Milan Design Week 2025: Architectural Materials, Enduring Forms, and the Evolution of Luxury Interiors
Each year, Milan Design Week reaffirms its place as one of the most influential moments in global design—where material innovation, craftsmanship, and spatial thinking advance beyond seasonal direction. It is a convergence of ideas that shape how interiors are conceived—through proportion, material integrity, and a focus on design that lasts.
This year, our team attended key exhibitions and private previews across Salone del Mobile and Fuorisalone—meeting with design houses, studio partners, and material innovators to understand the deeper directions shaping modern interiors. Amid the installations and showcases, the focus is on what endures through craftsmanship, material integrity, and thoughtful reinterpretations of design heritage. Principles endure—shaping interiors of lasting relevance.
Materiality Reimagined: Shaping Interiors Through Surface
Milan 2025 revealed a considered evolution in how materials influence space. Misted glass, molten textures, architectural lighting, and lacquered timber finishes emerged as integral to creating atmosphere and defining spatial rhythm.
Porada—known for its sculptural woodwork and artisanal finishes—explored molten-glass compositions that reflect their continued commitment to material craft. The results introduce organic distortion and diffused light, applied with balance and restraint. Their approach translates traditional techniques into refined, contemporary forms.
Gallotti&Radice advanced their ongoing material research—balancing reflection, texture, and form through glass, lacquered finishes, and softened metallic details. Their work underscores the relationship between material depth, transparency, and how spaces flow.
Rimadesio—renowned for its architectural glass systems and minimalist design solutions—presented integrated doors and partition systems designed to create seamless transitions between spaces. Their contribution reinforces how material clarity enhances both structure and function.
Throughout these collections, the relationship between surface, light, and texture reflected a clear direction: materials chosen for their ability to enhance space, engage the senses, and contribute to composed, long-lasting interiors.
Earthy walnut, brushed bronze, and mineral-inspired finishes framed this evolution, reinforcing the broader movement towards grounded, enduring interiors.
Retro Influence Reinterpreted for Contemporary Living
Milan also revealed a renewed appreciation for retro design—filtered through refined proportions, noble materials, and thoughtful restraint.
Flexform’s latest collection revisited archival inspiration with architectural clarity. Low-slung seating, generous cushions, and softened silhouettes reference mid-century influence, elevated through precise tailoring, premium materials, and an unwavering focus on comfort that endures.
Gallotti&Radice explored similar territory, distilling 1970s glamour into contemporary forms defined by sculptural glass, reflective finishes, and rich material contrasts. Their collection bridges retro allure and modern refinement, where softened edges and luminous surfaces reframe the spirit of the era for today’s interiors.
Molteni&C—a benchmark in Italian design known for its integrated systems and collaborations with Vincent Van Duysen—introduced a collection where the architectural language of Milan meets the brand’s legacy of refined craftsmanship. Their latest pieces balance retro influence with contemporary composure, revealing a timeless aesthetic. Sculptural forms, archival revivals, and a material palette grounded in wood, metal, and leather are enriched through thoughtful contrasts—solid and transparent textures, refined finishes, and proportions that reflect clean, functional living.
Poltrona Frau—founded in 1912 and globally revered for its heritage leatherwork and cultural collaborations—layered subtle mid-century references within a broader exploration of craftsmanship. From the Gio Ponti Dezza reissue to the Fornasetti collaboration, their enveloping silhouettes and refined Pelle Frau® leather bring nostalgic undertones into dialogue with modern material clarity and emotive spatial design.
This is a refined continuation of design heritage, where thoughtful craftsmanship and balanced forms create interiors with enduring relevance.
Sculptural Forms and Cross-Disciplinary Craftsmanship
One of this year’s most notable collaborations came from Giorgetti and Maserati—a meeting point of disciplines, where automotive engineering informs interior design.
Giorgetti—founded in Meda and internationally regarded for its expressive timber craftsmanship—translated Maserati’s design language into sculptural seating and modular storage. The Lorelei collection brings together precision, flowing lines, and technical expertise shaped by Giorgetti’s artisanal roots.
This collaboration reflects a wider direction seen throughout Milan: design conceived across industries, producing interiors where structure, craftsmanship, and material honesty align.
Shifting Proportions: The Rise of Lounge-Height Dining
Beyond materials, Milan revealed an evolution in spatial proportion—the growing presence of low-slung dining tables, drawing influence from Japanese chabudai traditions and Nordic simplicity.
As lounge seating becomes more grounded and sculptural, dining compositions have evolved to maintain cohesion and balanced proportions. Lounge-height tables bring intimacy, fluidity, and a sense of ease within modern living spaces. This shift reflects a broader pursuit of relaxed, considered interiors, where grounded elements promote comfort, atmosphere, and simplicity aligned with enduring design values.
Milan Design Week remains the global stage for evolving materials, refined forms, and ideas that influence interiors for decades to come. What endures: the compositions, materials, craftsmanship, and design principles that carry interiors into the future—living legacies of design and craft.
