Salone del Mobile 2024: The Highlights
By weblog / April 24, 2024
Salone del Mobile 2024 revealed itself as one of the greatest design tradeshows of the year so far, as...
Read More
Apr
24
Salone del Mobile 2024 revealed itself as one of the greatest design tradeshows of the year so far, as expected, and it is still a reference for all interior design lovers and professionals around the world. This annual event is renowned for setting trends, inspiring creativity, and bringing together […]
The enchanting world of furniture for kids took center stage at Salone del Mobile 2024, a prestigious international furniture fair held in Milan. Amidst the grandeur of contemporary design and innovation, the spotlight shone brightly on a brand that redefines comfort and style for the little ones. Let’s have […]
Discover the best of the best Italian Interior designers who have been contributing to the amazing name that Italy still holds regarding design as a whole. Milan Design Agenda will be bringing you an amazing list filled with 100 of the most amazing interior designers of all time. This will be part 1 of another of our upcoming series of articles.
The Roberto Cavalli Group consists of a firm currently controlled by Italian investment fund Clessidra SGR. Right now this consists of one of the most important Italian companies operating in the fields of luxury fashion, accessories and lifestyle sectors. This group currently operates a wide portfolio of internationally established labels positioned in the different segments of the high-end offering. Roberto Cavalli launched the namesake brand during the seventies and since then the designer has never stopped dead in his career tracks, be it in fashion or in interior design.
A list about the best interior designers of Milan wouldn’t be complete without the name of Matteo Nunziati in it. Born in Bologna in 1972 he’s currently considered one of the most influential designers and architects that the industry has ever seen. His career started in 200 when he opened his own interior design studio in Milan and since then in his projects, he’s managed to project the excellence of the Made in Italy design, basing his style in this sense and providing his clients with the best luxury furniture and finishes à l’Italiana. Matteo Nunziati has been handling Luxury hotels, Residences, Wellness Centres, and Spas. One of the main highlights of his career has to do with his take on the Trump Towers which earned him many compliments from the current POTUS himself.
Born in Pordenone in 1980, Cristina Celestino worked in several areas of architecture, before finally focusing her attention to interior architecture and design. With that, she moved to Milan in 2009 where she created “Attico”, her own design brand which mainly focused on the conception of lamps and furnishings production. Among other relevant highlights of her career, we can point to her part in Salone Satellite in 2012 as well as her design of “The Happy Room” for Fendi in 2016. Her style is heavily based on observation and research, mixing in old and new and exploring many variations between scale and small inventions with the purpose of creating new messages and meanings.
Palazzo Morelli is the perfect example of a company that strives to express Italy’s finest quality, giving their full-on attention to details and innovative professional services from many varied areas including architects, interior designers and even with real estate developers. Their craftsmen are able to handle a series of materials such as onyx, bronze, stainless steel as well as more than one selection of the highest quality leather in the current market.
Frighetto Mobili is a 45-year-old company which has been manufacturing high-quality furniture and other amazing accessories with the “Made in Italy” mark in high regard and quality. All of this company’s products are entirely designed and built by hand in Italy, involving the handling of a variety of materials such as wood, marble, glass, leather and fabrics. This company’s legacy still stands strong due to the fact that it passed down a craftsmanship tradition through many generations.
Alfonso Femia first created the 5+1 agency in 1995, a company which evolved into 5+1AA in 2005, and that would eventually be known as Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia. Having a business that has expanded to Genoa, Milan and Paris, Alfonso has been tackling his architectural projects with the aid of a multidisciplinary team, inspired by the main features of these three locations. This company’s architectural style is heavily driven by the “perception and the transformation of reality” which can be seen in the many projects that Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia have tackled in their projects, like, for example, the Dallara Academy at Varano de’ Melegari, Parma, Italy.
Born in 1943 and raised in the town of Cassano Magnago, about 25 miles northwest of Milan, Rossana Orlandi had an education that was simple and quiet. With 20 years of experience in fashion, in 2002 she decided to transfer her passion for design as a private collector into an innovative gallery, a platform where she could showcase her personal idea of design and lifestyle. She has been working as a curator for several exhibitions in Italy and abroad, having the chance to collaborate with high-end brands in fashion, luxury, and lifestyle. Very quickly, Orlandi gained a reputation for selecting works by young and unsung artists and designers, as well as for working with (then) rising stars like Tom Dixon, Marcel Wanders, and Studio Job.
Salvatori is a luxury bathroom company that best defines itself as being a good example of a multicountry and multicultural company. Created in 1946, this company has worked closely with bespoke brands and top designers from all over the world, managing to solidify its quality with the Italian fingerprint always present.
Born in 1951 in Ferrara, Michelle de Lucchi began taking his steps in the architecture area after his graduation in architecture in Florence. He’s also known for being a weigh figure during the period of radical and experimental architecture, having been the designer behind the conception of bespoke furniture pieces for many well known Italian and European companies. Aside from furniture conception, he was also credited for his restored buildings, as well as in the conception of many architectural projects for private and public clients. His architectural style, be it a huge building, or simple wooden house definitely shows De Lucchi’s tendency in his work of finding what he calls the “essentiality of the architectural style”.
