Step into Marta Sala's collectible and curated world

When the Milanese gallerist Marta Sala founded her namesake company, Marta Sala Éditions, in 2015, it was a deliberate pivot. After two decades within her family’s firm, Azucena – founded by her uncle, the architect Luigi Caccia Dominioni, alongside Ignazio Gardella and Corrado Corradi Dell'Acqua – she set out to build a platform dedicated to limited-run collections rooted in architectural rigour and material precision. Eleven years on, that vision has been entirely realised – in no small part thanks to her longstanding collaborations with some of the most exacting figures in design.

This year, Sala returns to one of her earliest and most enduring collaborations, Lazzarini & Pickering, and will release a new collection with the Swiss architectural giants Herzog & de Meuron. The collection, La Magie du Bois, wrought primarily in canaletto walnut, was originally conceived for the renovation of Basel’s Hotel Les Trois Rois and now makes its debut at the inaugural edition of Salone Raritas.

Wallpaper* spoke with Sala about her decade-plus as an entrepreneur, her thoughts on this year’s Salone del Mobile, and her hopes for the industry moving forward.

Salone del Mobile 2026: in conversation with Marta Sala

Wallpaper*: After a long career within your family company, Azucena, you founded Marta Sala Éditions in 2015. As you enter your 11th year, how has the company evolved since those early days? And what lessons have you carried over from Azucena into Marta Sala Editions?

Marta Sala: As early as 2012, I was already sensing that the world of design was beginning to change. This intuition allowed me to develop an innovative approach that, in fact, became one of the pillars of Marta Sala Éditions. My time at Azucena was extremely privileged, as I learned every aspect of the business firsthand: creativity from my uncle, Luigi Caccia Dominioni, and sales and production organisation from my mother. Personal, in situ experience is the most effective way to learn and absorb both cultural and family values. After twenty years, I felt an increasing urgency to introduce innovation, both in terms of aesthetics and production organisation. I had reached the limits of an important world that needed fresh energy. For me, a contemporary approach means continuity and reinterpretation of the past.

W*: How would you define the identity of the brand today?

MS: Marta Sala Éditions speaks of culture and heritage, but without nostalgia. For me, it is essential to affirm products of research and creation in an entirely contemporary way, with a refined new language that is rich in memory, yet always capable of surprising through unexpected elements or details. These are useful objects with identity and beauty, capable of creating a cultural bridge and an emotional exchange with those who acquire them, in a spirit of longevity. “The Secret Soul of Useful Things,” the title of my first collection, named by Stefano Casciani, represents the fil rouge of all my work.

W*: What can we expect to see from Marta Sala Éditions at this year’s Salone del Mobile?

MS: Being part of the Salone del Mobile has always been a dream for me. For years, my goal has been to engage with an international and global audience. However, I could not approach it in a traditional way, as the costs are too high for a reality of my scale to properly express its identity. Salone Raritas is a curated and selective platform that allows realities like mine to gain visibility and resonance. Confronting such a vast and new audience means stepping out of one’s comfort zone. How will the public respond to my work? It could be perceived as elitist, traditional, or outside the market – or, on the contrary, as highly contemporary for all the reasons mentioned. It is a beautiful challenge, one that I approach with great interest and enthusiasm.

W*: You often collaborate with architects such as Herzog & de Meuron, who are better known for designing buildings than small-scale objects. Do you find they approach furniture design differently from product or furniture designers?

MS: I grew up in a world where architects designed everything from towers to door handles. This holistic approach deeply resonates with me: creating objects that respond to specific needs, which often recur in different contexts. The stronger the idea and the need behind a design piece, the stronger its presence and the longer its lifespan. To me, a design piece is most often born from an idea, from an aesthetic intuition – rarely from purely functional necessity. I have travelled the world to discover the architecture of Herzog & de Meuron, and the opportunity to collaborate with their studio is truly exciting.

They share the same artisanal approach at both large and small scales, and they value personal, confidential relationships – one of the reasons we connected, along with the legacy of Azucena. Their attention and high standards are consistent across all their projects. Through them, I discovered the world of wood – La Magie du Bois, the collection I present at Raritas. I sought new craftsmen, learned about this noble and living material, and worked to achieve the required level of quality. Most importantly, I expanded my offering with new typologies and a material I had previously explored only marginally.

W*: Lazzarini & Pickering were among the first designers you worked with at Marta Sala Editions. How did that collaboration come about? And what is the secret to sustaining a creative relationship over such a long period of time?

MS: Lazzarini & Pickering were first clients, and later became friends over time. While reviewing their archives together, such as the Elisabeth sofa or the Wanda Full armchair, I realized these pieces had strong stylistic coherence. It seemed a missed opportunity to treat them as unique pieces rather than bringing them to market and highlighting their full potential. This marked the beginning of the first collection. The collaboration developed naturally. Each year, I define a theme, such as 'The Rule of Details' or 'Déclinaisons', based on what I feel is missing in the market, what I wish to develop, or what Carl and Claudio propose. This year, at the Corso Monforte 15 showroom, I will present the new Baldo sofa, which I specifically requested to introduce a bolder piece into the collection. This long-term collaboration is grounded in mutual respect, admiration, and affection.

W*: You are participating in the first edition of Salone Raritas, which brings limited-edition and collectible design to the fairgrounds for the first time. Why do you think introducing this aspect of the industry to an event like Salone del Mobile is important?

MS: It feels as though Raritas was created for me; this is, at least, my perception. Industrial production allows for competitive pricing and large-scale distribution, but it makes responding to specific requests increasingly complex and costly. Large brands are beginning to address this challenge with intelligence, adapting their production systems. However, 'ad hoc' production multiplies the risk of errors and is demanding in terms of labour and costs. The decision by the Salone del Mobile to introduce this format is both courageous and forward-thinking, a response to major changes in the industry. It creates new opportunities for high-quality brands to engage with a highly specialized market segment.

W*: In such a saturated design landscape, what, for you, gives a piece lasting value?

MS: Each time I introduce a new design piece into an already saturated market, I ask myself, ethically, what its true value is. I defend beauty as the primary objective: a beauty that arises from the purity of an idea, from functional necessity, from the excellence of line and proportion, and from the mastery of its execution. It is a subtle balance of many skills that gives concrete form to an object. The hours of craftsmanship behind each piece give it a profound emotional value – one that people can feel and recognise. An object must resonate emotionally with the person who acquires it and become part of their daily life. The rise in raw material costs is abnormal and destabilising for the market – and this is likely only the beginning. Increasing costs, risks limiting the circulation and success of design pieces, which ultimately must be purchased and lived with to have meaning.

W*: What are you most looking forward to seeing at Milan Design Week this year?

MS: I hope to see a renewed focus on the product itself, rather than on presentation. I strongly support Raritas’ decision to avoid excessive customisation of booths at the fair. There is often a complaint about the lack of 'real' pieces on the market. Craft excellence is essential, but it is a means to achieve a design piece – not the end goal. I believe visitors will approach this edition of the Salone with a fresh perspective.

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