MAISON&OBJET September 2012 // MINIMUM by Elizabeth Leriche.

“Instagram moment” outside the MINIMUM exhibition pavilion.
Image © yellowtrace.

White on white installation outside the MINIMUM exhibition pavilion.
Image © yellowtrace.

Front room of MINIMUM exhibition at Maison et Objet.
Image © yellowtrace.

“It is crucial to calm down, to come back to what’s crystal clear and is the essence of life. Beyond the vicinity of a crowded, noisy world, we can unburden ourselves of the artifices of superficiality and uselessness. We prefer the best to excess in all things. Minimalist luxury is reestablishing a bare, serene timelessness. The contemporary spirit is contemplating Beauty in its most elementary sobriety.”

“Fine” lamps by Good Bye Eddison.
Image © yellowtrace.

~~Waaah! I wish I could find my notes…~~ Update – 45°/TAVOLINO for Molteni by Ron Gilad. (Thanks Andrea!)
Image © yellowtrace.

Oh yeah! As promised in my posts last week, I’m really excited to share with you my personal highlight from MAISON&OBJET held in Paris in September. In addition to the main trade fair, the show also offers “Observatoire de la Maison” and an Inspiration Itinerary where the experts reveal new trends in consumption and emerging lifestyles. The overarching theme for this year’s show was “Essential”, with three exhibitions showcasing this year’s direction. MINIMUM, curated by Elizabeth Leriche, examined the idea of “revealing the essence of Beauty in all its purity.” Leriche is a style consultant who has been working with MAISON&OBJET as a trend spotter for more than a decade.

Furniture by Ron Gilad for Molteni. So beautiful.
Image © yellowtrace.

This was a major OMFG moment for me! Maya Selway‘s “Kishu” collection features delicate lines in uncompleted forms creating delicate optical illusions. The London-based jewellery designer allows the viewer to mentally compose the remainder of each object’s shape by following the single unfinished line. Extreme love!!!
Image © yellowtrace.

Castellani & Smith‘s “Sorry Giotto” lamp is designed in reference to the Florentine painter who was able to freehand draw a perfect circle for the Pope in the Middle Ages. The designers were recently acknowledged with an award by Wallpaper*.
Image © yellowtrace.

“Sunset” table lamp by Alban le Henry provides a beautiful diffused indirect light from an LED source.
Image © yellowtrace.

This exhibition resonated with me on several levels – I rediscovered a number of old favourites, and added a few new ones to the list. The clear message of going back to basics, avoiding excess and choosing better rang so true. I instantly connected with the refined aesthetic of the chosen pieces – pure geometries, simple lines, transparent materials and graduated colours (in fact, some of the pieces were featured in my previous post Thin Black Lines). The exhibition itself was impeccably staged offering a series of smaller, quieter moments, followed by more dramatic spaces and pieces. For my money, MINIMUM was hands down the best, most intelligent, inspiring, on-the-pulse part of MAISON&OBJET this year.

This series of dark rooms contained a number of “are you for real” moments. Kazuhiro Yamanaka’s “Sound Cloud” designed for Saazs (upright frosted panels) is a mysterious hybrid object which is a source of both light and sound. Using a wireless connection to a smartphone or bluetooth with a computer, the light emitted through the glass panel becomes a speaker. WHAT??? Also using glass, Patricia Urquiola designed a “Faint Table” for Glasitalia (shown centre middle). The table appears to vanish in the dark because of its progression from transparent to white glass. Incredible (and incredibly difficult to photograph as you can imagine!)
Image © yellowtrace.

Blur Sofa by Thomas Thorpe for Moroso. In case you wondered what the the biggest trend in textiles and finishes in general, repeat after me – OMBRE.
Image © yellowtrace.

Also in the “ombre room”, stool by Stephanie Parmentier “The Tie & Due collection”.
Image © yellowtrace.

One of my personal favourites from Milan 2010 was Daniel Rybakken‘s “Colour” light (which has been put into production by Ligne Roset since the last time I saw it).
Image © yellowtrace.