Stories Multifunctional furnishings for a hybrid home Text by Sara Deganello Add to bookmarks Marcell, Tonelli Design Tables that turn into desktops, partitions that transform rooms, desks and beds that appear from wall compartments - spaces are becoming fluid, accommodating the post-Covid habits that mean that our homes now have to cater to a new multiplicity of functions. Transformable, multifunctional furnishings, suitable for hybrid homes in which the space is both domestic and work-related – the pandemic has accelerated this trend, with demand possibly previously informed by lack of space, small and multitasking houses, now driven by smart working and our new post-Covid habits. Firms are adjusting, working on tabletop partitions and sound-absorbing pouffes, and collapsible coffee tables that can be hung on the wall. They’ve come up with stools with integrated tabletops, beds and desks that unfold from wall spaces, room dividers, and cabinets that look minimal but once open reveal a hidden world, with cubbyholes everywhere for storing the fluid universe we are currently navigating. Clei, Tonale 281 Power A dual-function transformable system incorporating a tilting sofa and cushioned movement, and vertical fold-away double bed with patented press-folded slatted base and automatic flattening. Tonale 281 + Wally Office, Clei Acerbis, Florian Originally designed by Vico Magistretti in 1989 and now remastered, this small multi-level table, built on a structure inspired by a broom handle, folds completely flat in order to be wall-hung. In ash with a brass mechanism. Florian, Vico Magistretti for Acerbis. Ph. credits Lorenzo Cappellini Baio Caimi Brevetti, Snowpouf Designed by Paola Navone, this comfortable seat is easy to carry around thanks to its simple loop handle. It is upholstered in Snowsound Fiber, a special, sound-absorbing fabric patented by Caimi, applied to a shell made of a wood-based material and soft polyester. Snowpouf, Caimi Brevetti Giorgetti, Houdini A cabinet designed by Roberto Lazzeroni: “The aim was to create a cabinet that would have a fluid place in the home. It is a piece that defies all classification. It’s not a sideboard, nor a container, nor a mobile bar: it’s all of these things put together.” Houdini, Giorgetti Gebrüder Thonet Vienna, NYNY This container unit signed by storagemilano is defined by the asymmetrical superposition of geometric volumes on a metal wall support – they enclose drawers and two spaces with doors, the lower one also doubles up as a desk.
Stories The biology of light, according to Manuel Spitschan What does chronobiology have to do with design? Manuel Spitschan, professor at the Technische Universität München, explains why light is essential to our well-being. And why designers should know more about it to design better. Giulia Zappa
Sustainability The Piazze Aperte scheme is really changing the face of Milan Since 2018, the two local governments helmed by Mayor Giuseppe Sala have closed more than fifty of the city’s streets and roads to traffic – but not to people. And this is just the beginning Fabrizio Fasanella
Salone Selection Danish stratigraphy: material practices and ethical visions at 3daysofdesign 2025 Not a trade fair, but a cultural ecology - an interweaving of voices, materials, gestures and narratives that speak of sustainability, authenticity, conscious beauty Marilena Sobacchi
