Straight from Salone: 5 Emerging Trends I Found in Milan That'll Shape Interiors for the Year Ahead

More than fifteen years after my first Milan Design Week, I still retain the wonder of surprise. My annual Salone pilgrimage comprises a mix of three things: seeing new collections from many of the world’s most iconic interiors brands; visiting installations from brands who (sometimes perhaps a touch spuriously) want some of the design magic to rub off on them; and then finding the time to discover what’s new and emerging.

April’s event in Milan is most definitely the annual showcase for the world’s most creative minds, and I never fail to leave with my inspiration cup well and truly overflowing.

Finding common interior design trends in the eclectic explosion of creativity isn’t always easy, but it’s also pretty fun. So I hope you enjoy these five I saw as much as I’ve enjoyed writing about them.

The Silver Era

Cool metal finishes — think chrome, aluminium, and mirrored surfaces — emerged for me as the defining material trend. Across the city's different exhibitions, designers explored the relationship between lightness and solidity and the potential for metal to introduce movement, dynamism, and depth into interior spaces through reflection.

The most striking expression of this came at Nilufar Depot, where founder Nina Yashar, in collaboration with Fosbury Architecture, transformed the central atrium into a reflective installation titled Silver Lining to mark the gallery’s 10th anniversary. Works by designers including Gio Ponti and Supaform featured in metallic finishes, encased within a mirrored aluminium fence and anchored by a rich burgundy shag carpet (a clever visual foil to the sleek, cool materials on show). With references to the aesthetic language of the 1970s, the installation felt like a bold, immersive celebration of metal. And a super glam one, too. I even braved donning shoe covers to walk within it.

Over at Alcova, the silver trend continued in Hiroto Yoshizoe’s "ubique" lights, created in collaboration with Arakawa Grip. Yoshizoe’s Tokyo-based practice is known for using reflection and suspension to visualise the path of light, making metal a fitting medium. Also at Alcova, Paris-based creative studio Waiting for Ideas presented Self Reflection, a chair crafted in aluminium and nickel that directly speaks to the theme through both material and name.

The silver trend was even evident at the main fair, which is often less able to showcase truly directional products. A highlight came at the Galotti & Radice stand, which showcased brushed aluminium walls alongside standout products such as Studiopepe’s Mirage coffee tables, offering further evidence that silver-toned finishes are setting the tone for a new, more elemental kind of luxury.

Radiant Transparency

I noticed designers delving into the interplay between vibrant color and transparency, working with materials like glass and acrylic to infuse spaces with both brightness and lightness.​ I loved this fresh perspective on how color and light can play together (and it could be seen as an extension of the celebration of reflectivity and mirroring that is central to the sliver lining theme).

Lake Como-based studio Draga & Aurel exemplified this with their Phebe pendant lamps and Cadre sideboard, shown at the Rossana Orlandi Gallery (one of my favorite spaces that delights every year). These pieces, part of their Transparency Matters collection, feel at the same time minimalist, space-agey, and a bit pop art, and they showcase the duo's innovative use of resin and acrylic to manipulate light and color. ​

Hermès also embraced this theme in its presentation at La Pelota (the show that always has the longest queue and the biggest buzz). The exhibition featured white suspended boxes that cast halos of bright color onto the floor, creating an ethereal interplay between transparency and illumination. My hero of the new pieces was the Pivot d’Hermès side table by London-based designer Tomás Alonso, a vibrant lacquered glass side table that embodies the brand's commitment to exploring materiality and form. ​(In general it's worth noting that fashion houses are all over Milan Design Week now).

Back at Alcova, the Vista collection of glass lights by Kickie Chudikova and Klove Studio, presented as part of the Shakti Design Residency, further highlighted the innovative use of color and transparency. These lighting designs demonstrated how translucent materials can be harnessed to create dynamic and colorful lighting effects, adding depth and vibrancy to interior spaces.​

Fluid Constructs

I noticed a real commitment to capturing the essence of movement in a product. The theme of fluidity resonated across various exhibitions, with designers drawing inspiration from nature's dynamic forms to infuse their creations with a sense of organic motion.​

I completely fell for Rive Roshan's Freedom Vessels, showcased at Galleria Rossana Orlandi, as leading examples of this. These sculptural pieces, with names like "Whirl," "Turn," "Rise," and "Spin," feature hand-applied mists of color that dance across their surfaces, creating a visual interplay reminiscent of swirling natural elements.

