The autumn edition of MAISON&OBJET PARIS ended on an inspirational note, after five days of exhibitions rallied beneath the banner of the theme “Sharing”. Creative Home offers an overview of this show in this 3-part special, highlighting the different angles observed in this event. In this first part, we zoom into the show’s main theme to capture the essence of this year’s M&O.
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The theme “Sharing” took on different forms at the recent MAISON&OBJET 2014 in Paris, and provided an excellent centrepoint for all the different aspects of the exhibition to anchor in. As a first-time visitor, this was more crucial than expected, because the scale of the fair itself can be overwhelming at first sight – especially when it’s a journalistic endeavour.
But first, before we delve into the core of this show, a brief backgrounder about this exhibition. The MAISON&OBJET show debuted nearly twenty years ago in Paris. Organised by SAFI, a subsidiary of Ateliers d’Art de France and Reed Expositions France, it is now known as the leading international assembly for professionals in the home and décor industry. The recent show in Paris was scheduled in parallel with Paris Design Week which ran five days from Friday, September 5 to Tuesday, September 9. Held in the nine halls of Parc des Expositions at Paris Nord Villepinte, its striking magnitude which included 250,000 net sqm of stands, 3,000 exhibitors and a high number of visitors completely set it apart as one of the key events in the City of Lights itself. Without doubt, MAISON&OBJET PARIS rightfully takes the pedestal as the most comprehensive interior show around.
OPEN CONCEPT
Coming back to the theme itself – it’s interesting how the concept of “Sharing” was engaged to guide visitors’ experience of the flow and function of this year’s exhibition. Of course, this was just from a visitor’s perspective. On the other side of fence, the organisers presented a more comprehensive view about this – this theme was conceived to respond to the current culture of connectivity and how it can open up new horizons.
“Embodying an era of connectivity, one dominated by social networks and expanding multichannel commerce, this theme chosen by MAISON&OBJET captured the event’s open nature: openness to the growth markets of interior design and contract, the emphasis of the palpable revival of MAISON&OBJET | projets |; openness to Paris, where the show’s energy extended through Paris Design Week and openness to the rest of the world, where
the show is exporting its expertise with two new major events: MAISON&OBJETASIA and MAISON&OBJET AMERICAS,” the organisers said. “All this serves as a deep pool teeming with discovery, a crossroads for business, sharing and dialogue, unmatched anywhere in the world. Now, four times a year – in Paris in January and September, Singapore in March and in Miami Beach in May, MAISON&OBJET will be the tangible platform where communities of international design are united.”
DESIGN EXTRAVAGANZA
In many ways, that “openness” was already tangibly felt – starting with its venue. With 246,000 m2 of convention space, Parc des Expositions at Paris Nord Villepinte proved to be the perfect space to accommodate ten sectors of the interior design within eight halls:
• Hall 1: ethnic chic.MIC: Decoration with a range of inspirations
ethnic chic.MIC was the ultimate site of mix-and-match chic. Furniture, textiles and objects with a “true soul”, the designs showcased here express traditional and trendy savoir-faire alongside inspired concepts from the past, now recycled or renewed. Together, they formed a collection unlike anything else in the world, made for buyers that care about an article’s history and those seeking unique character and an exclusive touch.
Noteworthy trends: the comeback of industrial and vintage design, the quest for naturals and blended influences.
• Hall 2: home textile: Home linens and textile accessories
The biggest names in textile shared exhibit space in an inventive, contemporary offer of urban, classic and natural styles. In a rich tapestry of materials, colours and patterns, whether for table, bath, bed or brainstorms, the collections on display formed an essential buffet of textile ideas.
• Hall 3: cook+design: The art of dining
cook + design was a reflection of changing lifestyles: dining and table-centred life are becoming daily, modern and fun experiences. In this extremely dynamic sector, trending designer tableware was presented, along with innovation and semi-professional equipment.
• Hall 4: Interior decoration: The showcase for an overarching decoration offer
The Interior decoration in Hall 4 showcased styles and savoir-faire: a decidedly upscale offer for top-end boutiques, decorators and interior designers seeking creative solutions and finely crafted pieces.
Noteworthy trends: Decor concepts with unmistakable personality alongside matchless savoir-faire, furnishing and accessory manufacturers and increasingly exclusive and expert craftsmanship.
trending designer tableware was presented, along with innovation and semi-professional equipment.
