Ethereal Light Boxes for Hermès Double as Conversation Pieces

2022 Best of Year Winner for Shining Moment

Rooftop water towers seem to exist far from the rarified world of Hermès. But at Milan Design Week 2022, they inspired the ethereal light boxes that contained the luxury brand’s latest home collection, which centers on textiles. Lighting designer L’Observatoire International and architecture firm Studio CMP connected the towers’ simple functionality with the timeless beauty of an Hermès cashmere quilt or folded leather centerpiece. The four 26-foot-tall constructions, totaling 1,100 square feet inside the La Pelota event space, were made of ash frames covered in custom-dyed nonwoven fiberglass paper. The translucent material, applied piece by piece on-site, softly glowed from internal LED chandeliers and spotlights, resulting in large volumes that looked nearly weightless.

“It was like being inside a Noguchi lamp,” L’Observatoire’s Hervé Descottes observes. “The objects and structures showcased a quest for lightness,” Studio CMP’s Charlotte Macaux Perelman adds. Like paper lanterns, the structure frames were also transparent, forming geometric patterns that echoed the patchwork blankets, painted ceramics, and caned chairs on display. As they have for previous Hermès installations, the two French teams crafted luminous scenography that subtly expressed the brand’s creative vision.

L’Observatoire International: hervé descottes; etienne gillabert; elie nespoulous; giuseppe bini; francesco secone

Studio CMP: charlotte macaux perelman

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13 Belgian Creatives Featured at the 2023 SaloneSatellite

Belgium Is Design, a group of the country’s 13 emerging creatives, is among the up-and-coming talent show­cased at this year’s Salone­Satellite in Milan, the Salone del Mobile program laser-focused on the under-35 set. Among the highlights: Marianne De Cock uses lacquered larch for her jaunty Fold stool; Ahokpe + Chatelin encourages circularity with Ku do azò, a hammock made with secondhand sweater yarn; curves delineate Fersasos founder Pauline Vercammen’s Shell light; and childhood games inspired a tapestry by Manuel Leromain. Narcissus by Studio Matta is a polished-steel mirror integrating a shelf and vase. Notadesk’s laid-back lounge chair pairs an ash frame with a recycled-cotton sling seat. Playful Piédestal 1 by Tim Somers mixes wood species, and textile artist Emma Terweduwe contributes Gradient, a reversible felted rug that’s endearingly wonky. We love, too, how the mirrored top of Joe Sterck’s Speculum table separates from its base to become a stand-alone art piece.

9 Bold Color Highlights from Milan Design Week 2023

There is a springtime following winter, and we are in it. Color can match our emotional state. Bold and bright, it seizes a room, lifts us up, and comforts us. For the first time since the global pandemic, international furnishings event Salone del Mobile and the coinciding Milan Design Week returned to their former April time slot, for the most part back to the usually scheduled program. 

As Interior Design jaunted around town and the fairgrounds, we saw color, color, and more color. And this makes sense. Would a gray or neutral beige really express what we have gone through? Now, in this moment, color should shout. Or perhaps, wrapped up in our own spaces for so long, we know ourselves better. Color is about individualism, after all. From a pastel outdoor sofa system to a balloon that won’t float away and pendants that climb to the heavens, here are nine of our favorite, colorful finds from Milan Design Week 2023.

Pops of Color at Milan Design Week 2023

1. BomBom Outdoor by Joana Vasconcelos for Roche Bobois

The pastel-hued facades of Lisbon’s Old Town sparked the idea for the exuberant color pallet of the curvaceous BomBom Outdoor sofa system by Joana Vasconcelos, upholstered in hardy outdoor fabric. Vasconcelos, who lives in Portugal’s capital, also designed the suspended ceiling installation in the same hues, as seen in the Milan showroom here. 

2. Bulla by Studio Thier & van Daalen

Evoking childhood memories of the excitement that comes with a balloon, Bulla wall lamps are crafted from glass in pastel hues mouth-blown without a mold—making each piece unique. The loop-shaped light element follows the form. 

3. Parallel Tube by Atelier Areti

There are times when limitations lead to the best results. A basic light could be considered three parts: base, stem and illuminating element. “The Elements collection is based on reinterpreting one or two elements of this archetypical three-component light,” says Gwendolyn Kerschbaumer, cofounder of Atelier Areti. Parallel Tubes, a new addition to the collection, is a wall lamp where this simplicity shines. 

4. Starglow Spiral by Eloa

A colorful floating stairway gracefully ascending to the sky, the Starglow pendant light by Eloa is a string of colored spheres of mouth-blown glass, each unique. Both color and height are adjustable—allowing the possibility of floor-to-ceiling rainbows for living rooms, stairwells, and more. 

5. Ray and Rainbow by Draga & Aurel for Rossana Orlandi Gallery

With a nod to Light Boxes by artist and composer Brian Eno, pendant light rods Ray and table Rainbow demonstrate with electrifying results the possibilities of acrylic resin. Irregularly-shaped swaths of color form Rainbow, while Ray drops enthusiastic hues from the ceiling. “I imagined a kind of waterfall or a curtain made of light,” says Draga & Aurel cofounder Draga Obradovic. “In this collection, we wanted color because it gives the sensation of lightness.”

6. Moiré by Objects of Common Interest for CC-Tapis

Rugs can also explore the natural beauty of wood grain, according to Objects of Common Interest. The design studio’s Moiré rugs, woven in a jacquard technique rare for the rug world, draw from the moiré-like patterns of grain and rings occurring in wood.

