The protagonists and novelties of the 58th edition of Feria Hábitat València (30 September-3 October 2024): a window on the Spanish furniture industry between Mediterranean pride and international openness

Driven by Icex (España Exportación e Inversiones) and Anieme (Mueble de España), the event welcomed 925 exhibitors, with a growing 21% representation of international brands (16 countries of origin).

This was also due to the concomitance with the biennial Espacio Cocina SICI and the Textilhogar Home Textiles Premium show (with the beautiful Orange Forest installation by designer Sigfrido Serra).

Here are the themes, the protagonists, the news.

Hospitality made in Spain

No fair is complete without an installation. Valencia was no exception, staging Hotel Hábitat, a complex interpretation of Spanish hospitality design by architect Héctor Ruiz-Velázquez.

Delimited by hundreds of cardboard boxes and covering 800 square meters, the installation invited visitors to explore a variety of hotel spaces, including a spa and outdoor pool.

The designer explains: “In a world dominated by functionality and homogeneity, authenticity has become a fundamental quality, especially in hotel design. Modern travelers not only want functional accommodation, but also unique experiences that stimulate their senses and trigger authentic emotions. The Hotel Hábitat València responds to this need with spaces that promote a deep connection with the cultural and natural environment”.

And they highlight the capabilities of the Spanish contract industry. After all, many of the brands present at the fair focus, more than on home collections, on transversal furnishings for collective spaces, often driven by the names of international designers. See under Lissoni for Viccarbe or Pillet and Norguet for Mobboli.

Simple but with a touch of warmth

Walking through the corridors of the two pavilions dedicated to design, one cannot help but agree with the definition “simple, but with a touch of warmth” that Graciela Soler, in charge of the international promotion of Anieme, attributes to the Spanish furniture project: “we are a Mediterranean country and this influences our character, our artisanal skills”.

The result: a sense of tactile quality of materials, earthy and sunny colors, organic shapes and a strong and natural relationship with the outdoors.

Outdoor protagonist

Obvious climatic reasons and a lifestyle based on sociability inspire the proposals of the Iberian brands specialized in outdoor design. Starting with Gandia Blasco, capable of combining transversal languages, from the organic shapes in aluminum of the Arena collection by Søren Rose to the playfulness of the seat that completes the best seller of the brand, the Ensombra umbrella by Odosdesign.

Guest of honor at Vondom Jean-Marie Massaud, author of the Milos outdoor upholstered furniture inspired by rocks shaped by the wind and sea.

The new aluminum sun loungers by Expormim, designed by Norm Architects and L+R Palomba, dialogue with the graphic indoor seats of the Cadenza line by David López Quincoces which highlights the brand's expertise in rattan processing.

Sustainable design

The word sustainability is not the most pronounced among the exhibitors, perhaps because it is now taken for granted. We have selected two projects that are particularly relevant for their green thinking, content and technology. The Bolete collection by Patricia Urquiola for Andreu World includes a modular upholstered lounge chair and armchairs, a table and a coffee table, all characterised by a base that is solid to the eye but light for the environment.

The central ‘T’ base of the seats and tables, furrowed by a ribbed texture, is made with the exclusive BIO thermopolymer developed by the company, a material of 100% natural origin, non-fossil, compostable and biodegradable at the end of its life cycle. The padding is instead made of Pure ECO thermopolymer, produced with 100% recycled materials and completely recyclable and reusable.

Creavalo is a young brand – the most interesting of the NUDE section dedicated to new talents – founded in Valencia in 2023. Under the artistic direction of Odosdesign, it creates complements, objects and covering panels made of pressed textile waste. Each product is perfectly circular: 100% reusable, recyclable, reversible.