Stories
Children experience the world through imagination, and their rooms become the stages where stories take shape, where comfort turns into courage and every detail strengthens a sense of belonging. Designing for the youngest therefore means beginning from an emotional universe while also responding to the needs of parents who seek safety, durability and peace of mind
Beyond the surface. Cleaf at the Salone del Mobile
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Beyond the Lines concept, coorporate showroom CCube, designed by Lissoni & Partners
The Italian company is the protagonist of two projects that confirm its role on the contemporary design scene: its collaboration with Formafantasma for Salone Raritas and the Beyond the Lines concept, interpreted in the company’s stand at the fair and in the CCube corporate showroom
Since 1975, the Caspani family has led Cleaf with the same spirit that characterizes the finest entrepreneurial achievements in the Brianza region: a blend of manufacturing tradition and constant research. The company, headquartered in Lissone with four production plants in the heart of the furniture district, develops and produces innovative surfaces for furniture and interior design – faced panels, laminates, and edges – completely conceived and manufactured in Italy. Cleaf products clad furniture and spaces worldwide, being chosen by architects and manufacturers for their ability to combine tactile and visual quality, technical precision, and an ever-expanding catalogue of finishes. Every surface emits signals that, consciously or not, influence the perception of space. It is this awareness that underpins Cleaf’s research.
The 64th edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano marks a significant presence for Cleaf, articulated on two distinct but complementary fronts. On the one hand, the company is prominent with the Beyond the Lines concept; on the other, its surfaces were chosen for the installation of Salone Raritas, the new exhibition itinerary curated by Annalisa Rosso and designed by Formafantasma.
Salone Raritas is the new exhibition ecosystem of the Salone del Mobile dedicated to collectible design: one-off pieces, limited editions, antiques and high creative manufacturing. The project, which debuts in Pavilions 9 and 11 at Fiera Milano, brings together an international selection of galleries, designers and authors, from Italy to Europe, from the Middle East to South America. For the exhibition design of this space, the Formafantasma studio has conceived a large architectural lantern: a porous and permeable landscape, designed to enhance the stories it contains without overpowering them. To create it, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin chose a classic from Cleaf: the Millennium finish. “The Millennium finish reproduces the extreme smoothness and homogeneity of the texture of spruce and its marked flaming creates intriguing visual effects thanks to a succession of matte and glossy levels,” explains Roberto Caspani, CEO of Cleaf. “The pairing with a palette of solid-colored decorative papers ensures recognizability and rhythm in the exhibition itinerary.” A choice that confirms the versatility of Cleaf surfaces, capable of dialoguing with high-profile design contexts, where the material is not a simple covering but a spatial device.
Annara finish, Cleaf
Beyond the Lines concept, CCube corporate showroom, designed by Lissoni & Partners
Beyond the Lines concept, CCube corporate showroom, designed by Lissoni & Partners
Beyond the Lines concept, CCube corporate showroom, designed by Lissoni & Partners
Beyond the Lines concept, Salone del Mobile 2026, Stand by Studio Hugo
Beyond the Lines concept, Salone del Mobile 2026, Stand by Studio Hugo
Beyond the Lines concept, Salone del Mobile 2026, Stand by Studio Hugo
Salone Raritas, Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026, ©Formafantasma
Salone Raritas, Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026, ©Formafantasma
At the same time, Cleaf presents the Beyond the Lines concept, which tells the story of the encounter between sport and design. “Two worlds united by the quest for performance, a concern for detail and the desire to overcome one’s own limits,” says Caspani. “Cleaf surfaces interpret this tension, transforming matter into visual energy, rhythm, movement.” On this occasion, it also presented Annara, the new finish that interprets teak by enhancing its compact and decisive structure. The name derives from a term in dialect that indicates the ring in a tree trunk, a symbol of growth and continuity: a sign of time that becomes material identity.
The stand at the Salone del Mobile, designed by Studio Hugo, translates the Beyond the Lines theme into an immersive spatial experience. As they move through the space, visitors discover the different aspects of Cleaf surfaces – structure, depth, tactility – through a system of graphic and architectural lines. Adding an unexpected and playful dimension, the stand hosts an arena for playing table tennis, which transforms interaction with the space and materials into an engaging and participatory experience.
The Beyond the Lines concept also finds expression in the CCube corporate showroom at Lissone, with an installation designed by Lissoni & Partners. Six sky-to-earth towers, each dedicated to a sport and characterized by geometric slits through which filters an iridescent light, introduce visitors to four immersive installations: an indoor cycle track in wood-effect finishes, a bouldering wall in stone effect, a grandstand with fabric-effect seats and a changing room with metal-effect lockers and benches. A story that spans the entire range of Cleaf surfaces, demonstrating how the material can interpret different kinds of language, from technical precision to tactile softness, while always retaining its expressive coherence.
19 April 2026
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