7. Bentar by Hendro Hadinata for Robries

Split gateways (candi bentar in Indonesian) are often found at the entrances of palaces and temples in Indonesia. Similar in form, the Bentar lamp by Hendro Hadinata is made from a material that recycles plastic waste. The light dims when its two pieces are pushed together. 

8. Otto by Yellowdot

The shimmering, hand-woven silk ‘kutnu’ fabric upholstering the blocky Otto bench by Yellowdot takes its wavy pattern from the Ottoman Empire, where it was used for royal kaftans and furnishings. Today, the technique is kept alive by a small group of craftworkers in the city of Gazientep, Turkey.

9. Binda by Raw Edges for Louis Vuitton

With piping accenting its backwards-sweeping, futuristic curves, the upholstered Blinda armchair and sofa elevate the average living room to the one you keep talking about. In addition to ‘cream and coral’—shown here—bold color options include ‘deep blue and violet’ and ‘orange and milk.’

10 Show-Stopping Installations at Milan Design Week 2023

“What have you seen that’s really, really fabulous?” Each year, Interior Design is asked this question during Milan Design Week, when countless design events coincide with Salone del Mobile. The answer changes by the day but often involves an installation—a temporary immersive experience that captures the senses and sends us into another realm of feeling: perhaps joy, perhaps excitement, or perhaps curiosity.

At Alcova, the offsite exhibition, an Italian cocktail emerged from a steampunk sculpture—and that wasn’t the only installation that grabbed us. In the Porta Romana district, a restored swimming complex with two large pools dominated Instagram for the week. In the Fashion district, towering trees and a secret garden at a Milanese villa made us wonder if we were still in the center of Milan. From a seemingly endless banquet spread on natural and semi-precious stone to an interactive scent laboratory and a plane made of denim, here are 10 of our favorite installations from Milan Design Week 2023.

Installations from Milan Design Week 2023

1. “Beyond the Surface,” by SolidNature

If we could give an award to this year’s most breath-taking spread of food, it would go to SolidNature, also winner of the Fuorisalone Award for Best Installation at Milan Design Week 2023. A star at Alcova last year, the stone purveyor moved to its own venue, and filled the basement and garden of the neo-Romanesque Casa Maveri, a villa in the Brera District, with commissioned natural and semi-precious stone pieces.

Designed by Ellen Van Loon and Giulio Margheri of architectural firm OMA, the basement level was reached by a dramatic backlit stair, with each step highlighting a different colored onyx. Backlit massive stone blocks overtook the entire underground floor space, which explored more stone possibilities.

In the garden, a large communal table used blocks of travertine treated with olive oil to display a seemingly endless spread of food by culinary artist Laila Gohar, from wild strawberries to shaved parmesan, figs, and cured meats as espresso was served up from a travertine bar. Both the table and the bar were designed by Sabine Marcelis. “I wanted to really celebrate the colors the travertine comes in—I didn’t even know that you could get orange or red,” Marcelis admits. “The surface of a table normally defines its function, but here I wanted to kind of blur those lines, so the feet are also places to rest food on.”

Studio Ossidiana designed the stone stage and podium and a semi-precious sculpture bursting with crystals was by Ward Strootman. In the grass, stone animals by Iranian artist Bita Fayyazi lounged—among them a sleeping cat and a rabbit.

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2. “Expériences Immobiles” by DWA Design Studio for Les Eaux Primordiales

At Alcova, a glass and wood interactive scent laboratory by DWA Design Studio made for a dramatic way to entice visitors. With mechanical fans, glass bulbs, vials—some containing whimsical sculptures by Natascia Fenoglio—and two glass towers, the captivating olfactory experience provided several different ways to breathe in perfume by Les Eaux Primordiales, whether by a squeeze of a plastic pump or a twist of a dial that spun a disc of paper, directing the scent towards you. Resting on a colorful carpet and housed within a wood frame that filled a room, the towers of stacked glass geometric shapes were inspired by factory chimneys and offered a fresh and new perspective from every angle.

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3. “Spirit of Design: Inspired by Nature” by Dedon

We’re not one to turn down a peek inside an Italian villa, an exclusive opportunity that increasingly comes with Milan Design Week. At the Fashion district’s 22,000-square-foot Garden Senato, German outdoor furniture manufacturer Dedon presented the exhibit “Spirit of Design: Inspired by Nature.” In the villa’s tucked-away garden, a path winded through the manufacturer’s furnishings, from swinging chairs dangling from leafy trees and light fixtures sprouting from leafy foliage. An open-air pavilion offered a spot to lounge with a cocktail, and a cluster of butterflies (actually powder-coated aluminum and mounted on rods emerging from the lawn) introduced a butterfly-themed chair, Papyon by Arnd Küchel. On a canopied loveseat, Orbit by Richard Frinier, it was also possible to spot Dedon’s new Mystique, a fiber which has a technologically advanced 3D-effect that allows it to shift in hue.

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4. Negroni Fountain by Mamo

A steampunk aluminum and plastic sculpture trumped all other opportunities to enjoy a cocktail around Milan this year. Also presented at Alcova, the interactive Negroni Fountain by Mamo drew an enthusiastic crowd, ready to catch the bittersweet tipple flowing from plastic tubes with Mamo’s tinted reversible glassware. The installation’s purpose was to “upend the usual interaction with design pieces on view during design week which you can only look at and not touch,” says Arley Marks, Mamo’s creative director and cofounder. We’d say: Mission complete.

