DEDM Returns from Milan Design Week with Design Intelligence for Its National Portfolio
by ELLIMAN INSIDER TEAM
May 2026
This year's Salone del Mobile, featuring more than 1,900 exhibitors alongside EuroCucina and the International Bathroom Exhibition, offered a comprehensive survey of where luxury design is heading. The products and finishes previewed there typically reach the U.S. market 12 to 18 months later, making early access a real advantage for design advisors working across luxury residential projects.
Douglas Elliman Development Marketing has been attending since 2016, and this year marked the team's fifth trip to Milan. President and CEO Susan de França, SVP and Creative Director Kevin Leciejewski, and SVP of Planning and Design Tiffany Wey were on the ground to translate global design direction into actionable guidance for upcoming Elliman new developments. Leciejewski, who attends annually, focused on furniture and lighting, while Wey concentrated on the biennial kitchen and bath exhibitions.
"Kitchen and bath design are among the biggest drivers of residence value in luxury development," said Wey. "It's a material advantage to be able to tell a developer what's coming before it hits the U.S. market."
In the kitchen, the direction was clear. Appliance finishes are moving toward integration with cabinetry and millwork. Miele introduced "Pearl Beige," a colorway designed to disappear into wood tones. Bosch and Siemens debuted ultra-matte glass induction cooktops that resist visible scratching and take on the character of surrounding surfaces. Compact multi-function ovens that combine convection, air frying, steaming, and microwave in a single cavity are reshaping how appliance walls can be planned in smaller residences.
In furniture and design, Leciejewski noted a move toward reflective and polished surfaces, creating an interesting counterpoint to the matte direction in kitchens. "If the kitchen is getting quieter, furniture is becoming the expressive layer," he observed. "That changes how we think about where the visual energy sits in a residence."
Throughout the week, the team met with leading design houses including B&B Italia, Baccarat, Hermès, Loro Piana, Molteni, Poliform, Poltrona Frau, Ralph Lauren Home, and Restoration Hardware, and was among the select group invited to Gaggenau's "Presence" activation at the historic Villa Necchi Campiglio, an exclusive private dinner alongside architect John Pawson and Zaha Hadid Architects' Patrick Schumacher. The week also provided opportunities to connect with leading interior designers and architects shaping the luxury residential market globally.
"The value of a trip like this isn't just inspiration," Wey said. "It's design intelligence we can put to work across every active project in our pipeline."
Explore more information about the brands DEDM experienced while in Milan:
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