What can we take cues from the world’s largest furniture fair — Salone del Mobile? Despite the ongoing pandemic, the 2020 edition of the 59th edition of the fair called SuperSalone showed no signs of creativity waning. Home decor trends abound but only a few trends caught our eye. Here’s a peek into what’s going to be stylish and modish in 2022.

The SuperSalone 2021 Milan Furniture fair ran from 5 to 10 September 2021

Bringing Back The Past

It’s a return to the past! Iconic furniture and lighting pieces that were no longer in production are now given a new lease of life through reissues and revivals. The stalwarts in furniture design such as Cassina brought to life the out-of-production Soriana sofa system designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa in 1969.

Cassina ‘Soriana’ Sofa. Image: Cassina.

This coveted sofa won the prestigious Compasso d’Oro prize in the same year. It remains one of the most iconic sofa designs in that era and looks relevant even for today’s interior styles. In fact, the Soriana offers new eco-friendly materials made to exact details and honours our current earth-friendly practices.

Continuing at Cassina, the Edison table from the mid-1980s by Vico Magistretti has been revived. The Edison table’s cross-shaped joint legs connecting the counter-curvatures of the underlying structure is the highlight of this product. Over at B&B Italia, the storied history of this well-known furniture brand presented the revival of the Camaleonda designed by architect Mario Bellini in 1970. Remaining faithful to the original, this sumptuous sofa offers 90x90cm seat modules, punctuated by the characteristic dimple effect of capitonné design. Held by hooks, cables and rings, the Camaleonda is a rigorous structure yet comfy and plush. At Arper, architect Lina Bo Bardi’s Bowl Chair is refreshed with luxe Rubelli fabrics and only 500 pieces are produced globally. For Flos lighting, the brand celebrates the 265 tilting wall lamp – conceived in 1973 by architect Paolo Rizzatto — where its 2021 edition is rebirthed as 265 Chromatica. Flaunting cheery hues such as red, blue, and yellow, this iconic lamp gets even more alluring.

There were two surprises at Nemo Lighting: two lights get a limited production of 100 pieces: the Parliament floor lamp by preeminent architect Le Corbusier is offered in a new duo-coloured shade. Meanwhile, the Potence Pivotante tilting wall lamp designed by Charlotte Perriand gets a flourish with a new lick of blue.

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Sculptural Beauties

Furniture design can go a little bit dramatic and theatrical. Think of eye-catching forms and aesthetics, arresting lines and folds, all coming together to create a sculptural and functional object that would make heads turn. Spanish designer Jaime Hayon’s T-Bone armchair for Ceccotti is tapping on the brand’s artisanal skills in smoothening wooden elements to create this masterpiece.

Ceccotti ‘T-Bone’ armchair. Image: Ceccotti.

French designer Jean-Marie Massaud’s Aston Club armchair for Arper is all about faceted upholstery work to create a high-back armchair, or aptly called, the Bergère — an ode to a classic European lounge chair design. The armchair can be reclined to four pre-programmed positions via a trigger mechanism.

Australian designer Nikolai Kotlarczyk’s Royce armchair for SP01 sports a bird-like silhouette for its upholstery while it sits on a minimal tubular steel frame that appears like a bird perching. The arresting Slot table designed by Giuseppe Viganò for Bonaldo is a harmonious juxtaposition of slim metal legs with a slotted middle wooden beam to create this sculptural wonder. Elena Salmistraro’s Sangaku four-top table creation for Driade is inspired by the Japanese way of solving geometric problems on wooden tablets. At the house of Louis Vuitton, the brand was inspired by crashing waves. The Anemona table designed by Atelier Biagetti pays homage to the Adriatic Sea. Meanwhile, Marcel Wanders’ Diamond Sofa sports curved slats of ash wood to create a cage-like shape where seats appear suspended. Not forgetting the Serpentine table by Atelier Oi where its bevelled glass top sits on crisscrossing walnut legs held chicly by blue leather straps. Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson demonstrated his affinity for rhomboid modules that fit into a stackable structure to create a sculptural shelving system for Moroso called ‘Secret Cubic Shelf’

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Material World

SuperSalone 2021 was rife with products flaunting precious leathers, gleaming marble, or ore-like materials. It was an ode to extravagance and conspicuous consumption. At Baxter, the Barret armchair designed by Draga & Aurel offers sinuous aesthetics and a sumptuous, creamy-like feel of its rich leather upholstery.

Baxter ‘Barret’ armchair. Image: Baxter.

The designer duo’s Altea hanging cabinet is made with MDF structured veneered internally in natural maple and externally in dark brown stained ebony and finished with water-based paint. Drawer fronts and flap doors are coated with resins decorated by hand. Dragel & Aurel’s Tebe round marble coffee table is another marvellous table structure made from Brioche onyx or in matte polar white marble.

Over at Gallotti & Radice the Clemo coffee table stuns our eyes with the way the artisan’s hand brush the Ceppo de Grè (a type of stoneware) to project the hidden beauty of the polished surface. Clemo table is offered in other surface variants such as natural polished Calcatta Vagli Oro marble, Bianco Carrara marble or Fior di Pesco brushed marble. The Melt series of chandeliers by Tom Dixon takes inspiration from molten, handblown glass with a mirrored-finish effect. Lastly, the Roger nightstand designed by Rodolfo Dordoni for Minotti is a head-turner. The unit’s Dark Brown stained palisander Santos rosewood frame takes the spotlight thanks to its fine grain details and highly polished surface.

Inspired by Nature

Mother Nature has an effect on furniture design, or so it seems. The SuperSalone 2021 fair abounded with designs taking cues from flora and fauna.  At Bosa, the famous Italian ceramics brand, designer Elena Salmistraro’s Bernado panda ceramic object comes to life with its whimsical and mesmerising patterns.

Bosa ‘Bernando Panda’ figurine. Image: Bosa.

Continuing at Bosa, Spanish designer Jaime Hayon’s Baile collection of decorative animal masks is too hard to ignore. The cheery patterns and striking hues of the Hope Bird figurines make you want to collect them all. Inspired by athletes after they have won a race, the Dab Penguin designed by Vittorio Gennari pokes fun at this victorious pose. At the house of Diesel Living by Moroso, fluffy clouds are channelled into the design of the plush Cloudscape sofa. However, at Gallotti&Radice, the Livre armchair by Frederica Biasi flaunts patterns of Monstera leaves and Birds of Paradise on its upholstery.

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At Kartell, Philippe Starck’s Q/Wood chairs are all about projecting the beauty of wood-grain patterns derived through a pliable manufacturing technique to give it edgy, curved aesthetics. Maison Louis Vuitton also devoted part of its collection to Mother Nature. Dutch designer Marcel Wanders’ Petal chair is all about highlighting the delicate and tedious work of nine pieces of hand-stitched leather to form the petals of a flower. Even the Dolls chair by Raw Edges sports colourful botanical prints, contrasted by its zigzag-shaped leather seat and base. In the same theme of flowers, architect Annabel Karim’s Salon Nana sofa system for Moroso is all about going for a lush jungle theme. Lastly, the Diamond Markers clock from Vitra is a salute to the sun’s uplifting shape.

Also, check out the big furniture brands and their collections at SuperSalone 2021 here.

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