We roamed the bustling halls of Salone del Mobile 2025 in Milan to discover the latest innovations in design, with a spotlight on sustainability and eco-responsibility.
9-13 April鈥�Milan hosted the 63rd edition of the Salone del Mobile and the biennial Euroluce. The event lit up Fiera Milano Rho with designs that don鈥檛 just catch the eye but resonate with purpose, underscoring that aesthetics and eco-consciousness can coexist.
Our journey through the fair led us to three innovations by Cantori, Les Jardins, and Arper that confirm eco-design is no longer a trend, it鈥檚 a mandate. Why are design powerhouses and newcomers alike betting on sustainability? Because the future demands it, and the fair showed us how it鈥檚 done. Circular economy principles, a steady undercurrent for years, surged to new prominence鈥攏ot as a pivot, but as a natural evolution鈥�, with designers slashing waste, embracing recycled materials, and building for longevity.
We were particularly impressed by these products’ dedication to environmental stewardship and their innovative use of materials. ‘s Oasi Cabinet integrates air-purifying technology with elegant design, creating a true oasis for the home. ‘ Cadix Solar Lamp offers intelligent, customizable outdoor lighting powered by renewable energy and using repairable solar tech. 鈥檚 叠搁贰础罢贬础滨搁庐, an innovative, fully recyclable cushion material, transforms the Catifa (RE) 46 Chair, complementing its 100% recycled plastic shell with clear comfort. Each tells a story of technical ingenuity meeting environmental urgency. Let鈥檚 take a closer look.
Oasi Cabinet: Purifying Homes with Biotech
Since 1976, Cantori has defined Italian craftsmanship from its Marche-region roots. At Salone del Mobile 2025, their Oasi Cabinet, designed by Maurizio Manzoni, emerged as a beacon of eco-innovation, embodying 鈥渇urniture that cares for those who live with it.鈥�
The Oasi Cabinet is the result of a collaboration between Cantori and , an Italian startup specializing in environmental biotechnology. This version of the cabinet purifies the air, captures CO鈧�, and cools the atmosphere. How? By integrating the Aura system at the heart of the Oasi Cabinet. The system is the startup’s breathing green wall that purifies the air and enhances mood and well-being. They adapted the system to fit the Oasi Cabinet.
An engineered fan system draws in used air and forces it through the patented Aura Mix substrate, which captures harmful substances.
The pollutants are then absorbed by the roots of the plants within the substrate, and clean, “naturalized” air is released back into the environment.
The cabinet鈥檚 sleek metal frame with curved side panels and long metal legs ending in a perimeter metal band illustrate Cantori鈥檚 signature elegance. This fusion of form and eco-conscious intent shapes its identity. Oasi hence embodies Cantori鈥檚 commitment to indoor 鈥渧ivibility鈥� and mindful living. There, we distinctly felt design transcended utility to nurture a regenerative harmony.
Cadix Solar Lamp: Durable Lighting for a Greener Night
Continuing the innovation, Les Jardins, a French outdoor design stalwart since 1991, brought its Cadix Lamp to , showcasing its decades-long focus on sustainable craftsmanship.
Georges Bonichon, General Manager at Les Jardins, introduced the Cadix range, stating:
鈥淭hese are all-aluminum products with a granite base. They are powerful, intelligent, rechargeable solar luminaires with excellent autonomy.鈥�
The lamp鈥檚 hand-welded aluminum mesh frame, crafted with utmost technical precision, prioritizes durability.
鈥淚t鈥檚 work done by hand at our factory. We have a product that鈥檚 very good for marine environments, requiring almost no maintenance,鈥� Bonichon explained.
