Design spotlight

Seasoned Salone del Mobile attendee Mike Thorburn, managing director of ECC, reports on the designs that caught his attention this year.

1 — ‘Urban Wall Turning Arm’ by Venicem Venicem uses a lot of burnished brass in its collection, which we first noticed appearing last year at Milan. This adjustable wall lamp has a structure of light or dark burnished natural brass and a selection of blown glass diffusers and screen colours.

2 — ‘Farniente’ by Bestetti Associati for Paola Lenti This hammock is made of a new outdoor multicolour fabric by Paola Lenti, specialists in technical fabrics for outdoor durability. You can hang it from a tree or a dedicated structure made of varnished stainless steel.

3 — ‘Noctambule S2’ by Konstantin Grcic for Flos Both the beautiful form and clever use of LED technology made ‘Noctambule’ catch my eye. This new collection of lamps is made of blown glass modules, which are transparent in daytime, but transform into gorgeous, illuminated lamps at night. The LEDs are discreetly integrated into the junctions between the glass modules.

4 — ‘Jacques’ armchair by Rodolfo Dordoni for Minotti I like the warmth and compact form of the ‘Jacques’ armchair. It’s part of a collection, ranging from sofas to ottomans, that embraces curves and softness. It sits on a light bronze metal swivel base, a contemporary update to a retro style.

5 — ‘Colette Outdoor’ by Rodolfo Dordoni for Minotti Minotti’s outdoor collection goes from strength to strength, with the introduction of an impressive new range this season. ‘Colette’ was a highlight, with its metal backrest reminiscent of the uniform vertical bars of the classic ‘Caulfield’ table. ‘Caulfield’ joins the outdoor collection, too, and both come in a range of eye-popping colours.