Designs That Stayed With Us: TOMA Studio’s Favourite Pieces from Salone del Mobile

Some designs stand out immediately. Others stay with you more quietly - through a gesture, a material, a concept, or the atmosphere they create around them.

During our visit to Salone del Mobile, we were drawn to pieces that went beyond function. Furniture, lighting, objects and installations that did not simply “fit” into an interior, but created a moment of attention. Some impressed us with their sculptural presence, others with a surprising material experience, and some because they felt personally meaningful.

This is not a complete overview of everything we saw, but rather a personal selection of pieces that stayed with us - designs that felt memorable from our own TOMA Studio point of view.

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1. Mozea - Thinker Accent Chair - a grounded, sculptural piece where furniture meets stillness

What first caught our attention at Mozea was not only the furniture itself, but the way it was presented. The chairs were placed on rotating platforms, slowly turning in the space like sculptural objects. This simple movement made the design feel even stronger - almost as if each chair was a statement piece, meant to be observed from every angle.

The Thinker Accent Chair stood out for its quiet but powerful presence. Its silhouette is low, grounded and contemplative, with beautiful curved lines that feel both minimal and expressive. Inspired by the stillness of the Hamangia Thinker, the chair has a meditative quality - it invites pause rather than demanding attention.

Made entirely from solid wood, the piece sits somewhere between furniture and sculpture. The form feels reduced to its essence: strong lines, a grounded shape, and a sense of calm. For us, this is what makes the design memorable. It is not decorative in an obvious way, but it has character, atmosphere and presence.

Mozea’s exposition made the piece feel even more impressive. By allowing the chair to rotate, the brand emphasized its sculptural qualities - the curves, proportions and shadows became part of the experience. It was a reminder that great furniture does not only fill a room; it can define the mood of a space.

Why it stayed with us: beautiful lines, sculptural presence, strong materiality, and an exhibition concept that turned the chair into a statement.

Piece: Thinker Accent Chair
Studio: Mozea
Designer: Ela Shimon
Material: Solid wood

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2. Manu Pagliosa Studio - Sideboard Piercing - a bold furniture piece inspired by the language of body adornment

Another piece that stood out to us was the Sideboard Piercing by Manu Pagliosa Studio. What made it memorable was not only its form, but the clarity of the concept behind it. The furniture is inspired by the idea of piercing - a detail usually associated with the body, translated here into an object for the interior.

This gave the sideboard a unique tension: something elegant, functional and architectural, but also slightly provocative. The metal surface, rounded volumes and strong vertical rhythm make the piece feel bold and contemporary. It does not try to disappear into a room. Instead, it becomes a focal point - an object with attitude.

We especially liked how the concept was expressed without feeling forced. The idea of “piercing” becomes part of the design language, adding character and identity to the piece. It is conceptual, but still refined. This balance is what made the work feel interesting to us: it shows how furniture can carry a story, not only a function.

Why it stayed with us: a unique conceptual idea, strong material presence, and a memorable interpretation of body adornment translated into furniture.

Piece: Sideboard Piercing
Studio: Manu Pagliosa Studio
Materials: Metal

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3. Saturnia by ArmoniusLab - a loudspeaker designed as a sculptural object for the interior

With Saturnia by ArmoniusLab, what stood out to us was the way a technical object was transformed into something sculptural. At first glance, Saturnia does not immediately read as a loudspeaker. It feels more like an independent design object - almost like a small planet, a decorative sculpture, or an architectural element placed within the interior.

This is what made it so interesting to us. Loudspeakers are often designed to disappear into a space, but Saturnia does the opposite. It has presence. Its circular form, strong contrast of materials and refined finishes make it feel like an object that belongs visibly in the room, not something to hide.

ArmoniusLab describes Saturnia as “a work of art that you can listen to,” and this perfectly captures its character. The piece combines aesthetics and technology, using materials such as ash wood and etched iron to create a speaker that feels both crafted and contemporary. It is functional, but its function does not limit its visual identity.

For us, Saturnia is a reminder that interior objects can be more than practical solutions. They can shape atmosphere, create emotion and add a layer of personality to a space. The fact that it is a loudspeaker almost becomes secondary - first, you notice the form, the finish, the object itself.

Why it stayed with us: a loudspeaker that looks like an independent design object; sculptural, refined and unexpected.

Piece: Saturnia
Brand: ArmoniusLab
Type: Passive audio speaker
Materials: Ash wood and etched iron

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4. Bryce Lim’s Squishy Vase Collection - objects that look solid and heavy, but surprise with their softness

The Squishy Vase Collection by Bryce Lim was one of those designs that created an immediate “aha” moment. At first sight, the vases appear heavy, almost as if they are made from resin, stone or concrete. Their dark, rounded forms have a solid, sculptural quality - quiet, minimal and slightly mysterious.

