As the dust settles on the design world’s biggest annual gathering, More Space caught up with local designers and members of the Space team who were on the ground for Milan Design Week and Salone del Mobile 2026.
Our Milan series explores the newcomers and evergreen brands whose histories are richly embedded in the layers of the renaissance city, and looks at how the emerging ideas and themes – through collaborations and exhibitions, new ideas and activations from designers and brands – will shape interiors globally.
We meet the furniture, lighting and artisanal brands who have welcomed us behind the veil and into their worlds, and dig into the themes and directions, designers and products that defined Milan. From those who draw on their design roots, including B&B Italia, Gallotti&Radice, Edra and Baxter, to Kartell who is broadening their offering through innovation and materials, and young design brands like Morghen Studio where traditional materials and making techniques are taking shape in new lighting concepts.
‘Milan this year felt confident and considered, with brands showing strong, clear positioning across multiple touch points,’ remarked Leonie Evans, Space’s Head of Retail Design across the Asia Pacific. ‘Heritage remained a key theme, with archival pieces from Arflex, Acerbis, and B&B Italia reinforcing a timeless design language. Presentations felt more curated and slower in pace, with a focus on intimate, sensory environments that leaned into comfort, retreat, and experience. There was also a mix of designer collaborations, with brands working with different studios across their collections.’
B&B Italia returned to their origin DNA story with a stand designed by Formafantasma, full of honest, natural materials that showcased detail and craft, and the exhibition 'Before and Beyond' that traced the history of the brand back to 1966. ‘B&B Italia, Edra and Baxter further defined their individual paths,’ Michelle McEwen, Space’s Head of Marketing, continues. ‘Milan is their opportunity to immerse clients in their unique brand stories.’
As Charlotte McGill, Director of Interiors at Mim Design adds, ’The craftsmanship behind products showcased the power of slow, thoughtful design, revealing the process of the artisan. We could understand the investment of time in those traditional crafts which generated a curiosity about the design and the maker.’
Brand insights
Marking the return of symbolic and design value, B&B Italia presented a constellation of new products, unique partnerships, and significant collection developments. New collaborations with Ronan Bouroullec and Jasper Morrison produced a fresh narrative for the brand, enriched by the signatures of Antonio Citterio, Vincent Van Duysen, and Michael Anastassiades. Along with the reissue of Richard Sapper’s classic Nena armchair and the limited-edition Catilina chairs by Luigi Caccia Dominioni.
The B&B Italia booth was designed by another new collaborator in Formafantasma. The architectural space offering a simple premise, to place the work of designers at the centre, ‘allowing each product to be experienced as the result of a specific design process’. Materials are used in a direct and legible way: wood, marble, and coconut fibre carpets that were both tactile and restrained. It was a show that highlighted B&B Italia’s ability to reinterpret its heritage through the contemporary lens of today.
The Kartell flagship store on Via Turati in Milan was transformed into a home open to the city, a place where design became a living experience, flowing through the spaces and shaping how we live each day. The aim said Lorenza Luti, Global Brand Director at Kartell, ‘is to show how our designs can shape spaces that are coherent, harmonious and genuinely liveable. It reflects a vision of contemporary living in which aesthetics, innovation and functionality come together to create spaces that welcome people and evolve with them over time.’
Glass is a defining element of Gallotti&Radice and plays centre stage to the brand’s ongoing experimentation. Their foundations built on glass production weaves a rich narrative of memory and innovation, highlighting the continuity of design. Their new interpretations and processes exploring new materials between tradition, innovation and contemporary vision. Key to this balance are historic icons such as the T35 Trio 1975 tables and the Eros 1971 table, both designed by Pierangelo Gallotti, joined by the Half-Pipe seating, a fair standout that underpins the brand’s dynamic evolution. Its strong sculptural presence created in collaboration with design visionaries Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces.
In the heart of Milan, Palazzo Durini has been the home of Edra in the city since 2021. It is a permanent space dedicated to the collection, where the products exist in perfect harmony with the historical beauty of the architecture. The exhibition extended beyond the showroom on the piano nobile, and pieces coexisted with the palace’s frescoed rooms. Edra’s clear singularity in approach was shaped this year by two new additions to their collection: the Anywhere sofa by Francesco Binfaré and the Dilly lamp by Jacopo Foggini. Both pieces explored movement, perception and emotion, and the brand’s latest research into the relationship between body, light and space.
