Trend Highlights from Paris Tradeshows: Maison & Objet and Paris Déco Off

There are three things worth knowing about Paris in January: it will be cold and
potentially wet, the Gallic ritual of sitting on the pavement terrace of a café will
still be observed, and the city will be packed with international buyers and designers.
Paris is always a good idea, and during January there is the double delight of both Maison & Objet and Paris Déco Off. These two trade shows are dedicated to novelties for the home and new collections in furnishings, textiles and surfaces.

Paris Déco Off celebrated its 10th anniversary this year with 120 showrooms, pop-ups, and galleries. Over at the Parc des Expositions, Maison & Objet opened its doors to 2,910 brands and over 84,000 visitors. The fair lived up to its colorful reputation and offered exquisite products across all furnishing segments.

Each Maison & Objet fair explores a key trend, but whether your style is minimalist, maximalist, contemporary or traditional there was something for everyone. This year’s trend presentation, “Excuse my French!”, highlighted the je ne sais quoi of French design.
NellyRodi’s Vincent Grégoire display revealed the effortless appeal of French design, offering up classic looks with a chic twist. “French style is all about playing with opposites and exploiting the art of the paradox” explained Grégoire.

The “What’s New?” exhibition showcased more than 500 brands and nearly 1,500 new products from all over the world, curated by top trend-setters such as Elizabeth Leriche. Leriche’s space was grouped into 3 trends: luxury graphic, ethnic arty and minimal brutalist. These predictions were seen across the halls albeit in a less obvious way.

Curves, arches and lozenge shapes, natural materials, statement rugs — these were just a few of the trends spotted at the January edition of Maison & Objet. Soft curves in the
form of lozenges and arches were everywhere, while seating furniture was curvier and rounded. It’s worth noting that circular mirrors were ubiquitous across the halls, too. Natural materials, such as cane, cork, raffia, and fique, were also very popular, particularly in a raw aesthetic that was shown in the trend presentation of Ethnic Arty and Minimal Brutalist by Leriche.

Rugs as art were a big hit in the halls of Maison & Objet and demonstrated that they
worked equally well on walls as well as floors. Color on the whole was decidedly
warm, especially earthy terra cotta tones, deep berry reds, and ochre. Over at Paris Deco Off, which had show rooms on both the Right and Left Banks of the Seine, there
was another growing palette trend: the neutrals. These emphasized texture and tactility — think bouclé, embroidery, loose/open woven textiles often referencing the natural world and modest materials such as cork.

Maison & Objet returns to Paris September 6-10, 2019.

The NKBA Global Connect Liaisons are a select group of international professionals chosen by the NKBA because of their expert knowledge of design trends and sources in their part of the world. Mary Middleton is a Brighton UK-based journalist and copywriter who specializes in interiors and design.

