Design delights to take home from this year’s Milan Design Week

The international design community flocked to Milan last week to discover exciting new talent, identify interiors trends and be inspired by the unusual and unexpected. Owen O’Leary gives us the lowdown

words Owen O’Leary

Milan Design Week continues to grow with over 1,900 exhibitors at Salone de Mobile Milano furniture fair and more than 1,000 events and exhibitions dotted across the city. It began as an industry event and has grown into a city-wide celebration of design that spans everything from architectural installations to brand activations.

Over a flying visit, I criss-crossed the city in the hope of side stepping the bland and getting lost in the grand. While not everything I spotted would be right at home in my own home, these are things that stirred the senses this year…

For the bedroom

I have been on the lookout for new bedding collections ever since I first discovered the beautiful work of Swedish label Magniberg last year. In Milan this year they launched their latest designs on an aluminium-frame bed, designed by Milanese studio NM3. Using powder coated steel in a much more fluid way are Athens-based design studio Made by Astronauts. Their ‘Agnes’ bed was one of the highlights at Nilfaur Gallery’s La Casa Magica. In contrast, the understated simplicity of NVBL’s oversized full-length mirror, set in Swedish green marble on show at Alcova, is perfect for reflecting interior boudoir glory.

For the dining room

IMAGE | Duyi Han and Taran Wilkhu. The ‘Prorůstání’ (or ‘Growing Into’) table was made by Czech designer Tadeaus Podracky in collaboration with the Heirloom Naga Centre in India and showcased by the Shakti Design Residency

From dining designs that draw on communal eating practices around the world to tabletop delights, there was plenty to feast on in Milan. The glossy lacquered redesign of Capellini’s ‘Dolmen’ table provided balance alongside the upholstered ‘Selettiva Cantù‘ dining chairs. The ‘Prorůstání‘ (or ‘Growing Into’) table was made by Czech designer Tadeaus Podracky in collaboration with the Heirloom Naga Centre in India and showcased by the Shakti Design Residency. The ‘Growing Into’ table married voluminous woven form with a carved tabletop.

Worn Studio, at Alcova’s Villa Pellestrini, revealed delicate cutlery and table settings that enhance the sense of intimacy in one of the kitchens of the city. Ceramic collections by Faye Toogood, made for renowned Japanese ceramics brand Noritake, and ceramic artist Theaster Gates for Prada Home, saw established brands bring design collaborations to the kitchen table.

For the bathroom

IMAGE | At Salone del Mobile 2026, LAUFEN presents an architectural environment where clean lines, deep tones and carefully selected materials reflect the brands new visual identity

The sense of playfulness in Milan perhaps finds its freest expression in bathroom pieces. Elisa Uberti’s cartoon-like sculptural pieces include a cabinet and bathroom mirror, as well as a fountain-style sculpture that turns the humble bath tub into a mini waterpark.

Of the bathroom buzz that made its way from the Fair, Mamoli’s reissue of Joe Colombo designed taps and Kartell’s collaboration with Laufen were some of the highlights.

For the livingroom

Natalia Triantafylli x Andrew Pierce Scott collaboration, photographed by Tim Salisbury — IMAGE | Left: Jesse Butterfield and Jane Wright collaboration, photographed by Piergiorgio Sorgetti. Right: Natalia Triantafylli x Andrew Pierce Scott’s blackened steel sculptural pieces for the home, photographed by Tim Salisbury

More is more in Milan, and the living spaces at Artemest’s L’Appartmento at Palazzo Donizetti were a celebration of Italian grandeur. Each space, styled by a different interior design studio, revealed rich colour palettes, sumptuous textures and a sense of playfulness. Some of my favourites included the ‘High Heels’ console by Yazbukey, the ‘Agatha’ low side table by Draga & Aure l and the ‘Octopus’ Pyrex 10-arm candelabra.

Across town, that playfulness was also at the heart of IKEA’s new products, which are coming to the UK in May. The pick of the bunch was their inflatable armchair, which is surprisingly firm and comfortable yet light as a feather. Also deceptively light were the hammered aluminium furniture pieces by Jesse Butterfield, styled alongside contemporary lace curtains and a screen by Jane Wright at Alcova. At the same location, material playfulness was at the fore in Natalia Triantafylli and Andrew Pierce Scott’s latest collection: blackened steel, translucent porcelain and ceramics merged in sculptural pieces for the home.

Some of Scotland’s finest

white light and fabric lamp with range rover ceramics at milan design week — IMAGE | Left: Bard collection Woven Legs. Right: The ‘Traces’ installation, created to promote Range Rover’s bespoke personalisation service, celebrated craftsmanship and individuality

Finally, it was a particular treat to discover Scottish craft showcased as part of the Range Rover installation in the heart of the city. The ‘Traces’ installation, created to promote Range Rover’s bespoke personalisation service, celebrated craftsmanship and individuality. Showcasing this next to a Range Rover sporting a finish inspired by The Tay Pearl, Bard Scotland curated a selection of 14 pieces by Scotland-based makers.

Seeing the appeal of works like Oliver Spendley’s ‘Mountain Shard’, Marc Sweeney’s ‘PYLON’ and Chalk Plaster’s ‘Scagliola’ vessel in this context, I hope will lay the groundwork for future Scottish design and craft showcases in the city.