Salone del Mobile | Matter Observed

Never in my wildest imagination would I have envisioned the planning of my first trip to Italy going something like this:

Saturday, 10:45pm – Contacted by the managing editor for Inhabitat to cover the biggest design tradeshow in the world that starts on Tuesday morning in Milan.

Saturday, 11pm through Sunday, 5:35pm – Deliberate and figure out how I could pull off this last minute avventura.

Sunday, 5:40pm – A decision is made and I buy my plane ticket.

5:41pm – Contact clients and apologetically reschedule meetings for the following week.

6pm – A quick trip to Best Buy and Target for last minute supplies.

8:20pm – Receive confirmation (thank Jah) about where I will be sleeping in Milan.

Monday, 11:45am – I’m on the Blue Line to O’Hare, nervous and excited as hell.

And that’s pretty much how it went down. But the truth is, I had wanted to go to Milan’s Salone del Internazionale Mobile, the world’s most preeminent international furniture fair, ever since learning about it back in 2006 while studying design and working at Luminaire; and, I had ALWAYS wanted to go to Lo Stivale, the beautiful country, Italy. After receiving a sign in the form of a finger written message on my dusty computer screen that simply said “go” as I powered down late Saturday evening, and with my wife’s blessing, I knew what I had to do – and so I went.

After a long, overnight flight with a layover in Paris, a 40 minute train from Milano Malpensa Airport to downtown Milan, a 30 minute subway trek out to Rho (where the expo was), and then a 15 minute bus ride from Rho to Cornaredo, I finally arrived at the apartment which I would call home for the next five nights. My host, Ombretta, could not have been more accommodating, or nicer, and she promptly set me up in my spacious room which was everything I could’ve asked for, and then some (see the last photo below for the “and then some” – the view from my balcony).

Now, despite the work-like nature of the trip, I didn’t intend on flying half-way across the world to visit such an amazing city and not venture out at least one day to observe some of the sights, and try to capture on film the essence of Milan during the week of the Salone. From the graffiti tagged facades to the overwhelming beauty and presence that is the Duomo, Milan is a city brimming with a combination of history, color, style and personality unlike any other I’ve ever seen, and there is no doubt I will be returning in the near future – only next time with my wife alongside me and a little less rushed, I hope.

Divertiti! Enjoy!

Traveling to Italy to experience design is like visiting the bluegrass region of Kentucky to experience Thoroughbred horses (a future Matter Observed post). Sure, there are many places in the United States and around the world that breed and race Thoroughbreds, but it’s impossible to fully understand and appreciate the history and tradition of the sport until you visit the likes of Calumet and Claiborne farms, attend a yearling auction at Keeneland, or sit in the grandstands at the Vatican of horse racing, Churchill Downs. The history and tradition of design in Italy runs just as deep, and much like how the upcoming Kentucky Derby showcases the most elite Thoroughbreds on the planet, the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, the world’s largest and most important design trade show held every year in Milan, showcases the best new designs from Italy and around the globe – only the field is not 20 but some 2,000+ companies in a fast and frenetic five-day long race for the spotlight and a piece of market share. An exciting time, indeed!

I was fortunate (and lucky) enough to experience the granddaddy of design expos as a writer for the well-respected and eco-friendly design blog, Inhabitat, covering the newest green and sustainably made products out there – but I also took time to observe some of the contemporary furniture exhibits, where iconic companies like Vitra, Magis, and Kartell, and also some of the more unfamiliar brands like Pinton, Imperfetto, and YDF revealed to the world their latest and greatest designs. Among the many highlights include Konstantin Grcic’s aeronautical-looking Table B for Barceloa Design; Campeggi’s prototype of an oscillating public/private conversation and sleeping unit; and Kartell’s over-the-top, Moulin Rouge inspired set design. As overwhelming as it may seem with the number of the images below, this truly is just a millimeter sampling of an endless arena of new and innovative design that happens every April at the Salone del Mobile.

I hope you enjoy!

Casamania