Salone del Mobile.Milano 2019 — Milan, April 9–14
Where the Future of Living Takes Shape
From shape-shifting seating to exhibition halls filled with recycled packaging — the Salone del Mobile Milano 2019 showed where living is heading. The fair is the world's most important event for furniture and interior design. It draws over 386,000 visitors from 181 countries each year (source: Salone del Mobile). The 2019 edition featured 2,418 exhibitors across 205,000 square metres at Fiera Milano Rho.
The main fair was joined by the Fuorisalone. This city-wide programme of exhibitions, open studios and events spreads across Milan's design districts. It offers space for conceptual work and bold ideas beyond the trade fair halls. At Entwurfreich, we attend fairs across industries — from ISH in Frankfurt to MWC in Barcelona. We track the design trends that shape our industrial design work. This ZOOM-IN Trendreport captures the key findings from Milan 2019.
Five Key Trends at Salone del Mobile 2019
1. How Is Sustainability Reshaping Furniture Design?
Sustainability was the defining theme of Salone 2019. It moved from marketing claim to material reality. Brands showed furniture made from ocean plastic, recycled aluminium and bio-based composites. Circular design thinking was visible everywhere.
Ecoalf presented seating made entirely from recycled fishing nets. Kartell launched the A.I. Chair by Philippe Starck — the first chair made from 100% recycled polycarbonate. Even luxury brands like Moroso and B&B Italia highlighted their supply chain transparency. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, less than 1% of materials used in clothing and furniture are recycled into new products. The message at Salone 2019: that number must change. Sustainability is no longer a niche. It is a baseline expectation.
For product designers, this shift changes the brief. Material selection now starts with end-of-life, not aesthetics. We explored this topic in depth in our article on sustainable design principles.
2. Why Is Flexible Living the New Default?
Urban spaces are shrinking. The average new apartment in European cities is smaller than a decade ago. Furniture must adapt. At Salone 2019, modular systems dominated the fair.
Sofas that split into armchairs. Shelving that reconfigures for different rooms. Desks that fold into consoles. The common thread: one product, many uses. Muuto, Hay and Vitra all showed systems built for change rather than permanence.
This trend connects directly to how we design products at Entwurfreich. A product that adapts to the user is a product that lasts. It is the same logic behind empathetic product design.
3. How Are Bold Colours and Textures Making a Comeback?
After years of Scandinavian minimalism, colour returned to furniture design. Salone 2019 was rich with deep greens, burnt oranges, terracotta tones and jewel-like blues. Surfaces became tactile. Bouclé fabrics, ribbed velvets and raw stone finishes replaced the smooth, neutral palettes of recent years.
Baxter showed sofas in deep emerald leather. Cassina reissued Charlotte Perriand classics in bold new colourways. CC-Tapis presented rugs with textured, almost sculptural surfaces. Pantone's 2019 Colour of the Year — Living Coral — was visible across dozens of booths.
This shift is not random. It reflects a broader cultural move toward warmth and personality in interiors. People want spaces that feel lived-in, not staged. For designers, the challenge is clear: balance boldness with timelessness. A trend colour fades. A well-chosen material endures.
4. Where Do Craft and Technology Meet?
Digital tools and handmade quality are no longer opposites. At Salone 2019, several brands combined CNC-milled precision with hand-finished surfaces. 3D-printed structures were paired with hand-woven textiles. Robotically bent metal met artisan lacquer work.
Dornbracht — one of our interview partners — is a prime example. Their fittings blend advanced engineering with a tactile finish that feels handcrafted. Mike Meiré, their creative director, spoke about this balance in our interview.
For industrial designers, this trend opens new ground. Digital production makes complex forms affordable. But the human touch is what creates emotional value. The best products combine both.
5. Why Are Brands Building Immersive Worlds?
The Fuorisalone has changed what a brand presentation can be. In 2019, companies moved beyond product displays into full spatial experiences. COS transformed a palazzo courtyard into an installation with architect Arthur Mamou-Mani. Hermès built a dreamlike domestic landscape. IKEA created an immersive apartment that visitors walked through.
These are not just marketing stunts. They signal a shift in how brands communicate value. The product alone is no longer enough. Context, narrative and sensory experience matter. For designers working on exhibition concepts, showrooms or retail spaces, Salone 2019 showed that the boundary between product and environment is dissolving.