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5. “Under the Sun” by Gubi

Beautifully restored thanks to crowdfunding, Bagni Misteriosi (“Mysterious Baths”) is a historic swimming complex and outdoor theatre in Milan’s Porta Romana district. Built in the 1930s, the sprawling venue includes several buildings, two pools, and poolside and rooftop bars—an area totaling over 100,000 square feet. During this year’s Milan Design Week, it was an easy place to linger and the ideal venue for Danish furniture manufacture Gubi to launch an expansion of its outdoor collection and celebrate 10 years of its iconic Beetle chair by GamFratesi. Curated by Marco Sammicheli, “Ten: Beyond the Beetle” presented 10 wildly unexpected variations of the Beetle, as conceived by 10 artists, from a tattoo artist, to a lighting designer. One, by Nathaniel Furman, is supersized and pink. Another, by Rachaporn Choochuey, soars through the air. “The Beetle chair was actually made for a creative exhibition – we were very young and did the product with the intention to express our philosophy,” says GamFratesi cofounder Enrico Fratesi.

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6. “More or Less” by Maarten Baas for G-Star RAW

A 50-foot denim airplane was the star of “More or Less,” by Maarten Baas for G-Star Raw. Conceived as a conversation on the challenges of sustainability and the benefit of small contributions, the exhibition also included a series of jean-shaped cabinets made of textile board material by textile manufacturer Kvadrat. Both the plane and the cabinets’ board material were crafted from recycled G-Star jeans collected via “G-Star’s Return your Denim” program.

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7. “Swing” by Stefano Boeri Interiors for Amazon and “Interni Design Re-Evolution”

Grab a panini we are heading to the University of Milan’s new supersized collective swing set for a sky-high lunch break. That’s a comment that makes sense during Milan Design Week. As part of “The Amazing Playground,” an interactive space by Amazon, “Swing” by Stefano Boeri Interiors filled a courtyard with a metal carousel of swings with wood seats. “Play is a basic component to Italian design history—if you look at Enzo Mari or Bruno Munari, for example,” says Boeri, who hopes to reinstall the swing in another part of the city following the event. “After spending hours watching, it’s not so bad to switch roles, and become an active participant.” At night, illuminated, Swing served as creative venue for a series of concerts. 

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8. “La Macchina Impossibile” for Sanlorenzo and “Interni Design Re-Evolution”

Boldly-hued flowers—actually propellers—stood out in the large metal structure that formed “La Macchina Impossibile,” also in a courtyard at the University of Milan. Demonstrating a sustainable revolution in the yachting industry, the installation’s propellers and wheels are powered by a methanol system developed by shipyard Sanlorenzo in partnership with Siemens Energy. The technology will start powering on-board services on yachts up to 240 feet from 2024.

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9. Sculpture by Raffaele Salvoldi for Salvatori

Italian artist Raffaele Salvoldi is known to take KAPLA, a stacking children’s toy of wood building blocks, to new heights in both creativity and form. But what could he do with stone? So thought Italian stone brand Salvatori. Despite a less-forgiving material, Salvoldi (who must be very, very patient and meticulous) had dazzling results, in the form of three towers built live in the Salvatori showroom during Milan Design Week. The towers find new life for hundreds of pieces of natural stone cut from production discards.

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10. “Assembling the Future Together” by IKEA

Mist on your skin, wind in your hair, and earth in your hands made for an intriguing experience at the IKEA installation, designed by architect and set designer Midori Hasuike and held at the 10,800-square-foot Padiglione Visconti, a historic building used for workshops for cultural venue Teatro alla Scala. The Swedish furniture manufacture used the occasion to toast its 80th anniversary. Visitors first encountered a nostalgic exhibition highlighting IKEA products dating back to the 1950s. New products were unveiled in ‘present,’ and the elements were unleashed in the ‘future’ section. “Here we wanted visitors to get interactive with the products that are in front of them,” shares Hasuike. This section included a pine tree“an homage to IKEA tradition,” Hasuike adds.

At night, the space turned into a nightclub illuminated by a lighting project by Anders Heberling, who incorporated over 1,000 glass carafes and colored glasses. Thanks to IKEA’s newly launched Artist in Residence program, star photographer Annie Leibovitz, the first recipient and there to unveil a series of portraits, was a notable attendee.

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12 Young Designer Highlights from SaloneSatellite 2023

Clever innovation was spotted all over SaloneSatellite, Salone del Mobile’s platform for young designers last week. From sustainable materials to unexpected forms, a fresh perspective dominated the 24th edition, which drew more than 550 rising stars under the age of 35 to the Fiera Milano exhibition center.

Each year, a few hot talents are singled out in the SaloneSatellite Awards program—and this year the top prize found new life for tatami mats. From a giant, free-standing lampshade to seemingly dripping cabinets and a compostable stool, here are 11 of our favorite finds.

SaloneSatellite Spotlights the Work of Young Designers

1. Haori by Atsushi Shindo

The graceful fold of a Japanese kimono sparked the idea for the aluminum and leather Haori by Atushi Shindo—after he found himself wearing the traditional garment for the first time. Inside the giant, free-standing lampshade, internal projection converts an LED light into a soft, soothing glow.

2. Melt by Antrei Hartikainen

“I tried to find a sense of water,” says Finnish master cabinetmaker and designer Antrei Hartikainen on his Melt furnishing collection, carved out of untreated Finnish pine. Paneling on the hand-built wall-mounted cabinets appears to be dripping—as if water is flowing along their surface or melting.

3. Tatami Refab Project by Honoka

Honoka nabbed first prize in the SaloneSatellite Awards. With the idea to repurpose tatami matts—frequently discarded in Japan—the Japanese design studio mixed them with biodegradable resin. With help from a large 3D printer, they then created a furniture collection. The transparency of knitted tatami-resin Sori and Muri, a pendant light and table, changes according to degree of light and angle viewed.

