Knoll has unveiled several new collaborations and product extensions at the Salone del Mobile 2026. The presentation includes a debut collection by artist and sculptor Dozie Kanu, expanded offerings from Jonathan Muecke and Johnston Marklee, and the European availability of the revived Morrison Hannah Chair.
The Dozie Kanu collection features a series of tables that use steel rods combined with taut leather tops and fringe tassels. The tassels move with minimal stimulation to create a dynamic, performative quality that offers fleeting glimpses of objects beneath or beside the table. On the other hand, Jonathan Muecke has added a lounge chair, ottoman, coffee table, and side table to his Wood collection. These designs apply principles of elemental materiality and repetition. Johnston Marklee has expanded the Biboni line to include a lounge chair and ottoman alongside deeper seat options and sectional elements for the existing sofa. The Morrison Hannah chair, originally designed in 1973, has been updated with improved foam and a wider tilt range.
Image Credit: Knoll
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Performative Textile Surfaces
- The use of tassels and taut leather tops that move with minimal stimulation points to furniture surfaces becoming kinetic canvases that reveal and obscure elements, enabling experiential product narratives.
- Elemental Material Repetition
- New pieces emphasizing repetition of elemental materials like Muecke’s wood series suggest mass-customizable systems where simple repeated components create varied form and function.
- Heritage Design Revivals
- Reintroductions of classic designs updated with modern foams and mechanics indicate a market for reissued icons that blend nostalgia with contemporary performance.
Sectors Adopting This
- Contract Commercial Interiors
- Expanded sectional options and deeper seating imply demand for flexible, modular furnishings that can be reconfigured for varied workplace and hospitality programs.
- Luxury Home Furnishings
- Artist-led limited collections and collectible runs of furniture signal opportunities for high-margin, story-driven product lines targeting design collectors.
- Furniture Manufacturing Technology
- Upgrades like improved foam formulations and wider tilt ranges point toward investments in new materials and mechanisms that enable enhanced ergonomics and adjustable production.
