Keti’s Travel Diary

What initially drew you to attend Salone Del Mobile in Milan?

Milan design week is I believe the best international fair to visit for inspiration when it comes to furniture and interiors. The whole city becomes one huge exhibition and from morning to night its one massive feast for the eyes and the senses! As a creative its mind blowing!

How did you prepare for your trip to Milan?

I create maps for each day with key exhibitions that I want to see and then walk the streets in the area once I’ve got through the main ones. The queues are crazy so I often get in line early in the morning to get into the exhibits I’ve highlighted. But then usually friends in the industry will post something or text me about a particular exhibition and I’ll then add them into my itinerary too. Its very hard not to get FOMO but I’ve learnt that its impossible to see everything, I see as much as I can and try and immerse myself rather just glimpsing at things as I rush by. And I usually buy new sneakers to start with that are comfortable! It’s a lot of walking!

What can you tell us about some of your favourite exhibits? 

Hermès is always a standout for me, their immersive exhibition was incredibly beautiful and well executed. I also really enjoyed the Galleria Rossana Orlandi- its full of delicious pieces and I can spend ages in there looking through the exhibits. I also adored L’appartmento by Artemist it was held in a Milanese mansion built in the early 1900s and located in the 5Vie district. Curated by 6 different interior designers, the queue was epic but the whole interior was swoon worthy….

What colours stood out to you?

Yellows

I have been slightly obsessed with yellow for a while but I think the fair was a good indicator that the time commercially has come for more yellow tones. We’ve moved more towards the warmer neutrals and so it makes sense that the yellows are coming through.

Washed Terracotta & Burgundy

So many orange tones, terracotta, and lots of burgundy. I often think that red is a very hard colour to style with for interiors, great for fashion, but too harsh to live with for a long time! The warmer oranges and terracottas still feel really good. Then Burgandy which is so versatile can sit alongside so many other colours as a highlight tone too as well as a feature colour.

Dirty Pastels

So many different shades of pastel but with a dirtier softer finish which is gentler to live with.

Blue, Teal & Turquoise

I’ve been waiting for the greener shades of blue to start coming through and definitely saw that this time. Not as prevalent as the warm tones but definitely in the mix looking really lovely. Cobalt still looking good but darker teals and light turquoise starting to pop through.

What textures caught your eye?

Mixed Materials

It feels really fresh to mix hard and soft finishes, anything goes. The material focused exhibitions such as the Elle Décor exhibit were filled with contrast in terms of finish and texture.

Stainless Steel

There was so much stainless steel in Milan, although I may have also been noticing it everywhere as I am quite obsessed with this finish generally at the moment! I love it the most mixed in with things, to create some clean lines to break things up. But right now I could easily change my kitchen to completely stainless steel cupboards and benchtops.

Glass

 Glass was probably the material of the fair, it was everywhere in every type of product and many different colours and textures. So beautiful and very livable. 

Raw Earth

There were lots of earthen ware finishes in bricks, tiles and ceramics, tables etc. Felt contemporary rather than rustic especially mixed in with other materials.

Besides the design week, did you get a chance to explore Milan? What were some of your favorite spots in the city?

I spend all my waking time looking at exhibits – averaging 28,000 steps a day in fact! I’ll also make sure I walk through the fashion district as I like to look at colour and fit outs too. But to be honest other than looking at the incredible things at the fair my 2nd favourite thing is sitting down to eat and people watching. The fashion is so wonderful and the Milanese people just emit the most amazing sense of style.

How did the cultural and architectural backdrop of Milan enhance your experience of the design week?

This is the beauty of Milan- the incredible architecture, finishes, flooring, details that are everywhere. When you pair that history with modern design such as in the Artemest, its mind blowing.

What advice would you give to someone planning to attend Milan Design Week in the future?

Book early as its very expensive to fly and stay there at that time. Only take comfortable shoes because in the evening you will still be walking around, heels are a waste of space! And take layers, the weather is fickle so layers are best. Get to know the districts a bit and plot a few things out before you get there so you know how to get around easily and quickly. Be open to changing your plans if something speaks to you, like any travel- you never know what’s around the corner.

Is there anything you would do differently if you attend again next year?

I would stay longer if I could! I stayed on for a trip to Lake Como after the fair and would definitely go there again. 

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