The Premier Design Event
The Salone del Mobile is the premier global event for designs of furniture, lighting and other home or office furnishings. Each Spring, the show is held in the heart of Milan, Italy’s design capital. Past the designated fair grounds, thousands of installations are also peppered throughout Milan’s design districts, creating a veritable hotbed of design ingenuity.
Founded in 1961 as an event highlighting Italian furniture designers and manufacturers, today’s expo showcases thousands of organizations and independent designers from all over the world and hosts over half a million international visitors.
Condit’s creative director, Kevin Trainor, attends the Salone del Mobile and diligently reports back to the team with what he found to be the most inspirational design trends in furniture, lighting, structure, and materials. This keeps Condit on the cutting edge of global exhibit design (and far ahead of the domestic curve).
We’ve prepared a fun collection of some of the coolest images gathered at the Salone del Mobile to get your creative juices flowing for your next exhibit!
Bold Patterns & Large Graphics
The show included a number of engaging floor-to-ceiling vectors, mesmerizing artwork, and an innovative use of wallpaper. These types of strategies can breathe life into an exhibit.
This Red
Though this deep and brilliant red may not have been Pantone’s “Color of the Year,” it certainly was the de facto color of the Salone del Mobile within exhibits, in show property, and even on designers.
Tactile Fabrics
Providing visual and tactile stimulation, many booths displayed or hung loose fabrics, draping, and samples to both shield and entice. For some exhibitors, especially in the furniture industry, this was a masterful technique to showcase swatches and product options.
LED Light Strips
Adhesive LED light strips were seen covering paneling gaps and emphasizing hard lines.
Basic Shapes
Geometry was in this year – amplifying circles, squares, triangles and more with color, lighting and positioning.
Translucency
Some designers favored using vinyl strips and plastic siding to offer a limited glimpse into a space’s contents while still providing a degree of privacy and security.
Exposed Hardware
Some installations embraced a rustic element with exposed nails, bare scaffolding, and building components.
Trendy Exhibit Design
If you’re eyeing a new trade show booth or your current exhibit just needs a refresh, Condit can help you look to the most stylish design trends for inspiration and ideas. Let’s start a project!