Salone Del Mobile 2022 – the big launches and brands you may have missed

Luxury furniture brand Baxter came up with a novel way to showcase its first foray into outdoor furniture. Owner Paolo Bestetti invested in a villa overlooking Lake Como, which was transformed into a temple to all things Baxter. Known for incorporating beautiful finishes such as leather and marble, visitors were treated to sumptuous tactility woven into new pieces designed to sit outside, such as this ‘HIMBA’ sofa designed by Roberto Lazzeroni which is available in an innovative type of leather suited to exterior use. baxter.it

Honing in on one of Italy’s most coveted materials, renowned architects Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty, the founders of STUDIO KO, collaborated with Bisazza on a modernist collection of three new geometric surface patterns in marble, all of which are inspired by the contrasts of shadow and light. The ‘Modulo 1’, ‘2’, and ‘3’ designs are all available in three colourways: ‘Chiaroscuro’, ‘Monocromo’ and ‘Policromo’. bisazza.com

Bringing a new elegance to the bedroom, longtime ELLE Decoration collaborator Studiopepe has created a series of four sleek furniture pieces all inspired – as the name ‘Stami’ might suggest – by the curves found in flower stems and leaf veins. There’s a dressing table, bench, day bed, and pouf, all of which delight the senses with a tactile palette of materials such as black stained ash, leather and bright brass. gallottiradice.it

Neapolitan architect and designer Mario Marenco created his eponymous collection of armchairs and sofas for Arflex fifty years ago. In celebration of its semicentennial landmark, the brand has announced that the iconic design will now be available in a number of outdoor versions. arflex.it

Exploring what Living Divani describes as ‘the intimate connection between bodies and objects’, this tall and slimline ‘Kigi’ coat hanger has been conceived by design duo Junpei and Lori Tamaki and is one of a series of products which the brand spotlighted during this year’s show. The detail of the catchall tray is a particularly chic touch. livingdivani.it

The ‘2022 True Evolution Collection’ from Poltrona Frau marks the brands 110th year and is a banquet of various design treats. The show-stealer is this reinterpreted ‘Lloyd Tex’ bookcase by Jean-Marie Massaud, with its semi-transparent partitions. poltronafrau.com

Armani Casa treated us all to a new dining table design and a ‘floating’ armchair. The ‘Space’ table’s striped greige lacquer top - edged in canaletto walnut wood - sits on some rather elegant transparent plexiglass legs. This piece was on display alongside something a little more curvy: the ‘Sharon’ floating armchair (pictured), which has been upholstered and finished in dove cuoi leather. armani.com

Surface specialists Marazzi showcased a sleek new kitchen surface slab collection, named ‘The Top’. Available in a spectrum of tempting designs, including ‘Marble Look’, ‘Stone Look’, ‘Metal Look’, and ‘Solid Colour’ finishes, all are made from what Marazzi are describing as ‘a malleable, yet very strong, stain-resistant and mould-resistant ceramic‘. Practical and stylish? That’s a design win-win. marazzigroup.com

Made from 100% cashmere, the ‘Surface Bed Cover’ by Gianpaolo Pagni is part of Hermès’ new offering which it says ‘is about the quest for lightness’. The blanket serves shapes on shapes in geometric patterns. Textiles are the underlying theme to the whole collection, so expect to see more tactile pieces which are undeniably stylised and bound to be added to your ‘want’ list. hermes.com

Italian design powerhouse Fendi Casa found itself a new home: a luxury flagship store in Piazza della Scala, right next door to the famous Milanese opera house. The 700-square-metre space fuses living, dining, sleeping and outdoor areas over two different floors. Fendi Casa says it’s ‘an immersive experience’ into its ‘kaleidoscopic’ world. The new version of the ‘Ford’ dining table is particularly divine. fendi.com

Inspired by the work of Pierre Chareau and Eileen Gray, there’s a distinctly Art Deco feel to fabric brand Rubelli’s new ‘Casa Collection’ of furniture pieces designed by Matteo Nunziati. Opulent and elegant, they’re also perfectly scaled for the modern home. rubelli.com/it

With an increasing number of fashion houses creating complete interiors collections to sit alongside their lines of clothing and accessories, Italian icon Dolce & Gabbana has gone one further by opening two dedicated home stores in Milan. New pieces include this ‘Aurora’ coffee table, which is rumoured to be based on doll’s-house furniture, and is available in a range of sizes and bold patterned finishes. dolceandgabbana.com

French designer Sam Baron’s unique - and ever so slightly wild - ‘Florae Folium’ rug installation, created in collaboration with carpet specialists Tai Ping, turned heads. Baron created three expressive floral themed rug designs: ‘Regalis’, ‘Borealis’ and ‘Anamorphosis’. The scenography-style display was on show and blooming at Tai Ping’s showroom on Piazza San Simpliciano throughout the Milan design show. houseoftaiping.com

In what can be considered a meeting of stylish minds, British fashion designer Paul Smith joined forces with renowned Italian design brand De Padova to create the ‘Everyday Life’ collection. A range of sophisticated sofas, armchairs and poufs marked by contrast stitching and leather straps and pockets attached to the wooden frames; the clean lines, comfort and rigorous attention to detail show the affinity between the two companies. depadova.com