This is how the motto of this year’s 56th Salone del Mobile, the world’s biggest and most important design fair, might have set a positive counterpole to the wandering, insecure and somewhat bleak zeitgeist of the previous years.

When more than 370,000 quite attractive design freaks gather at a place like this for a few days a year, no one can elude this electrical vibe of creativity.
During design week, all of Milan (and by that I really mean every corner and every being of this city) transforms into a Silicon Valley of aesthetics. A pulsating potpourri of ideas, it is deserving of the title “heartland of design”.
From this variety, which broke attendance and exhibition records, we filtered out the most interesting trends for you.
The most important beforehand: dictatorship has been abolished, long live the democracy of taste! Optimism, love of life and happiness are reflected in tropical, colorful patterns and forms. The last time I’ve seen so many palm trees was when in Brazil. Everything is courageously combined in a carefree fashion, taking us back to our childhood when we still believed in paradise and Santa.
The company “A Lot of Brasil”, for example, assembles various creative minds under its label, representing this lifestyle perfectly.
So when the sun finally breaks through and we are not currently dosing under the “Frou Frou” parasols by the company Symo Parasols, our vitamin D levels are enhancing such as our spirits at the sight of this colorful and dainty garden furniture. Where there is light, there will be shadow – the shell like “bolacha-do-mar” patterns conjure fabulous plays of light and shadows on various floors.
“Underconstruction” – not only millennials think these seating opportunities are supercool, we also feel this sofa has a spot in a world which is “under construction”. The soft pink can work wonders and may even calm lively Brazilian minds.
Another product of this creative hub: if not a new car, then at least a new bench for your garden, varnished and aerodynamic like a white Ferrari. Since this model is also available in leather, there is no argument against a “second vehicle”.
Baxter also relies on tropical themes and invites to an after-work cocktail party in the jungle-like “Diana Lounge by Baxter” at the Hotel Sheraton Diana Majestic. Quickly and efficiently he even transforms his showroom into a green oasis. However, they present a different feature as trendsetter: geometry and a new interpretation of the notorious rattan including braid. Just like a central theme, these “fils” run through the furniture area.

Structure and order are in a successful liaison with the unpredictability of nature. If implemented on walls, this means: a simple geometric design for the romantics, the representation of an atom for the scientists among us, will be the positioning factor for integrated LEDs of the enlightening, handmade wallpapers by Meystyle. Razor-thin leaflets of gold, silver and copper refining the linen and cotton background, making it a luxurious and individual piece of art.
Brabbu came up with a cunning hiding spot for all valuables. Why not “disguise” a gigantic safe as a diamond. Since the best is a good many times overseen, even though it is so close, the deception works perfectly. Exception: if a thief liked the piece just as much as we do and carried away the whole 1,000-carat object.
A sense for geometry can also be found with companies such as Citco Privé. Their elaborate marble panels and fanciful stone floors not only show craftsmanship, but also another trend: marble, stone, bronze – and the art of ­illusion.
One stands in front of these pink or green tables and can only marvel at them. With this illusion, Patricia Urquiola plays with our perception in the most positive sense.
At first glance these oval, high and low tables look marble-made, but when touched they turn out to be extra-light, clear glass. This effect of changing texture entices us to dynamically move around the table – a bit of exercise after dinner has never hurt!
The moment one opens the unbelievably beautiful, leather-coated doors, “Kryptos”, compact and narrow-chested in its dimensions, but not at all in its appearance, generously reveals its innermost parts. All thanks to flexibility!
The sight is not the only balm for your soul – the bookshelf was also manufactured from the balsam tree. Tactile bookworms like us never want to miss the smell and feel of our books, even with all the benefits of a kindle, so we see this item as a fitting temple for our treasures. Cats, dogs and spouses might even get jealous of this shrine for our holy books, because we might touch it more often than them. More on that maybe next time.
So we want to flexibly and situationally look ahead to the future, courageously defend our individual taste and enjoy life with a healthy dose of simplicity and humour!
La vita è bella!

The author and interior designer Gabriele Lenikus in front of a wall­paper by Foscarini, part of the exhibition decoration at the furniture fair in Milan. If posted at Instagram, one received a polaroid.