At Baxter Cinema in Largo Augusto, the brand presented its new indoor collection inside the renewed flagship space within an original 1970s multiplex cinema. The presentation was conceived as an immersive threshold, with a fluid sequence of environments, central partitions, diffused light, and surfaces that gave the furniture a stronger sense of rhythm and perspective. Here, the brand explored the quality of materials and endless compositions across their iconic leather collections. The show formed just one part of the vast Baxter offering that included the Baxter Journey, the re-imagination of a Milanese tram, and their annual La Casa sul Lago takeover on Lake Como. As designer Greg Natale, Founder and Director of studio Greg Natale, remarked, 'Baxter was a real standout this year. They know how to balance the art of maximalism with minimalist clean lines which resonates with my own design approach.‘
The Untitled Outdoor collection by Vincent Van Duysen for B&B Italia. Photo c/o B&B Italia.
Super Frame collection by Jasper Morrison for B&B Italia. Photo c/o B&B Italia.
'I like to think of lightness not only as the elimination of weight but as the absence of visual mass where light can enter.' The Metric chair by Michael Anastassiades for B&B Italia. Photo c/o B&B Italia.
The Untitled Outdoor collection by Vincent Van Duysen for B&B Italia. Photo c/o B&B Italia.
The Savoia chair by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby for Kartell. Photo c/o Kartell.
HiRay Sunbed by Ludovica Serafini + Roberto Palomba for Kartell. Photo c/o Kartell.
Featuring new collections that further broaden their material exploration, Kartell focused on sustainability in collaboration with designers from Philippe Starck to Patricia Urquiola. Photo c/o Kartell.
B&B Italia 'Before and Beyond' exhibition that traces the history of the brand since 1966. Here and following. Photos c/o B&B Italia.
'Baxter was a real standout this year. They know how to balance the art of maximalism with minimalist clean lines which resonates with my own design approach.‘
Greg Natale, Founder and Director, Greg Natale
Activations and collaborations
The B&B Italia stand was designed by another new collaborator for the brand, Formafantasma. Here, materials were used in a direct and legible way: wood, marble, and coconut fibre carpets that were both tactile and restrained. In the background, the Moor chaise longue designed by Vincent Van Duysen. Photo c/o Space.
The Baxter offering this year included the Baxter Journey, the re-imagination of a Milanese tram that moved through the city. Photo c/o Space.
Inside Palazzo Durini, Edra created an atmosphere that explored the movement, perception and emotion of the collections – here, the Pack sofa by Francesco Binfaré, within the historical beauty of the architecture. Photo c/o Edra.
‘The atmosphere was electric, as if the entire city was running on creative adrenaline and arrived charged with artistic excitement,’ remarks Charlotte McGill. ‘It’s not Milan Design Week without visiting historic palazzos. Exhibitions inside these spaces felt like extravagant sets, making me consider how scale, sequencing and depth of field can be used to reveal interiors gradually.
What stood out in so many exhibitions was the contrast between the opulent architecture and the contemporary pieces, engaging in a dialogue between old and new where furniture still felt considered and at ease within the context. It was intriguing to see newly released furniture presented within such baroque, palatial settings, particularly for us as a studio working on residential projects in heritage buildings. Climbing the winding stair of the Artemest L’Appartamento, set within a richly ornate palazzo, each room’s immersive curation of furniture was absorbed into the palazzo’s historic interiors, showcasing a sense of domestic theatricality.’
Bocci – Light as Medium installation
During Milan Design Week, Bocci presented Light as Medium, an exhibition of new and reimagined works by Omer Arbel. Curated by David Alhadeff it was a research-driven exhibition staged within Bocci’s historic Milan apartment. A distinct body of compositions that extended Bocci’s serialised investigations, each installation re-articulated familiar elements through shifts in colour, scale, proportion and configuration, with material variations, realised as complete, fixed installations, and each room focused on a singular gesture.
‘The Bocci brand has gone far beyond its beginnings, emerging as a lighting company that now delivers impressively large installations,' adds Greg Natale. Alhadeff stripped back and reconfigured the apartment into a sequence of immersive encounters, transforming the domestic setting into an entirely new, purpose-built residential gallery. Moving from room to room, the curation presented light not as a standalone object, but as an atmospheric and architectural force, shaping perception, movement and experience over time.
