Milan ' Salone Internazionale del Mobile

As expected, attendance was down at Milan’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile this April following several years of astronomical growth. While still the world’s premiere design event, the sobering times had manufacturers scaling back, and designers looking back. — Josephine Minutillo

Taking a bac seat
With Bac, Jasper Morrison appears to draw inspiration from Hans Wegner’s iconic midcentury dining chairs. The handsomely simple, solid ash wood frame is paired with a seat that is available in a variety of finishes. Cappellini, New York City. www.cappellini.it

[Reader Service: July 2009 #200]

Three easy pieces
Cassina reached into its treasure trove of design classics to reintroduce Italian architect Franco Albini‘s Tre Pezzi armchair, designed in 1959 with Franca Helg. A tubular frame supports the deep seat, ring-shaped backrest, and half-moon headrest. Cassina, New York City. www.cassina.com

[Reader Service: July 2009 #201]

French folds
The late Pierre Paulin, a leading Midcentury Modern protagonist in France, enjoyed newfound fame recently, teaming up with Magis for several projects. Elysée is a modular, bent-plywood shelving system that reinterprets a design Paulin created for Paris’s Elysée Palace. Moss, New York City. www.magisdesign.com

[Reader Service: July 2009 #202]

Masters degree
Philippe Starck pays homage to the leading figures of midcentury design with his Masters chair. The Masters backrest combines the familiar profiles of Eero Saarinen’s Tulip chair, Arne Jacobsen’s Series 7 chair, and the Eameses’ Eiffel chair. Kartell, New York City. www.kartell.it

[Reader Service: July 2009 #203]

Softening the edges
Swedish girl-group Front were the darlings of this year’s fair. For Moroso, they created a series of trompe l’oeil seating, including Soft Wood. Photographic images printed on the upholstery make this cushioned sofa look like a hard bench. Moroso, New York City. www.moroso.it

[Reader Service: July 2009 #204]

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Josephine Minutillo is editor in chief of Architectural Record. Trained as an architect, she began writing for RECORD in 2001 while practicing architecture, and has held several positions at the magazine over the past two decades. Her articles have appeared in many international publications. She has been an invited critic at Washington University in St. Louis, The Cooper Union, Columbia GSAPP, Pratt Institute, The City College of New York, and Yale University.
Instagram: @josephineminutillo_