Soft curves and timeless craft at Milan Design Week

Poltrona Frau at Milan Design Week 2026. Soft sculptural seating and curved silhouettes reflect a move toward warmer, more relaxed living spaces. Photo by Supplied

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Co-founder and principal of Aeon Group Amit Thale says great design is not about chasing trends. It’s about creating spaces people want to live in for many years.

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Thale and his business partner, Shama Gupta, have built Aeon Group into a Vancouver design firm working in residential, hospitality and multi-family projects. Its companies include Aeon Stone & Tile, Habitat by Aeon and Vancouver’s Poliform showroom, with work spanning homes, kitchens, wardrobes, architectural panelling and custom millwork.

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Thale recently returned from Milan Design Week with a clear sense of where luxury interiors are heading next. The biggest shift? Softer spaces, warmer forms and a move away from rigid minimalism.

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Rounding out the edges

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Milan Design Week is often seen as the global temperature check for design. What appears there tends to ripple through architecture, interiors and furniture over the next several years.

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According to Thale, one of the strongest themes this year was the rise of curves and softened geometry, especially in kitchens.

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“This year’s Milan Design Week included EuroCucina, which takes place every two years and remains one of the most influential global platforms for kitchen design. One of the biggest trends across both kitchens and furniture was the strong introduction of curved forms and softened architectural lines,” he says.

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The change was visible everywhere, from curved kitchen islands and rounded cabinetry to softer furniture silhouettes and more organic room layouts.

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For homeowners, it signals a broader cultural shift. After years dominated by cool minimalism and hard-edged interiors, designers are embracing rooms that feel more relaxed and emotionally comforting, says Thale:

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“Curves are no longer being treated as accent features. They are becoming part of the DNA of many kitchen collections and shaping how contemporary spaces feel and function.”

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The appeal is easy to understand. Rounded forms naturally soften a room. They encourage movement, conversation and ease. Visually, they can make spaces feel calmer and more inviting.

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Quiet confidence in luxury design

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In a world increasingly driven by fast-moving trends and social media esthetics, Thale was surprised by how disciplined many brands remained this year.

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There were not many radically disruptive launches or dramatic departures from what brands are already known for, says Thale. Instead, the collections felt more refined and evolutionary, with companies carefully building on their established identity rather than chasing shock value or trends.

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Rather than trying to reinvent themselves every season, many of the leading European brands focused on refinement, craftsmanship and continuity.

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For Thale, some of the most compelling names continue to be companies like Poliform, Poltrona Frau, Minotti and Flexform.

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“I’ve always gravitated toward brands and designers that focus less on temporary trends and more on timelessness, craftsmanship, and longevity in design. What I admire most is their ability to create pieces that feel contemporary without feeling tied to a specific moment,” he says.

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Artful kitchens

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One of the biggest surprises for Thale came from minotticucine and a new kitchen concept designed by Claudio Silvestrin.