For the September 2022 edition Maison&Objet Paris (September 08-12, 2022) is inviting visitors to step inside a new kind of world we’ve all been dreaming of, echoing a deep-rooted need for meaning and emotion.
Sense and Meta-Sensibility
With its “Meta sensible” theme, this edition of Maison&Objet reconciles the seemingly contradictory aspirations of our time, torn between a yearning to escape to an idealised digital environment and a desire to fully embrace the real world.
“The physical world is no longer in opposition with its digital counterpart. Better still, the two worlds merge and cross-fertilise, mutually enhancing each other”, analyses Vincent Grégoire from the NellyRodi agency, who forged the concept.
The brands present have drawn inspiration from the fantasy worlds that started springing up as lockdowns ended and the Metaverse began gaining traction. These interiors flaunt soft hues and almost surreal curvaceous silhouettes, inspiring designers and design houses alike. The latter see the home as a comfortable cocoon, where bubble-gum-style furnishings are dressed in a cloak of iridescent hues. Prime examples would be the sofas from Italian brand Saba, which are retailed in NFT form, or the rounded lines of the latest vividly coloured creations presented by Mojow or Pols Potten.
At the other end of the spectrum, we are witnessing a return to natural materials and textures, artisan pieces and craftsmanship. Absolute musts for anyone keen to catch this trend at the trade fair include the glass seats from &Klevering and Maison Dada’s ceramics that look good enough to eat.
What’s New?
The ‘What’s New?’ section will notably present three inspiration spaces: “Utopia Now” by François Delclaux, “Color Power” by Elizabeth Leriche, and “Kaleido-scope” by François Bernard. The three trend-spotters are returning to the trade fair once more to share their hottest finds for the autumn season. Maison&Objet Paris is also set to shine a light on up-and-coming talent with the “Future on Stage” label, which will honour three new design houses that have emerged following the pandemic.
1. UTOPIA NOW
By François Delclaux
Dreams are already a reality. François Delclaux has put them center stage with simple, dreamlike objects. Colours are faded, with powder pink, aqua, and cloudy grey…From the veiled setting, mysteriously gossamer lighting emerges like a dream, and lightweight, poetic furniture softens the edges of everyday life. The theme of utopia is at the heart of experimentation and contemporary debates, François Delclaux tells us. Its shapes can already be seen in this resilient home.
2. KALEIDO-SCOPE
By François Bernard
Affordable, creative, optimistic, and joyous. The kaleido-scope from François Bernard is a game with surprises in store and very specific rules: gift items must have a retail price of less than 160€, be absolutely new, and be even more desirable. These finds are stored joyfully according to the answers to a riddle: “If I were a scent, a country, an animal, or delicious…”, and are presented within cubes that remind us of both gift and treasure boxes.
3. COLOR POWER
By Elizabeth Leriche
Color Power calls for shock therapy to counter the ambient doom. A rich, thoughtful palette energizes and sets the tone for interiors, just as it provokes our senses and emotions. Elizabeth Leriche proves it to us by emphasizing both these shades and their saturation, brightness, shiny, or matte qualities. Vases, textiles, baskets, hampers, chairs…the selection plays with every shade and suggests new types of harmonies within a graphic and sensual structure outlined in colour.
Food for Thought
Hall 3, which will focus on food, is set to be yet another of this edition’s absolute musts. It will play host to “Waww la table”, which will offer an invigorating insight into the world of tableware, using fanciful installations to demonstrate just how much traditions have changed. The design house has also invited the jury that judges its table setting contest (India Mahdavi, Thierry Marx and Stéphane Bern) to share their insight during a special talk at Maison&Objet. The “Cook & Share” show sector, meanwhile, will give visitors a rare opportunity to share a kitchen with some of the culinary world’s rising stars hand-picked by Gault&Millau.
Once again this year, Maison&Objet Paris will clearly be so much more than simply a trade fair: it will be a place that invites visitors to explore unique sensory experiences and tap into tomorrow’s trends.
As well as the “in” event (at the Exhibition Centre), Maison&Objet Paris will also host “off” events (Paris Design Week) as well as “on” events (online via the MOM digital platform and the Maison&Objet Academy).
Check out Iko In’s video on M&O Paris!
