The Campana carpet by A/R Studio is meant to evoke memories of playing hopscotch on the pavement of an old courtyard while enjoying some relaxed, contemporary barefoot play. The Del Del cabinet by Pore is one of two storage pyramids of drawers and cupboards that have an imposing, almost formal presence. Considerably less formal is the Miami shoe hanger by Apparatu & Mashallah design, a notched rail that beckons to stilettos. And Sebastian Jansson went the hanging route with all of his wares at SaloneSatellite: Habitus Stools, Cumulus Lamps and Tempus Kitchen Utensils are all hanging on the wall or from the ceiling.

Modus:cover is a series of cupboards by Fredrik Färg who incorporates fashion magazines into the designs. Färg uses mags that are available when the cupboard comes into being, as a historical marker of sorts that can just barely be glimpsed underneath the black stain and varnish. Another unusual storage option is the timeless Linie Cabinet by Helena Jonasson, an homage to the La Linea cartoon figure, a line-drawing character who was an integral part of his landscape. While the black line that silhouettes the cabinet is a key detail, the curve to the doors really makes the piece.

The new Echoes Collection by Swiss duo Pour Les Alpes is a series of three cabinets that reflect traditional craftsmanship from the regions of Grisons and Appenzell. Using the talents of local craftspeople, Tina Stieger and Annina Gähwiler incorporated shingle-making, lace-making and wood-carving into three pieces that are more like treasure chests than your usual chests of drawers or cupboards, as well as a reflection of feelings towards the Alpine landscape. Ehrfurcht (reverence) is an intricately carved pine chest that opens to reveal an interior of wooden peaks; Neugierde (curiosity) is a shingled cupboard of spruce that hides a glowing red cavern; and Sehnsucht (desire) is a chestnut cabinet with a lace inset that meanders down one of the legs. The piece of lace took about 200 hours to make. Pour les Alpes takes traditional techniques and materials to make a contemporary statement about its connection to its surroundings.

Would Digital Primitive's Parametric Bookshelves have stood out as much in the basement of Superstudio Più without the many bunches of not-quite-ripe bananas hanging around? Probably, on account of the various shades of pink. Also eye-catching was Gong (above), a very pretty AM/FM Internet Radio Light by Daria Shashorina in the Hidden Heroes exhibit. The Luggage X Couchscape in the Dark Matter display looked like a typical scene beside the baggage carousel, but represents the notion of a different type of flight: according to designers Wyssem and Cécile Nochi, the Lebanese are always poised to take flight if need be. Luca Nichetto's Fool on the Hill, ceramic seating, was the second Nichetto piece that we liked that week (the first being a sensible desk), and it was great to see some of Liana Yaroslavsky's dazzling work. These tables must be fascinating for crawling babies.

The Beach Cocoon by Belgium's Pascale de Becker is a two-part inflatable chair that can be used open as a regular comfy chair, or closed as a private, albeit transparent, space. It looks like it could be fun to roll around in, given the room. The Anemix, a lighting system designed by a Chilean studio, is inspired by bioluminescence, the natural light produced by creatures of the deep sea as a means of communication. Luminescent and reflective layers make up lighting panels that can be used as an architectural element, or as a surface for furniture. Slightly more staid, but very useful, is the double-sided chest of drawers from No.Old, a great room divider or piece for the centre of a room. A more subtle divider, but only just, is the Totally Batty screen by John Niero of Just Not Normal.

One of the most exciting aspects about SaloneSatellite is the quality of work that comes from all corners of the earth. Aun Design from Japan presented Make You, a large, soft seat that can envelope the users. Although there is a definite floral flair there, anyone familiar with a blooming onion will recognize its kinship with this piece. The Industrial Design Centre from the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai featured the Adam and Eve, a versatile mattress with a shelf that can also be placed beneath the mattress for back support. Finland's Kokoomo brought a smile to many a face with Feed Me, a series of practical tidy-uppers that were caught gorging on stuffed animals. And Kerstin Meyer from the University of Bolzano showed how connected we are when we eat. The Unfassbar table is based on Meyer's careful observations of interaction during a dinner party she held.