In a similar vein, Cecilia Garcia Galofre introduced the Fusion Bath for Konqrit, a freestanding bathtub crafted from glass-fiber-reinforced concrete. The design's fluid contours and nature-inspired aesthetics transformed a functional object into a sculptural centerpiece, reflecting the seamless integration of form and environment.​

At Nilufar Depot, the exploration of movement continued with Martino Gamper's carpets. These rugs feature dynamic patterns that appear to shift and flow, adding a sense of kinetic energy to static spaces. Complementing this was Irene Goldberg's Savage Heart low table, with its undulating surface and organic form.

At Alcova, movement took on a more architectural form with Lemon’s striking table design. Featuring fluted, flared legs, the piece felt in motion even at rest… a quiet but powerful gesture that reinforced the week’s broader fascination with flow and form.

Architectural Forms

And on that architectural note, this is perhaps the least ‘new’ of the trends, but so pervasive I couldn’t leave it out... Many interesting designers presented pieces that echo the structural integrity and aesthetic principles of architecture.​

A standout highlight for me was the work of BUDDE, who unveiled the FIVE x SEVEN collection at Galleria Rossana Orlandi. This series repurposes marble off-cuts to craft unique pieces, including consoles and tables. Each item integrates seven distinct types of marble, carefully selected to showcase a fusion of colors and textures. The arch-like forms of the pieces are captivating, with a linearity that feels very architectural.

In the realm of lighting, over at Alcova’s Villa Borsani, Yamagiwa presented its Taliesin lighting series, which are drawn from Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic archive. These sculptural lamps, composed of illuminated wooden boxes, were crafted in collaboration with Japanese artisans, and the reissued pieces pay homage to Wright’s timeless design principles.

At Alcova’s Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, Maqstone presented a striking collection of outdoor furniture that played with scale and proportion. The forms felt monumental yet refined — balancing mass with minimalism in a way that directly referenced architectural composition. The pieces reflect a commitment to structural elegance and material integrity, contributing to the overarching theme of architectural influence in contemporary design.

Cinematic Seduction

Saving perhaps my favorite for last, the trend I am choosing to call Cinematic Seduction emerged, with designers crafting immersive environments, with layering and atmosphere so rich to evoke the allure and drama of classic film sets.​ Narrative and storytelling felt paramount throughout the city in all the most interesting installations.

Dimore’s work is always leading, and this year was no exception. It collaborated with luxury brand Loro Piana, on La Prima Notte di Quiete, an installation within Loro Piana's Cortile della Seta headquarters. This multisensory experience saw us enter into a vintage cinema setting, complete with rich red velvet curtains and leopard-print carpets, and then discover a space meticulously recreated as a refined 1970s-1980s apartment, featuring Dimoremilano's furnishings upholstered in Loro Piana's luxurious fabrics. The ‘show’ lasted four minutes and was transporting. No photography was allowed during the show, a welcome break for the mobile battery and a chance to reflect on the importance of sound, light, and smell in interior spaces.

At Nilufar Depot, the whole Repertorio showcase (as with Silver Lining, curated by Nina Yashar) leaned into this look, featuring works by artists including Christian Pellizzari and Shlomo Harush set against a backdrop of vintage masterpieces. The installations all experimented and played with light and shadow, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of film noir's moody aesthetics. Amber Echoes was my favorite, drawing on rich accents and seductive textures, plus stand-out lighting and art pieces.

Lastly worth a mention is Lara Bohinc’s installation of her new seating collection, created in collaboration with French upholstery house Maison Phelippeau. Her voluptuous, curvaceous designs, enveloped in sumptuous bouclé fabric, exuded a sensual appeal, but it was their staging that most caught my eye for its dramatic use of drapery and rich color.

At Livingetc, we talk an awful lot about interior design trends. Some are like fast fashion: they often feel fairly lightweight, and they come and go in the blink of a TikTok hashtag. Others are deeper and last longer. The ones I saw during this year's Milan Design Week are most definitely in the latter camp. True creativity is not about following trends but setting them — and it’s such a privilege, having seen 100s of new things this week, to be able to identify the ones that will shape interiors for years to come.