The Complete Trend Guide from Milan Design Week 2018 | Highlights
This years edition of Salone del Mobile just ended and we curated a selection of the best trends presented at the show.
1 / NATURAL STONES by Studio Qunzii Terna Architecture (QTA)
1stDibs was the first to unveil the newest material trend for 2018: natural stones. After a period of the brass-and-marble combo that dominated our Instagram feed the past few years we are finally getting a break.
Natural stones like black marquina marble will be on the rise this year and that is perfectly ilustrated with the new furniture collection of QTA.
Titled ‘small tables and light on a rock’, the series comprises four coffee tables, a bench, and a floor lamp made of sophisticated steel structures and roughly cut stone.
2 / THE RISE OF THE 3D PRINTING with Massimiliano Locatelli’s 3d printed house
The media hype for 3D printing has been very high in the last few years. During the 2018 Milan Design Week, Locatelli and his team at CLS Architetti created a 3D printed house. The walls were meticulously printed in Milan just for the occasion.
The building’s core was assembled with only concrete and a 3D printer, the rest of the fine detail work was assembled by hand. The result is this elegant little flat with a garden on its roof.
While 3D printing still produces only a small portion of all manufactured goods, the manufacturing sector is growing steadily as the technology constantly advances.
3 / CLOSING THE BRIDGE BETWEEN DESIGN AND TECNHOLOGY with 3M™ DI-NOC™
Man and machine are drawing ever closer as artists choose to work with advancements in science. Welcoming the thousands of designers, architects and creative professionals in the city during Milan Design Week 2018, 3M created an interactive, multi-sensory installation called ‘wonder beyond imagination’.
Visitors, witnessed highly advanced moments of digitalization and physical materiality — a true reflection of the brand’s focus on the union of science and design.
4 / ARTISAN MADE with BrHands Foundation
When a piece of furniture is individually handcrafted that instantly adds a distinct and personal touch to it. This year will show an increased interest in handmade products by independent designers over big-box offerings. Handmade products require artistry and skills which, once combined, give life to pieces greatly enriched by the care and personal attention invested.
BrHands Foundation opened their doors and promoted an live workshop to see skilled labour on site. Anyone that joined had the experience of trying the leaf gilding technique with the help of their skilled artisans and jewellers.
It was an unique opportunity to discover the ancient techniques that make every piece unique and marvelous. All of their furniture products are handcrafted and each object is individually made so they will never be identical — the result is always unique.
5 / BOLD COLORS with Hermès’s new home collections within colorful, tile-clad chambers
The time for the millennial pink and all it similar variations is over. In 2018 interiors will be bold, with energizing colors like red, yellow, rich blues and electrifying violets.
RELATED: 2018 Color Trends for Interior Design
During Milan Design Week, Hermès presented their new home collections at Museo Della Permanente, comprising an eclectic line of objects, furnishings, fabrics, and wallpapers. Color, materials and craftsmanship were expressed in seven architectural structures entirely covered with moroccan zellige, a small square tile made of glazed earthenware.
These seven monolithic and monochrome ‘houses’ conceived by Charlotte Macaux Perelman and Alexis Fabry offered visitors an immersive experience, a dip in color to discover the Hermès home collection.
6 / IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES by MVRDV that took you inside a bejewelled bulgari bracelet
It is not breaking news that the traditional department-store format is driving less traffic to storefronts, as consumers have moved retail activity online. With just a click of a button, any product from around the world can be yours as e-commerce and m-commerce have maximized choice, personalization, and suggestions.
Big retail brands are taking notice of this shift and are testing ways to use emerging technologies and extraordinary experiences to engage with consumers.
People are seeking to participate in deep, immersive experiences that take them away from the reality of their daily lives and enrich their experience of the world around them. Experiences that deliver a sense of theatre and thrill that are truly worthy of sharing.
MVRDV collaborated with Bulgari to create an installation based on three defining elements of design — materials, modularity and color. With all three combined an immersive space made up of uniquely crafted scales invited visitors into the craft of jewellery making during milan design week 2018.
MVRDV‘s installation transforms bulgari‘s iconic serpenti bracelet into a spatial experience. The installation aims to introduce the visitor a world of precious and unconventional materials with each scale made from the italian jewellery brand’s repertoire.
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Originally published at trendesignbook.com on April 23, 2018.
