Milan Design Week 2026: Trend Highlights
Pembrooke & Ives traveled to Milan for Salone del Mobile, Fuorisalone, and all of Milan Design Week’s surrounding events. Over the course of the week, the team explored galleries, showrooms, exhibitions, product launches, and curated experiences across the city by day, and by night dined alongside some of our wonderful collaborators, vendors, and peers, including the Future Perfect, Nilufar Depot, and a celebratory dinner hosted by Artemest for its Champions of Craft.
We asked Francis Nicdao, Principal & Chief Creative Officer; Alexia Sheinman, Chief Strategy & Brand Officer; and Carol Batista, Senior Designer, to share insights on their most enticing finds from the week.
FASHION-LED COLLABORATIONS
Furniture is increasingly being shaped by fashion collaborations. Louis Vuitton presented “Objets Nomades,” a limited collection of leather furniture and accessories. At Hermès, the new 2026 home collection included colorful leather objects, hand-crafted furniture, and cashmere homeware.
TEXTURED METALS
Metal appeared everywhere across Milan this year, often presented with a deliberate roughness that showcased the hand-worked, textured, and sculptural elements of the works. The treatment of this material makes it feel alive. Vincenzo De Cotiis, Rossana Orlandi, Studio Pepe Valenti, Mike Demirjian, and Linde Freya Tangelder’s collaboration with Cassina all stood out for incorporating metal into their work in artistic and intriguing ways.
LAYERED COLLECTIBILITY
Interiors are embracing a curated mix of contemporary, vintage, and collectible pieces, creating spaces that feel personal and evolved. The designers noticed a particular pairing all around Milan—contemporary furniture set against the aged backdrops of old palazzo interiors. Alcova hosted a show at the Baggio Military Hospital, a beautiful albeit dilapidated campus, showcasing contemporary design. At Salone del Mobile, the expanded collectible design presence reinforced this direction, with collectibles and antiques now shown side by side and signaling a broader comfort with layering across eras and makers.
"Italians can do anything—a sentiment that felt especially clear this year. The level of craftsmanship, from historic pieces to contemporary works, continues to set a global benchmark across both artisanal and industrial scales. Installations such as those by Artemest reinforced the remarkable range of production, proving that excellence exists at every level, from one-off objects to broader manufacturing."— Francis Nicdao
COLORED & PAINTERLY GLASS
Saturated hues, hand-applied finishes, and painterly surface treatments brought a new dimension to glass vessels, lighting, and tabletop pieces. The effect was less industrial and more artisanal, with each piece carrying the variation of the maker’s hand. Intriguing work came from Michal Korchowiec, Draga & Aurel, Nilufar Depot, and Rossana Orlandi.
INTEGRATED KITCHENS
Kitchens are transforming into increasingly discreet workspaces. Across the Salone del Mobile, cabinetry, appliances, and work surfaces were turned into fully integrated systems with modular, customizable components. Range hoods had a minimalist, sculptural presence. Inspiration was drawn from professional kitchens with elements reimagined for a residential interior using materials such as wood, natural stone, and powder-coated metal.
NATURE-INSPIRED PALETTES
Rich, grounding earth tones dominated beige and neutrals, with terracotta emerging as the color of the season alongside sage green and ochre. Powder blue popped up as an accent to bring calm and contrast.