Fantasies of space and immersive experiences comingled with exuberant colors, eye-catching patterns, and captivating new textures at this September’s Maison et Objet in Paris, harkening a 30th anniversary celebration complete with the whimsical rhythm of the latest in design trends alongside the most commercially relevant products to saturate today’s aesthetic landscape, inspired and unmistakenly artful. The theme of this year’s fair was Terra Cosmos which attempted to blend the earthly with the cosmic under an umbrella of creativity and experimentation, highlighting new ideas in home décor and interior design.
It was a space to discover young and upcoming brands while bathing established ones in an innovative light, uncovering sustainable solutions to luxury living while boasting the ever-evolving experiences that truly make a house a home with robust materiality and an ethereal beauty. As we examine the highlights of Maison et Objet, held September 4 – 9 at the Paris Norde Villepinte exhibition center, and take a peek at surrounding exhibitions and events, we reveal that while good design can often be found in the trends of today, it also transcends them, and that engaging with the objects and structures of daily life can certainly transform one’s perspective, bringing to the forefront cultured themes that affect how we move through the world, steadfast and poetic.
Upon an initial glance at the fair, one cannot help but notice striking eclectic designs which harmonized varied styles, colors, and materials, with Terracotta shades and pastels making a statement in many aspiring brands like Vluv from Germany, Oobji from Turkey, and the Danish Hübsch Interior. Quite a number of brands showcased new pieces in chrome, like a Bauhaus-inspired cabinet from Luminaire favorite Sebastian Herkner, and featured metallic and incandescent shades in works like the Beetle stools from ImperfettoLab, pebble-like pieces that add a bewitching air to any space. Nature-inspired shapes, especially that of the mushroom, could be seen in many facets of home décor, most notably in Jonathan Adler’s objects which harkened back to interior design styles of the 1980s. Soft materials like linen, bouclé, and alpaca wool recalled the biophilic design trend, and made appearances in the upholstery of many furnishings in booths throughout the fair, one of the most popular being a rather fluffy chair from Italian brand Bizzoto.
According to exhibitors, many clients were on the hunt for more bespoke designs, reflecting the trend for consumers to tailor pieces to their own personal tastes, and there was a vested interest in sustainable products, which the fair also highlighted in the Eco-Materials Corner and Design Factory Hong Kong, making particular note of the importance of durable materials and circularity in design. One micro-trend, known as Joyconomy, featured quirky and vibrant styles meant to inspire joy and wonder. With aesthetics that could veer into the surreal, over-proportioned and cartoonish, like the mixed media pieces of Yoomoota or the experimental and unexpected Vitamins collection from Marcantonio, the aim is not to break rules, but to have no rules at all to begin with.
Outside of the exhibition space, Maison et Objet in the City drew visitors into galleries and store fronts that celebrated the event with curated selections of designs that spoke to the ingenuity of contemporary masters, with Luminaire partners like Cassina, Kartell, and Poltrona Frau revealing established designs with an innovative twist. Mirroring the cosmic earthiness of Terra Cosmos, Italy’s Cassina presented its own Mediterranean-themed outdoor collection, which reimagined design classics from the likes of Antonio Citterio, Rodolfo Dordoni, Piero Lissoni, and Patricia Urquiola. The products on display included the newly introduced Esosoft Outdoor, in which furnishings are comprised of a hand-woven fiber shell that is both durable and resistant to the elements.
In a similar vein, Citterio also unveiled his 2024 designs for the luxury brand Maxalto, while at Poltrona Frau, the power of the imagination was applauded in new tableware and office collections, the Beautilities collection created in collaboration with GioBagnara, the Squash collection by British artist Faye Toogood, and the Parka sofa, created by the design duo Draga & Aurel. Suggesting a simple yet contemporary elegance, both novel and time-tested, Poltrona Frau’s 2024 Imagine Collection was featured in their flagship store on Rue de Bac but also within the halls of the fair, where the office collection gained particular visibility.
On view following the Maison et Objet until November 16th, at Gallerie kreo in the heart of Paris, is a stunning exhibition from friend of Luminaire Ronan Bouroullec, which evokes a sense of balance and emotional resonance with granite, hammered steel, Venetian glass works for the Saint-Michel Chapen in Brasparts, Brittany, marked by a reduction of material and formal elements to their essentials, sleek and sublime.
While many established contemporary tastemakers could find their mark within the fair and throughout the city, Maison et Objet also made a sustained effort to platform new, younger voices in design with programs like Future on Stage, a springboard to support young design enterprises and featured the eco-friendly wheelchairs used in the Paralympic Games, the Rising Talent Awards, which this year focused on designers from Scandinavian countries, and Maison et Objet Factory, which also spotlighted avant-garde designs from emerging talents. Selected for his ability to shake up the established order and open the way for ecological, serene, and desirable design, Belgian designer, decorator and artist Lionel Jadot was awarded Designer of the Year at this September’s Maison et Objet. The pioneering mind behind the Jam hotels, Jadot makes use of sustainable and recyclable materials, epitomizing an era of profound ecological change, creating unique objects and favoring the durable over the disposable.
Likewise, at the Hôtel de Sully, Paris Design Week invited London designer Paul Cocksedge to stage an installation that plays with the concept of reflection, using large, framed balloons that create an optical illusion between flatness and three-dimensional space. Celebrating the young and novel at Maison et Object this year encouraged others to enjoy the moment and connect with one another and solidified a pathway between the time-honored and the unique, showing that best of design straddles generations, revealing new ways of thinking and seeing with emotive and resourceful vision.
Overall, Maison et Objet 2024 honored its 30th anniversary in a riveting and luminous way, merging the old with the new, discovering the trends of today that will become the classics of tomorrow.
October 2024
