Descriptions from Salone del Mobile

“Nothing is so good as it seems beforehand.” –George Eliot

In the past, I have been told by associates that walking with me at the Salone del Mobile really means running with me. I am pressured to visit and observe as much as I can during a very short period: five hours, for two days, visiting over 1,200 exhibitions. I am fine with either running or walking in every day life, to be honest with you, but at Salone del Mobile, I prefer walking fast in order to skim the exhibits before revisiting with intrigue on each presentation.

Individuals translate observations differently. Typically, my way becomes focusing on abstractions of design details. At times, I find inspiration elsewhere: accidental reflections of display lights, traffic patterns on the exhibit hall carpets, etc.

Attendees tend to look at different items and details depending on individual interests, but I’ve noticed that they often look and focus on similar featured products. The attention to these design products may mean that they are not only popular, but that they will lead to upcoming trends. Although I am happy to discover the popular items, I am interested in having my own favorites and opinions of the show.

Regretfully, I have not interpreted every corner of the exhibition space. I am sharing with you snaps from my travel notebook, happily giving you some of visuals I found intriguing. As I look back through my photos, I discover consistent details among them: pastel colors, simple details, organization, organic nature, chic comfort, sensibility, craftiness, linear forms, brightness, efficiency, and reality.

Please enjoy, and it would please me to hear your own thoughts about my experience, or perhaps your own if you attended this year in Milan.

Photography by D.B. Kim.