B&B Italia – Before & Beyond exhibition
To mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of B&B Italia, born as C&B in 1966, they commissioned the Italian arts magazine Nova Express to produce a special issue dedicated to B&B Italia’s mark on the world. From Oliviero Toscani’s bold advertisements for Mario Bellini’s Le Bambole to the latest cinematic campaign curated by Carina Frey and Stefanie Barth, Before & Beyond, was a true work of research and exploration between archives and artistic commissions.
Between the magazine designed by Nova Express and Andrea Magnani, and the exhibition designed by Formafantasma, the insights offered a non-linear perspective on a complex and multifaceted history of products, experiments, projects, marketing, and stories. From 1966 to 2026, from Cassina to Busnelli; from the glorious past of the 1960s and 1970s to the consolidation of 1980s and 1990s, it explored the creative drive that transformed an innovative furniture company into a global icon. It’s a foundational story for what we now understand as ‘Italian design’.
Gallotti&Radice – Tales in Glass
A journey through 70 years of history, between craftsmanship, innovation, and love for glass, the show told the story of the brand’s heritage, its artisanal excellence, and its ongoing exploration of glass as a living material. Hosted in the historic Palazzo Meli Lupi di Soragna, the exhibition was conceived as a journey through time, where archival pieces and new designs intertwine in a cohesive narrative structured in three chapters – past, present, and future.
Designed by French architect Sophie Dries, the exhibition unfolded in dialogue with the palace’s historic architecture. Conceived as a soft layer that both envelops and dresses the space, it develops through a scenography of glass, textiles, and ropes, guiding visitors along a continuous journey. The past evokes the company’s roots, with its pioneering use of glass. The present reflected the evolution of material research and the development of a total living vision. While the future came to life through previously unseen pieces conceived by six international designers – Valentina Cameranesi Sgroi, Ivania Carpio, Estudio Persona, Rania Hamed, Fumie Shibata, and Miminat Shodeinde.
'What stood out in so many exhibitions was the contrast between the opulent architecture and the contemporary pieces, engaging in a dialogue between old and new where furniture still felt considered and at ease within the context. It was intriguing to see newly released furniture presented within such baroque, palatial settings, particularly for us as a studio working on residential projects in heritage buildings.
Charlotte McGill, Director of Interiors, Mim Design
The Bocci installation 'Light as Medium' that reimagined works by Omer Arbel. Photo c/o Bocci.
Edra on show inside Palazzo Durini explored contemporary ideas within the renaissance architecture. Photo c/o Edra.
The Dilly lamp by Jacopo Foggini for Edra, on show in the courtyard of Palazzo Durini. Photo c/o Edra.
The Baxter Journey inside one of Milan's famous trams. Photo c/o Baxter.
Galllotti&Radice inside the historic Palazzo Meli Lupi di Soragna. Photo c/o Gallotti&Radice.
Gallotti&Radice Tales of Glass installation looked at the past, present and the future in collaboration with a stable of new international designers, here and following. Photos c/o Gallotti&Radice.
Baxter at La Casa sul Lago, their villa on the edge of Lake Como. Here and following. Photos c/o Baxter.
The Baxter Journey was the re-imagination of a Milanese tram, right down to the colours, patterns and leather detailing, here and following. Photos c/o Space.
'Taking the Baxter tram through the streets of Milan, observing design, fashion, architecture, and flower stores through the window, noticing details like the embossed leather handrails and swing straps, immersed us all in the world of Baxter.’
Leonie Evans, Group Retail Head, Space, Asia Pacific
Baxter – Baxter Journey and La Casa sul Lago
Slowing winding through the streets of Milan, capturing the attention of passers-by, the Baxter tram became a distinct object in the urban landscape. Another element in their Milan activation, the design was completely bespoke, the atmosphere onboard creating an intimate dimension. ‘Taking the tram through the streets of Milan, observing design, fashion, architecture, and flower stores through the window,' adds Leonie Evens, 'noticing details like the embossed leather handrails and swing straps, immersed us all in the world of Baxter.’ With deep tones and textures reminiscent of leather and earth: intense hues wrapped around the seats and extending to the floor, where clear graphic marks traced dynamic, contemporary patterns.
