Gallery: MILAN 2008: Highlights from S...

We had an exciting first day here at the Milan Furniture Fair, there’s been so much to feast our eyes upon! We hit the main Salone buildings today to see how mainstream design is reacting to the growing demand for sustainable design and, although not everything we’ve found is rooted in green, there were definitely some eco-gems. David Trubridge, Tej Chauhan and Andreu World were just a few of the designers at Milan this year who are moving the notion of luxury one step forward with an eye on energy-efficiency and sustainable materials. Read more for highlights from opening day at Salone 2008.

Eco-designer David Trubridge, who works with simple, low-impact natural materials and processes, never disappoints and this year at Milan we are taken by his Spiral Islands lights and seating. Inspired by the Maori koru force spiral his designs were extremely popular with a long line of people just waiting to catch a glimpse!.

Promoting the origin of raw materials as their ethos, the ‘Urchin’ hand knitted woolen poufs are art of the ‘Flocks’ collection and show at Tuttobenne.

Lotte van Laatum’s ‘Dutch Wood’ Cutting Boards caught our eye – the cute and clever design offers several diferent regional cutting board – each in a different wood, and shaped in the Netherlands region from which the wood is sustainably harvested

Tej Chauhan – one half of ChauhanStudio – alongside the Sandy DECT eco-phone made out of 100% recycled plastic. Photo: Antonia Halse

Turning heads at every furniture fair year after year, Molo continues to impress with new ‘Soft’ products

Longtime Inhabitat favorites (and prolific furniture-fair exhibitors) Molo have new ‘Soft’ products in the Zona Tortona press area this year. More to come on Molo as they’re all over Milan this year!

Stephan Siepermann‘s Leaft’ Wall Lamp made from cast plastic leaves using reused materials, at Tuttobenne.

Tashiyuki Kita’s Sunplant Solar Generator/Sculpture

Whirlpool’s Eco-System kitchen, a fantastic concept design which shares heat between components to achieve a 70% reduction in energy consumption.

Seekret Pot has an interactive component which tells you the age of the plant without disturbing it

TRØKK16′s Eco-friendly Frøy Chair is a stunning work of bent-wood design

Anouk Omlo’s Helica Ceramic work is one of the stunners at Milan 2008 this year