At Salone del Mobile in Milan, design shows its fullest expression, not just in beautiful pieces, but in the impetus behind them. Here, the world’s most talented designers gather, each revealing how deeply imagination and craftsmanship are connected.
Observing Inspiration at Its Highest Level
For renowned Arizona interior designer Anita Lang, part of Salone’s beauty is that it speaks to a specific sensibility to individuals who choose their surroundings with care and seek craftsmanship that reflects the life they have built through vision, effort, and passion.
Anita referred to an iconic example that stayed with her: the memory of a past exhibit where the designer, the great Francesco Binfaré, was honored for his contributions. This piece is known as the “Pack” sofa, designed by Francesco Binfaré for the Italian furniture company Edra. The design features a large, reclining polar bear resting on an asymmetrical platform reminiscent of an ice floe, symbolizing the Arctic environment.
The artistry on display at Salone is defined by this ability to take something unexpected and elevate it into something meaningful.
As Anita reflects, true luxury isn’t about what can be bought. It’s about the stories a piece can tell, and the emotions it can awaken.
The History and Evolution of Salone del Mobile
Salone del Mobile began in 1961 with a simple but powerful goal: to showcase the excellence of Italian furniture to the world. At a time when Milan was reestablishing itself as a modern design capital, Salone became a new kind of international stage. One that reflected Italy’s profound legacy as a global leader in design and architecture for millennia. It wasn’t about starting something new. It was about building on generations of craftsmanship, culture, and creative vision.
From its early days with just over 300 exhibitors, Salone grew quickly. It wasn’t long before it became more than just a furniture fair; it celebrated design thinking. By the 1970s, it drew international attention, expanding to include lighting, kitchens, bathrooms, and eventually full environments that blurred the lines between architecture, fashion, and art. Today, Salone Salone has grown into a global benchmark for design. It hosts over 1,950 exhibitors from 35 countries, drawing over 370,000 attendees and reaffirming Milan’s role as a nexus of creativity, craftsmanship, and cultural exchange.
Anita Lang sees this evolution as part of what makes Salone essential today. “It’s not just about presenting a product,” she said. “It’s about presenting an idea; a poetic interpretation of life.
True luxury isn’t about adding more. It’s about knowing what to honor and what to reimagine.
In a world that often celebrates the immediate, Salone reminds you that real innovation endures.
It’s not about chasing trends but creating ideas and pieces that hold meaning over time. Ideas that evolve but never lose their soul.
Salone’s Influence on the Luxury Design Industry
At Salone del Mobile, luxury reveals itself in different ways. It’s not about extravagance, it’s about meaning.
It’s about honoring a material and shaping a form to invite not just admiration but emotion.
For Anita, the spaces that stood out most were the ones where the design didn’t fight for attention. Instead, it welcomed it.
Walking through Salone, she was most drawn to rooms where the hand of the maker was evident, not in grand gestures, but in the careful way design textures, proportions, and light worked together to create a quiet sense of belonging.
“There’s a different energy when a piece is designed from a true place of connection,” Anita reflected.
It’s the kind of work that naturally resonates with the clients Anita designs for: individuals who understand that true luxury isn’t about accumulation, but about choosing pieces and spaces that mirror their own stories of achievement and meaning.
At Salone, the most influential work isn’t about chasing what’s fashionable now.
It’s about setting a standard that will still feel relevant and beautiful decades from now.
For Anita, these are the kinds of lessons that matter most.
Luxury isn’t defined by how much is added, but by the depth of thought and craft that remains long after the first impression fades.
Key Trends and Themes Emerging from Salone
Salone del Mobile has always been a place to glimpse where design is heading, not just in form, but in imagination.
This year’s event revealed a deep focus on innovation that felt playful, personal, and fresh.
One of the most inspiring discoveries for Anita was a lighting installation at Flos, the iconic Italian lighting house. They showcased a large, flexible sculpture designed by Erwan Bouroullec called Maap, which is made of a translucent, wax paper-like material mounted with magnets. As you adjusted the magnets, the form shifted and rippled, casting soft, cloud-like shadows across the wall. It evoked the feeling of a living storm.
“It’s exciting to see something that’s not just copying what’s been done,” Anita reflected. “It’s creating something that never even existed before.”
Lighting became a standout theme for her overall.
Anita admired the clever pinpoint lighting Molteni&C integrated into shelving and architectural features. Subtle, hidden sources that elevated the spaces not by dominating them, but by enhancing their atmosphere.
Even smaller discoveries caught her imagination: beautiful, versatile pendant lights that combined simplicity with elegance. Pieces that could easily slip into different kinds of environments without overpowering them.
These experiences reminded Anita that the most exciting luxury isn’t necessarily loud or complicated.
It’s thoughtful. It’s personal.
It’s about sparking a feeling you didn’t expect… and won’t easily forget.
How Salone Continues to Shape Anita’s Design Philosophy
For Anita Lang, experiences like Salone del Mobile are not just moments of inspiration; they are reminders of what design can truly mean when it’s at its best.
Walking through the installations, discovering a magnetic storm cloud light, noticing the quiet precision of pinpoint shelving illumination. Each encounter added a new layer to her understanding of how creativity, craftsmanship, and emotion intersect.
At Salone, Anita wasn’t looking for the next big trend.
She was looking for work with integrity; pieces that told a story without shouting, moved forward without abandoning their roots, and made you feel something real.
“It’s not just about creating something beautiful,” Anita reflected during her trip. “It’s about creating something that connects, has legacy…creating with enough thoughtfulness and pure ingenuity that matters.”
That sensibility of honoring craftsmanship and embracing innovation without losing meaning is what Anita brings back with her, woven into every project she touches.
Because in the world Anita creates for her clients, individuals who have shaped their lives with intention, perseverance, and artistry, luxury isn’t just an aesthetic.
It reflects what they value most: authenticity, craftsmanship, and living with extraordinary care.
At Salone del Mobile, that understanding is reaffirmed:
The best design doesn’t separate itself from life.
It elevates it for those who recognize and celebrate the journey it took to arrive there.
IMI Design Studio designs with purpose, crafting interiors that resonate with meaning, story, and refined elegance. Inspired by global design moments like Salone del Mobile, Anita Lang and our team bring a rare depth of insight and artistry to every interior design in Scottsdale project we undertake, translating inspiration into timeless spaces that reflect the people who inhabit them.
Let’s create something enduring, inspired, and entirely yours. Explore our interior design portfolio and connect with us to begin your journey.