Ask visionary Italian architect and designer Giulio Cappellini where design is heading, and his reply is anything but earthshaking: “There is no real trend. The direction is freedom. End consumers want a home that reflects their identity. Today, their house is a fusion of different designers and elements, produced by different companies. My company mixes different designers with their approaches, but there is a thread that connects these ideas.”

“Cappellini is the ambassador of Italian design,” said Bryan Lim, vice president, business development, of lifestyle company Suyen Corporation, Cappellini’s local distributor. “The brand is famous for its accent pieces—side tables, sofas and lounge chairs.” The designer’s eponymous furniture company, Cappellini, is characteristically provocative down to its definitive book, “The Cappellini Method: A Performing Dream.”