Milan Design Week 2026: An Honest First-Timer’s Journey Through the Design Capital of the World
This week I wanted to do something different — so come on a journey with me to Milan Design Week.
I had never been before. And in my honest opinion, if you’re a designer and you haven’t made the trip yet, you need to go. Not just for the products. For the ideas. For the inspiration. For the sheer scale of what’s moving in our industry that you simply don’t see from behind a desk in the UK.
I went on my own, armed only with a DJI Osmo and my new favourite toy — the Meta glasses. The video below is a poorly filmed, loosely edited, but completely honest vlog of my first time at Milan Design Week, seen through the eyes of someone walking in cold.
Why I Went to Milan Design Week
I went because I felt I had to.
In this industry, every day is a school day — and I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: you don’t know what you don’t know. That phrase sums up exactly why a trip like this matters.
I went to make connections. I went to show my face. But more importantly, I went — for myself and for the business — to learn. To learn about new products. To get eyes on the latest trends. To see, in the flesh, what’s coming out of the design capital of the world.
That trip opened more doors than I expected. I’ve come home with conversations started with some genuinely incredible companies — conversations that feed directly into our vision at Aura Surfaces: to become the world’s best design-led surface design consultancy.
What I Learned at Milan Design Week
I learned that I still have a lot to learn.
I learned that the industry is enormous — far bigger than the corner of it I already know. Does that scare me? No. It excites me. The learning isn’t over, it’s barely started. And there are so many more things now on my radar that I’m excited about — things I hope you’ll get excited about too.
Here’s what stood out.
Luce di Carrara — Living Marble as Art
I finally got to see Luce di Carrara in the flesh. Living marble objects, sculptural surface solutions, and pieces that sit somewhere between furniture, art and architecture. It’s a brand I’m keen to push onto the UK market, because nothing on the high street is doing what they’re doing — and UK interiors deserve to see it.
Handmade Feature Wall Tiles — A New Supplier
I found a new supplier for some of the most beautiful feature wall tiles I’ve seen in a long time. Handmade, hand-painted, and genuinely not something you’ll find on the high street. Exactly the kind of product that ends up being the moment in a room.
Sensonic Designs — Kitchen Tech Worth Watching
I spent around two hours playing with Sensonic Designs’ kitchen technology alongside a couple of potential clients. The feedback from all of us was incredible. I won’t spoil it here — you can see it properly in the video, and there’s more footage coming very soon — but this is one to watch if you’re specifying high-end kitchens.
Italian-Made Hospitality Furniture
I also found a supplier for directors’ chairs, sun loungers and umbrellas — made in Italy, bespoke, incredible quality, and surprisingly economical. If you’re working on a hospitality project — hotel, restaurant, rooftop, private members’ club — this is one of those finds that quietly raises the standard of a whole scheme.
Printable Venetian Plaster
This one genuinely blew me away. A printable Venetian plaster that comes in rolls — incredible designs, applicable to walls up to 5 metres high and as long as you like. Water resistant. Suitable for external applications. And yes — they can even print a selfie onto it if you want.
For hospitality and high-end residential, where branding and bespoke storytelling matter, this is a product I have to have in the toolkit.
Fiore — Italian Handcrafted Brassware
I also got the chance to visit Fiore, the workshop where our Italian handcrafted brassware is made. I met the CEO, saw the process, and understood the story.
What I loved most about Fiore was exactly that — the story. The number of hands that touch each product before it ships. The fact that they make 90% of their components themselves. And the parts they do buy in — like the filters — are only the best of the best. That kind of integrity is becoming rare, and it’s worth paying attention to.
Alongside all of this I saw artwork from Paris, rugs, sofas, kitchens, lighting — the list goes on. Far too much for one article. Hence the video.
Milan Design Week was, without exaggeration, one of the most valuable trips I’ve taken for the business. Not because of any single product, but because of the perspective it gave me — the reminder that the world is big, the industry is moving fast, and there is always more to discover for the clients we serve.
If you’re embarking on a project and you’d like someone in your corner who is as excited about your project as you are, please do get in touch.
No pushy sales tactics. You either want to work with me or you don’t, and neither of us will know that until we talk. That’s fine by me.
Watch the video, enjoy the journey, and I’ll see you in the next one.
Book Your Private Consultation
Consultations are a friendly way for us to learn more about your project, no sales tactics, just opening the door to what's next.
