Highlights From Paris's Maison & Objet 2023
The bi-annual Maison & Objet fair is not to be missed for those devoted to interior design (or new homeowners looking to source inspiration). Every year, designers, editors, and collectors of sorts congregate within the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center to view the latest offering from over 2,000 home and lifestyle brands. Coinciding with Paris's Deco-off (the adjacent fair that focuses on wallpapers, fabrics, and wall coverings), this year's Maison & Objet looked to escapism by exhibiting playful furniture, home accessories, and other decorative items.
In a pendulum swing away from stark minimalism, the brands that participated in this year's fair embraced the beauty in the bold with quirky decorative items, statement furniture pieces, and colorful wallpapers. More is more and there is no such thing as too much. At least, for now.
The governing body at Maison & Objet crowns a designer of the year award with past recipients including designer Cristina Celestino and architect Franklin Azzi. For 2023, that honor was given to a multidisciplinary designer and a long-time collaborator of Roche Bobois, Raphael Navot. Navot recently partnered with the brand for a special showcase, “The Apothem Lounge,” which is an immersive installation designed to convey a visual emotion and open structure flooding people with light.
Below, our favorite moments from Maison & L'objet coupled with suggestions for how to incorporate the trends into your own home.
The Art of Setting a Table
Setting a table is no easy task. At least, for those who love to host. Whether it be for afternoon tea or a several-course dinner, a tablescape should be thoughtfully assembled. Why? Because who doesn't find enjoyment in gastronomy presented amid beautiful glassware, porcelains, and more? The key then is to stick to a theme. For those with a taste for the classic, Christofle is a no-brainer. But, they've just introduced Malmaison Impériale, a more playful and charismatic addition to their signature Malmaison collection filled with spiraling champagne flutes and Art Deco-inspired plates. Vista Alegre's taken a more colorful approach. Their signature porcelains are coated with geometric shapes in reds and yellows, while plates consist of painted floral motifs.
Sculptural Glass
It's said that glass art has been around since the 1st century BC, having been developed in Egypt and Assyria with traces of it found in the Roman Empire. Its decorative element has long served a purpose in illustrating interiors, and it's no surprise that designers at this season's Maison & Objet wish to continue the tradition. At Vertrofuso, glassware is treated as an art with see-through glass dining plates and bowls painted abstractly with dragonfly motifs resting at their surface. Luxury design marketplace Invisible Collection and Mobilier national, France's leading heritage institution dedicated to the preservation of French decorative arts and contemporary creations, also introduced a new line of interiors including a sculptural Floor Lamp by Diane de Kergal.
Animal Motifs
Perhaps the designs shown at Maison & Objet contrast the cold and damp winter season. And, if there's one natural setting that designers seem to have their eyes on, it's the warmer days in the tropics. Lalique appealed to the rich diversity of animals in tropical regions, by setting their classic animal glass sculptures atop a coffee table whose outskirts were sculpted into large feathers like those of an ostrich.
Statement Chairs
The chair is no simple design element in one's home and should not be thought of as such. At this year's design week, chairs were configured in architectural shapes of all sorts making them just as much of an art piece as those which adorn walls. If you're looking for something minimal but still playful, lo-and-behold the chair offered by Ukrainian brand, NOOM home. For Maison & Objet, they've presented an oval-shaped ottoman that works both as a comfortable rest and a standalone piece. Dedar, a fabric and textile company, transformed a modern chair by upholstering its seat and back in a new jacquard fabric mended into a triangular pattern. For those who already have a chair that they love, consider giving it a slight refresh with a bold upholstery.
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