The theme of Salone del Mobile.Milano 2025 was encapsulated in the formula Thought for Humans — design not as a stylistic exercise, but as an act of care. The exhibition served as a reflection on what the industry can become in an era of uncertainty and shifting values.
It spotlighted the physicality of perception, tactile materials, emotional lighting, and architecture attuned to pauses rather than speed. All of it is easily adaptable to the summer season — in interiors, commercial spaces, or countryside settings.
One of the most expressive installations at Salone del Mobile 2025 was Villa Héritage, a project by the Pierre-Yves Rochon studio. Each room in this “villa” formed a dialogue between architecture, art, and materials. A sculpture at the entrance emphasized the human figure’s central role in shaping architectural space.
The journey began with the Red Salon, evoking associations with museum displays and theatrical drama. Massive wooden armchairs from the Zanaboni collection, upholstered in damask with hand-finished details, highlighted the value of materials, the passage of time, and the legacy of craftsmanship. Similarly, neoclassical chests of drawers, crafted by master Franco Monzio Compagnoni from rare woods — ash, maple, and fruit trees — continued this narrative.
Handcrafted objects, storied pieces, and richly textured materials came together to form a kind of sensorial neoclassicism — a new kind of honesty: not glossy, but deeply felt.
What to take into summer – To echo this aesthetic in more compact spaces, choose textures that invite touch — linen upholstery, soft-grained wood, unglazed ceramics. Let tactility take precedence over visual polish. Even a summer table setting can follow this trend: simply add matte ceramics, textured textile napkins, and woven decorative accents.
Each year, the exhibition gives more space to materials that don’t try to dazzle but resonate with quiet precision. The brand Euroluce presented lighting that interacts with its surroundings — refracting, filtering, and leaving subtle impressions. Light diffused through fabric, textured lampshades, engraved glass, or translucent panels becomes a powerful way to evoke emotion.
“We are so used to seeing what’s around us that we often stop really looking at it. Our eyes cease to be amazed and everything becomes obvious, so we take it for granted. It doesn’t take much. All you have to do is just stop for a moment and start looking at things through the eyes of a child again, letting yourself be carried away by sensations and emotions,” — Michele Losito, CEO, Euroluce – Light of Italy
Another standout was the Salone project Library of Light, installation by Es Devlin at the Pinacoteca di Brera. The large-scale kinetic piece by the British artist and “poet of light” was set in the Cortile d’Onore of the Brera gallery.
At the courtyard’s center rotated a glowing 18-meter-wide cylindrical structure, formed of bookshelves housing 3,200 volumes. By day, its mirrored surface reflected sunlight onto the courtyard’s architecture; by night, it became a theatre of light and shadow.
The memory of the installation continues to inspire — not only through its thoughtful, intellectual approach to light, but through its invitation to contemplate beauty. Why not bring that same spirit into your own home?
What to take into summer – When designing your space, play with gradients, shadows, and layers — ideal for interiors that shift with the changing light of long summer days. For cozy evenings, use soft, directional lighting.
Instead of a central chandelier, combine floor lamps, wall sconces, and low-level lighting near the floor or baseboards. This layered approach works beautifully in summer living rooms, verandas, and outdoor lounge areas.
The La dolce attesa installation by Paolo Sorrentino, presented at Salone del Mobile 2025, reimagined waiting as an emotionally charged and meaningful state. In collaboration with set designer Margherita Palli and sound designer Max Casacci, the director created an environment where pause was not emptiness, but a space for inner movement and silence.
At its heart was a sculpture of a heart, hidden behind frosted glass — a metaphor for tension, hope, and vulnerability. The interior was rendered in a warm palette: soft armchairs, translucent dividers, and the sounds of wind, water, and glass created an almost cinematic atmosphere of comfort and stillness. “Waiting is not an interval, it is the most serious time in life,” — reminded Sorrentino.
This installation pointed to a new direction in interior design — one that soothes and slows us down. In the coming season, we’ll see growing interest in this “architecture of pause,” with secluded nooks, tactile surfaces, and soft lighting designed for restoration.
What to take into summer – Create “quiet zones” — places free from distractions. It could be a chair by the window, a projector corner for watching films, a hidden terrace, or simply a hammock in the shade. Use sheer curtains, fabric panels, muted tones, and eliminate visual noise wherever possible.
Salone 2025 made clear: sensitivity is not the opposite of rationality — it’s its new expression. And this is the design of the future: adaptive, receptive, and alive.
This summer, tune your interiors to how they feel. Use mobile furniture, easily switchable textiles, and multifunctional pieces. Items that work equally well in the city and countryside support the trend toward flexibility and mindful functionality.
