Salone del Mobile 2024 – how the Milan furniture fair influences packaging design

Why is a packaging design agency reporting on a furniture trade fair? Admittedly, this is an unusual constellation. However, the Salone del Mobile has far more to do with our industry than it seems at first glance, because: The design trends presented at the Milan furniture fair always prove to be trend-setting for the entire design industry. No wonder, as it is one of the most important furniture fairs in the world. That’s why we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit the event in April 2024. Below, we describe exactly how the Salone del Mobile can influence packaging design and which design trends stood out at the trade fair.

The Salone del Mobile Milano as inspiration for packaging designers

The Milan furniture fair primarily characterises furniture design and interior design. However, its influence on packaging design should not be underestimated. In fact, it affects our industry in several ways.

1. trend forecasts

The Salone del Mobile acts as a showcase for the latest trends in design, materials and aesthetics. It provides interesting insights into emerging styles, colour schemes, textures and materials that will change consumer demands and desires accordingly. This forward-looking perspective can help us packaging designers develop product packaging that captures the zeitgeist.

2. material innovations

Innovative material applications are often presented at the Milan Furniture Fair, and these are also becoming increasingly important in packaging design. As a result, we packaging designers have the opportunity to discover new materials and techniques that are potentially suitable for packaging and, in this context, reduce the ecological footprint while increasing functionality.

3. advanced technologies

Just like innovative materials, technological advances play a major role at the trade fair. Some of these can also be applied in the packaging design industry, such as digital printing techniques, automated production or intelligent packaging solutions that integrate the Internet of Things (IoT).

4. networking

The Salone del Mobile attracts an international audience of designers, manufacturers and industry experts. This gives us packaging designers the chance to network and, where appropriate, form partnerships with design agencies, material suppliers and other players who can contribute to the realisation of innovative packaging solutions.

5. cross-industry inspiration

Although the focus of the trade fair is logically on furniture, the exchange of ideas between different design disciplines can also inspire us packaging designers. For example, it is conceivable that a new approach from the furniture industry can be transferred to packaging design in order to optimise structural integrity or aesthetic appeal.

To summarise, visiting the Salone del Mobile inspires us to come up with new ideas and helps us to keep pace with design and technological developments. In this way, we are even better able to develop packaging that is both visually appealing and fulfils the latest consumer expectations and market requirements.

The most important design trends at the Milan Furniture Fair 2024

We now come to the most important design and product trends at the Milan Furniture Fair 2024. If we had to describe our impressions in two words, we would say: unconventionally creative.

Rounded corners

One of the most striking trends at this year’s Salone del Mobile was rounded corners. We encountered them in a wide variety of living areas. This design feature gives the furniture a modern look with vintage charm.

Shapes with continuous curvature

New 3D modelling tools, such as parametric design and sub-D curves, make it easier to create shapes with continuous curvature. Computer-aided manufacturing using multi-axis CNC milling and 3D printing is also essential for creating complex, high-quality surfaces. At the trade fair, we saw just how much creativity these design and manufacturing methods allow with a variety of furniture designs.

Playful modularity and individualisation

The individualisation of products is becoming increasingly important. Consumers should be able to customise products to suit their needs. The Salone del Mobile provided plenty of examples of this:

– Karl Andersson & Söner from Sweden with the curved wooden bench that can be arranged in different ways
– Sancal from Spain with the modular seating furniture ‘Canto’, which combines industry and art
– Quooker from the Netherlands with multifunctional taps that can be customised thanks to a wide range of colours, shapes, finishes and functions
– Tubes Radiatori from Italy with the modular radiator ‘Add-On’, whose shape can be customised and which has the potential to be a decorative element in the home

Inflated shapes

Cartoonesque, inflated shapes in bright, cheerful colours invited the audience to relax. With their playful charisma, this furniture attracted attention. Even we couldn’t resist taking a seat for a moment.