But the real surprise came when we touched them.

Instead of being hard and cold, the vases were soft. This unexpected contrast between visual appearance and physical sensation made the collection especially memorable. It challenged our first impression and turned a simple object into an experience. The design was not only about form, but about perception - about the moment when what you see and what you feel do not match.

We loved this playful tension. The vases look serious and almost monumental, yet they invite interaction in a gentle, surprising way. It is a beautiful reminder that design can still surprise us through materiality, touch and curiosity.

Why it stayed with us: a memorable sensory experience, unexpected softness, and a clever contrast between visual weight and physical touch.

Collection: Squishy Vase Collection
Designer: Bryce Lim
Material: Polyurethane (PU) foam

5. Ritual by Lilia Luganskaia - sculptural glass objects where reflection, light and movement create a moment of pause

The Ritual collection by Lilia Luganskaia was memorable because of the way it played with light, glass and perception. The objects were not static in the usual sense. They changed as we looked at them.

The mirrors had a subtle shifting quality: the gradient in the middle seemed to move and transform with the light. This created a quiet but impressive effect - almost like the object was breathing with the space around it. It was not loud or decorative, but it held attention in a very refined way.

Ritual is described as a collection of sculptural glass objects, including mirrors, an ikebana table and light pieces, designed as “focus anchors” within a space. That idea felt very clear when seeing the work in person. These pieces do not simply reflect a room; they create a moment of pause within it.

We especially liked the atmospheric quality of the collection. The combination of glass, metal and programmable light gave the objects a sense of depth and movement. The shifting reflection made the experience feel almost meditative - a quiet interaction between object, light and viewer.

Why it stayed with us: a poetic use of glass and light, changing gradients, and an impressive sense of atmosphere and stillness.

Collection: Ritual
Artist: Lilia Luganskaia
Materials: Glass, metal, LED system

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6. Echoing Roots by Baiba Soma - a glass interpretation of Baltic straw decorations, connecting heritage, geometry and memory

The work of Baiba Soma felt especially close on a personal level. At first glance, it may not appear as visually “loud” as some other pieces, but it carried a strong emotional and cultural resonance.

Baiba Soma is a Latvian artist, and her project Echoing Roots is a contemporary interpretation of traditional straw sculptures and decorations - a craft deeply connected to Latvian heritage. For me, being Lithuanian, this felt immediately familiar. Lithuania and Latvia share many cultural echoes, including similar folk decorations made from straw. In Lithuania, these are often known as hanging gardens - delicate geometric structures traditionally connected to celebration, protection, harmony and home.

This connection made the work feel very relatable. It was not only an object to look at, but a reminder of something inherited: folk culture, handmade rituals, and the quiet beauty of traditions passed through generations.

What we found especially beautiful was how Soma translated this fragile heritage into a contemporary material language. Instead of straw, the work uses glass tubes, creating a delicate structure that feels both familiar and new. According to the artist, the piece consists of 770 glass tubes, interwoven together to form the final shape. The transparency, reflections and shadows give the work a sense of memory - almost as if the traditional form is still there, but transformed into light.

The vase piece also stood out as a poetic extension of the same idea. Built from many narrow glass straws, it allows flowers to be placed into individual tubes of water. This makes the object both functional and symbolic: a vessel for flowers, but also a contemporary echo of folk geometry and handcraft.

For us, Echoing Roots was a reminder that design does not always need to shock or impress immediately. Sometimes the strongest pieces are the ones that feel personally meaningful - the ones that reconnect us with culture, memory and identity.

Why it stayed with us: a personal connection to Baltic folk heritage, a conceptual interpretation of traditional straw decorations, and a poetic transformation of craft into glass, light and contemporary form.

Project: Echoing Roots
Artist: Baiba Soma
Focus: Research, sculpture, craft
Material: Glass tubes

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Final thoughts

Looking back at these pieces together, we noticed that each of them stayed with us for a different reason. Some were memorable because of their sculptural form. Others because of their concept, material surprise, atmosphere, or personal meaning.

What connected them was a sense of presence.

They were not simply objects to be placed inside an interior. They each created a moment: a pause, a question, a surprise, or a memory. For us, that is what makes design powerful. It can be functional, beautiful and well-made - but when it also leaves an emotional trace, it becomes something more.

At TOMA Studio, we are always drawn to interiors and objects that tell a story. These were some of the designs that stayed with us.

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