Valcucine presents Crafting Forward at Milan Design Week 2026

The concept, interior design, material and colour research, materioteca and styling were developed by Zanellato/Bortotto studio together with Valcucine. The installation creates a dialogue between craftsmanship and technology without opposition, enhancing collaborations with manufacturing partners and workshops that share the same culture of making.

Within this vision, the kitchen is conceived as a fluid environment integrated into the domestic space. No longer just a functional area, but a system capable of adapting to different needs, accommodating moments of conviviality, work and everyday life. The kitchens and Special Elements presented by Valcucine at Milan Design Week 2026 move in this direction, shaping new living scenarios.

Advanced kitchen systems: Crafting Forward takes shape

The solutions presented translate the principles of Crafting Forward into kitchen systems that combine material research, technological innovation and architectural integration.

With two compositions of Genius Loci, Valcucine introduces the new Natural Stone Breccia Imperiale in the straight drawer version, while in the slanted version the artisanal Marble Cubes Aurora expands customization possibilities. Research also continues on glass with Degradé Textured Vitrum, where artisanal grinding is reinterpreted in an industrial key and combined with a gradient achieved through digital printing, generating dynamic and textured surfaces. Within the tower units system, Logica Librum allows the operational area to be concealed and revealed through a fluid movement, while Air Logica, presented for the first time in metal in the Brown Brass finish, integrates V-Motion technology developed with Nice, enhancing interaction through intuitive and silent openings.

^{Degradé Textured Vitrum}

^{Genius Loci drawers Marble Cubes, Aurora}

Artematica develops the theme of architectural integration through continuous surfaces in Matt Dove Grey Vitrum, capable of concealing and revealing functions. The island, clad in the new Orizzonti surface in Guatemala Green Honed Marble created by Del Savio 1910, enhances the material through textures, shades and deep veining. The composition is further enriched by an evolution of Vitrum Arte, integrating metal and wood to create unique surfaces, expressing a dialogue between craftsmanship and innovation.

^{Artematica island in Guatemala Green Honed Marble}

^{Vitrum Arte with metal and wood inserts}

Archigraphica interprets material warmth through wood and is presented for the first time in Elm. The Natural Stone back section in Olive Green Granite introduces a functional surface dedicated to preparation, while the new Logica Theatrum wall unit system expands compositional possibilities, extending into the living area and accommodating work functions.

^{Archigraphica with Logica Theatrum and Stone back section}

Riciclantica explores the theme of lightness through a fully suspended composition that emphasizes the essential nature of the kitchen and the innovative character of the 2 mm thick door. The Terra-Cielo shelving unit evolves from the worktop and integrates with the Aerius wall unit, presented in the new Matt Cut Grid-Pattern Vitrum finish, enhancing depth and materiality.

Forma Mentis introduces the MDi Mauna finish, inspired by volcanic material, in dialogue with Gloss Lacquered Bronze. The double Vela wall unit defines the formal clarity of the composition. The extension of Matt Beige Laminate (Abet), used for the wall units, to adjacent walls creates a continuous surface, strengthening the relationship between kitchen and architecture.

^{Forma Mentis with Vela wall unit; island with glass splash guard and Origami breakfast bar.}

Finally, with Logica Celata, Valcucine pushes the concept of integration to its extreme: the operational area disappears completely, leaving space for a pure volume. In the bar and freestanding version, presented in the new Matt Silver Vitrum Arte finish, the kitchen opens up to a convivial dimension, aligned with contemporary living.

A collective narrative of craftsmanship and material

Completing Crafting Forward, Valcucine builds a collective narrative where material becomes a shared language. The installation takes shape through collaboration with artisanal realities and outstanding manufacturers, not as simple suppliers but as true design partners.

Metal crafted by Dante Negro  reinterprets wrought iron in a contemporary key, while Botteganove  ceramics dialogue with architecture through textured surfaces. Jacquard fabrics by Torri Lana transform graphic signs into tactile narratives, alongside marble crafted by Del Savio 1910, expressing authenticity through textures and shades.

The modular refractory structures by Terraformæ redefine space, separating without enclosing, while leathers by Conceria Presot and textiles by Chiarastella Cattana introduce a sensory and domestic dimension.

The dialogue extends to the world of art with Galleria delle Piane, featuring works by Andrea Branzi, and with Paper Collective involving artists such as Maja Krstic, Mikael Siirilä and Tajimi Custom Tiles. Creations by Bruno Amadi introduce a poetic dimension, suspended between technique and lightness.

Within the compositions, Miele appliances – particularly integrated in Genius Loci kitchens – contribute to defining a complete user experience, where technology, precision and quality fit coherently within the design language.

Light becomes an integral part of the project thanks to Mario Tsai Studio, while seating by Magis, including Officina and Mariolina, completes the space with a balance between industrial research and design heritage.

During Milan Design Week 2026, the experience is further enriched by Illy coffee and the collaboration with Barone Pizzini – a benchmark in the Italian wine landscape and the first organic Franciacorta – contributing to enhance the space not only as a catering area but as a complete experience, making the showroom a place that is at once exhibition, relational and convivial.

^{Ph credits: Valentina Sommariva}

^{Images of the new products presented at Milan Design Week 2026 include items and finishes that will be officially released with the next price list update or as soon as they become available.}