Maison & Objet

Trend Album – What’s In Outdoors for 2013

Outdoor furnishings at Maison & Objet have settled comfortably into their stand-alone home in Hall 8. The building looks small, but the Outdoor_Indoor show-within-a-show that it holds includes a range of categories, from seating and sun-shading products, to garden pots and outdoor lighting. Hall 8 also held a wealth of newness. Color had new preferences. Shape held different options. Materials and patterns were also on the move. The shifts and evolutions in those categories confirmed that Continue reading...

Filed Under: Current, European Reports, Featured, Maison & Objet, Seasonal Forecasts, Trend Products

Discover What’s In Outdoors

The Outdoor_Indoor show-within-a-show at Maison & Objet is all about the furniture, lighting, pots and dividers consumers use to create outdoor environments. This year, many assortments exuded a sense of maturity and you can read all about this event in Trend Album™ What’s In Outdoors for 2012™. Forms were more practical and less experimental. Features expanded to meet the needs of consumers who are accustomed to the same comforts outdoors that they have within their homes. Textures Continue reading...

Filed Under: Current, European Trade Fairs, Maison & Objet

It’s here! Trend Album™ Maison & Objet, September 2010

The addition of yet another building in the Maison & Objet trade fair allowed the integration of Meuble Paris, a furniture-based show that has run concurrently with Maison & Objet for years. So, while Maison & Objet was already considered one of the world’s premier trade fairs for home décor, it is even larger now. The result of this integration was a new rhythm to parts of the show that helped even ongoing products look fresh. There was another change at the show as well: more North-American Continue reading...

Filed Under: European Trade Fairs, Maison & Objet, Trend Reports

A Few Minutes With William Yeoward

The William Yeoward stand at Maison & Objet was filled with delicious crystal accessories in an extensive range of colors. But among all the options, Mr. Yeoward sees three as most directional. He shared his trend-forward list with me on the trade-fair floor yesterday. The first color of note is slate, a mid-tone gray that Mr. Yeoward says is replacing chocolate. Next comes Tea, a rose-infused hue with enough sophistication to make it feel fresh and new. Finally, olive joins the Continue reading...

Filed Under: Current, Maison & Objet

Joseph Joseph at Maison & Objet

I don't really remember when I became aware of the housewares company Joseph Joseph, but from that moment on I was a fan. I love this company's sense of style and color, and I love the clever functionality they incorporate into every product. At the Maison & Objet trade fair in Paris, France Joseph Joseph has a stand in Hall 3. A few new items shown there confirm that this company is nowhere near maxing out their product development savvy. A dual salt-and-pepper grinder fills each well Continue reading...

Filed Under: Current, European Trade Fairs, Maison & Objet Tagged With: Functionality

Paris in Bloom

One of my favorite pieces at the Maison & Objet trade fair earlier this month was the Bloom Lounge Chair, designed by Kenneth Corbonpue. This chair is made of soft microfiber stitched over a resin top. It sits on a steel base. The cover is sculpted by hundreds of fine running stitches that radiate from the center of the seat, creating a subtle, textural feel and mimicking the organic appearance of a blossom. In fact, it's easy to see how inspiration from the graceful blossom of a Continue reading...

Filed Under: Current, European Trade Fairs, Maison & Objet

VG Newtrend’s White and Chrome theme at Maison & Objet

VG Newtrend is always one of my favorite stops at the Maison & Objet trade fair in Paris, France. Today, I had the pleasure of meeting Vincenzo Antonuccio, the company’s art director and the genius behind both the product development and the visual display for VG’s stand in Hall 5A. He took a few minutes to tell me about the concept behind the new collection. Since this was the first time VG has shown only designs created by Vincenzo and his partner over the 20 months they have Continue reading...

Filed Under: European Trade Fairs, Maison & Objet

An Anniversary for a Favorite Company at Maison & Objet

I learned years ago that some of the most creative textile products at Maison & Objet came from Taj, Wood & Scherer. Today, I planned my visit to this company for the end of the day, intentionally keeping the best for last. I walked into the stand in Hall 6, Row A late this afternoon to find Managing Director Roger Wood even more cheerful than usual. That’s because Taj, Wood & Scherer is celebrating its 10th anniversary. What a milestone! I have been visiting Roger for Continue reading...

Filed Under: European Trade Fairs, Maison & Objet

Working At Maison & Objet on Labor Day Weekend

I cannot remember the last time I spent Labor Day weekend at home. The Maison & Objet trade fair seems to fall on this weekend year after year. So while my husband is enjoying perfect weather and taking our college-age daughter to buy a bicycle (to get around the U of MN campus this fall), I'm in the hotel lobby posting on Twitter, blogging, working with images (I took hundreds of them today) and wishing my feet didn't hurt so badly. But if you have to work on a holiday weekend, Continue reading...

Filed Under: European Trade Fairs, Maison & Objet

My Day 2 Favorite at Maison & Objet

My top pick from day 2 of the Maison & Objet fair in Paris today was Casador, a 17 year-old company that makes fabulous decorative accessories. I was more than tired when I walked past their Hall 1 stand this afternoon, but when I saw what was inside I just had to stop. Rope icons like leaves and medallions on a felt rug combined for a look I have not seen before. That’s what got my attention in the first place. Then I noticed a laser-cut hair-on-hide skin for the floor. The cuts Continue reading...

Filed Under: European Trade Fairs, Maison & Objet