EVENTS
SALONE DEL MOBILE, MILAN: THE FUTURE OF DESIGN AND THE BEST TRENDS FOR LIVING YOUR SPACES
By Manuela Pirola
Like every year, the Salone del Mobile Milano offers us a broad panorama of furnishing trends characterized by innovation, quality, practicality, aesthetics, and communicative value. This is why talking about “yearly trends” is somewhat simplistic. In fact, home decor encompasses much more than just fashion or style. It is, instead, a means of emotionally experiencing spaces and portraying the time we spend in our homes. Furniture enters our homes and lives with us for a long time, transforming the space into something that represents us. What we generally see at Salone del Mobile, then, is a plurality of voices and interpretations, of stories and solutions for our indoors (and not only): a varied, surprising, personal, and authorial mix, definitely evolving and rarely transitory. But regardless of the aesthetic and functional paths, the key words in the furnishing sector for 2023 are essentially two: well-being and sustainability, which could be divided into three major trends:
DESIGN CHROMOTHERAPY
In line with the fil rouge of this edition, colors are to be considered the true protagonists of this year, basically gentle shades that instill calm and serenity. Light, luminous, warm nuances recall the natural environments that surround us: the ochre of the earth, the creamy tones of ivory and taupe, the scale of greys evoking the stones, camel and terracotta, the colors of the wood, mustard yellow, but also forest green, emerald and sage, purple, various shades of pink, and the turquoise of the sea. This inspiration is, however, counterbalanced by a refined sense for saturated color and daring combos that wink the eye to the 70s and 90s—the purples, the yellows, the reds, the greens, and the blues. Gold also appears to emphasize the blue tones of ultramarine, peacock, and cornflower.
Picture Credit: Manuela Pirola
NATURE AS MATERIAL OF THE PROJECT AND BIOPHILIC DESIGN
As anticipated, the protagonist material of 2023 will be nature: fabrics such as cotton, velvet, wool, and jute, but also wood, stone, marble, and even paper. Textured materials, imperfect and almost rough, enhance the primitive and tactile aesthetic. Additionally, the hyper-structuralism of the materials brings contrasting veins, textures, and designs to the surface of the furnishings. It has been scientifically proven that for many people, proximity to nature or immersion in it improves mood, quality of life, and proactivity. Biophilic design is a sustainable design strategy that aims to connect and embed people with their surroundings, reconnecting human nature with the natural world. An environment built according to these dictates is able to help the human cognitive system lighten up and perform efficiently. Privileging the use of plants, greenery, and natural materials favors the sensory system in terms of neuro-motor influence, limits depression, controls states of hyper-excitation and induces a strengthening of the immune system in emotional and biological terms. Salone del Mobile has confirmed biophilia’s growing importance among the latest trends for interior design.
CURVED (AND COMFORTABLE) LINES EVERYWHERE!
The organicity is not only of the materials but also of the shapes: soft, sinuous, curved lines and rounded corners characterize every piece of furniture and object (chairs, sofas, coffee tables, furnishings, etc.), in balance between a desire for harmony and comfort and 60s inspiration. This trend has its roots in the “Psychology of Living”. People, in fact, are known to respond more positively to the presence of a curve than to a straight line. If the latter is rigid and immovable, a curved line is smooth and fluid, and, for this reason, seeing it makes us feel calm and relaxed. It instills a sense of welcome, like a sort of ambrosia. Objects that feature curves often look more elegant and contemporary. Visually speaking, curved lines can be used to help direct the eye to the focal point of the image. Thanks to their fluidity, they allow the viewer to explore the image casually without straining the eyes or to lighten those that are too square or have hard corners everywhere.
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