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There was probably no connection to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's recent suggestion that the country's earthquake victims treat their stay in ad hoc shelters as camping holidays, but Milan's annual furniture fair was abundant with examples of what can only be described as “campground chic.”

Reflecting the current trend toward simpler, heritage-influenced design, products that looked like they would be perfectly at home around a campfire ran the gamut from tables and chairs to heating units and case goods.

Among the standouts at the show, which concluded on Monday, were Normann Copenhagen's Camping line of (indoor) moulded-beech furniture with leather or nylon straps for seats. Designed by Jesper K. Thomsen, it was inspired by traditional Scandinavian camping equipment.

At the same time, German designer Nils Holger Moormann unveiled the Kampenwand table, an indoor/outdoor piece with a wood top and folding steel legs that are held in place by rope. Dutch brand Weltevree, meanwhile, showed off a side chair sporting axe handles for legs and a woodstove clad with ceramic tile from Royal Tichelaar Makkum, one of the oldest ceramics companies in the Netherlands.

The stylized rusticity of much of the offerings was in sharp contrast to the big-city exuberance of the rest of the show. Although the global economic slowdown was undoubtedly on many people's minds, the main fairgrounds were just as packed with people as in the past, city streets were just as clogged with traffic and the parties were, if anything, even more carefree. This year even saw ZClub, a private members dance club hosted by the off-site design district Zona Tortona, where heavyweights such as Karim Rashid and Sweden's Front Design team took turns spinning tunes into the wee hours.

It was only behind closed doors and in hushed voices that exhibitors expressed concerns – a common complaint being that more visitors were merely looking and fewer were actually buying. Already anticipating such challenges, many companies launched fewer new products than usual and almost all were working hard to demonstrate the value of their goods.

So whether the furniture was haute campsite or ultracontemporary, it tended toward well-made, hard-wearing, comfortable items over flash and glam. Here are some other themes and highlights.

Tinkertoy aesthetics

A few companies presented furniture pieces that looked as though they were conceived with the help of Tinkertoy construction sets or plain old matchsticks. The show-stealer in Moooi's latest collection, for instance, was the Brave New World lamp by British design firm Freshwest, which assembled the sharp-angled fixture out of thin wooden sticks.

The Allumette sofa, chairs and table by Switzerland's Atelier Oï for Röthlisberger Kollektion, meanwhile, has a similar aesthetic, resembling something that might have come from a hobbyist's workshop.

Cocooning

It should come as little surprise that many manufacturers were offering comforting furniture to help people weather the economic storm. Among the best examples was the Quilt chair by France's Bouroullec brothers for Established & Sons; a cushy cup of squishy hexagons, it's highly inviting to fall into and difficult to leave.

One of the most bizarre examples, though, was the Dolcevita bed, which has a rubber foam ring around the exterior that can be flipped up to create a visual and acoustic barrier. A close second was the Huggy chair, which stuffs a full-sized mattress into a circular base to form a backrest (the mattress can also be pulled out to create a bed). Both are from Lago.

The return of old masters Masterful designers who have been in the game for decades were front and centre once again. French designer Pierre Paulin, who was born in 1927, was back with new chairs shaped like flower blooms for Magis and Ligne Roset, while ClassiCon showed wood and leather chairs from Brazilian designer Sergio Rodrigues, who is more than 80 years old.

Offering a different take on the trend, Artemide launched the Doride Terra, a floor lamp with a cobra-like head, by Karim Rashid. Rashid may not be an old designer, but the design is; he originally came up with it when he was only 19, but it took this long to see the light of day.

Multiculturalism

Designers are increasingly celebrating forms and patterns from other countries and frequently partnering with local artisans to create unique pieces. At its downtown Milan showroom, Moroso presented a lavish Africa-inspired exhibition designed by New York's Stephen Burks. Titled M'afrique, it showcased countless new furniture designs with fabrics and forms derived from African artistry.

Other cultures were on display as well. The German outdoor-furniture company Dedon, for instance, presented new pieces with classic European patterns, such as the woven red, black and yellow tartan (another campsite-friendly motif) on its Edinburgh chair.

Multiuse

Looking to save some money? Why not buy furniture and accessories that serve multiple purposes? Taking this idea to the extreme, Artek offered 10 Unit, a modular furniture system designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. Consisting of identical L-shaped pieces, it can be configured into a chair, a table or a bench. And if you get tired of your first selection, you can pull the pieces apart to create something new.

The Italian company Campeggi, meanwhile, presented a full new range of transformable furniture, including a table that doubles as a fan, an ottoman that hides exercise equipment and a stool that can collapse into a thin disk for storage.

Potentially even more useful, the off-site Love Design exhibition showcased a range of cheeky products intended to increase pleasure in the bedroom, including a bedside lamp by Matteo Cibic that hides a silicone sex toy in its base.

Special to The Globe and Mail