4. Shi-Tai by Hideyuki Yamazawa for Swarm

Decomposition and its method of breaking down particles into smaller pieces is behind the shape of the Shi-Tai, produced with help from Generative AI. Hideyuki Yamazawa mixed recycled cardboard and cushions with paper, resin, and green coloring to develop the chair’s new material, based on the traditional Japanese lacquer technique called “Shi-Tai.”

5. OCTA Twin by Diaphan Studio

Diamond-shaped projections emerge from the sharply-angled solid brass OCTA Twin pendant light, which has an internal floating diffuser for its LED lights. “All of our lamps are inspired by crystal structures,” explains co-founder Dominique Wolniewicz. “Working with rough and polished finishes—the exterior is always brushed and the interior polished–creates all of these reflections.”

6. Triplex 4.0 by Studio Ryte

Gothic architecture and plastic stools that are widespread in Hong Kong are behind the curves and fluted legs of Triplex 4.0, Studio Ryte’s fourth version of a stool and second prize winner in the SaloneSatellite Awards. The award also recognizes its new material, a biodegradable flax fiber. “Our intention was to create a furniture piece that is relatable, compact, and light enough for the nomadic lifestyle of the current era,” says Dennis Cheung, founder of the studio.

7. Céleste by Laure Gremion

With Céleste, designer Laure Gremion transforms LED strip lighting found in the average hardware store into an elegant chandelier that’s both modular and adaptable. Generally glued on a wall, the strips are instead looped on a steel frame. “LED strips are a fascinating material that is highly underestimated and only glued to rigid elements and most of the time hidden,” says Gremion. “But using its flexibility is much more interesting! So I started experimenting with it and noticed that when I twisted it in loops, it was creating tension, and with weight, it could make a curved shape, and become a totally new material.”

8. Sitzle by Yoomin Sun

Students of designer Stefan Diez—also a professor at the University of Applied Arts Vienna—had their work highlighted in the exhibition “Rethinking the Elements of Architecture.” For those of us who gravitate towards heat sources in cold temperatures, Sitzle by Yoomin Sun is a set of couches with a built-in radiator. The seating concept, which brings the heat source to you, allows more efficient use of heat.

9. Solarshades by Julian Paula and Paul Canfora

There’s no need for solar panels to be ugly, according to Julian Paula and Paul Canfora, also featured in “Rethinking the Elements of Architecture.” Made from transparent organic photovoltaic film, the design duo’s Solarshades are both decorative and functional, with the capacity to tap energy from limited light.

10. “Ku Do Azò by Ahokpe + Chatelin for Belgium is Design

European sweaters available at African markets are the source of the yarn in hand-woven hanging bed Kudoazò by Ahokpe + Chatelin, a design studio working out of both Belgium and the West African nation of Benin. Each bed—crafted from polyester warp and mixed-fiber weft (wool, acrylic, and polyamide) and held up by steel rods—is unique. “We wanted to make objects created on Beninese territory for export while questioning the flow of materials,” says Estelle Chatelin co-founder of Ahokpe + Chatelin, the third prize winner in the SaloneSatellite Awards.

11. Spiral by Peter Otto Vosding

Pondering the idea that cords aren’t usually the most attractive element of a luminaire, designer Peter Otto Vosding conceived floor and pendant light Spiral. The fixture’s visible cable is wrapped around a height-adjustable aluminum pipe, and both draw the eye when rendered in vibrant hues.

12. Biodesign Biomaterial by Gabriel Sotrati Angelo

A seed traditionally sourced for red food coloring is the unexpected ingredient in Biodesign Biomaterial, an experimental biodegradable material by Gabriel Sotrati Angelo. A substitute for plastic, the material is created by mixing latex with annatto, or seeds of tropical America’s achiote tree. 

Alcova Surprises in More Ways Than One at Milan Design Week

Held once more at a derelict urban site ripe for renewal, the wildly popular Alcova returns to Milan Design Week. There’s nothing so perfectly seductive as the contrast between a rough backdrop and pristine design objects, as the event’s founders Joseph Grima (Space Caviar) and Valentina Ciuffi (Studio Vedèt) are well aware.

For the fifth edition of the envelope-pushing contemporary design exhibition, the shiny new—or rather old and abandoned—venue was a former slaughterhouse, the sprawling Ex-Macello di Porta Vittoria, a departure from the former nunnery and military hospital of the previous two years. Coinciding with Salone del Mobile 2023, Alcova presented over 90 projects, April 17-23.

From light fixtures that look more like a cavernous yawing maw, radiator, or household pet to several objects inspired by the humble rock, here are 14 of our favorite finds.

14 Highlights from Alcova at Milan Design Week

1. Cor by Tom Fereday for Agglomerati

With expressive, yawning maws carved out of a single block of Roman travertine sourced from the Italian town of Tivoli, Cor tucks a warm LED light source inside a cavernous opening. Each of the six monolithic totems in the lighting series is a unique variation of the ancient stone, and ranges in height from 4 1/2 feet to 6 feet high. “They are bound by a single spherical cut,” says designer Tom Fereday.

2. Tralucid Bench 125 by Laurids Gallée

Made entirely of hand-cast polymer resin, Tralucid Bench 125 joins a family of blocky transparent architectural objects “designed to naturally interact with light sources to cast sharp and soft patterned shadows into a room,” says designer Laurids Gallée. “At the same time, these objects have the power to blend into any surrounding and magnify an interior with a colorful statement.” The bench was featured in an atypical examination of coastal relaxation, the collective exhibit “By the Seaside.”

