Maison et Objet fair report, Paris

Pei-Ru Keh & Benjamin Kempton

September is always one of the busiest times in the Wallpaper* calendar. From fashion shows to design exhibitions, there places to go and things to see the length and breadth of the globe. Always a highlight though is the second instalment of Maison et Objet in Paris, which we whisked ourselves away to last weekend for a touch of autumnal inspiration.

As always, the fair itself didn’t disappoint and as we made our way through seven sprawling halls, we easily amassed a hefty list of products that will soon be making their way into an issue near you.

See the highlights from Maison et Objet and elsewhere in Paris

The beauty of being in Paris is that apart from trawling the fairgrounds at Parc de Exposition, galleries and boutiques around the city get swept up with design enthusiasm. At design emporium Merci, we attended the opening of Paola Navone’s exclusive collaboration with Tuscan ceramics manufacturer Richard Ginori. Navone seamlessly transported Ginori’s classical tableware pieces into an utterly modern setting; traditional decorative techniques, such as decals and gold paint, were applied by hand with a freedom that had the factory staff enthused. Hosted at the boutique’s multi-faceted space, the 6,000-strong collection of one-off pieces was ingeniously displayed in an accessible fashion.

8 September 2009 | Design