If Memphis represents a daring approach to design, it makes perfect sense that Bethan Laura Wood, another multidisciplinary designer whose projects range from furniture and lighting to rugs and installations, should look to the Memphis era when using colour. ‘I have a strong memory of the first time I saw a Memphis piece, and though I can’t remember which it was, I was drawn to it. It was complex and challenging and that’s what I like about it’. It is this ability to provoke thought that Bethan often emulates through her own work, some of which, such as her ‘Super Fake’ rugs directly references Memphis by using the exact same material that was used by the group to make their patterned laminates. For other projects, the nod is more subtle: currently, her ‘particle cabinet’ is on show at The Design Museum, its ‘proportionality inspired by the way Sottsass used space and divided things up’.

Though some consciously borrow from the Memphis group’s ingenuity, other contemporary designers are subliminally incorporating it into their work. Among them is interior designer Tatjana von Stein, whose exploration of specialist painted surfaces and natural veneers represents what she calls a ‘shared instinct for designing a form and experimenting with it through finish, colour, and texture’. Oliver Lyttleton, one of House & Garden’s Rising Stars for 2025, is similarly inspired by the group: ‘Memphis is something that has always been there in my head as a light muse. I’ve never actively put it on a moodboard, but I love and admire Ettore Sottsass. It definitely makes its way into my design through primary colours’. When it comes to Memphis-inspired shapes, Oliver prefers a light touch approach. ‘I try to incorporate something that represents it, like one piece of furniture, one glossy arch or one bold stripe. To do too much would be overkill, it needs to stand alone’, he says.

Though original Memphis pieces, such as Sottsass’ iconic ‘Tartar Table’, which is currently on 1st dibs for a cool £25,999, may be unattainable for many of us, the high street seems to be kicking into gear and producing a number of Memphis-esque designs. Hot off the production line at DFS are the ‘Cosma’ desk and the ‘Enchanted’ sofa, with curved lines and bold colours. Over at Habitat you can pick up a number of lively accessories, textiles and furniture in pop-colours.

60 Primario Stacking Candle Holder

Levi Wool Rug by Margo Selby

Adam’s theory that Memphis grows in popularity as a reaction to neutral, minimal decoration could explain why we are seeing so much of it lately. As the appetite for calm, airy rooms continues to rise, so does the appetite for its antithesis: loud, evocative and rousing design. In other words, the cornerstones of Memphis Milano.