Similar to icebergs floating in the sea, the padded backrests in different trapezoidal shapes emerge from the horizontal top, forming the large two-sided aluminium seating.

The German brand SieMatic, winner of the German Design Awards will present the event: “Your Lifestyle, your kitchen” on April 13th at Kitchen Studio SieMatic – Viale Monte Santo, 8 Milan.

In addition to the management of the company and Patrizia Lunghi, the Country Manager for Italy, the special guest of the evening will be Mick de Giulio, the famous American designer who developed the BeauxArts Collection. V-Zug, the Swiss company that recently launched the innovative steam oven, and the agricultural concern, Cantine Conte Collalto, winner of numerous international awards, will be featured in a live show cooking!

The Utrecht armchair was designed in 1935 and has been exclusively produced by Cassina since 1988 and now for the upcoming Salone del Mobile 2016, the artist Bertjan Pot has designed a bespoke textile in three jacquard versions for the Utrecht armchair giving a contemporary twist to this icon by Gerrit T. Rietveld.

The architecture of the armchair is reflected in the innovative workmanship of the Boxblocks fabric which is made up of 8 coloured threads mixed 2 at a time to create 19 different colours on a template which outlines the shape of the armchair. A homage to Dutch creativity, each unique Boxblocks version fits 90 limited edition pieces like a tailor-made dress, for a total of 270 models, which are progressively numbered to guarantee the Cassina mark of authenticity.

“The Design Of Life”: the relevance of the bond among art, design and beauty.

The Design Week puts Milan under the spotlight: the city becomes a proscenium for events and art installations stirring creativity all around.

And Sephora chose to be part of this lively, innovating mood as well. How? Through an extraordinary visual and emotional impact artwork conveying the artist spirit in step with the brand philosophy. The Sephora store in Piazza Gae Aulenti contributes with an idea that pledges to juice one of the most iconic squares in town up. To realize this project, Sephora entrusted the Calabria native and Tuscany adoptive illustrator Ray Oranges, whose jazzy, avant-gard look perfectly embodies the dynamic attitude of the brand. His artworks tend to basics with few distractions and precise clues focused on the concept’s core

Even a customary moment can turn into art: it’s exactly the message Ray Oranges wants to get across through this project he conceived for Sephora. The windows of piazza Gae Aulenti store come alive in colours and three-dimensionality. Abstract figures are highlighted by contrasting chromatic combinations. 3D elements are settled by the windows allowing the customers to become active parts of the installation. The artwork leaves its borders and turn into “live art”: beholders may enjoy it not only through their eyes, but also totally interacting with it.

The artwork will be displayed until May 8^th at the beauty store of Piazza Gae Aulenti 6.

On the occasion of the Salone del Mobile 2016, Tato continues the collaboration with Lorenza Bozzoli, focusing on a range of lamps that revisit, with grace and irony, forms of tradition. Common thread underlying a collection that ranges from completely different models in shape, size and function: the profound attention to detail, combined with careful research into materials, which flows by the combination of exotic stones and satin and burnished metals.

• Jil: table lamp with marble base, metal frame and glass shade.
• Anita: table lamp with marble base, metal frame and glass shade.
• Vox: table lamp, inspired by the ’30s, which can be used individually or in pairs. It is characterized for its ability to direct the light in all directions, so as to create scenographic and theatrical effects. With marble base, metal joint and metal lampshade.
• Olly: table lamp inspired by the ’20s. Deliberately ‘mignon’, is thought to be positioned in bookshelves, on nightstands, and wherever a little light point is necessary. It has a metal base and blown glass.

Locations: Antress, Milan, Via Solferino 8 and Colè Gallery, Milan, Via Cesare da Sesto 11

At this year Salone del Mobile Milano, Kreoo, young Italian company already leader worldwide in the creation of iconic marble design for architecture, interior and outdoor, will present new fascinating collections, including the Kora bathtube and the Tangram series of tables. The new pieces will be protagonist of the outfitting; an unexplored dimension of marble.