3. Parmigiano by Anne-Claire Hostequin for Atelier Luma

Stool, table leg, storage bin, plant pot, or glowing lampshade? Parmigiano by Anne-Claire Hostequin is just as versatile as the Italian cheese. Fabricated from assorted bioplastic (some recycled), micro algae, plant-based additives, and plant-based dyes, they’re manufactured using rotational molding and were featured in “Atelier Luma Bioregional Design Practices.” The exploratory study and exhibit addressed bioregional design practices—or the best way to tap local resources for a sustainable economy.

4. Tempo by Kate Greenberg

It’s possible designer Kate Greenberg jumped for joy over her dark basement location—it was the ideal surroundings for Tempo, her collection of edgy furniture and lighting, all of which would slip right into a techno nightclub. Evoking warmth and similar in form and sultry red glow to iconic heating units of a bygone era, aluminum light fixture Radiator was presented in two versions. A study on time, the ceiling-mounted aluminum and glass pendant light Felled Sky rolled through a progression of hues emulating the sky’s transition from day to night.

5. Ambra Toba by David Pompa

A country’s most average stone is an object of beauty under the creative eye of David Pompa. For his new lighting series Ambra Toba, he pairs aluminum with Toba volcánica, the most common stone found in Mexico. “Not typically used in design, the stone is so common that the name in Spanish is ‘stone’—but there was no public knowledge on it,” says Pompa. Teaming up with the geology department of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, he discovered it is made of glass, minerals, and volcanic debris.

6. Ondula by Art + Loom

The humble rock is once again a source of inspiration for “The Art of Formation,” an exhibition of rugs and furnishings experimental in both form and material. Ondula, one of four new rugs by Art + Loom, is a textile study of tectonic plates rendered in merino wool, linen, and allo. “We try to use as many natural fibers as possible—“the allo comes from a nettle plant,” explains Art + Loom designer Samantha Gallacher.

7. Baby Beloco Side Table by Bea Pernia

Toasting the allure of two natural materials, the Baby Belco Side Table—also featured in “The Art of Formation”—is an addition to the Atus collection of custom furnishings. Each piece in the collection pairs solid white oak, black walnut, or weathered teak wood with raw marble cutoffs from quarries in Portugal.

8. Acropora by Sangmin Oh for Textiel Museum, Tilburg

Fishing line, elastic yarn and glow-in-the-dark yarn are transformed into a glowing snake-like pendant light referencing threatened coral with Acropora. The light is a new addition to Sangmin Oh’s Knitted Light series, which breaks boundaries with yarn. “Light and textiles can combine to create magical stories,” says Oh. “The textile is stretched as it is knitted, and after I decide on the shape, I fix it by stitching it by hand.”

9. Sea Project by Polcha

Adroitly siezing the bounce of light on water, Sea Project by Polcha is a collection of glazed terracotta tile pointing to the precious resource that is our oceans, according to designer Charlotte Tarbouriech, one half of the French duo behind Polcha. “We enjoyed playing with the depth of color and reflection lines,” she reveals.

10. Peel by Prowl and M4 Factory

Introduced as the world’s first compostable injection-molded chair, Peel is made entirely from hemp bast fiber, a byproduct of hemp and cannabis industrial processing. Hemp-based biodegradable plastic forms the frame and hemp leather-upholsters hemp foam cushions. While the cushions and the packaging—that’s paper pulp and hemp fiber—can be composted at home, the frame must be industrially composted.

11. Appuntito by Project 213A

Evoking a quilled mammal, Appuntito (‘Pointed’ in Italian) evolved from “playing around with shapes and exploring different ways of creating textures that hold the glaze in an unexpected way,” according to Theresa Marx, co-founder of design studio Project 213A. Hand-crafted spike detailing on the base of the brass and ceramic lamp is rendered in clay glazed a translucent red, while the expansive 19-inch shade is a wool-nylon blend.

12. Manifesto by Stormo for Pulkra

What at first glance appears to be a massive support base is revealed to be a precise, graceful composition with Manifesto. Balanced on a base with a prominent void, the table reveals new developments in concrete—its composite material, pigmented with fine marble sand, is both strong and lightweight.

13. Of the Origin by Isabella Del Grandi for Slalom

Silence can be beautiful, Isabella Del Grandi demonstrates once again. With “Of the Origin,” the designer returns to Alcova to showcase the acoustical sound absorbing possibilities available from acoustic system manufacturer Slalom. This year, Del Grandi conceived a series of stacked primary forms, some stretching to the ceiling. In addition to wool, the forms were upholstered in two experimental PET fabrics, one from plastic bottles collected around Milan.

14. A Lamp Fur You by Xaver Kuster

The best warm light creates a warm and fuzzy kind of atmosphere, according to Xaver Kuster, the designer behind the (literally) warm and fuzzy A Lamp Fur You. Crafted from faux fur and foam, the LED lamp resembles a furry pet. “The idea was to create an object that, besides the warm light, makes us feel comfortable with its presence in the room,” says Kuster. “It feels familiar, keeps us company, and calms us when we stroke its fluffy fur….some say it might even be human’s best friend.”

