Salone del Mobile - A Design and Art Extravaganza

As a kitchen and bath designer I try to attend as many tradeshows as possible to keep abreast of new and innovative products.  In addition to KBIS which is a must for me, I also had the pleasure of attending EuroCucina, The International Kitchen Furnishings Exhibition held in Milan every two years.   Wow!  What a fabulous event!

Salone del Mobile is an international design and art venue that is comprised of five components including: EuroCucina (Kitchen Furnishings Exhibition), & Technology for the Kitchen.   I was attending this event on a double mission - kitchen/bath designer and  writer.  As a kitchen/bath designer my focus was on the kitchen and bath pavilions but there was a whole other side to this event that was just as compelling.

In an article written for the June printed edition of K+BB(Kitchen and Bath Business), I covered many of the innovative kitchen and bath products that I saw at the event.  However,  recently I wrote an article for one of my favorite online designer magazines:  DesignerCircleHq.  This article: Salone del Mobile,  A Show  Within a Show,  is not kitchen oriented but instead addresses some of the other inspiring elements of the event.  Just click on the title to read the article.

 

In preparation for Eurocucina in Milan - 2014

When I go to the International Kitchen Furniture (Eurocucina) show in Milan next year,  io voglio parlare italiano, (I want to speak Italian). Not that it is truly necessary in a city like Milan where people probably speak English, but  I've been to Italy a few times and it's time to move beyond: Ciao, buon giorno,  Dov'e'  il bagno? (Where's the bathroom?).  When someone asks -  Parli italiano? (Do you speak Italian?)  I would like at least to be able to respond - Parlo inglese e italiano un po'. ( I speak English and a little Italian).
 
It's really by chance that I hooked up with this group of like-minded travelers and I'm glad I did.  Our instructor Davide grew up hearing Italian, has a masters in the language from the prestigious Middlebury College and has been teaching Italian for several years.  Along with his knowledge and expertize he also has a great personality for teaching, un professore molto bravo.  He has developed a well organized course and keeps us on target and moving at a good pace.  Be prepared for homework though, it comes with the territory.

In questa classe ci sono molte persone brave e simpatiche di varie professoni,  (In this class there are many talented and fun people from all walks of life),   It's a very interactive class.  It is not held in a traditional school environment, but don't let the relaxed atmosphere of being in someone's home fool you.  As you can see in the picture we are all very studious and truly interested in learning the language as well as the culture of Italy. The class can get rather intense so we need a break at some point.  And by the end of the evening I am exhausted.

If anyone is interested in this class you can email me or click on  Valenti  Lingua for more course information and Davide's contact information