Salone Del Mobile at Milan Design Week was back with a bang for 2023 and showcased that “incoming interior trends are set to be bolder, more tactile and luxurious than ever before”, according to design expert Lucy Mather from furniture and furnishing store Arighi Bianchi who attended the must-visit interiors event last week.
“Salone Del Mobile is a great way of tapping into the current zeitgeist of the interiors world”, says Lucy. “And what certainly became clear at this year’s show is a huge shift towards more joyful interiors – with colour and texture at the forefront of trends.
“There is also an underlying feeling of glamour, tapping into an ongoing movement to bring more personality and ‘special touches’ into our homes.
“When we look at lighting, furniture and beds, it’s about re-creating those 5-star hotel and high quality restaurant experiences at home. We loved how glamour and luxurious comfort came ahead of function at this year’s show – the trends are certainly continuing the movement towards home interiors for wellbeing and the luxury of relaxed living that has become a more mainstream home trend this year.”
Here are some of Lucy’s key finds from the show (that anyone can build into their interior design right now):
1. Move over boucle – fluffy fabrics are trending
From the show:
Picture credit: Lucy Mather / Arighi Bianchi taken at Salone Del Mobile
Get the look now:
TETRAD FAIRY ARMCHAIR – £839 from Arighi Bianchi
“It’s official – we have reached peak boucle. After infiltrating the world of interiors for the past few years we are pleased to say that there was a new trending fabric in town – and the fluffier the better! Offering the upmost in tactility and cosiness – sofas and chairs in teddy bear style fabrics are a trend we are certain will be hugely popular. There is no denying that these sofas and chairs would make a gorgeous statement in any home – who wouldn’t want to snuggle down in these sumptuous fabrics. We launched our Fairy chair earlier this year and it’s a hugely popular choice and ideal for this look.”
2. Sofas are becoming more versatile than ever
From the show:
Picture credit: Lucy Mather / Arighi Bianchi at Salone Del Mobile
Picture credits – Ralik Modular Sofa System, Metis by Saba Italia
Get the look now:
SITS BRANDON CORNER SOFA – £3,999.00 from Arighi Bianchi; CANDY KELER CORNER SOFA – £5,599.00 – from Arighi Bianchi.
SITS QUATTRO LIGHT BROWN CORNER SOFA – £3,015.00 from Arighi Bianchi; SITS CLEO CORNER SOFA – £4,439.00 from Arighi Bianchi.
“Our interior spaces are more fluid than ever – we need multifunctional spaces for work, rest and play and as such modular sofas are becoming even more multifunctional. Modular sofas allow homeowners complete flexibility to create seating arrangements to suit their needs and specific occasions. This versatility is seen as a much more sustainable approach to furniture. We spotted lots of examples with built-in coffee tables and moveable backs adding even more function to these pieces. Fabrics were slouchy and luxurious to create the ultimate lounging space.”
3. Circular statement chairs took centre stage
From the show:
Picture credit: Lucy Mather / Arighi Bianchi at Salone Del Mobile
Photo credit: Mella, Loewe / Cristina Celestino at Clay Court Club / Dolce and Gabbana
Get the look now:
EICHHOLTZ BOUCLE CREAM SWIVEL CHAIR – £1,459 from Arighi Bianchi; HATTON SWIVEL CHAIR – £815.00 from Arighi Bianchi
“At Milan Design Week statement chairs featured heavily – they spanned large circular snuggle on chairs to Loewe’s chairs covered in foil; not to mention Dolce and Gabbana’s Oro 24K collection that pays homage to the craftsmanship of the Italian baroque period.
“Whilst these designer pieces (and prices) probably won’t be finding their way into most people’s homes, there were lots of luxurious and tactile snuggler and accent chairs with curves galore that will. Curves continue to trendin interiors and these cocooning chairs are a great way to get the look at home. One of our particular favourites was Mella, the new Not Ordinary Collection by ParkAssociati inspired by shapes of sweets and sugared almonds, and we love our Boucle Cream Swivel chair and the Hatton.”
4. Coffee tables come in twos and threes
From the show:
Picture credit: Lucy Mather / Arighi Bianchi at Salone Del Mobile
Get the look now:
GALET COFFEE TABLE – £425.00 from Arighi Bianchi; MILLHAVEN SILVER GREY COFFEE TABLE NEST £599.00 from Arighi Bianchi
CARRERA COFFEE TABLE – £469.00 from Arighi Bianchi
“One of the easiest trending looks to replicate from Salone Del Mobile is the use of multiple coffee tables to create a 2023/24 design statement. Using an established interiors tactic of displaying items in multiples (usually threes), adding more than one coffee table into a design scheme can create a real structural statement – the perfect way to add some understated glamour into a scheme. We saw lots of configurations of coffee tables grouped in twos and threes with mis-matched materials, organic shapes and a variety of sizes – all great ways to add tactility and interest to a space.”
5. Colours were vibrant – paprika (burnt orange) and mulberry are the ones to watch
From the show:
Picture credit: Lucy Mather / Arighi Bianchi at Salone Del Mobile
Get the look now:
BROOKLYN 4 SEATER SOFA – £1,399.00 from Arighi Bianchi; PLUSH RUG IN RUST – £175.00 from Arighi Bianchi
CANDY SYMPHONY HIGH BACK ARMCHAIR – £1,319.00 from Arighi Bianchi; CANDY SYMPHONY 3 SEATER SOFA – £2,199.00 from Arighi Bianchi.
“Colour is a great way to give your interiors an instant update and Salon Del Mobile was certainly not lacking in vibrancy. Vivid patterns, maximalism and exuberant colour combinations – there was a joyful and dopamine-induced feeling surrounding the show which was great to see.
“However rust, terracotta paprika, and a splash of mulberry were the shades that we saw coming through time and again – we are predicting that these colours will be everywhere by the end of the year so start to build them into your design now to stay ahead of the curve.”
For Arighi Bianchi’s full range of furniture and home accessories visit www.arighibianchi.co.uk