A new way of traveling and connecting to people, from all around the world, who bring their culture, habits, and local customs intoto a foreigner's home—this is the topic of “Housewarming,” an event co-created by Airbnb and Italian company Fabrica for the Salone del Mobile in Milan last week." 

Hosted in the historical Palazzo Crespi, a private Baroque house in Milan, the event hosted 19 Fabrica research students, who brought their personal perceptions of the concept of welcome to this interactive art journey where guest could move from one installation to the next, experiencing a variety of local customs, from British tea time to the Indian ritual of lighting copper lamps. “Fabrica’s innovative students...showcase[d] Airbnb’s belief that design can create a sense of belonging and facilitate connection [in a] global community,” Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia said.

A recap of some of the most striking installations: Giorgia Zanoletto, one of the artists of Fabrica’s design team, who repurposed famous Italian paper trays—traditionally used to offer pastry to guests—and displayed them as mirrors stuck to sumptuous walls to honor the connection between guests and hosts. Thomas Fethers, an Australian designer, builds jigsaw puzzles that reveal a hidden message, opening up a conversation and stories about different cultures. Maria Fernandes, form Lisbon, played with Milan vintage and contemporary postcards to construct a bridge that links Italy to Portugal. “Airbnb and Fabrica collaborate to give to daily life a unique look on the surrounding environment where attention to detail reveals special attention to the human being,” Sam Baron, Fabrica’s Head of Design said. “It is a way to create specific memories where creativity become the common language to make guests feel at home.”

Take a look at some of the works in the slideshow above.