• Kora, an elegant ellipsoidal marble bathtub, that gives uniformity and elegance to the bathroom ambience, evoking the ancient Tibetan bells. Born as a complement to the sink, Kora also has a reference to a traditional musical instrument of West Africa. The reference to the music, and specifically to the sound of water is the soundtrack of a new way of experiencing the bathroom of contemporary people. As in Gong, Kora is cut from one single solid
block, carved with a meticulous and fine technique,
achieved by digging the stone, firstly with
specialized technology and then handcrafted for details and finishes.
The tub rests on an iron tripod that supports its volume, giving stability and elegance.
• A new item in Kreoo Living Collection; that’s the Tangram collection, characterized by a glass top that highlights the table soul, its base, made by interlocking elements of marble and wooden blocks of different colors and measures. From different geometries, thicknesses and materials, among them complementary, a new harmonious union of shapes has born, highly innovative and characterized by a great visual impact. At Salone del Mobile 2016, the Tangram collection is presented in three different solutions: Low coffee table, characterized by a single base, available in matt walnut wood essence and Bianco Estremoz. A table with one central base, proposed Zebrano Essence and Bianco Calacatta, with square or round top. A table with two bases, proposed Zebrano Essence and Black Marquina.

Carl Hansen & Son will be present at the the upcoming Salone del Mobile 2015 with this year’s new products: the Danish company has recreated one of the Hans J. Wegner’s first designs, the CH22 lounge chair, which retains the same model number that was used for the first collection created by the designer for the Danish company in 1950.

In conjunction with the design of the lounge chair, Wegner also designed a coordinating side chair along the same lines, the CH26, a piece that was never produced and remained unknown for a long time. Carl Hansen & Son now offers both models, which are characterized by: organic lines, a substantial and well-defined back, the broad shape of the armrests and the fine-quality craftsmanship and woodworking.

In addition to Wegner designs you’ll also discover the new collection of WOODLINES carpets designed by Naja Utzon Popov, a Danish textile designer, sculptor and ceramist.

For over 40 years, Lema has championed the ‘Made in Italy’ aesthetic, by expertly mixing innovation and tradition and  turning quality and personalisation into its unique selling point. Lema’s strength lies in its extraordinary manufacturing ability and typically Italian excellence, that have allowed the company to combine the values and technological efficiencies of a large enterprise with fine and unrivalled craftsmanship.

At Salone del Mobile 2016, the brand reconfirms its home archetype proposing new pieces that, through grace of their design and refined finishings, tell the usual discretion of Lema style.

Among the latest products, the formal neatness typical of the design language by Piero Lissoni, art director of the brand, creates Luce. Starting from the classic iconography of the table, Lissoni has worked on the exaggeration of its characteristics by subtraction: wooden top and a die-cast aluminium structure identify themselves in the absolute lightness of the design thanks to minimum volumes and thicknesses. A new proposal with a contemporary, almost technical imprint, designed to furnish both refined domestic environments and sophisticated contract spaces.

The brand also renews its collaboration with Christophe Pillet who signs STEWARD, an elegant wooden container with fine details in lacquered HPL (thickness 6 mm) and painted metal base combining the charm of an handmade piece with a contemporary industrial design approach. An essential cube in heat-treated wood, with a vague retro flavor, that presents folding doors to hide large compartments and drawers at the service of the living area.

Layering of styles, with vintage references, also for Graceland, round table, again by Christophe Pillet, who plays on neat and rational shapes and is characterize by the strong personality of the metal frame, combined with the top proposed here in the stylish finish Argilla.

For the upcoming Salone del Mobile 2016, Calia Italia will present 2 new product: Tango and Seneca, both designed by Internal research and development – CSI

Tango, part of Urbana collection, is a harmonically structured sofa, characterized by a clean look and wisely balanced in elegance and dynamism. This new proposal is defined by wide and very comfortable seats, in which fabrics follows one another in a play of colors and flowered textile prints. This play gives the living room a happy and energetic aura. Tango is made for young people looking for functional furniture and not only for design and form. At the base of each modular seat Tango contains a useful  sliding glove box that can contain books, blankets, cushions when necessary. In occasion of Milan Furniture Fair 2016, Tango will be available with a new coating which combines the softness and shininess of the skin with the variety of the fabric, for a surprising result. Tango system is completed with monochrome footstools and little tables, in order to create a full relax complete corner.