La Casa sul Lago is not just the stage for new products but the place where Baxter presents their complete vision every year, redefining atmospheres. The villa's modernist architecture becomes the backdrop to the Baxter collection through measured and harmonious spaces that have an intimate relationship with the landscape. This year, three chromatic moods ran through the house like three movements of the same composition. In the main living room, cool tones dominated. Mousse and Botanique greens intertwined with the bold character of terracotta. While the suites and living areas were grounded in a range of deep, dusty blues that covered walls, fabrics and furniture.
In the bedroom, the bed felt like a textile island, framed by dark curtains that absorbed the light and modulated the entry. Contrasts were played through burnt tones of the fabrics and the details of the furniture, warming the overall atmosphere without disrupting its balance. In the attic, deep sofas, poufs, thick rugs were low and welcoming, defining islands dedicated to resting and listening to music.
Edra – Teatro alla Scala
‘Edra’s event at the Teatro alla Scala, watching the ballet perform the Boléro is a night that I will truly treasure,' remarks Greg Natale. 'I now have the music on my playlist and even watched the movie about Maurice Ravel’s composition. I can’t wait to be invited to the next event and this time I will have my tuxedo ready!’
Every year during Milan Design Week, Edra invites international designers to one of the world’s most prestigious theatres. In collaboration with the Ballet School of the Teatro alla Scala Academy, the sparkling performance is an occasion for Edra to celebrate the bond between the arts, languages and forms of expression capable, as Edra remarks, ‘of igniting the enchantment of beauty’. This year the night was dedicated to Edra’s longtime design collaborators, Humberto and Fernando Campana, with the participation of Humberto in a touching dedication to his late brother Fernando. It's a programme that also provides a metaphor for Edra’s work, the crescendo transformed into the full, intense and vital forms of their collection.
Moooi – 25 years of ‘fearless imagination'
Moooi celebrated a defining moment: 25 years of ‘fearless imagination', commemorated in silver. Guided by the vision of co-founder and creative director Marcel Wanders, Moooi’s presentation at Superstudio Più returned the brand to its origins, reflecting on its roots to propel creativity boldly forward. Moooi introduced a series of new designs that embody the spirit of reinvention. Collaborating with Dutch artist Mart Veldhuis, they unveiled a monumental anniversary tapestry celebrating the brand’s rich visual universe. Known for his rhythmic, narrative illustration style, Veldhuis translated Moooi’s history into a dense, expressive composition woven with detail, symbolism and layered storytelling. From a distance, the tapestry reads as a bold graphic landscape, while closer inspection reveals a multitude of references to Moooi’s icons, characters, and creative moments.
The designs that caught our eye
’The craftsmanship behind products showcased the power of slow, thoughtful design, revealing the process of the artisan. We could understand the investment of time in those traditional crafts which generated a curiosity about the design and the maker.’
Charlotte McGill, Director of Interiors, Mim Design
In Milan this year, a mix of new brand collaborations across collections introduced fresh perspectives. At B&B Italia, Ronan Bouroullec and Jasper Morrison joined the heady stable of designers, adding pieces that were clearly contemporary but grounded in craft. At Gallotti&Radice, Half-Pipe was the result of a new collaboration with Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces. One of the most outstanding pieces this year. While six newcomers also brought fresh eyes to the heritage brand. The group contributed to a collection dedicated to the future, offering multicultural, international views from Japan to Nigeria, Belgium and the UAE.
'Each designer brings with them a heritage of local knowledge, artisanal techniques, aesthetic languages, and cultural references that shape their approach to material, the design gesture, and the relationship between form and function,' remarked Gallotti&Radice. 'These legacies intertwine in a creative dialogue that enriches glass with new narratives, transforming it into a medium of expression capable of embracing memory, identity, and future perspectives.'
Following are some of the highlights that caught our eye across the brands – key pieces that said something new through materials, technique, function and nuance.
Admira Prestige by Silvia Gallotti for Gallotti&Radice
The modular Admira sideboard is designed in matt lacquered wood and tempered extra light crystal glass doors, finished with aluminium leaf that gives the piece depth and luminosity. ‘This is one piece Lauren and I continued to return to,' explains Charlotte McGill. 'The sleek form and slim-line doors offered an elevated yet minimal approach, versatile in any setting. Lauren also coveted this piece in the glossy gradient lacquer. When comparing our notes this was a piece that we both immediately gravitated to.’
