Form follows farfalle – the pasta becomes a trendy motif
16.6.2026
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Pia Seidel
Tomato red was the colour of 2023. Mushrooms came before that. This summer, the air is filled with the scent of semolina – and anyone who thinks pasta only belongs on a plate has missed Milan Design Week.
At this year’s Milan Design Week, there was a piece of furniture that looked like a giant piece of pasta. Artisia – Barilla’s avant-garde label for 3D-printed pasta – collaborated with the Istanbul-based Studio Yellowdot to present the exhibition ‘ «: Edible Reveries’» («Edible Reveries»). The premise: What if pasta were not eaten, but lived in?
A pasta shape to sit on
Studio Yellowdot designed «Tattile» – a furniture collection comprising 3D-printed pieces that resemble oversized pasta shapes: a daybed, a rocking chair, an armchair. The pieces were printed using a wood-based composite material that has a matt finish, is slightly irregular in texture and feels surprisingly warm to the touch. The pieces were produced by LaMàquina from Barcelona, a specialist in large-format 3D printing that works on retail projects for Chanel and Cartier, amongst others. I sat down on the rocking chair before I knew what to make of it. The material didn’t give way, but the shape did.
However, the furniture is intended to be more than just seating. It is also designed to show how 3D-printed pasta can be experienced in a different way, away from the traditional dining table. A place where food, design and interaction come together.
The line as a starting point
The line formed the starting point. «We were fascinated by the idea of a single, continuous line – just like with the 3D-printed pasta itself: each piece consists of over six metres of pressed durum wheat dough», explain Bodin Hon and Dilara Kan Hon, the studio’s founders. The aim was not simply to make a piece of pasta bigger, but to rethink its characteristics: curves, hollow structures, the logic of form. This gave rise to a unique, unmistakable style.
The familiar colour of pasta plays a role of its own here: it creates an emotional connection even before you’ve touched the piece of furniture.
Comfort as a design principle
It is no coincidence that the pieces are surprisingly comfortable despite their appearance. «Touch was the focus right from the start», says the studio. The gentle curves and recesses intuitively cradle the body. Wherever you lean, sit or rest.
This idea stems directly from the 3D-printed Artisia pasta itself: as finger food, it is experienced by hand. Picking up the pasta is the first point of contact. The studio wanted to take this idea further – as an invitation to explore the pieces with your hands as well.
The surface also plays a role: the linear structure of the print is reminiscent of the grooves created during pasta-making. A connection between hand, material and memory.
The material itself – a mixture of sawdust and PLA – enhances this effect. Matt, slightly irregular, vibrant. «It has warmth, texture and subtle irregularities that one tends to associate with handmade objects rather than industrial production», according to the duo. Technology was never an end in itself for the pair: «We were never interested in showcasing technology. It was simply the tool for telling a more sensory story.» The studio compares the process to cooking: there are many techniques at work in the background, but what remains is the sensory experience.
Pasta – more than just a moment?
Pasta as a design element and motif is currently cropping up elsewhere too: from mosaic tiles with a macaroni print to furniture handles in the shape of orecchiette. It remains to be seen whether this will become a wider trend, but the signs are mounting. According to Architectural Digest, the shape of pasta is increasingly becoming a pattern. «Pasta is the most democratic form of art. Everyone has a memory of it, everyone has an opinion on it», a designer is quoted as saying.
The parallel with the tomato-red moment is obvious. Back then, too, it was more than just a colour – it was an attitude. Pasta evokes something similar: physicality, nostalgia, a subtle wink. And unlike a colour, it can be varied endlessly. After all, there are over a hundred shapes.
«Edible Reveries» remains one of the most harmonious interpretations of this moment: a place to linger between aperitivo and design history.
Pasta for the home
Fancy decorating with pasta rather than just eating it? In our range, you’ll find fusilli candles, farfalle bowls and other home accessories reminiscent of pasta.
Shelving
FineBuy Wandregal Akazie Massivholz Holzregal Wandboard Regal Wellenform Massiv Modern
20 x 100 x 3 cm
Quantity discount
EUR9,68 per piece for 4 units
Donau Home Kerze Barock 10 Stk.
10 pcs.
Doiy Dolce Vita Ravioli Storage Box
Doiy Dolce Vita Farfalle & Macaroni
Pepper, Salt
EUR30,04
Villeroy & Boch Vapiano
2x, 27 cm
Twist Honey
Viana dipschale Pasta Servierlösung
FineBuy Wandregal Akazie Massivholz Holzregal Wandboard Regal Wellenform Massiv Modern
20 x 100 x 3 cm
Broste Copenhagen Odette Vase weiss 32cm
1x
−7%
EUR139,– was EUR149,–
Bloomingville Salino
36 x 33 x 70 cm
Header image: Pia Seidel
Pia Seidel
Senior Editor
Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.chLike a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.
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