At Studio Italia we are very fortunate to import from some of the very best furniture manufacturers in Italy. These companies collaborate with the world’s leading designers to produce enduring pieces of furniture that stand the test of time. The year on year changes are more subtle for us and so we like to talk about style directions rather than trends that tend to come and go.
Valeria Carbonaro-Laws, Director, Studio Italia.
During my latest visit to the Milano fair I noticed more metal detailing on legs and frames in golden tones, this included brass, bronze and shiny gold - also, the use of a new glossy black metal. This is a shift from the stainless and chrome metal that we had seen previously.
Natural stone has always been included in the collections presented at Italy but this year we definitely saw more - beautiful marbles in lighter colours like Calcatta oro but also basalts and honed granites in darker shades being used on dining tables, coffee tables and kitchens.
When it comes to fabrics I always love the way Italians mix a lot of textures, and it always looks right. I saw a lot of velvets, linens, soft aniline leathers and suedes - in a range of cool colours like soft blues and greens and layered with neutrals. This palate I found to be very elegant and sophisticated and translates well to our style of homes in New Zealand.
Probably a more transient colour and relating well with fashion trends at the moment was the more moody maroon and purple hues, a very rich and opulent colour that also played out well in the velvet and linen fabrics.
