What's New from Milan: The Design Net's Brands at Salone del Mobile 2026

Posted by James Russell (29 May 2026)

Milan Design Week and Salone del Mobile (21–26 April, Rho Fiera) remain the moment the industry sets its direction for the year. This edition leaned into restraint, materiality and craft over spectacle — exactly the territory the brands we represent occupy. Below is a round-up of the most relevant launches and news from across our portfolio, with the pieces worth putting on your radar, what sets each apart, and how to bring them into a scheme through us. Everything here can be specified through The Design Net on a single purchase order, with physical product and finish samples available to view in the studio.

B&B Italia — a landmark return

The headline of the week. After roughly 25 years away from the Salone show floor, B&B Italia came back with a museum-like stand designed by Formafantasma — stripped of staged interiors, with each piece treated as an individual object rather than part of a styled room. The return coincides with the company's 60th anniversary.

The new and reissued pieces to know:

  • Abaco table and armchair by Ronan Bouroullec — quiet, balanced and proportion-led.
  • Untitled seating system and Moor chaise by Vincent Van Duysen — structural frames left deliberately exposed, where the timber structure is part of the design language rather than hidden by upholstery.
  • Super Frame sofa, armchair and low table by Jasper Morrison.
  • Metric chair and armchair by Michael Anastassiades, and the Alvar armchair by Antonio Citterio.
  • Two heritage reissues: Richard Sapper's Nena folding armchair (originally 1984) and a limited edition of Luigi Caccia Dominioni's Catilina chair.

Why it matters for specification: B&B Italia is pairing brand-new design with re-editions of design-classic archetypes — useful when a scheme needs both a contemporary statement piece and a recognisable, timeless anchor. The exposed-structure direction on the Van Duysen pieces photographs and reads beautifully in residential and high-end hospitality settings.

Knoll — collaborations and a quiet reissue

Under creative director Jonathan Olivares, Knoll used Salone to continue its tradition of cross-disciplinary collaboration, presented inside an architectural pavilion by OFFICE (Kersten Geers and David Van Severen).

  • Dozie Kanu debut collection — the focal point of the stand. A group of console, coffee and side tables built from steel rods contrasted with taut leather and fringe tassels that move with the slightest touch; a static object reimagined as something animated.
  • Biboni expansion by Johnston Marklee — a sculptural, comfort-led seating suite extending the Biboni sofa introduced in 2025.
  • Extensions to the collection by artist Jonathan Muecke.
  • A reissue of the 1973 Morrison Hannah office chair, brought to European workplaces.

Separately, MillerKnoll is Main Partner of Lella and Massimo Vignelli: A Language of Clarity at Triennale Milano (25 March – 6 September 2026), lending historic works from its archive.

Why it matters for specification: Knoll spans collectible, design-forward residential pieces and credible contract/workplace seating with the test data and warranties those projects demand — a single brand that can serve a statement reception and the desks behind it.

Gloster — the 2026 outdoor collections

Gloster's 2026 range builds on its teak heritage and FSC-certified, traceable timber, extending from sculptural dining through to outdoor lighting.

  • Rail — a teak dining table with clean lines and refined detailing, crafted from individually selected, hand-finished teak.
  • Wrap — dining and lounge chairs with a softly draped one-piece woven seat on a teak frame, in Sorrel or Umber.
  • Grand Sail — a modular lounge system with curved aluminium frames, tensioned fabric "sails" (Blend Coal or Blend Sand) and coordinating teak or ceramic-top tables.
  • Ambient Compass — sculptural, weatherproof outdoor lanterns on hand-finished teak bases with handwoven shades, for table or floor.
  • Fern Aluminium — Sebastian Herkner's Fern, now offered with a powder-coated aluminium frame alongside the original teak, paired with a hand-woven rope back.

New finishes — Bone (a soft powder-coated aluminium) plus Grigio and Verona (stone-inspired ceramic tops) — also roll out across existing collections for visual continuity.

Why it matters for specification: durable, traceable materials with genuine test credentials for terraces, rooftops and hospitality exteriors, plus enough finish coordination to tie a whole outdoor scheme together.

Contardi — 20 years and a new Milan atelier

Contardi marked its 20th anniversary during Milan Design Week by reopening its renovated atelier on Corso Monforte, redesigned by Dainelli Studio as an immersive route through indoor and outdoor lighting scenarios, with a dedicated material library for specifiers. The "Couturier of light" also released its 2026 catalogue. (Euroluce itself is biennial and returns in 2027, so this year's lighting news came through the Milan showrooms.)

New collections to note: Picchio by Alessandro Munge (a sculptural form inspired by the woodpecker's movement), the Bloom outdoor collection by DAAA Haus, the Alma collection (Contardi's first collaboration with Controvento, pairing a pleated fabric diffuser with a blown-glass globe), and a collection with Paola Navone – OTTO Studio.

Why it matters for specification: Contardi's sartorial, made-to-order approach — with marine-grade and IP-rated options — suits residential, hospitality, yacht and superyacht projects where decorative lighting has to meet technical standards.

Product FAQs

The new collections shown in April typically reach the market over the following months. Tell us which piece you're after and we'll confirm current availability and lead times.

Mostly new, with a few archive reissues: B&B Italia's Nena by Richard Sapper from 1984 and Catilina by Luigi Caccia Dominioni, and Knoll's 1973 Morrison Hannah chair are re-editions, meaning archive designs produced as current catalogue items.

Yes. Many are specified for high end hospitality and workplace environments. For contract use we'll help with upholstery and foam choices so the piece aligns with UK fire guidance.

Yes. They use Grade A teak, powder coated aluminium and woven fibres chosen for sun, salt and moisture, suited to terraces, rooftops and exterior hospitality. The teak is FSC certified and traceable.

Often. Contardi works to a made to order model with finish, material and size variations, and Gloster's new Bone, Grigio and Verona finishes extend across existing collections too. Share your requirements and we'll scope what's possible.

Yes. You can order across the whole portfolio on a single purchase order with one delivery cost, which keeps a multi brand scheme coordinated.

These vary by brand, configuration and finish. Send us the pieces and quantities you're considering and we'll come back with current figures.

Why specify through The Design Net

The thread running through Milan 2026 — restraint, real materials, craft and longevity — is the thread running through everything we represent. The advantage of specifying these brands through us:

  • One point of contact across the whole portfolio — B&B Italia, Knoll, Gloster, Contardi and the rest of the European brands we represent, on a single purchase order with one delivery cost.
  • Samples in the studio — physical product and finish samples and current brochures to view, so you can specify with confidence rather than from a screen.
  • The right call between branded and bespoke — where a manufacturer's piece is the smarter choice we'll specify it; where the geometry, brand alignment or integration calls for it, our UK workshops make it to measure.
  • Project support that de-risks the scheme — guidance on fire performance, FSC-certified timber and sustainable supply, FF&E coordination, and delivery and installation.

If you'd like any of these pieces brought in for a current project, or want samples to hand, get in touch and we'll set it up.

 

 

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