Vispring Unveils Exclusive Collaboration With Tom Dixon in Milan at the Historic Mulino Estate

On Tuesday 21st April, Vispring, the world's leading luxury bed and mattress maker, unveiled an exclusive creative collaboration with Tom Dixon - one of Britain's most iconic and provocative design voices, at the new Mua Mua Hotel on the Mulino estate in Milan. The partnership brings together two pioneering British institutions in a celebration of artistry, craftsmanship, and the enduring pursuit of exceptional design - creating a collection of headboards and a bed design that marks a new chapter for both brands.

United by a shared commitment to quality and a fearless approach to creativity, the collaboration marks a natural meeting of minds. Where Vispring has spent 125 years perfecting the art of sleep, Tom Dixon has spent decades redefining the boundaries of material, form, and function. Together, the result is something entirely new - and entirely considered.

"The bed is the piece of furniture we spend the most time in contact with throughout our lives," says Tom Dixon. "It is a primary refuge that deserves more celebration. We were keen to take on Vispring’s challenge to create new ideas in somnolence. Our visit to their factory reinforced our conviction that there was no better partner, given their extraordinary history of innovation and our shared desire to spend more time in bed."

Vispring x Tom Dixon unveiled at the Mua Mua Hotel

Tom Dixon and his interior design agency, Design Research Studio (DRS), launched a takeover of the Mulino Estate. The historic complex served as a multi -brand destination, debuting the collaboration with Vispring.

Vispring x Design Research Studio: Highlighting the intersection of British craftsmanship and contemporary design, Vispring showcased the collection at the Mua Mua Hotel launch during Milan Design Week, with four new headboards and one bed soon to be added to their permanent collection, alongside three bespoke showpieces designed exclusively for Milan. Each hotel room was transformed into a fully immersive environment of colour, texture and materiality, with designs inspired by best-selling products within the Tom Dixon range, such as FAT, GROOVE, and WINGBACK.

Adding a playful nod to Vispring's craft credentials, the brand also presented its own interpretation of The Princess and the Pea - a Vispring mattress crowned with a series of toppers, each showcasing the brand's range of fabrics and materials. From current headboard and mattress tickings to rare archive designs, the installation highlights the breadth and depth of Vispring's textile heritage, inviting guests to discover the artistry that goes into every layer of a Vispring bed.

The Venue: Mua Mua Hotel & Mulino Factory on the Mulino Estate: The residency centres on the preview of Mua Mua, a new hotel concept located within the Mulino Estate. Originally designed in 1929 by Chiodi and Gio Ponti for the Sordelli family, the estate has been under the ownership of the Virga family since 1955. Curated by Ludovica Virga as a multidisciplinary hub, visitors can experienced a playground of inspiration with the estate featuring a garage, courtyard, and silo galleries. Following the Tom Dixon takeover during Design Week, the property officially opened to the public as a fully operational hotel.

About the collection and collaboration

Vispring and Tom Dixon have collaborated with a shared goal: to explore the synergy between 125 years of British handcrafted expertise and contemporary design. The result is a collection that redefines the concept of a luxury bed, both as a functional object and as a work of art.

This partnership is founded on mutual respect and creative tension. For Vispring, it is an opportunity to apply its centuries-old craftsmanship to a bold new vision, pushing the boundaries of form, materials, and finishes while maintaining the construction standards that characterise every bed produced in its Plymouth workshop. For Tom Dixon, it is a chance to engage in a new product collaboration and infuse his signature design style into a tradition steeped in depth and heritage.

Crafted at Vispring's Plymouth workshop, the collection features four new headboards and one bed, along with three bespoke showpieces designed exclusively for Milan Design Week - each showcasing the intersection of British craftsmanship and contemporary design.

Joining the permanent Vispring collection are four headboards and one full bed frame: the Groove Headboard (available with optional foot-end), the Heart Headboard, the Rainbow Headboard, the Wingback Headboard, and the Fat Bed - a full bed frame and headboard design. Completing the Milan debut are three concept pieces created exclusively for Salone del Mobile: the Flare, the Arch, and Bunny.

Craft & construction

Every Vispring bed begins by hand and ends by hand, a process unchanged in its essential character since the brand first introduced the pocket sprung mattress in 1901. Each spring is individually nested and hand-tied by craftspeople at Vispring's Plymouth workshop, a method that demands years of skill to master and cannot be replicated by machine. It is this human approach to making that defines the Vispring difference, and it is what makes the collaboration with Tom Dixon so compelling.

