Milan Design Week always has a way of stirring something in me—part longing, part inspiration, part professional FOMO.
Having visited three (or was it four?) editions in years gone by, it felt strange to watch from afar this time. But with Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design marked firmly in my calendar for June, I’ve chosen to save my design energy for Nordic shores this year. Still, that hasn’t stopped me from obsessively following the launches, scroll in hand and envy in check. Among the sea of new collections and concepts, a few brands stood out—not just for their aesthetics, but for the way they managed to capture something of the mood right now.
Here, I’ve gathered three of my favourites, each offering a different take on materiality, memory and modern living.
Muuto
Muuto’s takeover of the third floor at Via Solferino 11 might have been their third iteration in the space, but it didn’t feel like a repeat performance. Quite the opposite. This year, the Copenhagen-based brand took a chromatic turn, transforming the Brera apartment into a seasonal study in mood and atmosphere—one saturated hue at a time.
It was a deliberate slow dance through colour psychology: a blood-rushing red to start, dissolving into a mellow blue, jolting back to lime-slick green, before settling into something closer to aubergine reverie. If Milan Design Week is the city’s annual parade of cleverness and provocation, then Muuto offered a kind of spatial exhale—albeit one with very good lighting and exceptional upholstery.
Not all of it was to my taste, but I admire the conviction—the tonal purity of it all. Each space appears to be bathed in its own palette, unapologetically and completely. There’s something quite beautiful about that kind of aesthetic commitment, even when it veers into the theatrical. I, rather surprisingly, found myself lingering in the greener end of the spectrum—especially the dining room and kitchen, where things slowed to a softer register, creating a calm, almost meditative stillness.
What really caught my eye, though, was the Midst table. New for 2025, and designed by TAF Studio, it balanced a monolithic, high-gloss steel base with a honed marble top that felt cool and ceremonial. You could imagine it hosting the kind of dinner where conversation flowed like wine and nobody checked their phone. There’s also a new coffee table version, equally sculptural in its presence, offering the same poised contrast of weight and refinement in a more intimate, living room scale.
Established & Sons
Established & Sons could’ve easily played it safe for their 20th anniversary—some retrospective fanfare, a moody monograph, maybe a commemorative tote. Instead, they came to Milan Design Week with a fresh scoop of irreverence, quite literally.
Enter Gelato—a lamp with the nostalgic pull of a childhood treat and the kind of sculptural flair that reminds you why Italian design in the ’60s was untouchable (and, frankly, why it’s still being mined for ideas in 2025). Originally imagined by Carlo Nason—he of Murano meets industrial cool—Gelato was first designed as a wired table lamp.
Now reissued as a portable piece with dimmable LED wizardry and a magnetic charging base, it’s more than a charming object; it’s a reminder that good design doesn’t age, it evolves. What could’ve been a gimmick—lighting dressed as dessert—is instead something rather graceful. A flared blown-glass base forms the ‘dessert cup’, while a soft white orb rests inside like a scoop of sorbet at a dinner party you’d actually want to stay at. Twist it to dim the light; lift it out entirely and it glows in your palm like a captive moon. It’s tactile, intuitive, a little bit romantic.
The new colourways—Mint, Azure, Smoke, Spritz—lean into the nostalgic sensibility with a wink, but never stray into pastiche. There’s a joyfulness here, a lightness of touch (both literal and metaphorical) that feels decidedly un-British in the best possible way. And while Gelato is playful, it’s not precious. It’s beautifully made, yes, but it doesn’t sit behind a velvet rope. It wants to be used, touched, moved from table to windowsill and back again. In a city where many objects felt either overthought or overwrought, this one struck the right balance: a lamp that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still knows how to hold a room.
IKEA
It’s no secret that I’m a devoted IKEA fan. My home is full of their pieces—some everyday, some exceptional—and I’ve long admired how they manage to make good design accessible without ever feeling soulless.
My favourite IKEA possession? The STOCKHOLM 2017 rattan cabinet. I spotted it in person at Milan Design Week that year and knew instantly I had to have it. There was a calmness to it—a sense of craftsmanship and clarity that stood apart from everything else around it. It sold out quickly, as cult pieces tend to, but I was lucky enough to get my hands on one. It’s the sort of thing I know I’ll never part with.
So when I heard that STOCKHOLM was returning in its largest edition yet—celebrating 40 years of the collection—I was immediately curious. And it doesn’t disappoint. With 96 new pieces spanning furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories, STOCKHOLM 2025 feels like a love letter to Scandinavian design—natural materials, quiet elegance, and subtle innovation woven through every detail. The collection doesn’t shout. It invites you in.
A few pieces instantly caught my attention. The round glass coffee table is a standout—light, spacious and beautifully constructed, it has the graceful presence of something far more expensive. Its minimal frame balances a generous, circular glass top that’s both striking and unobtrusive. It’s one of those rare pieces that manages to be both sculptural and practical.
I also loved the easy chair, with its understated silhouette and woven linen bands stretched across a frame of bent birch veneer. There’s something timeless about it—like it belongs in a lakeside cabin, but also wouldn’t be out of place in a considered, contemporary living room. It’s quietly confident, the sort of piece that earns its place over time.
Then there’s the new rattan cabinet with sliding doors which immediately struck a chord. The finish is beautifully refined, with a natural texture that brings a quiet warmth to any space. The proportions feel balanced and serene, and the brass handles add just the right note of elegance without tipping into fussiness. It carries the spirit of my beloved 2017 cabinet, but with a fresh clarity that speaks to this moment—less of a remake, more of a graceful evolution.
And finally, the Alhamn sofa in dark turquoise. This one stopped me in my tracks. Generous without being bulky, geometric without being cold, it’s the sort of piece that defines a space without dominating it. The colour—deep, rich, ever-so-slightly unexpected—feels like a modern classic in the making. You can imagine living with it for years, the fabric ageing gracefully as the room changes around it.
What ties these pieces together is a sense of care. The materials—birch, wool, linen, rattan, mouth-blown glass—have been chosen not only for their beauty but for how they evolve over time. IKEA calls it “no-compromise design,” and that feels exactly right. This is a collection that respects the everyday moments of living—sitting, gathering, storing, resting—and elevates them, quietly and intentionally.
For those of us who’ve long loved IKEA for more than just its price tags or flat-pack charm, STOCKHOLM 2025 is a reminder of what the brand does best: design that’s honest, enduring and quietly full of feeling.
All imagery © respective brands
3 responses
I love how Milan Design Week continues to inspire and push boundaries in design!
I’m blown away by this year’s Milan Design Week highlights! IKEA’s STOCKHOLM collection feels timeless yet fresh. Muuto’s seasonal Milan Apartment? Pure inspiration. Such a smart blend of craftsmanship and innovation—I’m already planning where to incorporate these pieces in my next project!
So much inspiration – timeless yet fresh is a great descriptive!