Salone del Mobile 2025: A Human-Centred Vision of Design
Read more
Each April, Milan becomes the centre of the global design world, and Salone del Mobile its most anticipated event. In 2025, the fair once again delivered a masterclass in innovation, craftsmanship and creative direction. With more than two thousand exhibitors and countless off-site installations, it remains the ultimate stage for the future of interiors.
This year’s edition explored the tension between utopia and dystopia, softness and structure, optimism and realism. At its heart was a growing focus on the idea of the thought for humans. Designers responded not just to aesthetics but to the emotional and ethical dimensions of living, placing people, their needs, behaviours and values at the centre of their work.
The most impactful collections reflected this shift, offering pieces that invite reflection, comfort and adaptability. Among the standouts were our stocked Italian brands Bonaldo, Alf Italia, Alf DaFrè and Cubo Rosso. Each presented design felt both attuned to the present and quietly visionary. Whether through expressive forms, grounded materials or systems that evolve with the user, their work captured the spirit of a more considered and connected future.
At Bradfords, we’ve taken the most meaningful shifts from Salone del Mobile and translated them through a local lens. It’s not just about following trends, but about showing you how to bring them into your own home, with materials that feel grounded, forms that comfort, and pieces that suit the way New Zealanders live.
Keep reading to see how you can add a bit of Milan magic into your everyday.
Sculptural Softness
Seen throughout Salone del Mobile 2025, sculptural softness was one of the most dominant visual languages of the fair. Asymmetric curves, rounded forms and cocooning silhouettes appeared across everything from statement tables to oversized sofas, evoking a sense of ease, comfort and sanctuary. These shapes speak to a utopian vision of the home as a place of calm and emotional well-being.
How to add to your home:
To bring this feeling into your space, choose furniture with gentle, flowing lines that soften the edges of a room. Embrace the irregular, as asymmetry adds interest and a sense of natural rhythm. Layer with materials like linen, timber and ceramic to create an interior that feels relaxed, nurturing and thoughtfully composed.
Bonaldo’s PADIGLIONI is a striking example of functional sculpture, with its soft architectural curves and monolithic base creating a sense of quiet strength and fluidity.
Desaturated Earth Tones
A dystopian mood ran through many collections at Salone del Mobile 2025, with desaturated earth tones used to evoke reflection and resilience. This grounded palette appeared across cabinetry, bedroom furniture, upholstery and lighting in hues like clay, ash brown and muted ochre.
How to add to your home:
To bring this sensibility into your home, focus on creating quiet, restorative spaces. Use linen, wool and weathered timber, and layer in handcrafted or vintage elements to build texture and encourage a sense of calm endurance.
The BIRK sofa by Bonaldo captures the grounded mood of Salone 2025 with its clay-toned leather and deep, tufted form. Calm, sculptural, and quietly resilient.
Tactile Minimalism
Offering a softer, more human approach to pared-back design, this utopian take on minimalism stood out at Salone del Mobile 2025. Clean lines were paired with rich materials and textural depth, inviting a slower, more intentional way of living.
How to add to your home:
In your own home, work with tone-on-tone layering, subtle sculptural forms and tactile finishes such as boucle, ribbed timber or hand-finished ceramics. The result is a space that feels elevated, calm and intuitively comforting.
Capturing tactile minimalism through its clean lines, soft boucle headboard and refined timber finish. It brings warmth and depth to a minimalist space without excess — a look perfectly embodied in the NYX bed by Alf Italia.
Modular Living
A distinctly utopian trend, modular design responded to the need for flexibility, fluidity and optimism in the way we live. Across the fair, brands presented adaptable systems that could change and grow with everyday routines.
How to add to your home:
To apply this at home, use modular furniture to define zones in open-plan or compact spaces. Whether it’s for work, rest or play, choose pieces that evolve with your lifestyle while maintaining a cohesive, intentional look.
BORGER by Cubo Rosso captures the utopian essence of modular living with its flexible, reconfigurable design. Ideal for open-plan spaces, it adapts to your lifestyle while offering comfort, elegance and a sense of ease
Retro Futurism
Retro futurism brought a burst of utopian escapism to Salone del Mobile 2025. Inspired by the playful optimism of the 60s and 70s design, this trend reappeared through chrome finishes, curved forms and vibrant colours. Designers imagined the future with joy and character, offering a refreshing contrast to more restrained palettes.
How to add to your home:
At home, introduce the look through accent pieces like coloured glass, retro lighting or sculptural furniture. It adds energy, personality and a touch of light-hearted futurism.
ROVI bed by Alf Da Frè anchors the look with its tubular frame and soft leather headboard, embodying 70s design with a modern twist.
The most moving designs at Salone del Mobile weren’t just beautiful, they were deeply felt. Pieces that comfort, connect and quietly support. An armchair that cradles. A table that invites conversation. A lamp that softens the edges of the day. Together, they speak to a more thoughtful kind of design, one rooted in empathy over ego.
At Bradfords, we see this as more than a moment. It marks a shift towards interiors that reflect how we live and feel. We’re curating with this in mind, bringing together pieces that offer both presence and softness.
