March 11, 2019

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

The Garden of Eden collection with its irregular shape designed by India Mahdavi for Golran1898 made a strong color statement at Maison & Objet. Photography by AETHON.

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.

Portuguese brand Dooq showed that even a humble material like rattan can be turned into luxury item, with the swivel base Egoísta chair. Photography by AETHION.

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.

Injecting a dose of Dadaism into everyday life Maison Dada’s Yiban Yiban chair uses lozenge shaped ‘wings’ to form the sculptural shaped seat. Photography by Mary Middleton.

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.

Ligne Roset’s Clam sofa bed shown in this beautiful mustard-hued upholstery, made the most of its slender proportions with an easy to use mechanism to convert this low-slung sofa to a double bed. Photography by Mary Middleton.

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.

The forest green Verdi Alpi marble was having a moment at Maison & Objet seen here is the Judd table by Italian brand Meridiani. Photography courtesy of NKBA.

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.

The Nouveau washbasin by ex.t is a collaboration with Bernhardt-Vella studio from Milan. Inspired by early twentieth century Art Deco, it is characterized by its asymmetrical shape. Photography courtesy of NKBA.

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.

Paris based design company La Chance expanded its Sunday collection with new marble finishes. Seen here with the Iconic Mirror designed by Dan Yeffet and Lucie Koldova. Photography Kojima Yosuke.

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

CC-Tapis once again had some of the most instagrammed rugs of Maison & Objet, such as Slinkie designed by Patricia Urquiola. Photography Cristina Galliena Bohman.

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.

Spate by lighting brand Bert Frank successfully combines the very latest technology with rounded shapes inspired by Art Deco design. Available as a pendant, wall sconce and a table lamp. Photography by Bert Frank.
Boussac, from Pierre Frey, launched Imagine, a fabric collection that embodies the free spirit of the 70’s filled with rich textures like bouclé and tweed like textiles. Photography Michelle Kong.

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