Maison & Objet 2013: the highlights

Ole Jensen's colourful tableware collection for Room Copenhagen. A range of white and yellow tableware on wooden cutting boards.
Ole Jensen's colourful tableware collection for Room Copenhagen
(Image credit: Ole Jensen)

September's Maison & Objet in Paris is the big showcase for the Autumn/Winter collections of the international design world. Some of the heavy hitters of the furniture world show up just for the Spring/Summer collections in January, but autumn's Maison & Objet is gaining ground, with many companies endorsing September's edition with the launch of a whole gamut of nouveautés.

The timing lends itself particularly to the unveiling of outdoor furnishings, so companies such as Fermob, Tribu, Emu, Gloster and Manutti, and Vondom had a significant presence. There were standout collections at Gloster, which launched  Bella and Vista collections by Carsten Astheimer; Tribu, which launched the Tosca collection by Monica Armani; and Matière Grise, whose collection by Constance Guisset took us happily back to 1950s Miami.

Menu, the Swedish design brand hitherto focusing on functional tabletop, chose this fair to rebrand, with a new logo, streamlined aesthetic, and many new covetable offerings that included bathroom and outdoor accessories, shelving and mirrors. And Galerie Bensimon, a regular destination in the 3eme for those in search of unique designs from emerging talents, chose it as the occasion to launch its own line, Maison Bensimon, with the MB01 armchair. Newcomers included Belgium's Lina Dura, a colourful collection of metal shelving and storage pieces and France's La Joue, with raw wood pieces large and small by Pierre Casenove

The Scandinavians, and the Danes in particular had a notable presence. A whole new range from Danish Crafts, a sofa, footstool and chair by Anderssen and Voll from Muuto, and from Room Copenhagen, a great melamine kitchen set designed by Olé Jensen.

The objet part of the fair's title is important - this is where to find the best of the world's tabletop designs, and usual suspects Michaël Verheyden, Christofle, Dibben, Normann Copenhagen and Non Sans Raison all augmented our kitchen and dining wishlists.

Outside the vast hangers of the Parc d'Exposition, forays into the galleries of the Marais and St Germain uncovered a beautiful collection by Damien Langlois-Meurinne for Gallerie Pouenat, a brilliant exhibition of glass sculptures by Fabrica at Christian Lacroix, and elsewhere, a lot of setting up. Maison & Objet now precurses Paris Design Week, so only those exhibitors with the foresight to set up in time to capture the early Maison crowd hit our radar on this occasion. But it was plenty to feast upon.

Tables, by Constance Guisset for Matière Grise. Four round different sized tables.

Tables for Matière Grise

(Image credit: Constance Guisset)

A selection of 'Epoussette' brushes, by Andrée Jardin. A range of different sized brushes with long black bristles and half circle handles in various colours.

A selection of 'Epoussette' brushes

(Image credit: Andrée Jardin)

'Entrance', by Jehs and Laub for Authentics. A series of thin white numbers and letter on a wooden wall.

'Entrance',  for Authentics

(Image credit: Jehs and Laub)

'Bataille Console' mirror, by Belgium is Design. An oval mirror with a white rim and an oval white shelf below it.

'Bataille Console' mirror, by Belgium is Design

(Image credit: press)

'Fontaine Verte', by Thierry Bataille, from Belgium is Design.

'Fontaine Verte',  from Belgium is Design

(Image credit: Thierry Bataille)

Ceramic jug and tumblers, by Mette Duedahl, for Danish Crafts

Ceramic jug and tumblers, for Danish Crafts

(Image credit: Mette Duedahl)

'Carrara' marble plates, by Bodo Sperlein, for Dibbern. Three different sized plates of top of each other and a tea cup.

'Carrara' marble plates, for Dibbern

(Image credit: Bodo Sperlein)

'Golf' chair, by Arik Levy, for Emu. A white four legged chair with a back rest.

'Golf' chair,  for Emu

(Image credit: Arik Levy)

'Bella' wood and metal benches, by Carsten Astheimer, for Gloster. An oval table, a chair and a bench made from black metal and wood.

