Andrea Rickerby tracks the trends from Milan Design Week 2024.
Minimalism, the design trend with all the warmth of a morgue slab, is out. The design gurus of Milan have decreed we are now allowed to dress up the rooms we live in so they look less like an Insta shoot and more like a ... home.
April’s Milan Design Week brings together the world’s top tastemakers at an event that each year signals what is to come. Interior designers and fashion insiders pore over the exhibits, taking away their take on the latest trends.
Softening the edges of minimalism with a healthy dose of eclectic individuality is the broad trend. Whether it’s making the most of your collection of salt and peppers or ceramic plates, go for it! Statement furniture pieces – sure. Even if you are mixing periods – say, Modernist table with an Art Deco vase.
A bit of bling makes a comeback too. Chrome, stainless steel and other reflective surfaces have been a trend for a while but catching the spotlight at Milan were lots of shimmering silver objet looking for a shelf to live on.
Metal was big across the board, particularly aluminium, which is having a moment due to it being so recyclable.
Along with minimalism, Mid-Century Modern also seems to be falling out of favour with the design gods, at least in its unalloyed form. Mix it up is the trend, with classic investment pieces you can build a room around.
One of the clearest signs of a return to luxe is in wall coverings and furniture fabrics. Think lacquered walls, velvet drapery and heavy textured linen sofas. Stone or marble accessories complete the look.
One style that bucks the trend is for mono or tone-on-tone colour schemes for rooms. Browns and burgundies are the flavour here, paired with those heavy drapes for a cosy, den-like feel.
If that’s a bit too stark for you, Milan also had plenty of bold candy stripes on show. Even the glass brick made a bit of a comeback.
Design trends can sometimes feel more like a straitjacket than an inspiration. One message coming through loud and clear from Milan this year is you be you. As Oscar Wilde said, everyone else is taken.
Shop the look
Many of the design houses and studios exhibiting at Milan Design Week are available in Christchurch, if you know where to look. ECC, Matisse and David Shaw are good places to start your search.
Established in 1909 by George Levett Thorburn and now run by grandson Mike Thorburn, ECC has a 35-year association with brands iGuzzini, Flos and Artemide, all Milan regulars. ECC stocks a big range of lighting, furniture and design brands and specialises in the unique and original.
Alan and Jeanne Bertenshaw of Matisse have spent 30 years in the international furniture industry, during which time they have built a network of connections with manufacturers, designers and suppliers of innovative design. These include Milan Week exhibitors Moroso, Lasvit and B&B Italia
In addition to its handmade Classique pieces, furniture maker David Shaw stocks a range of international brands. These include leading Italian brands Driade, TONON and De Castelli, all Milan design royalty.
Prices for pieces from these brands can bring on severe sticker shock but you’re not going to fill a house with them. As the Oracles of Milan have said in predicting the death of fast furniture, these are statement pieces to be treasured for generations. And good design never goes out of fashion.