Mario Bellini is an Italian architect who graduated from the Milan Polytechnic – Faculty of Architecture in 1959 and began working as an architect solo during the early 1960s. 25 of Mario Bellini’s works are in the permanent design collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), an institution that dedicated to him a personal retrospective in 1987. He is also recognized internationally for projects such as the expansion of the Milan Trade Fair; the new Cultural Centre for the City of Turin; the Villa Erba Exhibition and Congress Centre in Cernobbio on Lake Como; the Tokyo Design Centre in Japan; the Natuzzi Headquarters in the U.S.
Ludovica and Roberto Palomba are often referred to as “the golden couple of Italian design” and with a career such as theirs, it’s no wonder. After setting their own studio in Milan in 1994 their career has been through several stages, among them architectural planning, interior design, and partnerships as product designers and art directors. Their partnerships with Foscarini and Poltrona Frau are some of the highlights of their career, which has counted with prestige awards such as the Compasso D’Oro, the Red Dot Award, the Design Plus Award, as well as the Product Innovation Award. When they’re taking on a new project they aim to search for essence above all. They take a lot of inspiration from the concept of balance of oriental heritage as well as a little touch from the Nordic style. They always strive to acquire an aesthetic result mixed with a space that allows for the well-being of clients.
Studio Apostoli, founded by top renowned designer Alberto Apostoli is a company which has become a major force in regards to some amazing interior design projects in Wellness and SPA design. Being responsible for the incredible spa design projects for many of the best luxury hospitality names in the world! There’s no doubt that Alberto Apostoli has a special touch in regards to many interior design projects in the Wellness area, having created and redefined some of the most incredible wellness spots in the globe.
Located in Lake Orta, a few miles from Milan city, Bongio was a company born out of the passion and intuition of Mario Bongio. Since 1936, this company is a good example of one that has inherited the traditional manufacturing technique that defines many of its products made in the 30s and 40s. This family-run business has definitely managed to maintain tradition and modernize it at the same time.
Paola Navone was born in 1950 in Turin, but despite that Milan ended up becoming her home. After working with Alessandro Mendini, Ettore Sottsass and Andrea Branzi in the Alchinia group during the 70s and 80s, she definitely managed to launch herself in the market as an architect, a designer, an art director and an interior designer. She’s had cooperations with names such as Armani Casa, Alessi, Casamilano, Knoll International, Molteni, and Poliform, and has been graced with awards such as “Designer of the Year” attributed by the German magazine Architektur & Wohnen. Her design style has been very focused on the styles from nay distinct cultures between East and West as well as a deep appreciation for several styles of design and craftsmanship.
Studio D’Interni, currently owned by Osvaldo Beltrami and Stefano Galassi, is a good example of a company which has successfully managed to link its name to many of the most prestigious Italian and international furniture and design brands. Among the many services that this company provides, design consultancy is their strong point. They can handle a series of factors, among them the choice of elements and materials, creativity, avant-garde solutions, among many other elements.
Pelizzari Studio was launched all the way back in 1991 with an aim that seeks to “amaze and astonish” their clients with each new challenges. This eclectic design studio takes pride in not doing any “repetitive” work, which has allowed them to be the proud authors of many interior design projects all over the globe, from London to Dubai.
This company was founded in Milan by Federico Spagnulo and it’s best defined as being specialized in luxury interior design projects in the areas of residential, hospitality spa and retail. Spagnulo & Partners is a company that comes off as a good example of a firm that gives a special emphasis on Italy’s world-renowned high-quality craftsmanship. They also handle product design by offering a cross approach to each project in that regard.
Piero Lissoni, currently known as one of the Italian famous interior designers, is quite well
known for his contemporary furniture design. After opening the studio Lissoni Associati in 1986 alongside Nicoletta Canesi, he was also recognized for being a collaborator with several famous brands, among them Porro. A great distinctive feature of this creature is the graphical linearity present in his products– verging on the essentiality – which allows his products to naturally fit for both minimal contexts and creative spaces.
Fabio Novembre is definitely a reference when it comes to Italian architecture and design. He’s defined as an individual who has a great passion for his work and his projects, mainly in the areas of photography, architecture, installations and is also known for being a great influence in Italian interior design, having numerous partnerships with many top bespoke Italian brands.
Last but definitely not least we have Stefano Giovannoni, born in La Spezia in 1954 and a person who definitely made a career as an architect and designer. During the 80s he King-Kong Production Group along with Guido Venturini. Currently living and working in Milan these days he works as an industrial and interior designer and architect, specializing in plastic products. He’s done several projects for brands such as Alessi, Fiat, Mooi, Nestlé, Helit, Henkel, and more. Among some of his most famous projects, we can point to “Girotondo” in 1989 (along with Guido Venturini) and in 1993 the first transparent objects in plastic from the “Family Follows Fiction” series. He’s known for embodying a very complex system of what he calls ‘affective codes’ in his projects.