For this collection, that centuries-old expertise meets the radical material and formal language that has made Tom Dixon one of the most distinctive design voices of his generation. The challenge, and the opportunity, was to push Vispring's craft into new territory: to ask what 125 years of handmade expertise looks like when applied to a creative brief. The result is a body of work that honours the integrity of traditional construction while embracing a boldness of form and finish that is unmistakably Dixon.

British design on the global stage

British design has never been more relevant on the world stage. Recognised for its originality, rigour, and rare ability to fuse heritage with forward-thinking vision, it commands a unique authority in the global luxury market, one that is earned through decades of uncompromising craft and creative ambition.

Vispring and Tom Dixon are two of Britain's most enduring design exports. Together, they represent a statement about what British design can achieve when craft and creativity are given equal weight - the belief that the finest things should be made exceptionally well and made to last.

Clare Schifano, Global Marketing Director of Vispring, discusses the collaboration: "Tom Dixon represents the very best of British design - bold, purposeful, and distinctive. This collaboration felt instinctive from the very beginning. We are both rooted in a tradition of making things exceptionally well, and both driven by a restlessness to push design capabilities.

British design carries significant weight on the global stage today, blending heritage with forward-thinking vision. This partnership embodies these qualities perfectly. For Vispring, it has been an opportunity to explore new directions in our craft, applying 125 years of handmade expertise to a creative brief that challenges convention.

Every detail has been carefully considered, and every material has been chosen with intention. What Tom brings, and what we share, is an unwavering commitment to quality.

The result is a piece that is unmistakably Vispring in its construction and unmistakably Tom Dixon in its character. We are immensely proud of what we have created together, and we believe it sets a new benchmark for luxury British design."

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GROHE will showcase selected pieces of its premium sub-brand GROHE SPA at the world’s biggest annual design event from 16th – 21st April. Crafting a sanctuary of well-being in the heart of Milan, the immersive experience based on “Aquatectures” fuses water and architecture to bring the GROHE SPA “Health through Water” concept to life. The installation at the prestigious Palazzo Reale is paying tribute to the history of the former royal palace’s courtyard garden.

With over 30,000 visitors, the Red Dot “Best of the Best” awarded GROHE SPA installation at the Pinacoteca di Brera left a lasting impression on Milan Design Week 2023. Building on this success, GROHE, a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings, is returning this year with a new immersive experience in one of Milan’s most prestigious locations: The Palazzo Reale. The former royal palace near the Duomo serves as a cultural nexus and is home to international art exhibitions – the ideal scenery for GROHE SPA’s celebration of the revitalising power of water.

“We are proud to be a part of Milan Design Week once again. This occasion offers us an ideal platform for meaningful engagement and exchange with architects and designers, fostering mutual inspiration. Our objective transcends a mere product presentation; rather, we aspire to cultivate a holistic experience that underlines the essence of GROHE SPA: the belief that water is the source of vital energy,” says Karl Lennon, Leader GROHE SPA, LIXIL EMENA.

From 16th-21st April, the courtyard of the Palazzo Reale itself will undergo a metamorphosis into an exhibition space. Conceived by the in-house LIXIL Global Design and Brand Identity team, the installation pays tribute to the history of the building by evoking its past and interweaving it with the contemporary GROHE SPA “Salus per aquam” concept.

“Inspired by the former courtyard garden and in line with the motto of the Fuorisalone ‘Materia Natura’, we are aiming to blend nature and architecture to create a sensory journey focusing on the element of water. Visitors will be taken through our innovative concept of ‘Aquatecture’ spaces, experiencing the essence of our brand and our carefully curated bathroom solutions. We intend to elevate the significance and importance of water in architecture and the health and well-being benefits this infusion can bring. Each ‘Aquatecture’ represents one of the four tiers that bring GROHE SPA to life. From tier one the most exclusive and customisable solution utilising 3D metal-printing to create bespoke designs, to luxury material collaborations and trend setting colours, materials and finishes,” explains Patrick Speck, Leader, LIXIL Global Design EMENA.

Discovering GROHE SPA

Architects, designers, and visitors can experience the installation and GROHE SPA firsthand at the Palazzo Reale, from 16-21, April 2024.

The installation will be open to the public on:
16/17 April from 10:30am-7:30pm CET
18 April from 10:30am-5:00pm CET
19/20 April from 10:30am-10pm CET
21 April from 10:30am-6:00pm CET

On April 15 the installation will be exclusively open to media from 12pm-6pm CET.