Big-brand no-shows may have tempered the buzz of this year’s Kitchen & Bath Industries Show, but the prevailing mood was surprisingly upbeat.

Big-brand no-shows may have tempered the buzz of this year’s Kitchen & Bath Industries Show, but the prevailing mood was surprisingly upbeat.

As expected, attendance was down at Milan’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile this April following several years of astronomical growth.

As expected, attendance was down at Milan’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile this April following several years of astronomical growth.

In a more conspicuous display of consumption—and as an indicator of the increasing disposability of furniture design—recent fashion trends informed a large number of the latelst offerings as is evident in the likes of puffy chairs and pleated sofas.

Earlier in the decade, neo-baroque furniture design took the pulse of economic exuberance.

With Milan's rich history in architecture, art, and design, it is inevitable that its illustrious past will be drawn on by the annual Salone del Mobile.

More than 700 product manufacturers and distributors will descend upon Chicago for the 47th annual NeoCon—the largest commercial interiors trade fair in North America.