10 Questions With… Lani Adeoye on the Multifaceted Nature of African Design 

Lani Adeoye can’t get enough of Lagos, Nigeria. After all, she spent the first 12 years of her life in the country before moving to Canada. “How is Lagos?” is the first question she asks when we get on a Zoom call for this story. With a hint of amusement in her voice, I sensed she was referring to the heat. “Lagos is fine,” I said and we burst into laughter because Lagos isn’t always fine— but we love the city regardless. Since establishing her career in design four years ago, Adeoye has become one of Africa’s standouts, shining a light on the continent’s cultures and traditions.

Adeoye’s biggest design ethos centers around creating contemporary furniture inspired by African heritage—a phrase, she notes, people within and beyond the continent still find difficult to grasp. There’s more to African design than Ankara fabrics and furnishings reminiscent of artifacts, a fact she vocalizes often.

Design has always been Adeoye’s instinctual language. She recalls leaving her job as a management consultant in Toronto to study at New York’s Parsons School of Design. Through exhibitions, she realized there was a high demand for her product and Studio-Lani, her design firm, was born. But Studio-Lani isn’t just a design firm, it reflects Adeoye’s approach to deconstructing the monolithic conceptions about African designs and serves as a space for exploration.

There is a rareness about Adeoye’s designs, which are structurally-defined, elegant, and possess extraordinary shapes that bask in the synergy of architecture, geometry, and Africa’s history. With such an incredible oeuvre, Adeoye has earned several accolades. Recently, she became the first African designer to win the Salone Satellite award for her ‘RemX’ piece at Milan Design Week 2022. 

Interior Design sat down with the designer to learn more about the evolution of her career and brand.

Interior Design: Can you tell me about your latest collection “Ekaabo”?

Lani Adeoye: The Ekaabo collection was something we recently launched in Milan, and it’s really a celebration of Nigerian heritage. It incorporates several things from different ethnic groups in Nigeria. I was very much inspired by the different cultural celebrations across the country, especially the bold materialities that exist in these different cultures and places. I’m also very much inspired by leather craftsmanship that happens up-north, even the Aso oke and Adire fabrics and also bronzes from Benin. The Ekaabo collection was a celebration of different things that have mattered to me over the years—materials I have always wished to conceptualize and play with. I do a lot of research and experimentation, [I] travel within the country to places with good artisanal appeal and talented craftsmanship, like Abeokuta, and just watch the way they use their skills to craft perfect materials. This collection was unique because it dealt with exploring different techniques, it was a very labor-intensive process and I was committed to it fully. 

ID: Tell me about your journey as a designer?

LA: When I first started designing furniture, I would go around telling people I’m designing contemporary furniture inspired by African heritage and people were always like: “What are you talking about?” People weren’t getting me, they would tell me to mix something with Ankara because involving Ankara would make it African and that to them was very understandable of my vision.

People have this monolithic idea of what they want to see from Africa. So for me, it is about broadening people’s perspectives and showing we can do many things that come from within. My work as a designer is very much inspired by several skills beyond the design world. When I make furniture, I don’t necessarily look for carpenter because the furniture I make is not made in a traditional furniture manner, so I reach out to people that are good with their hands, like shoemakers and hairdressers, because they mostly have a different approach to style and design that is extraordinary, technical and artistic.

I look at the industries that I feel have exceptional skill value, understand their mindset, work together and do something in furniture—so that has always been my approach. I find that it has helped and I really wanted to design something with a futuristic aura. Sometimes when people see you are doing something African inspired, they always expect you to create something that is already in the museum and for me, I want to be very explorative.

ID: The shapes in most of Ekaabo products are very refined, rare and unique, was this your intention to make it this way?

LA: Yeah, for me, shapes and forms speak volumes in my work. “Ekaabo” means “welcome” in Yoruba, so I wanted the forms to feel very open and soft. I even conceptualize the chair arms to be opened up, ready to receive the seater or the viewer. I just wanted it to have that overall warmth and roundness, also with the materials and choice of color. So it’s contemporary but it should also be full of warmth, especially that West African hospitality that makes you feel at home. 

ID: Who did you create this collection for, as in who is your target audience?

LA: I don’t think I design from that perspective, especially because most of my collections are driven from an artistic sort of approach. So those who connect with my designs, just connect with them. 

ID: For the creation of this collection, who did you work with and did you employ artisanal skills?

LA: I worked with hairdressers, shoemakers, weavers—it was a combination of people from different skill industries coming together to create something spectacular. 

ID: Tell me the story behind your brand Studio-Lani?

LA: Studio-Lani is part of my beliefs in sharing our heritage, looking back at traditional ways of doing things or older techniques. It’s one of the places that resuscitate dying art and craft where you kind of look at a lot of things that have been done before and ask questions of how to give the old a contemporary feel. It’s inspired also by my curious nature and my interest in researching and digging deep into things and exploring them, so that was the first core. I started doing exhibitions to showcase works and it grew into business. The market responded to our perspectives and we pulled a lot of effort into doing things differently and doing things we feel connected with. I feel that people are always excited to see new things. When I started doing this, I didn’t know about any design shows in Lagos, there wasn’t a lot of interest so I kind of continued doing my job for a while. But thankfully, I think things are changing— there is social media and I think young folks coming up are witnessing these changes too. 

ID: What has owning a design business in Nigeria’s biggest city taught you over the years?

LA: I mean it’s the same story across the creative industry. I would say infrastructure; you wake up one day and there are electricity issues. There are a lot of challenges and I think a lot of times for a lot of us designers operating in international space, it makes it challenging when you have constraints. 

ID: What do you think about the design industry in Nigeria, is it growing?

