The interior trends to know in 2024

Colour

Rich and vivid colours characterised this year’s Milan Design Week and Salone del Mobile, specifically red; a hugely symbolic colour across multiple standout exhibits.

Fashion brands helmed the exploration of colour, such as LOEWE. Their exhibit showed the humble stick chair transformed by colour and texture through the artistry of weavers and artisans.

The use of colour, texture and metallic surfaces was also nostalgic for the 1970s. Prominent furniture brands re-released iconic products in their original colours, such as the Zanotta multi-coloured Sciangai 50 coat stand – originally sketched as multi-coloured in 1973 – and only just released in these colours fifty years later.

Moodiness

Beyond colour, a moodiness pervaded several installations during the design week, where dark and deep colour palettes enveloped spaces to create a sense of arrival and a feeling of ‘exhale’.

Brutalist

A stripped-back, Brutalist thread defined certain spaces and objects at this year’s Milan Design Week and Salone del Mobile. Australian lighting designer Henry Wilson was one of 20 designers to reveal his lighting in a deconsecrated church, while fellow Australian designer Tom Fereday presented his Cor light collection – large sculptural lamps carved from travertine. Travertine has been a clear material of choice in recent years, but the fair indicated it was still a go-to for designers in Milan in 2024 and beyond.

Freeform

Organic-shaped rugs typified the theme of ‘freeform’ at Milan Design Week and Salone del Mobile, such as English designer Faye Toogood’s celebration of Henri Matisse’s work through a curvacious and, at times, playful furniture and rug collection.

Outdoor

Exhibitors at this year’s Salone del Mobile placed almost equal importance on their outdoor furniture range and maximising a home’s connection to the outdoors. Some brands also translated popular indoor designs into outdoor counterparts, and the biennial Euroluce lighting event saw more portable lighting than ever before, further leaning into the idea of ‘indoor-outdoor’ living.

Nature

The fair revealed nature was a constant source of inspiration for the design of furniture and objects and how they were presented, as seen in furniture designer La Manufacture’s exhibit, which featured floral arrangements and nature-inspired soundscapes and scents.

Quiet Materiality

The theme of quiet materiality through Milan Design Week and Salone del Mobile reflected how materials could be expressive and, at the same time, quiet and neutral. This extended to the new lighting releases and a consistent theme of diffused light; materials such as ceramic or paper creating a soft, ambient glow.

Quiet materiality was further highlighted in a strong sense of social responsibility as designers demonstrated a move towards a more sustainable way of production and the value of craftsmanship.

Glass and Resin

There was a clear renaissance for glass and resin across furniture, lighting and accessories at Milan Design Week and Salone del Mobile, led by Italian designers such as Draga and Aurel.

As explored in est living’s inaugural Milan special issue.

Read the full magazine here.