Starbucks is celebrating Italian design and its shared language of craft, design and culture during Milan Design Week (April 20-26) with its new installation, “Inspired by Italy,” at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Milano. 

Starbucks’ new Roastery experience begins just inside its doors with a dedicated totem that invites guests to explore how Italian culture and Starbucks heritage come together through objects, spaces and experiences. A QR code provides direct access to a digital layer that accompanies visitors throughout the space, blending physical and digital storytelling. 

Two new design elements of Starbucks coffeehouse experience take the center stage in the installation: an elegant new lounge chair and stylish ceramic mugs.  

A chair that invites you in 

Inspired by the iconic purple chair that came to symbolize Starbucks as a welcoming third place, the Viola lounge chair (viola means purple in Italian) is an invitation to linger. Soft, generous, and wrapped in warm textures, its wide proportions support relaxed postures and reflect a simple belief: comfort makes connection possible. It's a subtle nod to Starbucks history with a clear message – you’re welcome to stay. 

A reimagined ceramic mug 

Starbucks' new ceramic for-here mug is designed for moments worth lingering over. Inspired by Italian café culture, its porcelain body features a wider opening to enhance foam and aroma and a naturally balanced handle, finished in white or deep green. Familiar yet refreshed, it is an everyday object crafted with care and intention.  

Through the experience, guests will see how thoughtful design helps coffeehouses feel welcoming, human, and designed for connection – places to feel at home. 
 
Over the past 18 months, Starbucks has been reaffirming its role as a community coffeehouse, elevating the in-store experience and restoring the warmth and comfort customers value most. This evolution is expressed through softer seating, richer textures, warmer color palettes, thoughtful lighting, improved acoustics, ceramic cups, and locally inspired details. 

During Milano Design Week, Starbucks introduces three new coffeehouse elements inspired by Italy. Rooted in Milan—the global capital of design and a longstanding source of inspiration for the Starbucks brand—this new chapter celebrates shared values of craftsmanship, materiality, and timeless aesthetics. Italian culture and Starbucks heritage converge in the debut of new coffeehouse lounge and café chairs, along with a redesigned ceramic cup.