Eileen XL Sofa by Baxter P for Baxter
‘This defies the typical idea of what an outdoor sofa should look like,' remarks Greg Natale. 'It looks like a commodious piece you would have indoors, but it has become an extension for entertaining, translated to the outdoors.’
Savoia chair by Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby for Kartell
A slim profile with a formal clarity, Savoia is made of die-cast aluminum which extends and molds into the armrests. The aluminum frame in polished colour finishes or chrome, and the seat and backrest in colored recycled technopolymer, curved wood, or leather. 'The Savoia armchair by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby offers a more informal option for meeting and conversation,' explains Leonie Evans. ‘This is a potential iconic piece, a real standout for me.’
The Savoia chair by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby for Kartell, here and following. Photos c/o Kartell.
The Yve's chair by Piero Lissoni for Kartell, here and following. Photos c/o Kartell.
The Alvar armchairs by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia. Photo c/o B&B Italia.
Admira Prestige sideboard by Silvia Gallotti for Gallotti&Radice, here and following. Photos c/o Gallotti&Radice.
The T35 Trio by Pierangelo Gallotti for Gallotti&Radice. Photo c/o Gallotti&Radice.
The Eros 1971 table by Pierangelo Gallotti for Gallotti&Radice. Photo c/o Gallotti&Radice.
Half-Pipe armchair by Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces for Gallotti&Radice. Photo c/o Gallotti&Radice.
'Abaco is a real architectural piece, its simple tabletop form transformed by the beautiful detail in its split column legs.’
Greg Natale, Founder and Director, Greg Natale
The Abaco table by Ronan Bouroullec for B&B Italia. Photo c/o B&B Italia.
The Abaco chair by Ronan Bouroullec for B&B Italia. Photo c/o B&B Italia.
The Anywhere sofa by Francesco Binfaré for Edra. Photo c/o Edra.
The Field Outdoor table by Vincent Van Duysen for B&B Italia. Photo c/o B&B Italia.
The Victor sofa by Draga & Aurel for Baxter.
The Syd music cabinet by Baxter. Photo c/o Baxter.
Orma sofa by Martina and Massimo Castagba for Gallotti&Radice.
Eileen XL by Baxter P for Baxter.
Chicago sofa by Paola Navone for Baxter.
Half-Pipe armchair by Francesco Meda and David Lopez Quincoces for Gallotti&Radice
‘Made from recycled ‘bonbon glass', this collectable piece was both furniture and art,' remarks Greg Natale. 'With its recycled bonbon glass in a striking merlot red.’
Syd cabinet by Baxter P for Baxter
Described as 'not just a functional element, but an emotional experience', the Syd cabinet is a work of fine woodworking where the solid poplar burl structure, marked by rhythmic slats, visually and acoustically accompanies the propagation of sound.
Eros 1971 and T35 Trio 1975 by Pierangelo Gallotti for Gallotti&Radice
The Eros 1971 and T35 Trio are iconic pieces of Italian modernism, celebrated for their ethereal, gravity-defying aesthetic crafted entirely from glass held together by polished chrome or chromed brass hardware. ‘I love the transparency of glass,' remarks Greg Natale, 'and the Eros 1971 is one of the original iconic pieces that has transcended for almost six decades.’
Orma sofa by Martina and Massimo Castagba for Gallotti&Radice.
With soft curves and a low profile reminiscent of the 1970s, this smoothly modular sofa is upholstered in soft leather with recycled and biodegradable polyester fibres.
Chicago Sofa by Paola Navone for Baxter
The interaction between materials and surfaces becomes more intricate with the Chicago Sofa: deep leathers, the generous volumes of the modularity of the form beckons. ‘This is such a generous sofa,' adds Greg Natale, 'and it is also quite delicate and soft with its curved shape and ruched details.’
Viktor sofa by Draga & Aurel for Baxter
Viktor is a leather sofa which revisits the simple elegance and understated beauty of timeless classics. A research project by the designers on upholstery and modular furniture, the project began with an exploration of 1970s atmospheres to create a piece that is both familiar and new.
Abaco table and chair by Ronan Bouroullec for B&B Italia
The Abaco table and chair by Bouroullec focuses on the theme of construction as language. He has designed a system in which architecture, compositional precision and the relationship between materials define their identity. 'Abaco is a real architectural piece,' Greg Natale adds. 'Its simple tabletop form transformed by the beautiful detail in its split column legs.’