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Elena Salmistraro, a designer from Milan, is the Designer of the Year at Ambiente 2024.
Product designer and artist born and based in Italy, Elena Salmistraro has been permanently on the list of the 100 most important design personalities of AD Italy, Germany, and France, and Marie Claire Maison for years.
In 2022, she won the Frame Design Award as “Best Designer,” and in 2023, Forbes magazine included Elena Salmistraro in its list of 100 successful Italian women.

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Elena Salmistraro (photo from Elena Salmistraro website)

After the Brera Academy of Fine Arts, Elena Salmistraro graduated from the Milan Polytechnic in Fashion Design in 2003 and Industrial Design in 2008. In 2009, she founded her professional studio, together with architect Angelo Stoli. The studio focuses on architecture, design, fashion, illustration, and all the visual arts.

An eclectic and joyful designer

Her eclectic creations are the result of combining art and serial design. Her language is a very personal, authorial one, featuring the use of three-dimensional textures and vivid colors. One of his work’s priorities is studying the harmony of forms. Objects thus become expressive and animistic and convey emotions. Very much connected to the contemporary, her work draws inspiration from street-art, fashion and masks, animals, and nature in general. Traditions, mythology, and different world cultures are also her inspiration sources.

Lisetta lounge chair by Elena Salmistraro for Bottega Intreccio

Elena Salmistraro has already worked with many big-name international brands, including Disney, Steinway, Apple, Vitra, Nike, Timberland, Ikea, Huawei, Microsoft, Moooi, Scarlet Splendour, Petit Bateau, Moooi Carpets, Tai Ping, La Manufacture Paris, Leblon Delienne, and Houtique. Among the Italian companies, we can mention Alessi, Cappellini, Florim, Cedit, Natuzzi, Bosa, De Castelli, Cc-Tapis, Marella, Lavazza, Driade, Technogym, Replay, Ceramica Flaminia, Cinelli, Alcantara, to name a few. In addition, the designer collaborates with prestigious art and design galleries such as Rossana Orlandi, Antonio Colombo Gallery, Duson Gallery in Seoul, Dilmos, Camp Design Gallery, InterArt Channel, SecondoMe, My Own Gallery, Punta Conterie, and Subalterno1.

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Sangaku small table, by Elena Salmistraro for Driade

Elena Salmistraro: the award-winning designer

Since 2017, she has also been a World Ambassador of Italian Design on the occasion of “Italian Design Day,” the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in collaboration and with the support of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities.

Her projects have already won numerous national and international awards, such as Good Design Awards, Frame Awards, Salone Del Mobile Milano Award, ADI-Ceramic&Bathroom Award, Archiproducts Awards, Eccellenze Lombarde Adi Index, Vogue Living Design Awards Hong Kong, Big See awards, Icon Award, ADI Design Index Selection to name a few. And several mentions, such as EDIDA Japan and the European Product Design Award.

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The piano by Elena Salmistraro for Disney-Steinway

She has participated in several major exhibitions at Triennale di Milano, Guggenheim Venezia, ADI Design Museum, Pinacoteca di Brera, Design Biennale Porto – Portugal, Mad Museum Singapore, Design Museum – Centro Cultural la Moneda-Santiago de Chile, and others. Also, she took part in Shanghai Biennale, and Gwangju Biennale 2015 in South Korea.

The Lounge, design by Elena Salmistraro at Ambiente 2024

To celebrate her nomination as Designer of the Year 2024 at Ambiente, Elena Salmistraro designed The Lounge. We all know these public spaces in hotels or airports: hybrid but fluid meeting spaces, places of transition. When traveling, lounges are places to stop for a short time. You read or work, eat, drink, and spend time in a pleasant environment designed beyond functionality. In short, lounges are curated, multifunctional living spaces, and they will become even more important in the future in our dynamic society with hybrid lifestyles and spaces.
“The Lounge” specifically addresses the thematic interface between interior design and HoReCa, and connects Dining and Living areas. The special presentation will be in Gallery 1.

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