Here are our top product picks from Salone del Mobile 2019

From upcycling innovation to a new take on office modularity, here are the new products that caught our eye during this edition of Salone del Mobile.

[BRAND] COR
[PRODUCT NAME] Nenou
[DESIGNER] Jörg Boner
[KEY] Lounging, sleeping, working? To COR, these are not separate activities. The brand used upholstering and placement in their new easy chair, stool, pouf, table and bench to define each object’s functions. ‘Again and again, new topographies emerge,’ explained Boner.

[BRAND] Diesel Living with Moroso
[PRODUCT NAME] Aerozeppelin Sofa
[DESIGNER] Diesel Living
[KEY] Just like its name would suggest, the newest sofa from Diesel Living’s collection appears to be constantly floating. It was actually designed as a large platform, with compact pillows that then line key spots and rotate as necessary. The sofa by itself is quite out of the ordinary, but the ability to configure it in two different ways – with either a shallow or a deep seat – builds upon that.

[BRAND] Emeco
[PRODUCT NAME] On & On
[DESIGNER] Barber & Osgerby
[KEY] It was striking to see how the humble stackable plastic chair became a sculptural object once piled up. But beyond the aesthetic spin to storage, this collaboration is the result of a circular commitment: these chairs are made from 70 per cent PET waste plastic bottles, 20 per cent glass fiber for strength and 10 per cent non-toxic pigment.

[BRAND] Fantoni
[PRODUCT NAME] Atelier
[DESIGNER] Gensler
[KEY] True to its name, this furniture solution turns the office space into a more freestyle studio of sorts, thanks to a modular structure that easily adapts to changing spaces – and most interestingly, even emerging tech.

[BRAND] Flos
[PRODUCT NAME] Coordinates
[DESIGNER] Michael Anastassiades
[KEY] Flos and Anastassiades do it again, producing a system of poetic simplicity that can turn a functional element into a light experience. If used as prescribed, with horizontal and vertical strip lights that form a grid-like structure, we can see Coordinates becoming site-specific art in many a business lounge.

[BRAND] GAN
[PRODUCT NAME] Nuances
[DESIGNER] Patricia Urquiola
[KEY] Urquiola wanted to work with a natural material that could transmit warmth, and felt was the chosen one. She then worked with the GAN team to find a technique that would allow her recycle discarded fibers, and that’s how three rugs – Curve, Line and Round – and a pouf were born.

[BRAND] Kartell
[PRODUCT NAME] A.I. Series
[DESIGNER] Philippe Starck and Autodesk
[KEY] What does a chair designed by an algorithm look like? And what if, on top of that, you add the feverishly unexpected thinking of Philippe Starck? That’s the A.I. Series, a chair model with the structural strength and solidity requirements to ensure some very objective certifications, but also the aesthetic standards that could ensure some very subjective beauty ‘certifications.’

[BRAND] Piaval
[PRODUCT NAME] Herringbone
[DESIGNER] GarciaCumini
[KEY] Using a custom industrial process, Piaval has managed to turn wood into a highly communicative surface for a chair seat that does, indeed, resemble a form of herringbone.

[BRAND] Prostoria
[PRODUCT NAME] Loop
[DESIGNER] Numen / For Use
[KEY] With this modular system of interconnected seats and poufs, it is quite possible to create a new type of home landscape, with the sloping surfaces of the pieces providing enticingly diverse ways of socializing.

[BRAND] Sancal
[PRODUCT NAME] Next Stop
[DESIGNER] Luca Nichetto
[KEY] A bit of trivia: the inspiration for the seat and the back cushions of these pieces came from the symmetry of train seats – get the name now? But unlike the standard spots in public transportation, these pieces feature a highly customizable scheme of cushions and arms that can be used to create long or short benches, two-and-three-seater sofas and even armchairs.

[BRAND] Sunbrella
[PRODUCT NAME] Wind-Flower
[DESIGNER] Élise Fouin
[KEY] Maybe it’s because Frame is based in the Netherlands, but what a delight it was to see Élise Fouin’s whimsical windmill installation at the Sunbrella stand. The pieces, made with Sunbrella fabrics, are a reference to sustainable wind energy and, as she explains ‘the subtle beauty of nature.’

[BRAND] Tala
[PRODUCT NAME] Magma Ceiling Light
[KEY] The white discs that make up the Magma Ceiling Light are made from Glaskeramik, a material made from repurposed waste from broken solar panel glass. Let us know if you find a more beautifully direct connection between the need to curb light overconsumption and upcycling – we think not.

[BRAND] Louis Poulsen
[PRODUCT NAME] OE Quasi Light
[DESIGNER] Olafur Eliasson
[KEY] Eliasson was inspired by mathematical forms for this piece – and both he and the company settled on the ‘good light = good life’ equation. Using 90-per cent recycled aluminium and recyclable and reusable materials, the design also enables easy future disassembly to replace and recycle parts. As Eliasson stated, ‘this light was created with longevity in mind.’

[BRAND] Viccarbe
[PRODUCT NAME] Quadra
[DESIGNER] Mario Ferrarini
[KEY] How can a standalone product more cohesively interact with space, proportions, light and the surrounding materials? Ferrarini has a proposal with Quadra, his homage to architectural tools and drawings in the shape of a chair. In fact, by piling the chairs one on top of the other, the result is indeed quite architectural.

[BRAND] Arper
[PRODUCT NAME] Paravan Mood
[DESIGNER] Lievore Altherr
[KEY] The Paravan Collection is a highly customizable modular set, which can produce elegant curves or basic quadrants in several colours. What’s more, users can further personalize each piece by adding hooks, mirrors, shelves, socket towers or desk panels to the pieces.

For more on this year's Salone del Mobile and Fuorisalone standouts, follow our Milan Design Week coverage here.