LA: I think it’s really growing. When we started out, we had to work extra hard to find an audience and even build the industry to a reputable place. Now, there has been a massive support from both local and international spaces and there is availability of materials. Not like they don’t get to work hard as much, don’t get me wrong but I just think a lot of things have changed between now and then. I believe that designers are making more incredible designs and structures that would hopefully serve better purposes to the ecosystem.  

ID: What other projects are you hoping to work on in the near future?

LA: There are always a lot of things I’m interested in working on, I feel like I’m the kind of person that gets bored easily. There are so many things on my mind, whether it’s testing out different materials or different production techniques. It’s always one or the other that I’m interested in exploring but it may not always come out right away. I really love things to sit in my head. So I’m not necessarily in a rush to put things out. I have been working with a lot of different designers, so if there’s one thing now, it’s collaborations and exciting conversations that I’m anticipating.

This Installation by Studiopepe Cofounders References Ancient Civilizations

Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinto, cofounders of Studiopepe, may be young and Italian, yet the stunning sculptural products emanating from their Milan studio have a classical quality suggesting both ancient civilizations and the venerated works of such 20th-century maestri as Constantin Brâncuşi, Isamu Noguchi, and Le Corbusier. All stem from the duo’s ongoing research in anthropology. For Milan Design Week, they collaborated with Galerie Philia to present “Temenos,” a 2,400-square-foot installation named after the word for sanctuary in ancient Greek held in the vacant 1950’s Necchi factory, in the Baranzate district 20 minutes from Milan’s center. Its handmade pieces, named for the nine archetypes of Egyptian cosmogony—like Temu and Isi—include vases, a console, mirror, lamp, and thronelike chairs with backrests of charred wood. studiopepe.info

9 Show-Stopping Installations Seen at Milan Design Week 2022

There is a trick to quickly erecting a temporary destination that seduces the design community during Milan Design Week—and wow-factor is a must. At Alcova, the offsite exhibition which took place for the second time in an abandoned nunnery and military hospital, several installations shined, taking advantage of an abundance of space and the decayed elegance that only comes from derelict structures. In the Brera district, La Palota, a former sports venue beckoned with lofty ceilings. And why not add a famous villa to the mix? From a kitchen installation at a location of a recent crime drama to a portal of natural and semi-precious stone to a colorful sphere-filled sound studio, here are nine of our favorite installations from Milan Design Week 2022.

Highlights from Milan Design Week 2022

1.  A Statement of Form by Gaggenau

The luxurious Italian villa seen in “House of Gucci,” a recent crime drama inspired by true events directed by Ridley Scott, dominated Instagram feeds this Milan Design Week. Completed by architect Piero Portaluppi in 1935, the Villa Necchi Campiglio an estate with private garden, swimming pool, and tennis court, is the beautiful home of the Necchi family. A slice of verdant oasis in the center of Milan, it has long been a seductive and coveted party venue.

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This year, the villa hosted “A Statement of Form,” a sleek kitchen installation by kitchen manufacturer Gaggenau, in collaboration with Munich-based architecture firm 1zu33 and its founder Hendrik Müller, with contributions by marble expert Salvatori (behind a stacked marble centerpiece) and ceramic specialist Kaufmann (maker of the tiles). 

2. “Monumental Wonders,”  by SolidNature

At Alcova, nine different types (and colors) of onyx composed the dramatic entry portal to “Monumental Wonders,” presented by SolidNature. Demonstrating what is possible upon breaking the perceived boundaries of designing with natural and semi-precious stone, the installation commandeered five rooms at Alcova’s Lavanderia building and highlighted creative use beyond raw marble block—think stone dust and off-cuts—with a series of monumental commissioned pieces. 

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Architecture firm OMA, headed up by principals Ellen van Loon and Giulio Margheri, designed the stone-wrapped doorway as well as a rotating cabinet doubling as a movable wall and a bed tucking away a hidden table and storage space (both made of marble and onyx). 

A dazzling bathroom built entirely of pink onyx by Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis took center stage. The 360-degree free-standing sculpture showcased an apt merger of form and function while an internal glow drew attention to the natural veins and raw beauty of the stone.

3. “Silentscape” by Isabella Del Grandi for Slalom

Within the soothing embrace of “Silentscape,” a colorful sound studio installation by Isabella Del Grandi at Alcova, the chatter of voices—and the bustle of Milan Design Week—dropped away.

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Exploring, with texture and material, the acoustical sound absorbing possibilities available from acoustic system manufacturer Slalom, Del Grandi clad walls in soft surfacing material and dangled round upholstered spheres from the ceiling—these slowly swayed as mellow music played.

4. Houses by Charlotte Macaux Perelman for Hermès

A luminous installation of ash wood and translucent colored paper houses featured items for the home from Hermès. 

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Inspired by water towers, the one-room stand-alone geometric structures glowed like lanterns at venue La Palota, a spacious former sports center benefited by sky-high ceilings and accommodating up to 1,200 people. Charlotte Macaux Perelman, the artistic director of Hermès Maison who conceived similar displays for the luxury fashion brand for previous Milan Design Weeks, was behind the design. As visitors traversed through, they discovered six new fabric designs, all made of cashmere. 

5. See the Stars Again by Flos

As a soothing voice talked about the future, Arco K, an anniversary version of the iconic Arco lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni spun around in a slow wide circle while surrounded by raw white stone and set within pristine white walls. Part of “See the Stars Again” a temporary destination conceived to highlight 14 new product launches by lighting manufacturer Flos, the eye-catching presentation offered visitors a close up look at the lamp’s lead-free crystal base, which exposes its inner mechanics. Curated by Calvi Brambilla and held at the 65,000-square-foot former factory Fabbrica Orobia, the installation also included sculptural displays, indoor gardens, and projections of animals.

