Maison & Objet 2019: Highlights From Paris' Latest Design Fair
Blue is out, glass is in: we have you covered with the top trends from one of Europe's biggest trade fairs
Held twice a year in Paris, France, the Maison & Objet trade fair has been the international meeting point for professionals in lifestyle, interiors and design since 1995. It brings together more than 3,000 exhibiting brands and nearly 90,000 visitors, half of whom travel from countries beyond France. Houzz France’s editorial team was on the scene at the latest edition (6 to 10 September 2019) to report on the highlights of the fair, the trends of tomorrow and talent on the rise.
Photo © Aethion
Prominent at this year’s fair were new layouts for workspaces, which are now brighter and more open, and allow people to focus, get inspired and re-energise. The What’s New? space (pictured here), designed by Paris-based Philippe Boisselier, featured pieces selected by Chantal Hamaide, which included small furniture, objects and accessories that contribute to the character of a new layout.
Find an interior designer or decorator on Houzz to infuse your home with contemporary style
Prominent at this year’s fair were new layouts for workspaces, which are now brighter and more open, and allow people to focus, get inspired and re-energise. The What’s New? space (pictured here), designed by Paris-based Philippe Boisselier, featured pieces selected by Chantal Hamaide, which included small furniture, objects and accessories that contribute to the character of a new layout.
Find an interior designer or decorator on Houzz to infuse your home with contemporary style
Photo © Ambroise Tézenas
Designer of the Year, Laura Gonzalez
Having founded her agency, Pravda Arkitect, in 2008, this French architect and designer has added a number of huge accomplishments to her résumé. In Paris, Laura Gonzalez designed the Lapérouse restaurant, the Relais Christine hotel, the 86Champs concept store, and Noto restaurant in the Salle Pleyel concert hall, as well as the Cartier boutiques in Paris, Stockholm and Zurich.
Taking inspiration from the classics and decorative arts, she works in a revisited classical style, mixing different materials, eras and motifs. This can be seen in the former Passy-La-Muette train station, where she designed a 1,000-square-metre restaurant with a Colonial aesthetic.
Designer of the Year, Laura Gonzalez
Having founded her agency, Pravda Arkitect, in 2008, this French architect and designer has added a number of huge accomplishments to her résumé. In Paris, Laura Gonzalez designed the Lapérouse restaurant, the Relais Christine hotel, the 86Champs concept store, and Noto restaurant in the Salle Pleyel concert hall, as well as the Cartier boutiques in Paris, Stockholm and Zurich.
Taking inspiration from the classics and decorative arts, she works in a revisited classical style, mixing different materials, eras and motifs. This can be seen in the former Passy-La-Muette train station, where she designed a 1,000-square-metre restaurant with a Colonial aesthetic.
Photo © Jérôme Galland
This year, Gonzalez was named Designer of the Year at Maison & Objet, where she created a display (pictured here) that illustrates her style and furniture. “I work on intuition a lot,” she says. “Patterns are also an essential element for me. I love when there is life and spirit in a place.”
This year, Gonzalez was named Designer of the Year at Maison & Objet, where she created a display (pictured here) that illustrates her style and furniture. “I work on intuition a lot,” she says. “Patterns are also an essential element for me. I love when there is life and spirit in a place.”
Colour trend highlights
The colours of the year remain muted, earthy, and close to nature, with green continuing its time in the spotlight. If fir green, the big colour of 2019, is still present here and there, the new green for the year to come is tinged with yellow and tends towards khaki or olive for a warmer hue.
Likewise, a number of warm colours – powder pink, peach, coral, terracotta, blood red, wine red, burnt orange, ochre, amber, sienna and nutmeg – bring warmth to interiors this year. Blue is in decline, though Klein blue and denim are still popular shades.
The colours of the year remain muted, earthy, and close to nature, with green continuing its time in the spotlight. If fir green, the big colour of 2019, is still present here and there, the new green for the year to come is tinged with yellow and tends towards khaki or olive for a warmer hue.
Likewise, a number of warm colours – powder pink, peach, coral, terracotta, blood red, wine red, burnt orange, ochre, amber, sienna and nutmeg – bring warmth to interiors this year. Blue is in decline, though Klein blue and denim are still popular shades.
While interior design has tended towards safer monochrome in the past few years, harmonies and contrasts of several colours are now key, playing with primary and secondary tones and balancing dark and light. Particularly noteworthy colour combinations at this latest edition of the design fair included khaki, sienna and powder pink; yellow-green, denim and burnt orange; and peach, nutmeg and linden.
Photo © Aethion
Focus on young talent from the USA
At each Maison & Objet, the Rising Talent Awards highlight the excellence of emerging designers from one particular country. Previous editions have focused on the creativity of the UK, Italy, Lebanon and China. At the latest fair, design from the USA was in the spotlight, and the jury selected six promising American companies and individuals.
We fell in love with the work of Kira de Paola and Joseph Vidich who founded the Kin & Company design studio. Their work focuses on metalworking, and at this edition of the fair they exhibited metal folded into architectural forms (pictured) inspired by Art Deco style.
Focus on young talent from the USA
At each Maison & Objet, the Rising Talent Awards highlight the excellence of emerging designers from one particular country. Previous editions have focused on the creativity of the UK, Italy, Lebanon and China. At the latest fair, design from the USA was in the spotlight, and the jury selected six promising American companies and individuals.
