Maison & Objet 2012, Paris
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter
Cutback culture may be dominating the pages of newspapers, but behind the doors of the exhibition halls of the Parc des Expositions in Paris Nord Villepinte, and the galleries flanking the Seine, fresh new product design from old and new sources was flourishing last weekend at Maison & Objet (opens in new tab).
Admittedly, economy and accessibility could be seen to be playing a role in some of the newer offerings. Established designers and design houses appear to be looking to small but perfectly formed product to shore up business.
Tom Dixon (opens in new tab) previewed his new range Eclectic (due to launch in August), featuring accessories and tabletop pieces in his signature materials of copper, glass and wood, while Belgium's Alain Berteau (opens in new tab) launched a company, Objekten (opens in new tab), that focuses on simple, well-crafted, everyday products.
Denmark's Hay (opens in new tab), meanwhile, presented a stand that was pure candy to design-tuned eyes seeking beauty in the quotidien and mundane - a vast collection of brightly coloured stationary, wooden trays and tools for grooming, laundry, cooking and working.
Also new to the Maison scene and chiming with the mood for accessibility was Ghent-based Labt (opens in new tab), a design house showcasing furniture designed by Belgian architects and graphic designers and using plywood for the most part, to great effect.
This being France, there was plenty of Gallic talent on show. We viewed the well-established Sentou (opens in new tab) with fresh eyes, its stand an alluring riot of colourful shelving and tables (by the in-house team) and pieces from a new favourite, the Paris-based daughter of design dynasty the Hansen Family, Gesa Hansen (opens in new tab).
Twenty-year-old lighting company Forestier (opens in new tab) reinvented and relaunched itself with ENO co-founder Jean-Dominique Leze at the creative helm, and dazzled with a range of sculptural lighting from an impressive roll call of designers including Arik Levy (opens in new tab), Sebastian Bergne (opens in new tab), Ionna Vautrin (opens in new tab), and Laurence Brabant (opens in new tab).
Brand new maison d'edition Marcel By (opens in new tab) introduced itself with mirrors, shelving and chairs from founders Stephan Lanez (opens in new tab), Samuel Accoceberry (opens in new tab), Noé Duchaufour Lawrances (opens in new tab) and Jakob + MacFarlane (opens in new tab). Tolix (opens in new tab) sustained its recent reinvention with a new desk and shelving system from Sebastian Bergne and free-standing shelves from Normal Studio (opens in new tab) - as did cabinet company Drugeot Labo (opens in new tab), whose wooden shelving units become ever more colourful and inventive.
Maison stalwart Ligne Roset (opens in new tab) presented an impressive stand brimming with newly produced pieces by the older guard - Pierre Paulin (opens in new tab) (reissues from his Elysée Palace designs of the 1970s), Jean Nouvel (opens in new tab)and Pierre Charpin (opens in new tab) - and brilliant fresh talent in the form of Japanese designer Yota Kakuda (opens in new tab) and young French collective Numéro 111 (opens in new tab).
Italian design house Gervasoni chose Maison as its platform to introduce a new offshoot with a focus on the bedroom. The Letti & Co collection launched with five fabric-finished bed designs by Paola Navone. Fellow Italians Alessi, meanwhile, chose Maison as the European launch pad for their meta-collection of trays, (Un)Forbidden City, designed by Chinese architects.
Out in town, no fewer than two galleries - the recently established Carpenters Workshop (opens in new tab) and the Pierre-Alain Challier (opens in new tab) - helped Nendo (opens in new tab) celebrate its tenth anniversary with stunning new collections of work. Tools Galerie (opens in new tab) put a focus on wood used in unusual ways to build furniture, featuring original work from Elisa Strozyk (opens in new tab), David Graas (opens in new tab), Peter Marigold (opens in new tab) and Glass Hill (opens in new tab), and Galerie S. Bensimon (opens in new tab) showcased an inspiring collection of works by young American designer Max Lipsey (opens in new tab), Rotterdam-based Lex Pott (opens in new tab) and David Derksen (opens in new tab), and London-based Pia Wüstenberg (opens in new tab).
Tripping round the streets of Paris in search of fresh design is never a chore - even the Parc des Expositions has Fauchon (opens in new tab) and Ladurée (opens in new tab) pitstops to revive fair-worn legs - but it's all the more valuable when you can return replenished not only with macaroons and éclairs, but with a fund of inspiring new design swimming around in your head, as we did on Monday.
