Salone del Mobile trends 2017, Milan Design Week

While I’m not one for necessarily abiding by trends in interiors – my style has been pretty eclectic for years and years – I’m always curious to know what others think are going to be the biggest scoops for the mainstream audiences. The best way to establish what’s gonna be a big hitter for the next season tends to be via trade shows. Luckily for me, working with the PR industry, I get to be a frequent visitor to most of these shows and sometimes this even leads to trips abroad, working with clients and sourcing new ones.

Salone del Mobile in Milan is one of the biggest shows in the world (I’m talking crazy big) and generally is seen as the place to launch brand new products for the year to come. From the smallest independent designers to major sofa companies, many people visit to specify products, carry out trend reports or simply just to cheekily check out the competition.

I’m not sure I’ve ever been so overwhelmed in my life by the sheer size of something. Artificial lighting and severe spotlighting are not your eyes friends, so with other 24 huge halls, Salone is certainly a little bit of a visual overload, as well as very good for your thighs.

However, it is massively clear to see how this trend thing works when hundreds of brands all sit under one roof. I’ve featured some of my own trend spots below, along with a little help from Alison Hill, Creative Director at DFS who has also shared her take on the top trends to emerge from the show. Keep your eyes peeled for a future post on how I’ll be incorporating aspects of these trends in my own home!

Colours: Dusty Pinks, burnt oranges

The colour palette of choice remained firmly in the pink department in most areas but there was also a rising star amongst the colour trends coming through in the form of burnt orange. Sofas, accessories and even rugs all took on this bold option to complement the abundance of greenery and botanicals on each stand. I have a soft spot for hues and while I might not go the whole hog with either as a dominating colour, I’ll certainly be incorporating aspects of both via soft furnishings within my living room.

Burnt orange took the crown for dominant colour in the latest furniture designs at Salone del Mobile, this year. Flanked strongly by its complementary colour, green, with botanicals and plants providing a revitalising sense of the outdoors alongside the lust-worthy orange hues.

~ Alison Hill, Creative Director at DFS

Velvet

Velvet is here to stay with an abundance of sofas providing visitors with some welcome respite and an opulent pit stop. Colours tended to veer towards either the dusky pinks previously mentioned or the dark and moody – emerald greens, midnight blues or graphite options. It’s always been a dream of mine to own a velvet number so I’ve taken the plunge and ordered this velvet fabric sofa to style up in my new abode!

Greenery

As well as greenery featuring strongly on EVERY stand quite literally, aspects were also pulled through into the furniture via tropical prints and botanical colour palettes. Pantone Colour of the Year has certainly dictated much of the greenery trend this year, at least it has a lovely message!

As urban living is on the rise, more and more people are living without direct access to a garden or outside space so this need for greenery is increasingly translated to our interiors. From zesty limes through to dark emerald and forest tones, green sofas make a bold statement while bringing positive psychological benefits such as renewal, harmony and balance – things we could all use more of in our daily lives

~ Alison Hill, Creative Director at DFS

Natural Materials

Rattan and wicker have been key staples for me since moving house and they’re fast becoming a favourite in the rest of the design world too. Natural materials were everywhere amongst the Salone stands, featuring heavily in chairs, side tables and light fixtures.

Comfort was at the core of many of the designs in Milan with loose shapes, tactile materials, casual softened silhouettes and relaxed styles dominating. Form and function fused to deliver the best of both worlds – aesthetic beauty and the ultimate in casual comfort.

~ Alison Hill, Creative Director at DFS

The marriage of greenery and rattan is a beautiful one and while both feature heavily in my home already, this is just further proof that I can feel free to up the game even more!

Graphic Shapes

One of my favourite stand-out trends for Salone del Mobile 2017 was the abundance of graphic shapes in lighting and accessory department – I’ve been waiting for it. Monochrome geometrics were at the forefront of styling and Satelite (where the young designers exhibit) was a whirlwind of things to come with mirrors and furniture all taking on very simple geometric forms. This is certainly the trend to watch.

What do you think about Salone del Mobile’s 2017 trends? Will you be incorporating any into your home? Hit me up and stay tuned to see how some of this inspiration has trickled through into our new living room!

Disclaimer: No payment was received in return for this post in line with my own code of practise. I am working with DFS to style up my own sofa which was gifted – come back to see it!