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6. “Divine Inspiration” by Lee Broom

Taking centuries-old display know-how from religious places of worship, Lee Broom launched six lighting collections and 30 new products in “Divine Inspiration.” The British lighting designer’s largest initiative yet for Milan Design Week was set in a gallery, within a warren of rooms—each with its own curated lighting product display and unique mood.

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Among the limited edition hand-sculpted pieces in the Requiem collection, a seemingly beautifully and artistically broken pendant light is a showstopper. 

7. Weaving by Amine El Gotaibi for Beni Rugs

A ceiling-mounted 300-pound weaving by Moroccan artist Amine El Gotaibi set the stage for Spoken Lines, a collection of 10 rugs by Colin King for Beni Rugs unveiled at Alcova.

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Made of nearly 80 feet of natural wool, the site-specific artwork was woven in part by a cooperative of female weavers in Morocco—who weave all of the company’s rugs—and took four weeks to create. 

8. Caffè Populaire by Lambert & Fils and DWA Design Studio

Aperitivo opportunities abound during Milan Design Week, but the truly special ones take place in temporary venues built entirely for the occasion. Set on the grounds surrounding and within an indoor-outdoor temple dating back to the 1930s at Alcova, the second edition of Caffè Populaire was an aperitivo garden presented by Lambert & Fils and DWA Design Studio. Water flowed amidst sculptural lighting (from Lambert & Fils) and flowered wallpaper (by New York-based wallpaper studio Superflower) and plantings of wildflowers and grass.

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Focusing on the senses, the installation included an elevated interior garden—a central table planted with wild flowers—and a water sculpture. Throughout, the Brutalist, tower-like forms of the Silo lighting collection by Lambert & Fils juxtaposed with Florescence, a wallpaper collection by Superflower with hyperrealistic flower imagery taking cues from Japan’s Edo period Ikebana (art of flower arrangement) and 19th century Victorian patterns. 

9. “Holotype” by Refractory

The scent of turmeric wafted through the air at “Holotype,” presented by the freshly launched Chicago-based furniture brand Refractory and held in the E/Spacebuilding, a new attic and adjacent terrace location at Alcova. The spice was both heaped on the ground and sprayed on the concrete walls – tinting them orange. This unique backdrop for Refractory’s artisanal consoles, dining tables, occasional tables, benches, lighting, and objects in materials ranging from cast bronze to solid black walnut was joined by paleontological specimens and imagery of America’s West, in collaboration with Sarah Wilson, co-founder of Go-Valley, a Texas-based production company.

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RIOS Brings Superbloom to Milan Design Week

The whirlwind that is Salone del Mobile brought a newcomer to the scene in the guise of a multi-sensory presentation. RIOS, the Los Angeles-based studio staked its claim at the international celebration of design and creativity with Superbloom, an interpretation of California’s rare springtime phenomenon of wildflowers awash in the desert. Conceptually, the conceit was the very antithesis of its setting—super-industrial and often chilly gray Milan. The big idea was to bring a jolt of SoCal sunshine, nature, and frankly joy to the capital of Lombardy. 

That’s part of the why. Underlying the high-impact visuals, though, was RIOS’s primary reason for participating. “We wanted to introduce ourselves to the European market as a multi-disciplinary firm through the vehicle of a fabulous installation, especially since this was the first Salone in a couple of years.” Sebastian Salvadó, creative director and principal introduces the project as spokesman for the team also including CarloMaria Ciampoli and Simone Lapenta. Teamwork, in fact, was the name of the game. RIOS held a firm-wide competition with its internal jury selecting two proposals to be consolidated as the final project. 

The immersive experience that is Superbloom unfolds through a series of three connected spaces—a foyer, courtyard, and exhibition room—within a private building housing the Simposio Design showroom in the Porta Romana zone of Milan, not far from Fondazione Prada. According to Salvadó, incidentally visiting Milan for the first time, it’s a typical 19th-century building with an arched opening streetside transitioning to the courtyard and exhibition area beyond, all totaling 3,750 square feet. 

Named the Rain, Sprout, and Bloom rooms, the spaces sequence the course of the flowers’ growth through nature. The Rain Room, blue to indicate water, presents as an open-air passageway filled with laser-cut vinyl tubes containing beads that release a customized scent. “Salty and earthy,” says Saladó. In the distance, sunlight, as suggested by a painted yellow disk mounted on the courtyard’s 10-foot-high wall, beckons to indicate propagation or sprouting as results of the rain. Design-savvy visitors can appreciate the area seated on custom benches designed with Janus et Cie. Finally, comes the piece de resistance. Of course, it’s the Bloom Room where super-sized examples of colorful translucent plastic, fabricated in house as were all components, stand more than 6-feet tall and “are almost anthropomorphic in their intense feeling of a field of flowers.” Projected images, light play, and background music composed by RIOS designer Anthony Nitche heighten the quasi other-worldly experience. As for himself, Salvadó recounts super bloom viewings at the Anza Borrego desert. “As a kid I was always aware of my surroundings.” Chalk that up, perhaps, to his father, a scientist combining geophysics, astrophysics, biology, and mathematics disciplines “to see how the planet works.”

In nature, super blooms are ephemeral, lasting only a few weeks. Their design interpretation here is a bit less fleeting. Superbloom, on view during Milan Design Week, is being upcycled. Items from the exhibition will be donated to Ai Bi, Associazione Amici dei Bambini, a non-profit fighting childhood neglect in Italy and internationally while also supporting Ukrainian mothers and children in Italy.