Traveling: Milan (Part 2)

We were in Milano for i Saloni, it was my first furniture fair, and I was pretty overwhelmed.  So many things I'd seen in magazines or on design blogs were suddenly right in front of me.  I have a sneaking suspicion that this job is going to influence my home decorating budget.

I mean, look at this sofa from Busnelli.  It was, by far, my favorite piece of furniture at the show.  It's upholstered in tufted, draped suede and it's so full of drama, yet glam and comfy all at the same time.  And I love the metallic stripe wall treatment behind it.  I think that being new to the interior design world has led me to be a little overly wowed by this piece.  Apparently this draped upholstery has been happening for a while, but I'd never seen it, so I love it.

Though the furniture was lovely, I have to say that my favorite part of the fair was all the creativity that went into the booth designs.  Whether it was paper, fabric or solid materials; there was some funky stuff going on and I liked it.  And even though I'm married already, I still love thinking about how some of these ideas could be transferred over to wedding/event design.  This paper design from the Gervasoni booth was a definite favorite.

Want a closer look?  It's dip-dyed paper that looks similar to what those ubiquitous paper party decorations are made out of.

I love the simplicity of these floor to ceiling strings from the Elite booth.

This booth (don't remember which company it was) was actually for bathroom fixtures and looks like the best TP prank ever.  Seriously, TP taken to a fantastic new level for a bath fixtures booth, I love Europe.

Again, don't remember the booth, but these upside down plants hanging from the ceiling could be a lovely avant-garde decor for a party.

This display from Cor Sitzmobel was an elegant use for drum cymbals.

On a more practical note, isn't this a genius idea to make your TV fit into you decor.  This bookshelf is from Besana.

And I'll end with a self-portrait taken in a mirror also at the Besana booth.  This is how I looked through most of the show; camera held to the eye and lagging behind the others.

So there you have it, my 2 week business trip, that I returned from in late April has been recapped, right before I leave on Monday for another 2 week European trip.  Life isn't so bad these days.