Milan was buzzing last week with creative energy for Salone del Mobile 2026, A Matter of Salone. We spent a week in Italy's design capital taking in the best of what's new — here are some of our highlights.
"A Thoughtful Stay" by Karimoku Case Link here
Karimoku Case never misses. This year they shifted from their signature residential concept to something more intimate and unexpected: a full hospitality experience titled "A Thoughtful Stay", designed in collaboration with Norm Architects and Keiji Ashizawa Design. The space moved guests from reception through lounge to a private suite, layering timber, stone, textile, and those signature lanterns into something that felt genuinely transportive. A beautiful reminder of why Karimoku Case Study remains one of our leading brands. We also made it over to Capsule Plaza to catch Research Published as Furniture, their Karimoku Research presentation. A completely different register, and equally worth the detour.
Sancal's Experimentarium Link here
Sancal had the concept of the fair, for us. Experimentarium framed the whole presentation as a laboratory: retro scientific objects scattered among the furniture, staff in lab coats, and a philosophy built around rediscovering the pleasure of interacting with our surroundings in a playful and approachable way. New introductions included the generous, enveloping Mimoso sofa by Note Design Studio and the Twins lounge chairs by Júlia Esqué.
Tom Dixon's Mua Mua Hotel Link here
Tom Dixon took over the Mua Mua Hotel, a 12-room micro-hotel in the Centrale district that used hospitality as an exhibition format and will carry on as a fully operational hotel beyond Design Week. The beds, developed with Vispring, were almost architectural in their presence with sculptural headboards that anchored each room. Pink, fun, and totally alive. Tom himself was doing the rounds, which made it even better. New highlights included the FLARE lighting debut and the MELT family in a new nickel finish.
RS Barcelona x AL13 Luca NichettoLink here
RS Barcelona rounded things out with their characteristic slickness. The standout was AL13, their first collaboration with Luca Nichetto, a new pool table that felt like a proper design object rather than just a games room piece. They also showed the Franc lounge chairs with A.P.O. studio, elegant aluminum pieces that move easily between indoors and out.
Another inspiring year for design. Stay tuned to our newsletters and social media to know when we'll have new products from these brands and more available on aplusrstore.com.