Trip to Milan: Our Team at Salone del Mobile 2025

A Scale You Can’t Prepare For

Although we knew what we were getting into, the actual scale of the exhibition took us by surprise. It’s not just a few halls — it’s hectares of pavilions filled with stands, installations, visitors from around the world and… thousands of chairs and sofas you just have to sit on.

Salone is a true architectural and design universe — and it’s easy to get lost in it, of course in the best possible way. If you ever plan to go there, prepare comfortable shoes and a clear schedule — because there’s never enough time.

A Visual Feast and Meaningful Connections

One of our main goals was to see furniture pieces from brands we use every day in our visualizations in person. And there we were — not just placing a sofa in a 3D scene but actually sitting on it, feeling the fabric and evaluating the comfort. We spent a lot of time at the booths of Poltrona Frau, Minotti and Molteni as well as in the showrooms of smaller studios.

We also had a few valuable conversations: some with brand representatives turned out to be surprisingly productive. Not only were people listening — they were genuinely curious about our work asking to see our portfolio. Sometimes we heard honest feedback: “It still looks like 3D” — and sometimes: “Now this is beautifully done.”

In one showroom they told us we were the tenth team to stop by — but that only made the interaction more meaningful. Even though amid exhaustion the communication stayed respectful and open.

Furniture or Art Objects?

Design is design — but we couldn’t help noticing a curious trend: much of the furniture looked more like gallery pieces. Beautiful, bold, intricate — but not always comfortable.

About half of the sofas were solid. But armchairs? Not so much. Eighty percent were either too stiff, oddly shaped or clearly designed just to out-style the competition.

You want to sit down — but the chair seems to say, “You’re only allowed to look.”

All this at €5,000–10,000 — and sometimes even €50,000, like an outdoor set of sofas and a glowing marble fireplace. Yes, visually it looks stunning. But in the back of your mind: “Is this even comfortable?”

Observations and Discoveries

One memorable piece was a chair from the Ukrainian studio Palo Nero. We tested it ourselves — it looked striking, but let’s say the ergonomics could still be refined. The brand rep was honest: the next version will include a headrest. That was reassuring.

These moments matter. They help you see where there’s just a visual concept — and where there’s a design that’s truly built for real life.

Why This Matters to Us

Attending Salone del Mobile this year was a major professional moment for our team. It gave us a chance to experience the pieces we work with in our visualizations — to speak with brand reps, to assess quality and comfort not through a catalog but in person.

Events like this don’t just inspire — they help us better understand the market, find new design approaches and strengthen our professional network.

Salone was the first exhibition we visited this year and we’re already planning to expand that list. We see events like this as an essential part of our ongoing design practice — helping us grow, stay connected to the industry and deliver even more relevant and thoughtful solutions to our clients.

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