New luxury ideas at the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2023
Contrasting textures, fine fabrics and sophisticated designs recalling the universe of high fashion and catwalks, with atmospheres inspired by art deco and the glories of palmier years. Luxury companies presented their new collections at the fair with two watchwords: sartorial elegance and a concern for detail
In a black box with a theatrical flavor, featuring a reflective ceiling and backlit side panels in silk crepe, Versace Home presented a new collection of furnishings and accessories designed by Roberto Palomba and Ludovica Serafini under the creative direction of Donatella Versace. In particular, the two sofas Zensational, with generous dimensions, and Discovery reprised two recurrent motifs in the fashion house’s creations: the volute of the Ionic capital, reproduced on the armrest of the first, and the “V” for Versace running along the seat of the second. The Discovery series includes a table, identifiable by its leather leg embellished with a gilded Medusa – another figure of classical mythology beloved of Versace – and a padded seat that is both solid and minimalist.
Roberto Cavalli Home Interiors likewise continues to transfer the motifs typical of its fashion collections to home furnishings. Animalier prints, for instance, are featured on the Dahlak sectional sofa, the highlight of the new outdoor collection, with patterns inspired by the coats of the giraffe, zebra and jaguar. The Wild Leda capsule celebrates the spirit of the garments designed by creative director Fausto Puglisi, with a series of furnishings upholstered in a print inspired by a Rococo representation of the Greek myth of Leda and the Swan.
Gianfranco Ferré Home staged a typically urban setting, an industrial-style loft where references to sixties and seventies vintage items coexisted with a cozy mood expertly created by the use of lighting and relaxing colors, such as white and beige, and tactile materials like bouclé wool. A material that is enhanced, for example, in the Fulham swivel armchair, welcoming and enveloping as a nest.
Remaining at the Oniro Group, Jumbo Collection continues its exploration of the classic style of French inspiration with pieces created by complex craftsmanship, but it does so by inserting some elements of discontinuity. One of them is the Nénuphar sideboard, which stands out with its sleek lines. The geometric pattern of water lilies and the handles in cast brass in the shape of a bamboo shoot recall the Art Deco and refined atmospheres of colonial hotels.
The use of noble materials (high quality marble, brass, steel and fine fabrics) and elementary forms and geometries also characterize the new Rugiano collection. The Fandango armchair, as part of a wider series designed by the Bernhadt & Vella studio also comprising bed, sofa and chair, is enchanting with its rounded volumes, while the Landmark tables, with more severe lines, are inspired by the columns and pedestals of classical monuments.
The house presented by Visionnaire, another brand whose strong point lies in bespoke furnishings and elegantly tailored projects, follows the philosophy of yugen. The Japanese term indicates both the perception of the wonder of the universe and the ability to feel perfectly at ease in the space where one lives. The novelties for 2023 include two refined kitchens: Villa d'Este, designed by Mauro Lipparini, is dressed in refined materials such as Stone Oak – a very ancient fossil wood from submerged forests – and corrugated Calacatta marble; Duncan (design Alessandro la Spada) is retractable and can be concealed as desired behind a movable wall in brass tesserae with a refined tree bark texture. Among the seats, the Shibari armchair stands out, designed by Studiopepe around the image of the knot. In almost all cultures this symbolizes a loving union and a bond, and when represented horizontally, it recalls the symbol for infinity.
Material combinations and sophisticated finishes have always been at the heart of Laurameroni's work. This year the firm has introduced new furnishings, such as the Infinity Big sideboard designed by Cesare Arosio, presented at the fair with an iconic decoration in Tin Lacquer 61, the Imperfetto console in Efesto liquid metal designed by Romani Saccani Architetti Associati, which presents the distinctive design of the tables in the same collection, and a series of pieces by Bartoli Design.
Midway between the functional object and the work of art, Arte Veneziana's creations reinterpret traditional glassmaking techniques in a contemporary key. The Melt collection designed by Leo De Carlo, made from baked and silvered glass with an antique finish, unites different sources of inspiration, from the way the material is shaped in the furnaces on Murano to the shimmering reflections of the lagoon.