Kinky rubber tables and spikes. These provocative designs will make you rethink how you style your home | CNN

Held every springtime, Milan Design Week is the biggest moment of the year for the world of design – from the makers to the admirers of furniture and interior decor. Creatives converge from all over the globe, new designs are showcased, and trends are set for the forthcoming year. The Italian city, already a thriving metropolis of business and fashion becomes charged with a frenetic energy created by hundreds of exhibitions and happenings. While Milan Design Week evolved from the Salone del Mobile furniture fair, launched in 1961 and still going strong, much of the most exciting design these days is found well beyond those trade halls. From the historic palazzi and stylish showrooms, to the villas, apartments, unexpected industrial hangars and abandoned buildings that open their doors; this is where thrilling gems can be discovered. The emerging designers and cutting-edge brands are often more experimental than the long-running commercial producers – so it is the former that visitors look to for inspiration and a taste of what’s to come. Here, then, are eight of the most surprising and enchanting objects from this year’s showcase that might just inspire your own home design