• Hall 4: Interior decoration: The showcase for an overarching decoration offer
The Interior decoration in Hall 4 showcased styles and savoir-faire: a decidedly upscale offer for top-end boutiques, decorators and interior designers seeking creative solutions and finely crafted pieces.
Noteworthy trends: Decor concepts with unmistakable personality alongside matchless savoir-faire, furnishing and accessory manufacturers and increasingly exclusive and expert craftsmanship.
• Hall 5A: Interior decoration: The showcase for an overarching decoration offer
Differing from Hall 4, The Interior decoration hall in 5A was a dynamic display of the next chapters being lived by those in the decor industry. The ESPACE RETAIL was also located here, giving those in the retail distribution industries a place for guidance and innovation. This space presented an international assortment of successful sales outlets and expert-led discussion workshops on topics relating specifically to the retail world.
• Hall 5A: Craft, l’espace métier d’art: Where savoir-faire reigns
This sector brought together craftspeople and craft manufacturers, presenting rare articles and one-of-a-kind, traditional and contemporary objects. This hall saw outstanding savoir-faire being articulated in a dazzling multitude of techniques. Glassblowers, woodworkers, metalworkers, potters, jewellers and mosaicists expressed their creative sensitivity with superior technical precision.
• Hall 5B: ACTUEL: Lifestyle expressed in urban decor
A contemporary interior is one with clean, uncluttered lines, pairing practicality with creativity to meet the needs of modern living and a desire for greater space and comfort. Though contemporary, it nevertheless incorporates a variety of materials and creative savoir-faire. Based on this, the top-quality and very diverse selection in Hall 5B took the form of creative and functional furnishings, customised fitting options for stylish, refined interiors, and outdoor collections. ACTUEL was truly an essential stop along any visit for both prescribers and retail professionals.
• Halls 5A-6: home accessories: A range of accessories that capture the times
home accessories was the show’s major “concept store” and the essential and indispensable sector for exploring current trends, unearthing new products as well as exploring energetic, original, contemporary and affordable selection of creative, useful and offbeat objects and accessories. The broad, eclectic and ever-trendy selection for adults and children available here included exquisite objects, decor and fashion accessories, fragrances, high-tech gadgets, connected objects, stationery and much more.
• Hall 7: scènes d’intérieur: The most exquisite brands in home design
This hall offered the haute-couture of décor. scènes d’intérieur captured pure exclusivity, luxury and creativity at its best. Targeting the needs of international prescribers, this September’s show was paired with MAISON&OBJET | projets | and spread its selection over two environments: scènes d’intérieur “Contract & Hospitality”, designed for the hospitality industry, bespoke and yachting, and scenes d’intérieur gallery, showcasing a hundred cutting-edge creators.
• Hall 8: now! design à vivre: The very soul of design
The offer on display in Hall 8 presented mind-bending eclecticism and a stunning, broad-spectrum vision of living spaces. now! design à vivre embodied a mixture of genres and its unique ʻdesign lifestyleʼ concept that combines accessories, furniture, lighting, textiles, outdoor and technologies. Designer manufacturing firms, independent designers, international designer bodies and industrial manufacturers put forth an exclusive, eclectic and inimitable offer, catering to specialty stores, prescribers, concept stores, department stores, furniture boutiques and museum gift shops.
Noteworthy trends: For this show, there has been an explosion in the number of designers, requiring 30% more space than in September 2013. These newcomers represent a generation of young French designers that are deeply involved in their projects’ success.
INSPIRED EXCHANGE
In the eyes of MAISON&OBJET, ‘Sharing’ also meant the determination to go beyond commercial confines by offering exhibition, presentation, and mingling spaces within the show itself, making it easy for visitors to stay connected to and be at the forefront of creation. With ‘Sharing’ as the theme, the show’s new Inspiration Book explored the “dynamics of creative sharing, pre-paving the future of a caring world.”
This movement was examined in Hall 7 of the show, in spaces designed by Vincent Grégoire for NellyRodi, Élizabeth Leriche and François Bernard which offered three perspectives that reiterates the “new uses and values that are reconfiguring ways of living together, exchanging information, goods, services and experiences”. These resonated with the organisers’ intention of uniting visitors and exhibitors into a global community, one that remains connected throughout the year through the MAISON&OBJET shows in Paris, Singapore and Miami Beach, on social networks.
