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In many instances, it’s the ephemera or interiors you can’t take home that make Salone del Mobile, Milan’s annual design fair, so singular. Access to usually behind-closed-doors private residences and palazzos; sneak peeks at releases that won’t be available for months; exhibitions you can only see that week. But, this year, everyone was talking about L’Appartement, an entirely shoppable show imagined by Antoine Billore for L’Artisan Parfumeur. (Sight Unseen’s Jill Singer was so excited about the painting she picked up that she pulled it out to show me at the airport.) It got me thinking: what was on display elsewhere that you could actually bring home? Surprisingly, quite a lot—here are 15 pieces you can add to cart right now.
Alessi Vite Espresso Maker
Philip Malouin designed the Vite moka pot to resemble a screw—exactly the gesture you make when you’re adding coffee to its base. Both the three- and six-cup sizes come with a jaunty green knob and handle, and they even works on induction cooktops. I’m the kind of person who has been known to bring a KitchenAid mixer or Chemex on weekend road trips to the Hudson Valley, so I like the idea of the mini as insurance for a decent coffee setup on the road.
Frette Modernist Net Coaster Set by Tara Bernerd
Tara Bernerd is a regular collaborator with Frette, who crafts the sheets on many great hotels’ beds. The brand’s table linens are just as high quality, and this graphic coaster set would make a beautiful gift—I’d wrap them up for my very chic aunt who hosts regularly.
DalMoto Kyl Pouf
When I met the designers behind Dalmoto at the satellite fair Alcova, I was delighted by this funky little Kyl ottoman. I’d put it in our tiny entryway as a spot for putting on shoes. Plus, designers Francesco Manfredi and Tommaso Lorenzini also divulged to me that the Kyl makes a cameo in The Devil Wears Prada 2. Tell me if you spot it!
Beni Aho Meditation Mat
A part of the Unione collection made in collaboration with Casa Milana, the Aho is made of Moroccan wool in a rich 1.75-inch-deep pile. While you could buy it for its intended use—a calming spot to start or end the day—I can easily imagine it as a layering moment so guests can sit more comfortably on the floor with after-dinner drinks.
Sophie Lou Jacobsen Disco Aperitivo Collection
Swathed in a gorgeous dress fit for a disco, Sophie Lou Jacobsen presented her latest collection in Italian fashion. Swarovski-adorned glass and tableware, serving plates, an ashtray, a cigarette box, and silk ruffled placemats make up the new capsule. I like the ashtray in particular, but as a jewelry or keys catchall. (Similarly, the cigarette box could be home to matches or cotton balls in a bathroom.)
How Italy Feels: Through the Lens, Region by Region by Italy Segreta
This book will take up residence on my coffee table all summer. Splashed with photography from Italy’s different regions, it’s a love letter to the country as seen through the eyes of 20 different artists.
Muller van Severen Silhouettes Candleholders
Apartamento
Muller van Severen Silhouette Candleholders
In Milan, I encountered life-size versions of Muller van Severen’s new candleholders, made in collaboration with Apartamento. The four raw aluminum shapes—Triangular, Rectangular, L, and Radius—illustrate different forms that the 15-year-old design studio returns to again and again in their work. I’d love them as a gaggle on my coffee table or as the genesis of an irreverent table setting.
La Marzocco x Polspotten Coffee Cups
As an espresso drinker, anything La Marzocco does is of interest to me. In Milan, the brand debuted several new colors—cream, brushed steel, and blue, all good additions—for its at-home machines. More affordable, though, is its collection with Dutch decor brand Polspotten, which includes espresso, cappuccino, and latte cups, as well as breakfast bowls and 30-second hourglasses (the time it takes to extract one espresso shot). I would happily take my morning americano in one of these.
Knoll Dozie Kanu Coffee Table
For Knoll, artist Dozie Kanu created this coffee table inspired by his Nigerian and Texan roots (he now lives and works in Portugal). Steel rods support the taut leather top, which nods to an African drum, and the swishy leather fringe takes cues from African ceremonial skirts and cowboy regalia. Every living room needs a piece of art you can set drinks on, no?
Sister by Studio Ashby Anouk Side Table
When I asked Sophie Ashby about her favorite product from her new furniture collection, she immediately grabbed the flowering handle of the Anouk side table, illustrating how easy it is to move around. Before it’s cast in lightweight aluminum, the Anouk is hand-sketched, then hand-carved in wax. Made to order, this isn’t an impulse buy—but I’d certainly use it next to our sofa or anywhere else an extra surface may be required.
Frederik Fialin Douli Lamp
Another favorite from Alcova: the stainless-steel Douli lamp by Danish designer Frederik Fialin. Its squat, conical form is softened by the curved base, and it would serve wonderfully as a bedside light or perched on our piano.
Under Bedding and Sheets
While wandering through the Convey design showcase, I was drawn to the presentation by this Milan-based bedding brand. Under offers percale linens crafted in Portugal and merino blankets made in Italy. The duvets and sheets come in three different sizes and five colors, including on-trend cobalt blue and cocoa.
Mutina x Albers Foundation Tile
Dream bathroom tile alert: the Mutina x Albers Foundation Homage to the Square collection is exactly what I’d want to cover my own at-home sanctuary in. I’ve noticed a proliferation of references to the Albers couple in home design and fashion over the last several years; the duo’s exploration of color and form is ripe for interpretation in both industries. Combinations of matte and glossy squares take shape within six-by-six-inch tiles, available in color combos that nod to Josef’s paintings.
Artemest Collection by Gachot Studios
This sumptuous collection from Gachot Studios is the first collaboration for Artemest, a gallery and shopping platform that specializes in Italian craftsmanship. Throughout the 35-piece capsule, John and Christine Gachot weave their architectural approach to design and use of warm, tactile materiality into exquisite nesting tables, leather magazine racks, and hand-blown glass pieces. This is not an entry-level line: Sofas are upholstered in fabric from Rubelli, Dedar, or Loro Piana; tables are made with pewter, French silver, and solid wood; and lighting has silk shades. If I had the cash, however, would I add a tiny lacquer stool to my living room or replace my dining table with the Gachots’s oak, cartouche-shaped version? Absolutely. It all goes online at the end of May.