'Bella' wood and metal benches,  for Gloster

(Image credit: Carsten Astheimer)

Fire bucket, by Norm for Menu. A fire holder made from black metal rounded bars and three legs.

Fire bucket,  for Menu

(Image credit: Norm)

Towel rail, by Norm for Menu. A clothing rail made from black bars.

Towel rail,  for Menu

(Image credit: Norm)

'Oslo' sofa, by Anderssen & Voll for Muuto. A sitting area with an orange sofa, a grey chair, an orange stool and a round grey coffee table.

'Oslo' sofa, for Muuto

(Image credit: Anderssen & Voll)

'AXO' tableware collection, by Non Sans Raison. A plate with red, black and grey shapes on it.

'AXO' tableware collection 

(Image credit: Non Sans Raison)

'AXO' tableware collection, by Non Sans Raison. A row of white tumblers with black and red shapes on them.

'AXO' tableware collection

(Image credit: Non Sans Raison)

'Lumberjack' candlestick holders, by SImon Legald for Normann Copenhagen. Different sized cylindrical segmented candlestick holders in various colours.

'Lumberjack' candlestick holders, for Normann Copenhagen

(Image credit: SImon Legald)

'Pal' stool in yellow, by Hallgeir Homstvedt for One Nordic. A yellow round three legged stool.

'Pal' stool in yellow,  for One Nordic

(Image credit: Hallgeir Homstvedt)

Storage set, by Nomess Copenhagen. A wooden box with lid slid open next to four wooden balls.

Storage set

(Image credit: Nomess Copenhagen)

Copper wall lights, by Sven Ivar Dysthe for Northern Lighting. Nine wall lights in three rows.

Copper wall lights, for Northern Lighting

(Image credit: Sven Ivar Dysthe)

Crystal glass centrepiece, by Ingrid Rackova and David Suchoparek for Moser.

Crystal glass centrepiece, for Moser.

(Image credit: Ingrid Rackova and David Suchoparek)

'Cartesia' table, by Nosigner for Colors. A dark wood topped table with black metal legs.

'Cartesia' table, for Colors

(Image credit: Nosigner)

Clock, by Trine Andersen of Ferm Living. A wall clock made from geometric shapes.

Clock

(Image credit: Trine Andersen of Ferm Living)

Mantis' lamp, by Bernard Schottlander for Lampe Gras. A floor lamp made from thin black metal bars.

Mantis' lamp,  for Lampe Gras

(Image credit: Bernard Schottlander)

Silver brunch set, by Jean-Marie Massaud with Christofle. A range of silver and glass crockery.

Silver brunch set

(Image credit: Jean-Marie Massaud with Christofle)

'Scarabée' Bureau, by Damien Langlois-Meurinee, for Gallery Pouenat. A curved burgundy table with black curved legs.

'Scarabée' Bureau,  for Gallery Pouenat

(Image credit: Damien Langlois-Meurinee)

'Laurus' chair, by Taiji Fujimori of Commoc, for the J Style exhibition of Japanese design. Two chairs a black one and one with a wood finish.

'Laurus' chair,  for the J Style exhibition of Japanese design

(Image credit: Taiji Fujimori of Commoc)

'Kaico' kettle, by Makoto Koizumi of Kaico / Ambai, for J Style. A white kettle with a half circle wooden handle.

'Kaico' kettle, for J Style

(Image credit: Makoto Koizumi of Kaico / Ambai)

'Koloro' wagon, by Torafu Architects, for J Style. Two wooden three level toy storage trolleys.

'Koloro' wagon, for J Style

(Image credit: Torafu Architects)

Sundial, by Patrick Nadeau for French design house Laorus. A white sundial with sections in shades of blue hanging on a wooden wall.

Sundial, for French design house Laorus

(Image credit: Patrick Nadeau)

Tables, by Michaël Verheyden. Two wooden side tables.

Tables

(Image credit: Michaël Verheyden)