Today the world design community is heading to Milan in Italy for the 53rd edition of Salone del Mobile and its seasonal thematic exhibition Eurocucina for the kitchens and Salone Internazionale del Bagno for the bathroom and private wellness segment. Together with Salone Satellite, focused on young designers and emerging trends, it gathers more than 2.400 exhibiting companies and 300.000 visitors from all over the world.

The Salone design days express all the newest trends in the international design while the city hosts more than 600 events with hundreds of architects and designers communicating innovation and their design vision.

Don’t get lost and have a look at our selection of the more interesting events in the 2014 edition:

Big newcomers arriving and top players coming back

2014 is definitely the edition with the most famous newcomers: Hästens, Kvadrat, Iittala, Tom Dixon, together with global fashion brands like Ferré, Pierre Cardin, Ungaro, are at their first Salone. Big names also coming back in Milan: Flötotto, Gebr. Thonet, SCP, Thonet, Treca, Wittmann.

You won’t miss the great creative soul of metal in the lighting segment expressed by Tom Dixon who began his career as a designer with reused industrial materials. He’s launching his new collections in this edition in which metal and light are offering a unique glamour atmosphere directly from the swinging clubs of London.

Italians as well are showing excellence products. Fabbian for example adopted a project by the USA design studio Vim & Vigor, trying to communicate the appeal of the origami art with the original use of aluminum materials. Its lamp “Giro”, designed by the German design studio Formfjord, is made by 32 extremely thin steel rings.

Where do architects live?

This side event had a big media coverage (here’s an article by DesignBoom USA). Designed by Francesca Molteni and Davide Pizzigoni, shows us several private houses of eight international stars of architecture: Shigeru Ban, Mario Bellini, David Chipperfield, Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas, Zaha Hadid, Marcio Kogan, Daniel Libeskind and Bijoy Jain/Studio Mumbai.
Quite interesting.

Salone Satellite, factory of innovation

You can’t miss Salone Satellite. More than 650 young designers are exhibiting this year in this under-35 area. They’ve been selected by a highly qualified panel of architects, designers and trendsetters led by Marva Griffin, the real soul of the event. The Salone Satellite Award, at the 5^th edition this here, will show excellence prototypes made by young designers to improve the collaboration and connection with manufacturers attending the exhibition. Attending designers have to show also thematic prototypes made in harmony with the kitchen and bathroom design areas of this year’s edition.

FuoriSalone: big parties, hard choice!

Zona Tortona has always been the pulsating centre of the coolest parties and design events downtown. Tortona around design is the claim of this edition, but you won’t miss a walk in Brera Design District as well as Lambrate and the historical centre of Milan (here’s a quick overview).

Tough job, but we’ll try to pick the best ones:

Mostra del Compasso d’Oro ADI (Tortona)
Via Bergognone 54 – Spazio A ex Ansaldo

Compasso d’oro is the most famous design prize worldwide. Launched in 1954 thanks to an idea of Giò Ponti and Alberto Rosselli, it’s the greatest design prize. Try a pilgrimage trip there.

Tokyo Designers Week (Tortona)
Pad. Visconti via Tortona 58

Arts, design and food culture from Japan. It’s part of the Tokyo Designers Week organized by NPO Design Association. A whole space will be dedicated to arts, design and fashion with the theme Tokyo Image to express the Japanese capital through different communication means and deliver a unique empathy with the harmony between a modern metropolis and the ancient Edo culture. “Sushi power party” included! [more info and details]

While going back home, don’t forget a quick glance at Suteki Europe, merging traditional Japanese style with technologic art in via Tortona, 31.

Samsung – Flows: a Journey to the Future (Tortona)
Spazio Zegna – Via Savona 56

Samsung launches a multimedia installation focused on the evolution of design culture. It’s a mix of Samsung appliances de-structured and composed in a common concept interpreting the future of design in a dream and unreal dimension. Considering the great role of technology in design and home automation (we’ve had an idea in several recent posts) it’s a very interesting marketing action.

Manoteca (Brera)
Level house – via Volta 13

If you head to Brera Design District schedule a visit to the Manoteca a Made in Italy lab manufacturing unique handmade products. A unique deep connection between the social and historical souls of common objects and the impressive emotive and aesthetic appeal. A land between design and arts.

By Aldo Cibic (Brera)
C.so Garibaldi 125

Aldo Cibic launches his new brand of artistic design objects realized in limited edition with a great attention to sustainable materials and re-use philosophy. He’s used different types of materials, from wood to recycled items, as well as textile elements and ceramic.

Ventura Projects (Lambrate)
Via Ventura 5

Seven companies expressing design excellence in the first edition of a housing project realized in collaboration with Adele-C, Catellani & Smith, Eclettis, Fiori di Latta, Italiana Cucine, Plinio il Giovane e Purho. Its minimal and essential structure and the wise lighting design will reshape the traditional housing concept in a unique vital space.