Milan Design Week 2014 Interior Design Trends

I spent many hours last month at Eurocucina, the kitchen section (I say section, but it’s bigger than most standalone trade fairs) of Salone del Mobile in Milan. I thought I’d share the top trends I noticed.

Timber and timber veneer were everywhere, mostly muted cool greige tones which I found surprisingly warm and interesting. For me, this was the most obvious and overarching kitchen design trend at the fair. The new timber kitchen is modern and sleek and just a touch industrial. Although the timber finishes tend to be pale, the look isn’t Scandi as you might expect.

It’s all about the matt surfaces on cabinetry. And many kitchens incorporated some kind of open shelving. This makes the kitchen feel like more of a dressed room than ever before and not just a functional space. Seeing as it’s the heart of most homes these days, this makes absolute sense!

Large pullout drawers for storage, replacing cupboards, are still big, with many featuring lights which automatically come on when opened. Touch-open cabinet doors are here to stay with very few doors with handles seen. Cabinet doors folded up or back on themselves. I loved some of these smart features.

Low hanging multiple interesting pendant lights over kitchen benches and dining tables were popular; another way to dress the kitchen, as mentioned above.

Where I saw a few pops of colour against the timber it was almost always red. Bench tops were super slim in many cases; just a few mm.

On the subject of benchtops, I also attended the amazing Caesarstone^® event at Milan’s ornate Palazzo Clerici. The crowning glory of the installation was a 19-metre long, super sleek and modern ‘island’ for cooking and food prep, looking striking in the middle of one of the historic rooms, with a lemon tree springing from its centre.

Two further islands, also made of various Caesarstone^® surfaces, comprised a table tennis table and a stunning bath with built-in record turntable!

Islands is a collaboration with London-based Raw Edges designers Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay. In their eight years, the young duo have designed for Cappellini, Established & Sons, Moroso, Kvadrat, Stella McCartney, Arco, Mutina, Lema and more, and their many works have been showcased in museums and exhibited in expos in Milan, London, Paris and New York.

The main idea was to look at the Caesarstone^® product differently; beyond simply a surface that you put things on top of. The main island had cut-outs for sinks, dishes, chopping boards and much more, showing just what’s possible. The only limit is your imagination!

I learned that two exciting new Caesarstone^® products should hit the market around June/July: Sleek Concrete and the marble-inspired Calacatta Nuvo(I’ve seen it and it’s great).

This was my first ever trip to Salone del Mobile and Eurocucina. It is huge and rather mad, especially on opening day. You can feel the buzz of excitement around and there are people from all over the world, everywhere. There is a lot of ground to cover. Literally! It was an exciting few days, getting a look at what will no doubt become common trends in Aussie kitchens in the not too distant future.

by Jen Bishop
The Interiors Addict