Trend Watch | Milan Design Week | Soft furnishings

IBI checks out the key trends that will be driving interior boat design, unveiled in Italy’s capital of design

After more than two years of absence, due to Covid restrictions, Milan Design Week – the Salone del Mobile.Milano – finally took place, at the beginning of June, in the Italian design capital. More than 262,000 visitors from 173 countries, and 2,175 exhibitors, attended this 60^th edition of the event, that has long been considered the place to scout for future design trends.

Flou

New more durable fabrics in natural tones are helping designers blur the lines between inside and outside furniture usage. Photo credit: Courtesy Salone del Mobile Milano, Alessandro Russotti

IBI was there to check out the key interior trends that will likely be defining tomorrow’s boat interiors.

With lockdowns and remote working increasing the time we spend at home, comfort and ease of use are major issues impacting not only design, but also materials: the ‘feel’ and touch of the world around us is increasingly important.

Materials have followed suit. Rather than the development of new, man-made materials, innovation has centred on increasing the functionality of natural products - the resistance and durability of woods, stones, leathers and certain metals for instance.

Fabrics have been elevated to ensure they not only look good, but feel good to the touch, while metals have been worked to create more textured finishes. Comfort is as important as the look.

Nowadays sustainability impacts every aspect of our lives – people are familiar now with the ‘language’ of sustainability, so it’s little surprise it’s heavily influencing design.

Natural (though it must be said, not always ‘sustainable’) products – both in terms of materials, fabrics, and colours – are their rule. The palette is natural, and where intense red, blues and browns are used, their tone is of that which might be found in nature.

The circular economy, recycling, sustainable production and materials were key themes.

Kartell

Kartell’s Re-Chair presented by Illy

Renowned Italian design brand Kartell introduced a chair made from waste coffee capsules. Designed by Antonio Citterio, according to the brand“…is the first in a series of products that will eventually form a collection (Kartell website)” Photo credit: Francesca Goi

Above all there’s a desire for authenticity. Design has moved beyond the purely aesthetic and being a slave to the desire to create status symbols. Consumers have become increasingly informed – authenticity, sustainability, naturalness and comfort – are now the core pillars to style.

Functionality is key too. Spaces are becoming ‘hybrids’, more flexible to mirror the new ways in which we are starting to live as lines blur between office and home, interior and exterior.

Furniture design has responded – sofas and chairs should be able to live inside or out for example, with some major brands presenting exterior collections for the first time. Design, quality, and materials make it increasingly difficult to distinguish pieces conceived for inside or out – a trend that is sure to catch on in boating in a major way.