Colour and geometry: The best design trends to emerge from Milan Design Week

Canberra Times

05-05-2025

Milan Design Week is an annual furniture and design trade fair that takes place in Milan, Italy. Officially known as Salone Del Mobile, the event was held last month and showcased some of the latest trends and innovations in furniture and interior design.
Green, yellow and vivid purple punctuated the streets of Milan. Pic: Falper.
The event included exhibitions, product launches, open showrooms, talks, workshops and parties hosted by both brands and designers.
Group design manager at Winnings, Kate McGlone, shares some of the most exciting design takeaways from the week.
The rise of Nabuk
When it came to new materials, McGlone saw a "clear admiration" for Nabuk, particularly with sofas and armchairs. Nabuk is top-grain leather that is sanded or buffed to create a velvety, napped surface.
Nabuk was a popular choice for sofas and armchairs. Pic: Molinari.
"It's a delicate, suede-like leather that's perhaps not suited to high-traffic family living, but its softness and nuanced texture offer a sublime sensory experience," she says. "Nabuk evokes the feeling of a warm hug or a favourite blanket, comforting and luxurious, as well as visually striking."
Colour play
According to McGlone, colour made a "bolder return" at this year's event.
Colour made a "bolder return" at this year's event. Pic: Falper.
"Mint green, mustard yellow, and vivid purple punctuated the streets of Milan, often seen together or paired with a neutral base," she says.
"Rather than being loud or overwhelming, these hues added layered emotion and vibrancy to spaces, each playing a unique role in storytelling and mood-making."
Gloss and glow
While its return began last year, high-gloss materiality was a celebrated finish especially in "mustard tones".
"Their reflective nature adds depth and elegance, particularly when contrasted with more organic textures," McGlone says.
The warmth of timber
Unsurprisingly, timber was still a popular choice for furniture. However, walnut was the popular hue at this year's event.
Walnut was the popular timber hue at this year's event. Pic: Studio Bottger.
"Its rich tone adds depth and timelessness, providing the perfect backdrop to the more expressive colour and finish stories of 2025," McGlone says.
Bold geometry takes the floor
Unlike the neutrals and minimalist patterns of the previous years, rugs with bold patterns were back with a bang.
Rugs with bold patterns were back with a bang. Pic: Karpeta.
"Vivid, geometric patterns adorned living settings, injecting energy and playfulness underfoot and redefining the role of rugs from background players to central characters," says McGlone.
Mixed materiality
McGlone noticed a trend towards the use of mixed materials at the event.
"Metal, leather, and timber were often paired in joinery and furniture pieces, showcasing a refined complexity," she says.
"These combinations allowed minimalist, contemporary forms to feel layered and intentional, creating pieces that are not only beautiful to look at but also to touch."
Curvature and soft forms
Curvature and soft shapes have been enjoying a rise in popularity and this year's event showed they're not going anywhere soon.
Curvature and soft shapes retained popularity. Pic: Azores by Luca Nichetto.
"There's something innately comforting about softness in form," says McGlone. "It invites ease and slows down the eye.
"These curves also provide the perfect canvas for bold material choices, striking a careful balance in well-considered spaces."
Lighting as storytelling
One particularly exciting trend that McGlone observed was in the area of lighting. Where lighting has previously revolved around function, this year's event showcased lighting as a vehicle for visual storytelling.
This year's event showcased lighting as a vehicle for visual storytelling. Pic: DCW editions.
"We saw a poetic exploration of materials and form, where each piece conveyed emotion, memory, or atmosphere," she says. "There were subtle nods to the past through Art Deco influences, glimpses of glamour reinterpreted for the modern eye."
McGlone also witnessed a reimagining of the classic chandelier.
"Once reserved for grandeur or tradition, it now confidently holds space in both contemporary and classic settings," she says. "Whether sculptural or minimalist, suspended or clustered, lighting in Milan was less about illumination and more about identity, telling stories through glass, metal, and the spaces between."