Bold combinations of materials

Bold, creative combinations of materials characterised the entire repertoire of furniture and home accessories – whether for the living room, bedroom, kitchen or bathroom. Examples:

– Fabrics as a backdrop behind wooden and metal shelves
– Meshes with wood and fabric, but also plastic tubes or aluminium chains
– Glass as a background/divider for wooden and metal shelves
– Drawers with lenticular glass, marble or leather
– Leather handles on metal and glass cupboard doors
– Bed frame made entirely of machined marble (CNC)
– Marble top on a wooden sideboard
– Kitchen island made entirely of marble
– Organically shaped wooden table top with glass legs
– Marble with wood in the bathroom
– Semi-precious stones for tap handles

Textures to feel and admire

In addition to the bold combinations of materials, the use of textures was also a constant in all rooms at the Milan Furniture Fair 2024. Soft and rough fabrics, metals, natural stones, tiles and textured wood added an appealing tactile dimension to the furnishing elements. Visitors could and wanted to not only look at the furniture, but also feel it directly. Graphic designs on smooth surfaces were also a speciality. One example of this was the chairs by Kartell, whose printed floral patterns and motifs were otherwise only familiar from clothing or bed linen.

Unusual geometric patterns

Listone Giordano is a renowned Italian manufacturer of high-quality hardwood floors. At the Salone del Mobile Milano, the company presented its new collection, which focusses on sustainability and the circular economy. For example, the collaboration with another industrial company led to the use of discarded graphite for the surface design of a special graphite floor. We were visually inspired by the unusual patterns, which are impressively composed of literally peculiar angles and curves in multidimensional arrangements.

Rough materials

The contrast between industrially processed materials and natural elements was one of the highlights at the Milan Furniture Fair. Examples:

– Schüller’s international premium brand next125 with its kitchen in ‘The Fireplace’, a wooden pavilion designed by renowned architect Francis Kéré
– Acerbis with the Lokum side tables made of blown glass
– Bulthaup with the mini kitchen made entirely of stainless steel
– V-ZUG with high-end appliances in a unique installation in the ‘Palazzo di Brera’ that contrasted the building and its artworks, the complexity of a natural stone block and the modernity of the Swiss brand’s products

Explosion of colours

To meet consumer demand for personalisation, more and more brands are focusing on offering their customers a variety of options in terms of materials, finishes and colours. This year’s Salone del Mobile featured a real explosion of colour, whether in living room furniture, bathroom elements such as washbasins, taps and accessories or kitchen appliances. Smeg stood out with its retro-futuristic fridges, cookers and coffee machines.

Extreme minimalism

Minimalism has been a trend for decades now, but as we discovered at the Milan Furniture Fair, it is still possible to be more minimalist or minimalist in a different way. Some companies simply combine more or less obtrusive everyday objects, thereby taking away their visual impact and helping us to save space. Two examples:

– A truly spectacular innovation is a kitchen tap from the Italian brand Gessi: the “Vita Gessi Caffè” not only dispenses cold, sparkling and hot water, as other intelligent taps from competitors such as Quooker can do; it also integrates a coffee machine that is compatible with Nespresso capsules.

– In the iconic villa ‘Necchi Campiglio’, the German company Gaggenau provided an absolute highlight: the installation entitled “The Elevation of Gravity” allowed visitors to experience the philosophy of the household appliance manufacturer. The latter consists of masterly craftsmanship for an elevated life. In the midst of this installation, the invisible induction hob stood out on a floating counter in the form of an anthracite-coloured monolith on a rock. We were amazed when the water in the pot began to boil after a short time during the demonstration, even though there was no sign of a hob anywhere in sight.

Intelligent connectivity for maximum convenience

AI, IoT, automation and other smart technologies are used to improve the functionality and usability of devices to make our lives and work easier. This is why they are being used by more and more companies. At EuroCucina at this year’s Salone del Mobile Milano, we learnt about a fascinating variety of corresponding innovations. Examples:

– Miele with a new self-cleaning oven and, above all, the ‘Laundry Aerium’, a walk-in wardrobe that disinfects clothes and removes unpleasant odours
– Bora with the ‘M Pure’, a hob with an extendable cooking surface
– LG Eletronics with the ‘LG InstaView MoodUP’, a colour-changing refrigerator that plays music and displays the contents without having to open the door
– Samsung with smart appliances such as ovens, fridges and hobs that adapt to the user’s habits and help them with kitchen tasks thanks to the ‘Bespoke’ AI system

Conclusion

The Salone del Mobile 2024 revealed numerous design and product innovations that are visually and technically impressive and continue to inspire us as an agency for packaging design. One thing is certain: we will be back in Milan again next year.