Mesmerising hues and a playful disposition characterise the new Hermès Home collection presented at Milan Design Week 2018.

1. A harmony of hues 

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Above It took one month to create the colourful setting for the Hermès Home exhibition in Salone del Mobile 2018

Colour is central to the new Hermès Home collection, something immediately apparent as soon as you enter La Permanente in Milan. The museum was transformed into a dramatic setting with soaring structures clad in 150,000 handmade glazed tiles from Morocco rendered in shades of turquoise, amber, sea green, sienna and more. The imposing architecture is meant to contrast the whimsical, detail-oriented pieces that make up the collection. "We wanted to work with scale. Most of the pieces this year are small so we created towering structures; the height is emphasised by the use of stairs in the scenography," says Charlotte Macaux Perelman, co-artistic director at Hermès Maison.

(Related: The Tatler Nose’s Voyage Through The Hermès Home Universe)

2. Lust-worthy leather pieces

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Above The leather expertise of  Hermès is on display in their new home collection

With its history as a saddle maker, there's no escaping exquisite leather details and pieces at Hermès. The maison's theme this year is "play", which each metier, including home, interpreted in their respective collections. We found dreamcatchers and necklace busts made with wood and leather, plus a finely-crafted leather drawer on the Vice-Versa occasional table. Our favourite? The Pli'h series—decorative desk objects crafted out of a single sheet of Bridle leather and held together with four stitches of white linen thread.  

3. A graphic game

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Above The tangram was the inspiration for Gianpaolo Pagni's pieces for Hermès

Classic games also come into play; especially the tangram, otherwise known as the seven boards of skill. Drawing inspiration from this puzzle, Italian artist and designer Gianpaolo Pagni created a mesmerising combination of colours and shapes. This is most evident in the covetable Tangram lacquer boxes—the paint is applied with a sponge to create more depth and a perfectly imperfect finish. The tangram also appears in a hand-woven fabric carefully dyed to result in an alluring mix of pigments.  

4. A walk in the garden

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Above Tableware from A Walk in the Garden celebrate its botanical inspiration

Tableware is always a highlight of the Hermès Home collection and this year was no exception. While it's called "A Walk in the Garden", you won't find the typical botanical prints here. Instead, you'll discover a playful rendition of twigs and leaves juxtaposed with lattices and herringbone motifs. Created by artist Nigel Peake, these freehand drawings have a feeling of child-like liberation. Featuring happy colours including bright orange, leaf green, buttercup and Prussian blue, you'll surely have fun mixing and matching these porcelain creations. 

5. City life on show

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Above Tableware from the Périmètre porcelain pieces feature graphic designs and exuberant hues

Urban life is also reflected in the collection, especially in the Périmètre porcelain pieces. Bricks, louveres and palisades are graphically rendered on trays and vases, all in exuberant hues. Each piece has a "spine" that calls to mind leather burnishing, a signature of Hermès. Lines and grids also feature heavily elsewhere but these patterns are juxtaposed with natural elements—find it in the reinvention of the tartan print by Nigel Peake to the geometric wallpapers and fabrics. 

(Related: Should You Dress Your Nest in Hermès?)

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