Seneca, part of Emporio collection, is definitely a sofa with a strong personality where the harmony of its shapes merges into its generous proportions.The model has been specifically designed to get the maximum comfort, with wide seats, a comfortable back with adjustable headrests and soft cushions, all aimed at offering the best possible relaxation. Available in leather, fabric or microfiber, Seneca is an elegant  model that will perfectly suit any contemporary living area.

The Ki collection, that will be presented at Salone del Mobile 2016, combines the prestigious Italian craftsmanship of Scavolini and the distinctive approach of Japanese studio Nendo which interprets design as surprise, experimentation and refined details.

The Ki concept, designed for kitchen and bathroom environments is trying to make the kitchen “hidden” in two objects to create space and offer complete design freedom: a container, an unique object with a strong connotation, synthesis of an expressive code that can be repeated ad infinitum and a wooden shelf of pure essentiality (Ki in Japanese, meaning at the same time container and wood). With this project, Scavolini envisions new ways of inhabiting space, with the pivotal element—the container—resting on linear-shaped shelves. What emerges is an actual storage system that dominates compositions designed for both kitchens and bathrooms, with Scavolini Bathrooms.

• The kitchen. In the Ki kitchen, which includes linear, island and peninsula compositions, the containers rest on shelves and function as wall units, or re-appear in the sink and hob units—novel, important elements that add a personal touch. An absolute total look: the doors, profile handles, upstands, back panels, plinths and tops come with a single finish.
• The bathroom. For this environment, the container replaces traditional wall units and also defines the wash basin, offered in the lay-on, semi-recessed, under-top and free-standing version. The mirrors, rigorous slabs resting on the tops and against the walls, conceal a practical LED lighting system.

“BESPOKE XL” – Salone Internazionale del Mobile PAD 7 STAND D15-E18
. Set up: Piero Lissoni

After its 90th anniversary celebrations, Porro keeps travelling with new awareness along its original path through the world of design: modelling systems and furniture with a highly selected mix of finishings, clean outlines and flawless details.
If research and innovation have always been at the basis of its expertise, the brand has been able to reinterpret them with a distinctive attitude that has become its symbol: a cross use of materials and technologies involving memories and cultures, where aesthetic simplicity conceals a set of layers and oscillations between past and present combining tradition and innovation in order to soften the boundaries between seriality and handicraft. The result is a home with the style of Porro, but every time with a unique flavour.

As for the new compositions of the company’s systems, they are entrusted to Piero Lissoni’s work, the alchemist whose task is to dose essences, hues and technical innovations to create new settings, whereas the development of collections continues the professional liason between Porro and Gamfratesi (the couple composed by Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi), whose approach to the project combines the craftsmanship typical of the Danish classic furniture with the conceptual process typical of Italian design. Started last year with Traveller, it goes on with a new chair that brings imagination even further. The materials adopted become softer and softer, from tapered wood to leather. The structure, visible on the back and on the sides where a close-fitting dress can be put on and off, conveys an idea of conviviality and a holiday atmosphere, although its unobjectionable style also makes it suitable for a urban context. The clear 50s-inspired contour animates it, providing it with diverse perspectives from all points of view. An object designed for a home-shelter, where it is possible to leave the world behind and let one’s mind lead the way.

“BESPOKE XS” – Fuori Salone. Installation: P.Lissoni
c/o Showroom Porro duriniquindici
Via Durini 15, Milan
12/17 April h. 10:00 – 21.00
11 April press preview h. 10:00 – 20.00.

In the showroom at via Durini 15 instead, wardrobes are in the spotlight, the quintessence of Porro’s customisation. Here the company’s bespoke does not only manifest itself through the accurate finishings of doors and interiors, but also through original and cutting-egde space solutions, through the rationalisation and optimisation of interiors so that the objects inside – shirts, clothes and one’s most beloved accessories – are not just safe and tidy, but exhibited and valued as well, with the obsessive attention to hidden details which makes a wardrobe by Porro different from any other, a world apart.

