Last week, some of our team visited Salone del Mobile in Milan. This is one of Europe’s biggest design and furniture fairs and takes place across a whole week. It is a very valuable show for all designers to learn about new products, gain inspiration and mingle with the design community.
Here’s a look-back of the show from one of our Senior Designers, Stuart Wilson.
What has been your personal experience of Milan Design Week 2022?
This is my second time attending Milan Design Week – it was much bigger and better than before! So many companies were exhibiting this year which weren’t on my radar. It is great to see new products and extend my knowledge of suppliers and contacts in the supply chain.
It was great to see how much contract furniture has developed over the years and how different suppliers have pushed the boundary on design, detailing and multi-purpose usage in the contract world. This was particularly noticeable in indoor/outdoor furniture and technical advances in architectural finishes such as 3D stone tiles.
What has been your event highlight at Milan Design Week 2022?
The highlight for me was the strong focus on sustainability at Salone del Mobile, which is very important to AD Associates. A considerable portion of the exhibition was dedicated to suppliers whose central ethos is to produce and supply sustainably.
We spent much of our time in this part of the exhibition, getting to know these suppliers, their products and sharing our values. This is essential to us. We learnt how the furniture is produced, where it is manufactured, and the materials the product is made from. This included free-standing furniture, right through to architectural finishes.
Stuart joined AD Associates in December 2021. Stuart is an experienced and talented all-rounder – working on projects from concept, design development, and FF&E, right through to completion.
Photography by: Bez Amdemichael