What caught our eye in the City of Light, from a Le Corbusier-inspired furniture collection to highlights from Maison&Objet.
As the old saying goes, “Paris is always a good idea.” For design lovers, it’s the best idea during Maison&Objet and Paris Design Week, the annual trade show and citywide celebration of all things design. With a focus on interiors—furniture and décor, kitchens, textiles, technology, and more—Maison&Objet was full of new releases and emerging voices, with a special emphasis on craft and French design. GRAY had the opportunity to attend Paris Design Week and came away inspired by the wide range of creativity and talent on display. Below, find our highlights from the 10-day festival and fair.
DESIGNER OF THE YEAR: CRISTINA CELESTINO
Cristina Celestino, Maison&Objet's Designer of the Year, was the mind behind Palais Exotique, a restaurant and tea salon at the fair.
Each edition of Maison&Objet names a Designer of the Year, celebrating the work of an outstanding individual in the field. For the September 2022 fair, it was Italian product and interior designer Cristina Celestino, whose elegant interiors combine dreamy pastel hues, geometric shapes, and sumptuous materials. At Maison&Objet, Celestino created Palais Exotique, a restaurant and tea salon celebrating color, craftsmanship, and form. “It recalls the cafes and tea rooms of Paris from the last century,” Celestino says. “We used architectural details of a palais for inspiration and tried to design a garden in front. It’s a place where people can take a break, have a drink, and enjoy conversation with friends.” With chairs from Billiani, textiles by Dedar, and furniture designed by Celestino, the café was an elegant escape amidst the busy halls of the fair.
MAISON&OBJECT: RISING TALENTS AWARDS NETHERLANDS
Work from three of Maison&Objet's Rising Talents Awards winners (from left): a teapot by Hanna Kooistra, a woven rug by Simone Post, and Fountain of Money, a work by Théophile Blandet.
For its Rising Talents Awards, Maison&Objet looked to the Netherlands. A showcase at the fair, as well as an exhibition at the Dutch Institute in the city, spotlighted seven emerging designers and studios working in a range of mediums. The cohort was united by an overarching concern with the state of the environment (and a dedication to sustainable practices), the social impact of their work, and a curiosity for the exploration of materials. The designers included Hanna Kooistra, who reinterprets traditional Dutch household objects for contemporary times; Théophile Blandet, whose work with harvested plastic offcuts aims to encourage a rethinking of its use in consumer goods; and Simone Post, who has developed wax prints for the Dutch fabric manufacturer Vlisco.
FRAGEMENTS COLLECTION BY ANTHONY GUERRÉE AT MAISON LA ROCHE
Work by designer Anthony Guerrée was installed at the Foundation Le Corbusier as part of the Fragments exhibition. Image by Alexandre Tabaste.
A joint project between M éditions and French designer Anthony Guerrée, Fragments debuted at Maison La Roche—the masterpiece home designed by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, and the current location of the Foundation Le Corbusier. Designed by Guerrée, the collection of marble furniture and objects takes inspiration from the work of Le Corbusier, as well as classic Greek architecture. “To work with marble is to investigate history,” says Guerrée. “I have entered into a passionate dialogue between craftsmanship and design, inspired by the three ancient architectural orders: the Doric order and its noble austerity, the Ionic order and its tender scrollwork, the Corinthian order and its abundance of expression.” The exhibition placed the marble works around Maison La Roche, their forms playing with and against the surrounding architecture, fitting in so well that they appeared to be part of the original interiors.
MAISON&OBJECT: TALENTS SO FRENCH
Samuel Accoceberry's collection, part of the Talents so French section at Maison&Objet.
Looking to its home turf, Maison&Objet provided a platform for four young French designers/makers to show their work. Each designer (Samuel Accoceberry, Bina Baitel, Charlotte Juillard, and Pierre Gonalons) presented a small collection of furniture and accessories, which ranged in aesthetics from Accoceberry’s in-your-face Futuristic metals (candle holders and wall art in brass, steel, and aluminum) to the soft and delightfully curved, marshmallow-esque chairs of Baitel’s collection. The work on all fronts was a testament to a dedication to craft, and a delightful harbinger for the future of French design.
PARIS DESIGN WEEK FACTORY
The Orgus armchair by Brazilian sculptor and designer Humberto da Mata, available through Galerie Revel. Image by Alex Batista.
Two spaces served as hubs for the emerging, the avant-garde, and the unique during Paris Design Week. Dubbed Paris Design Week Factory and held in two locations in the Marais district—the Espace Commmines and Galerie Joseph—the showcase was packed with work from dozens of creatives who are doing things a little differently. Whether experimenting with materials, shapes, or typologies, the designers who presented their work are ones to watch. Of particular note was Galerie Revel—a year-old contemporary design gallery based in Bordeaux. With the goal of bringing visibility to creatives who have historically been ignored or overshadowed by the west, the gallery collaborates with emerging artists, designers, and architects from around the world, with an eye for those from or living in the southern hemisphere.
MAISON&OBJET: FUTURE ON STAGE
Acoustic panels from Pierreplume, one of the brands featured in the Future on Stage section. Image by Zenzel Photographie.
This year, Maison&Objet launched a brand-new program, Future on Stage, to serve as a springboard for promising talent in the decor, design, and lifestyle fields. Three award winners, selected by a panel of experts, were spotlighted at the fair, giving designers and buyers an opportunity to view their work first, and encouraging innovation through experimentation and creative thinking. The work on display included French brand Aluvy (stylish, easily portable, design-forward barbeques), Lucy Ballu from Germany (high-end cat furniture and accessories), and Pierreplume (a French company creating beautiful acoustic panels that look like marble but are crafted from recycled textiles).
THE NEXT CHAPTER AT VERONESE
The Veronese showroom in Paris. Image by Nicolas Anetson.
Combining Murano craftsmanship with French design sensibilities, lighting manufacturer Veronese has been producing statement pieces since 1931. A new exhibition, The Next Chapter, is running at the brand’s showroom in the Arts et Métier neighborhood through December 18, 2022. Curated in partnership with the nomadic Spaceless Gallery, the show features Veronese novelties by design duo Tal Lancman & Maurizio Galante, Dan Yeffet, and the Veronese design team alongside vintage and novel furnishings from ODA Paris, Reda Amalou Design, Kasthal, and T.E.D. Mobilier, among others. Juxtaposed with contemporary artworks, the design and lighting objects create a dialogue of creativity in a space looking to position itself as a hub for the design and arts community.