Available in 50, 70, and 90 cm heights, Cadix comes in white, black, or corten finishes, with custom colors on request, embodying a coastal aesthetic that casts 鈥渟uperb lighting, with beautiful ground effects between shadow and light.鈥�
The eco-innovation is expressed in its solar technology. Geofrey Marcel, Solar Technical Manager, detailed:
鈥淲e鈥檙e on our 500-lumen solar module, equipped with a SunPower solar panel, a motion detector, 3000 Kelvin LEDs鈥攚e鈥檙e switching to 2700 Kelvin, we can change that on request鈥攁nd a USB-C port to the latest standards.鈥�
With three modes, including an intelligent setting that 鈥渁dapts to brightness, weather, keeps a history of recent days, and allows brightness all night, all year,鈥� Cadix ensures versatility all while minimizing its environmental footprint.
Ninety percent of Les Jardins鈥� products, including Cadix, are designed to be disassembled and repaired, extending lifespan and aligning with the company鈥檚 mission to combat overconsumption since their 2013 solar lighting debut.
鈥淲e know now for sure that a good lighting project is providing whatever is needed for people to be living better, even from a biological point of view,鈥� Carlo Urbinati, President and CEO of Foscarini and President of Assoluce, shared at the event鈥檚 Press Welcome Coffee, capturing the essence of design鈥檚 power to transform lives sustainably.
叠搁贰础罢贬础滨搁庐: Catalyzing Circular Seating Innovation
Meanwhile, at Salone del Mobile, Arper, the Venetian design leader since 1989, introduced an all-new feature for their Catifa (RE) 46 chair鈥攖he 叠搁贰础罢贬础滨搁庐 seat cushion, set to launch by year鈥檚 end. We were impressed by this eco-material鈥檚 first steps in furniture design, transforming a 2004 classic by Lievore Altherr Molina. This elastic, breathable material is made of recycled plastic filaments that are intertwined. It is fully recyclable and has been shaped for the first time to fit the Catifa (RE) 46鈥檚 sleek contours, underscoring Arper鈥檚 pioneering work.
Developed by Japan鈥檚 TOYOBO in 2018, 叠搁贰础罢贬础滨搁庐鈥攁 3D network-structured polyester elastomer鈥攄ebuted in mattresses for the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a material that鈥檚 been used a lot in mattresses because it exists in rather raw, square formats, and we鈥檝e managed to thermoform it,鈥� Antoine Beaulieu, Arper鈥檚 Architect Relations Manager for France, explained.
The cushion complements the chair鈥檚 eco-conscious shell, made from 100% recycled plastic鈥�65% post-consumer and 35% post-industrial鈥攁vailable in eight tactile shades.
鈥淎ll our models are practically glue-free, and chairs like Catifa 53 or 46 now don鈥檛 use glue between the fabric, foam, and seat,鈥� Beaulieu noted.
Arper鈥檚 glue-free mounting ensures easy disassembly and repair, aligning with their broader circular economy goals, from FSC-certified wood to experiments like the PaperShell base for their Catifa Carta chair. This prototype, with a wood-waste shell, shared the stand, hinting at more carbon-negative designs to come.
Arper鈥檚 sustainable design ethos is evident in its business model, prioritizing environmental, social, and economic transparency, notably by integrating well-being into its development goals.
Advancing Design with Purpose
The event was a step forward in a journey already underway, a manifesto for a broader structural change.
Cantori鈥檚 Oasi Cabinet cleans the air we breathe, Les Jardins鈥� Cadix lamp lights our nights sustainably, and Arper鈥檚 innovations redefine what the furniture world can achieve. These aren鈥檛 outliers; they reflect a sector racing to meet EU鈥檚 2030 goals, where 55% emissions cuts are non-negotiable.
Yet hurdles persist: scaling biotech solutions like Aura鈥檚 requires investment, and global recycling systems lag behind ambition. Still, the fair offered a glimpse of what鈥檚 possible. Are brands like Cantori, Les Jardins, and Arper setting a new standard? Their technical leaps鈥攁ir filtration, repairable solar tech, glue-free recyclability鈥攕uggest yes.
These innovations demonstrate the potential for design to positively impact the environment and contribute to a more responsible future. As consumers increasingly demand sustainable products, it is encouraging to see leading manufacturers rise to the challenge and prioritize eco-responsibility and life-enhancing design in their collections, going as far as turning waste into art.