A dense pathway hosts 8 subsequent possible solutions, confirming that spacious, breath-taking areas are not necessary: the wardrobe project by Porro shows off its absolute quality whatever the size. Like a tailor, Porro masterfully sews its wardrobes like a custom-made dress that is able to adapt to all desires and spaces, combining industrial production and handicraft, off-the-shelf product and one-off piece.

EVER continues its research in order to make the bathroom complete, turning its gaze to the elegance of detail and the warmth of the materials used, stimulating all the sensory experiences.

LINK and SHINE are the preview that the brand will present at Salone del Mobile 2016.

• Link, design Diego Cisi, allows the configuration of many installation solutions: the modular straight system is in fact made up of a cristalplant basin and the furniture has different wood finishes, which have the same size of the basin and can be perfectly right/left aligned. The front handle is integrated sideways in order not to protrude, allowing combinations of several elements without splits between them. The furniture module, designed to clear the bathroom shelves from too many objects, when opened, has a compartment used as a container and equipped, on request, with a triple electrical socket. The cover can be equipped, on request, with a mirror inside. Ideal for a contemporary home, the Link system has been initially designed for facilities dedicated to hospitality with no architectural barriers and without giving up to design and interior, even in the bathroom.
• SHINE, design Monica Graffeo, is a handle, a strong support but also an auxiliary light for the night or to create a warm atmosphere that acts as a guide in the bathroom. The LED light bar is adjustable in different positions, projecting the light downwards, upwards or toward the wall. The support functionality (up to 120kg), a standard of all products Ever by Thermomat, is maintained and guaranteed in all positions through an effective locking system of the light bar. It can be both vertically and horizontally installed and inside the shower box.

Quale miglior occasione come il Salone del Mobile 2016 per scoprire Antes Design, un nuovo marchio milanese fondato da Antonella Tesei, che trasferisce in quest’attività l’esperienza di progettista. Le sue prime collezioni sono l’espressione di uno studio sui materiali metallici, le cui sezioni contenute avvicinano la sostanza al tratto del disegno di progetto

Tra le anteprima in mostra al Salone milanese troviamo:

• Seventies, libreria composta da lastre di ferro tagliate al laser, pressopiegate e fissate con viti a filo. finitura con verniciatura a polvere epossidica con fondo antiruggine. (larghezza cm. 203,00; altezza cm. 201,5; profondità cm. 30,00)
• Petra, libreria a 2 moduli composta da lastre di ferro tagliate al laser, pressopiegate e montate ad incastro. Finitura con verniciatura a polvere epossidica con fondo antiruggine. (larghezza cm. 126,00; altezza cm. 268,00; profondità cm. 43,00)
• Drop, Un tavolo basso (altezza cm. 32,00) composto da tubolari e lastre di ferro tagliate al laser. Finitura con verniciatura a polvere epossidica con fondo antiruggine. (diametro totale cm. 80,00; diametro tavolo interno cm. 30,00)
• Tray, tavolini con differenti dimensioni, composto da tubolari e lastre di ferro tagliate al laser. Finitura con verniciatura a polvere epossidica con fondo antiruggine.

Esposizione presso Colé Gallery, via Cesare da Sesto 11, Milano.

A wild but sophisticated setting, dominated by a nature that envelops and overwhelms: this is one of the new moods developed by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba for Kartell by Laufen, which during the Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2016 presents a backdrop made of floral games and urban jungle patterns.

The vast size of the collection permits its pieces to blend in like chameleons, adapting to any shifts of taste and culture. The freestanding washbasin is also in black and white, specially designed for contract, a focal point for Kartell by Laufen, and following a careful study to develop custom finishes to meet the widest range of needs.

One integral part of the collection is the new washbasin in white matt with a length of 120 centimetres made in SaphirKeramik, the revolutionary material that adds the mineral corundum – a component of sapphires – to the ceramic blend, bringing extreme solidity and extraordinary flexural strength. The borders of this washstand are the proof: just a few millimetres of thickness suffice to guarantee hardness second only to that of diamonds. With this new version, once again Kartell by Laufen demonstrates the capacity to respond to all necessities, both in terms of space and of style.