We fell in love with the work of Kira de Paola and Joseph Vidich who founded the Kin & Company design studio. Their work focuses on metalworking, and at this edition of the fair they exhibited metal folded into architectural forms (pictured) inspired by Art Deco style.
Furniture rounds its edges
Straight lines have given way to rounded shapes, and the circle could be seen everywhere from lamps and rugs to mirrors and furniture.
Semi-circles, for example in the case of arches, are drawing new frames in the house, while the circle is taking on more organic ovoid contours, as seen in mirrors and bubble-shaped lamps. The sofas and chairs of the year have curved lines, giving interiors a soft feeling.
Straight lines have given way to rounded shapes, and the circle could be seen everywhere from lamps and rugs to mirrors and furniture.
Semi-circles, for example in the case of arches, are drawing new frames in the house, while the circle is taking on more organic ovoid contours, as seen in mirrors and bubble-shaped lamps. The sofas and chairs of the year have curved lines, giving interiors a soft feeling.
Preferred materials
Interiors continue to revolve around raw timber, usually light-coloured oak or darker walnut, while thin legs in powder-coated or galvanised black metal continue their momentum.
Terrazzo and light-coloured, woven rattan are essentials, while sophisticated notes dot interiors in the form of brass details and marble finishes. Armchairs and sofas are upholstered in short-pile velvet or curly wool coverings.
Interiors continue to revolve around raw timber, usually light-coloured oak or darker walnut, while thin legs in powder-coated or galvanised black metal continue their momentum.
Terrazzo and light-coloured, woven rattan are essentials, while sophisticated notes dot interiors in the form of brass details and marble finishes. Armchairs and sofas are upholstered in short-pile velvet or curly wool coverings.
We also saw glass making a comeback, especially gridded, reeded, textured or iridescent glazing.
10 Trends for 2019 You Need to Know From Maison & Objet in Paris
10 Trends for 2019 You Need to Know From Maison & Objet in Paris
Patterns: nature and geometry
Straight-lined geometric patterns – circles, herringbone, stripes and small chequered patterns – match floral motifs well. Speckled patterns also continue to rise to the occasion.
The turning point of the year lies in the evolution of floral decoration into less exotic but equally refreshing patterns, based on both large flower motifs and tiny Liberty-style prints.
Currently, ’30s patterns continue to be trendy, inspired by the Art Deco movement. These included patterns featuring palms, hand fans, fringes, semi-circles, rectangles and squares.
Straight-lined geometric patterns – circles, herringbone, stripes and small chequered patterns – match floral motifs well. Speckled patterns also continue to rise to the occasion.
The turning point of the year lies in the evolution of floral decoration into less exotic but equally refreshing patterns, based on both large flower motifs and tiny Liberty-style prints.
Currently, ’30s patterns continue to be trendy, inspired by the Art Deco movement. These included patterns featuring palms, hand fans, fringes, semi-circles, rectangles and squares.
Photo © Aethion
What’s new?
The four thematic What’s New? displays brought together novel ideas featuring innovations, new materials or new techniques. In addition to the space dedicated to the main theme of the show, Work!, three other key exhibitions explored new types of decor. Here’s what the designers had to say about their exhibits:
What’s new?
The four thematic What’s New? displays brought together novel ideas featuring innovations, new materials or new techniques. In addition to the space dedicated to the main theme of the show, Work!, three other key exhibitions explored new types of decor. Here’s what the designers had to say about their exhibits:
- Share: François Delclaux has reinvented tableware through the inspiration of hotels and restaurants, “places where it is put on display and where it is possible to bend the rules in both a minimalist and maximalist direction,” says the designer. “The ‘min/max’ dichotomy is a way of exploring minimalist chiaroscuro aspects and a maximal theatrical exuberance.”
Photo © Aethion
- Living: Tired of stereotypical decor trends, trend forecaster François Bernard emphasises “the desire to experiment with fields of creation that are a little more new, more unique and emerging”. In his exbihit, he explored elegance through three realms – Modern Living, Sculptural Living and Soft Living – influenced in particular by animist art and abstract geometric painting from the first half of the 20th century.
Photo © Aethion
Your turn
Which of these coming trends are you looking forward to welcoming? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Need to brush up on more contemporary design trends? Don’t miss the latest from Oslo Design Fair: What’s Hot and What’s Not in Norwegian Design
- Care: “We are seeking reassurance at a time when everything is becoming virtual,” says Elizabeth Leriche of the exhibit she designed. Such tactile comfort is ideally expressed in bedrooms and bathrooms through four approaches, which formed the themes of displays at the fair: functionality, natural materials, the evocation of nature and urban sophistication.
Your turn
Which of these coming trends are you looking forward to welcoming? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images, and join the conversation.
More
Need to brush up on more contemporary design trends? Don’t miss the latest from Oslo Design Fair: What’s Hot and What’s Not in Norwegian Design
Workspaces
With the theme of Work!, France’s autumn edition of Maison & Objet established itself as a laboratory for new workspace ideas. As societal changes also affect our relationships with work, traditional office settings are being reinvented. Co-working spaces, especially, are being developed, with designs focused on fostering collaboration.
In this context, manufacturers and space planners have also turned to the home office, thinking of ways to make it more convivial and interactive, and transforming it into a rich and varied living space that can be personalised for the individual or dedicated to the whole family.