Interviews: Insights from Industry Leaders
Mike Meiré — Meiré und Meiré / Dornbracht
Mike Meiré is a Cologne-based creative director who has shaped Dornbracht's brand identity for over two decades. In our interview, he discussed the role of culture in product design. His view: a fitting is not just a functional object. It is a cultural statement about how we relate to water, space and daily rituals. This perspective has made Dornbracht one of the most design-forward brands in the sanitary industry.
Ann Zuber — Kymo
Kymo creates handcrafted rugs that sit between art and interior design. Ann Zuber spoke about materiality, craftsmanship and the tension between tradition and innovation. Her take: a rug is the most intimate contact point between a person and a room. The texture, the weight, the warmth — these are design decisions that shape how a space feels.
Dr. Thomas Dienes — USM Haller
USM Haller is one of the most iconic modular furniture systems in the world. Dr. Thomas Dienes shared his view on why a system designed in 1963 is still relevant today. The answer lies in radical modularity. Every USM unit can be reconfigured, extended or repurposed. That makes it sustainable by default. In a world of fast furniture, USM represents the opposite: a product built to outlast trends.
This connects to a broader theme at Salone 2019. The most respected brands were not those chasing novelty. They were those that had built systems flexible enough to absorb change.
Report Preview
Our ZOOM-IN Trendreport captures the visual essence of Salone del Mobile 2019. It covers both the main fair at Fiera Milano Rho and the Fuorisalone across the city. The full report includes trend analyses with over 90 original photos, our Hot or Not feature, and complete interviews with Dornbracht, Kymo and USM Haller.
Why It Matters for Product Design
The trends from Salone 2019 reach far beyond furniture. Sustainability, modularity, material honesty and brand storytelling are forces that shape every product category. From consumer electronics to medical devices, the same questions apply. What material tells the right story? How does a product adapt to changing needs? At Entwurfreich, events like the Salone are essential input for our work.
Our ZOOM-IN Trendreports turn these observations into clear insights for designers, product managers and decision-makers. Each report combines on-site photos, expert interviews and trend analysis in a compact format. Whether you are developing a new product line or repositioning a brand, the macro trends from adjacent industries can give you a real edge.
How These Trends Have Evolved Since 2019
Editor's note (2026): The five trends from Salone 2019 have shaped the industry in lasting ways.
Sustainability: No longer optional. EU regulations on material disclosure and circular design are now law. Brands that started early have a clear advantage.
Flexible living: The pandemic accelerated this trend massively. Home offices, multi-use rooms and adaptable furniture became essentials, not luxuries.
Bold colour: The maximalist wave has settled into a confident middle ground. Colour is now expected, not exceptional.
Craft meets tech: 3D printing and CNC have become standard tools in furniture production. The craft element remains the differentiator.
Immersive brand worlds: Every major brand now invests in spatial experiences. The Fuorisalone model has spread to other industries.
Entwurfreich tracks these shifts through our ZOOM-IN reports and hands-on project work in areas like medical device design, consumer products and building technology.
Selected Projects
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Salone del Mobile Milano?
The Salone del Mobile is the world's largest and most important trade fair for furniture and interior design. It takes place every April at Fiera Milano Rho in Milan, Italy. The 2019 edition attracted over 386,000 visitors from 181 countries and featured 2,418 exhibitors across 205,000 square metres (source: Salone del Mobile). The fair covers everything from furniture and lighting to kitchen systems and office design. It is accompanied by the Fuorisalone, a city-wide programme of exhibitions, installations and events spread across Milan's design districts.
What were the main trends at Salone del Mobile 2019?
The five key trends were: (1) sustainability as material reality, with brands using recycled ocean plastic, bio-based composites and circular design; (2) flexible living through modular furniture systems for smaller urban spaces; (3) the return of bold colour and tactile textures after years of minimalism; (4) the merging of craft and technology, combining CNC precision with handmade finishes; and (5) immersive brand worlds, where exhibition design became a full spatial experience. These trends have since become standard practice in furniture and product design.
Who is Entwurfreich?
Entwurfreich is an industrial design agency founded in 2012 in Düsseldorf, Germany. The team has completed over 350 projects for more than 125 clients, including ABB, Vodafone, Henkel, Coca-Cola, Fujifilm and Covestro. The agency covers product design, UX/UI design, CMF design and design strategy across sectors from consumer electronics to medical devices. Its ZOOM-IN Trendreports capture design trends from leading fairs including Salone del Mobile, ISH, BAU, MWC and Dutch Design Week. Recent awards include iF Design Award Gold 2024, Red Dot Best of the Best 2024 and German Design Award Gold 2026. Learn more about our design process.
Written by Matthias Menzel · May 21, 2019