Split Slatted Shelving unit by Peter Marigold at the Knock on Wood exhibition, Toolsgalerie
Miss Maple, by Elisa Strozyk at the Knock on Wood exhibition, Toolsgalerie
Knife Pots by Normann Copenhagen
Geo Thermos jugs at Normann Copenhagen
Stationery by Hay
Trays by Hay
Stationery by Hay
Pieces at Blanc Bijou for Nikki Fron
Pieces at Blanc Bijou for Nikki Fron
Bed by Paola Navone for Lettti & Co
Bed by Paola Navone for Lettti & Co
Chairs by Alki
New pieces at Sfera
New pieces at Sfera
New pieces at Sfera
'Aldo' vases by Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas for Alessi
Pencil Display by Elise Gabriel for Atelier d'Exercices
Central Bank for Atelier d'Exercices
Chateau Baccarat, new collection of crystal glasses from Baccarat designed to enhance the drinking experience
Stools from the Acciaio Series by Max Lipsey at the Gallery S Bensimon
Stacking Vessels by Pia Wüstenberg at the Gallery S Bensimon
Cheese box by Stephane Bureaux at the 'Cheeeeese!' Exhibition in Hall 3
Cheese platter by Claudio Colucci at the 'Cheeeeese!' Exhibition in Hall 3
Cheese box by Germain Bourre at the 'Cheeeeese!' Exhibition in Hall 3
Nest Centrepiece and bowls by Stéphane Parmentier for Christofle
Ceramics by Christiane Perrochon
Moonlight Mirrors by Richard Hutten at Covo
Shelving by Drugeot Labo
'Eclectic' Hex Champagne Bucket by Tom Dixon
'Eclectic' Chop (Rectangle, Paddle, Long) and Form Bowl Set, by Tom Dixon
Dolmen stool by Sebastien Cordoleani for ENO
Quake by Antoine Phelouzat for ENO
Lamps by Arik Levy for Forestier
Lamps by Arik Levy for Forestier
Loungers by Ipe Cavalli
The Shiro Kuramata exhibtion at Cappellini
The Shiro Kuramata exhibtion at Cappellini
Cabinets by Jan en Randoald for Labt
Table by JIJ's for Labt
Mortaise tables and stools by Yota Kakuda for Ligne Roset
Dérive 2 by Pierre Paulin for Ligne Roset
Olive Lamps by Numéro 111 for Ligne Roset
Pool Coffee Table by Jakob Macfarlane for Marcel By
Bamby Chair by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance for Marcel By
Crystal pieces by Moser
Plan Vase by Sebastien Cordoleani for Moustache
Vessels by Ionna Vautrin for Moustache
Bins by Muuto
Static Bubbles exhibition by Nendo at the Carpenters Workshop gallery
Static Bubbles exhibtion by Nendo at the Carpenters Workshop gallery
Object Dependency exhibtion by Nendo at Galerie Pierre-Alain Challier
Object Dependency exhibtion by Nendo at Galerie Pierre-Alain Challier
Object Dependency exhibtion by Nendo at Galerie Pierre-Alain Challier
Office accessories by Objekten
Trays and light by Objekten
Soba Chair by Dunja Weber for PCM
Wall shelves by Kay Stemmer for SCP
Table and bench for SCP
'Jane' tray by Liu Jiakun as part of Alessi's Unforbidden City collection of trays
'Floating Earth' by Ma Yan Song as part of Alessi's Unforbidden City collection of trays
Everything but the manual furniture kit by David Grass at the Knock on Wood exhibition, Toolsgalerie
Desk by Gesa Hansen for Sentou
Utu shelves by O Creation for Sentou
Shelves at Sentou
Glassware by Christian Haas for Theresienthal
Glassware at Theresienthal
Shelves by Tolix
Shelves by Tolix
Centrepieces by Victoria Wilmotte, in the Young Talents exhibition, Hall 7
-
Lufthansa offers double bedrooms in the sky, courtesy of PriestmanGoode
New Lufthansa First Class Suites offer more space and comfort than ever before, from ultra-wide seats to the ultimate product for privacy-seeking passengers: a full-sized double bed in a self-contained room
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
Veil House balances openness and seclusion in Winnipeg
A large steel screen shields Veil House, a striking private residence in Winnipeg, Canada, designed by local practice 5468796 Architecture
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
S94 Design makes the most of its uptown location to blur the lines of art and design
S94 Design brings displays from Kwangho Lee, Donald Judd, Max Lamb and more to its Rafael Viñoly-designed location
By Julie Baumgardner • Published
-
Cultural crossings at Maison et Objet January 2020
In Paris this January, Maison et Objet (17-21 January) spanned fun rides, poetic performances and a Mediterranean brand launch
By Sujata Burman • Last updated
-
A new design, fashion and retail experience opens in Paris
New brand La Manufacture offers French allure and Italian craft under the creative crew of Robert Acouri, Milena Laquale and Luca Nichetto
By Yoko Choy • Last updated
-
New Paris gallery Maison Dentsu explores eccentricity, marble and more
By Anna Yudina • Last updated
-
Unmissable moments from the Autumn edition of Paris Design Week
By Sujata Burman • Last updated
-
Maison et Objet January 2019: Wallpaper* highlights from the winter edition
By Sujata Burman • Last updated
-
A new Paris show explores artisan metal craft through a contemporary design lens
By Sujata Burman • Last updated
-
What to see at Paris Design Week 2018 from highlights to hidden gems
By Sujata Burman • Last updated
-
Stéphane Parmentier puts a graphic spin on hardware design with divine new collection
By Siska Lyssens • Last updated