Having stayed close to home for two years, attending Maison & Objet in Paris was a thrill—and also a treat for the soul and eyes. In the Villepinte exhibition center outside the city center, the semiannual trade fair highlights furniture, lighting, tabletop, and linens, all represented by 1,800 international brands, making it the industry’s go-to for buyers, specifiers, and designers seeking the latest in home decor. The latest iteration of Paris Déco Off, where fabric and accessory companies launch new goods, took place simultaneously in Rive Droite and Rive Gauche showrooms, while Maison & Objet’s new initiative, In the City, invited visitors to discover the essence of French design at 87 outposts. A Parisian sense of joie de vivre was brought to the fore by all this energy, including the opening of new galleries, boutiques, hotels, and museums. The following are some of the most notable trends and themes we spotted in Paris this spring.
EVERYWHERE WAS DARKLY COLORED
A colorful week filled with oversized floral prints and tie-dyed fashions was on display at the SANAA-refurbished Samaritaine department store, alongside sherbet-colored oranges, hot pinks, and minty greens. An array of textiles for the home included the inescapable animal patterns Gattopardo and Thaiger from Tony Duquette’s Dawnridge line for Jim Thompson, as well as a classic camouflage tapestry by Dedar titled Erbaluce, according to London-based interior designer Linda Boronkay. Artist Wayne Pate’s Paris Elemental collection of geometric cubist forms on natural linen evokes the bohemian Paris of Cezanne and Braque at the New York fabric showroom Studio Four. “After years of simplicity, a new opulence has emerged, where color, pattern, and layering dominate,” Danielle Colding says about the decor around town.
A RETURN HAS BEEN MADE BY RATTAN
A great example of this is the old and new versions of rattan furniture that were everywhere in Paris. It was woven on consoles, pendants, tables, and chairs by a wide range of international designers. Since 1885, Parisian furniture manufacturers like Maison Drucker have been producing stylish bistro chairs, but they have recently switched to rainbow-woven designs. Danish furniture manufacturer Sika-Design has manufactured iconic Italian designs like Franco Albini as well as Danish national heroes Arne Jacobsen, whose Paris and Charlottenborg lounge chairs are still in production today and are available in outdoor versions. Popus Editions, a French company whose cocktail table incorporates bright orange leather panels and detailing, gave it a real sexy touch. A pop-up exhibition of museum-worthy 19th-century wicker pieces was held at Galerie Vauclair on Rue de Beaune; curator Lizzie Deshayes, one half of the British wallpaper company Fromental, juxtaposed the rare pieces with Kiku floral wallpaper from the brand.
THERE IS A REBIRTH OF EXTENSIVE PLACE SETTINGS
It was not uncommon for product previews to be accompanied by cocktails and seated dinners, some of which took place in unlikely locations. From the former residence of French intellectual François Sagan to the Twenty-Two Club, a private home overlooking the Palais Royal, design companies created intimate settings for socializing and dining. Guests and the press were seated at a formal table setting at the new showroom of French designer Laura Gonzalez on Rue de Lille, which was furnished with her signature furniture upholstered in Schumacher fabrics. The Japanese-inspired dinner was served at a table designed by Waww La Table. At Pinto, founded by French decorator Alberto Pinto, a dinnerware line called Jaipur was offered in a wide range of hues, whereas ABCDior plates, designed by Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri as a nod to the four seasons of toile de Jouy, were displayed at the brand’s flagship store on Avenue Montaigne. In addition, Gien presented La Favorite, which is inspired by Ottoman architecture and Iznik Turkish ceramics by Yaz Bukey.
YELLOWS WON’T BE SO MELLOW
The Galerie Lafayette flagship was decorated with neon-yellow grins to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ubiquitous smiley face, as well as on fabrics, furniture, and lighting. A reissue of Gae Aulenti’s 1968 Ruspa lamp by Martinelli Luce comes in a sunny finish as a single fixture or grouped in four, and Sebastian Herkner’s new Blume Chair by Italian manufacturer Pedrali was upholstered in yellow. A bright, happy hue was used in both India Mahdavi’s Oedipe sofa and Jardin Intérieur rug in her Saint-Germain showroom. Rayman Boozer’s reaction to the “decadent yellow velvets” he spotted at Pierre Frey: “They put me in the party mood!”
A NEW MOMENT IS COMING FOR ART DECO
The designer Ghislaine Vias was fascinated by the variety of styles she saw at showrooms and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. In addition to paying attention to the original Memphis designers, I am also struck by how much color is being drawn from that movement today. Likewise, the 1930s were represented, from Jean Paul Gaultier’s Bauhaus-patterned rugs and fabrics to Rinck’s partnership with Fromental featuring its Ornaments capsule collection, which consists of a blood-red petit point needlework Elysée Chair with a sunburst-patterned cushion and back. With an armchair upholstered in Dedar Tiger Mountain and edged in black lacquer, an armchair by Oitoemponto was showcased at the centuries-old Féau Boiseries workshop. A printed velvet from the Milano Collection by Élitis was a tribute to the legendary Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass.