Maison & Objet Paris 2018: Best In Show.

With an overarching concept of SHOWROOM, the January 2018 edition of Maison & Objet Paris welcomed the visitors into an Inspirations Space and a Bookshop-Café designed by Vincent Grégoire of NellyRodi. Grégoire shared more about his choice of concept, and how it is defined – “The financial crisis and the digital revolution have had a tremendous impact on our behaviours. Consumers who used to have a passive posture, buying products without questioning the brands that sell them, have found empowerment. Through digital technologies, consumers now have access to product information, can compare prices, and even have the possibility to share comments on the products and rate them. A new generation of hyper-connected and hyper-informed consumers are reclaiming control: they are establishing their status as an inescapable partner for brands. With the advent of Instagram particularly, consumers are becoming trendsetters themselves, full-fledged influencers. They share their finds with their communities, revealing themselves, or flaunting themselves in some cases, making commitments and voicing opinions. This is what we have called the showroomisation trend: it is no longer the product that makes the consumer, but the consumer that makes the product.”

The second edition of Rising Talent Awards invited six of the most influential Italian design figures to nominate their own talent living and working in Italy. Andrea Branzi, Piero Lissoni, Luca Nichetto, Giulio Cappellini, Rossana Orlandi and Rosita Missoni nominated Federica Biasi, Antonio Facco, Marco Lavit Nicora, Kensaku Oshiro, Federico Peri and Guglielmo Poletti as Rising Talents defining the future of Italian design.

This year, Maison&Objet announced Cecilie Manz as The Designer of the Year, by showcasing her work in a space entirely designed by and dedicated to the Danish designer. After earning a diploma in object and furniture design from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1997, Manz moved to Finland to further her education at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki. The very next year, she founded her own studio in the heart of Copenhagen. Now in her 40s, the elegant Dane’s career spans twenty years as she patiently honed her skills to emerge today as one of the major figures of Scandinavian design.

But let’s not beat around the bush for too much longer as today’s article is all about our selection of the best new gear unveiled at Maison&Objet Paris 2018. With thousands of brands showing their products, it can be difficult to pick out the very best, but we love a good challenge and have hand-selected furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories that stood out for us. Happy scrolling!

Related:
Maison & Objet 2017: Best In Show.
Maison&Objet 2016: Best In Show.
Maison&Objet 2015: Best In Show.
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Angui Bar Stool & Chair by AYTM // This Art-Deco inspired collection is elegant and refined, with a hint of time-honoured glamour. With gentle curves and a clean, minimal silhouette, the Angui bar stool is available several powder-coat colours or brass plated.

Atem Sofa by Marco Lavit Nicora // The only way to describe this sofa by Marco Lavit Nicora (one of the participants of this year’s Italian Rising Talent Award) is refined and fresh. AF. Atelier Lavit a Paris based studio, working across architecture and design, headed up by the 31-year-old designer who studied architecture at Ecole Speciale d’Architecture in Paris and at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

Frame Cabinet from Louise Roe Copenhagen // Steel frame. Glass doors. Fine lines. Hot black. And a bargain at 4,650 euros (plus exorbitant shipping fees to Australia). Oh well. Very beautiful though.

Mantle Chair by Iskos Berlin for Handvark // Like a mantle thrown over the simple chair frame to make it comfortable, still maintaining the print of the person who just got up from it, Mantle chair was designed by Boris Berlin and Aleksej Iskos of Iskos-Berlin for both residential and contract use.

Group Armchair by Philippe Malouin for SCP // Canadian designer Philippe Malouin knows what’s up, and his Group Armchair for SCP is not only beautiful, it also has an extremely small footprint which can be very handy. And you know it.

Humanist Chair by Patrick Knoch for Extranorm // I’m not entirely sure this chair was a new release at Maison & Objet 2018, but it’s new to me and I thought you should know about it too. Kind of weird looking – dorky and awkward – which is precisely what makes it so cool.

Ronin – Limited Edition of 6 Chairs.

Bump Cabinet.

Sunday Dinner Table.

New pieces from La Chance // French brand La Chance revealed several new pieces – limited edition Ronin Chairs (originally designed in 2013 ) covered in fabric by Pierre Frey; Bump cabinet designed by the Czech designers Jan & Henry; and Sunday collection of tables for dining and occasional purposes.

Hideout Loveseat Sofa by Front for Gebruder Thonet Vienna GmbH // Presented in Paris for the first time, the new Hideout Loveseat Sofa by Swedish design studio Front, recalls the design of the lounge chair of the same name, the Hideout, one of the brand’s contemporary bestsellers. And a personal favourite.

Picto by nendo for Zens // Japanese studio Nendo has created four piece-collection in its trademark minimalist style for Chinese lifestyle brand Zens. This playful furniture collection comprises a table, seat, shelf and a storage unit. Each piece has the same triangle base, with tops varying according to the function. Clever. But kind of weird looking.

Prime Collection by Martha Sturdy // This vibrant collection of geometric resin furniture in primary colours is a departure from the earth tones and warm metals that have come to define the Martha Sturdy brand. This bold collection of entirely new work is all hand-poured at Sturdy’s Studio in Vancouver, Canada.

Geoffrey console & mirror.

Radian shelf.

San stool.

New Products for Ligne Roset // Marco Maturo and Alessio Roscini of Studio Klass unveiled two new pieces for the French brand, including their San stool in black-stained oak and Radian shelf in anthracite-stained oak and black metal tube frame. Designed by Alain Gilles, the ‘Geoffrey’ console is a stripped back piece that celebrates the beauty of Thin Black Lines, coupled with an oversized circular mirror. Beautiful.

Fraction Collection by Christopher Gentner // This new line of furniture, lighting and objects, is the result of Gentner’s yearlong look into his own creative process. The Chicago-based designer wanted to achieve a better understanding of how he conceives and executes. “This was a look at how ideas come to me and how they are broken down and made real. I have always approached my work in a sculptural way. To my satisfaction, I’ve found the function of a piece can create constraints that often produce a dynamic atonal interaction.” The collection comprises brass wall sconce, circle candle, bottle stand, seven-light piece, floor lamp, 3 x stools, swinging drink table (I think I want one!), mirror and console table.

Moira Lights by Studio Sebastian Herkner for Fürstenberg // “Porcelain is like a filter. It creates a special atmosphere with the light” is how Herkner describes his fascination with porcelain. The inspiration for the Moira lighting series came to the much-in-demand German product designer during his visit to Fürstenberg where he observed how light behaves on fine, unglazed porcelain. The Moira lighting series consists of a pendant lamp in three different lengths, a table lamp with two light sources and a floor lamp with six light sources. The central design element of all the lamps is the light cup produced by Porzellanmanufaktur Fürstenberg.

Wink by Masquespacio for Houtique // I’m not sure if this is how it was intended, but this sweet pendant light looks just like an upside-down wink with its pink fringing that looks like eyelashes, and a light globe reminiscent of an eyeball. Sounds gross but looks cool.

Orbital Collection by Studio deFORM for Bomma // This lighting collection draws inspiration from the physics of the Solar System with circular shapes evoking the trajectories of planets and celestial bodies around a star. A light bulb is placed in the center of the fixture, representing the Sun, held between the glass components by an elegantly detailed metal fitting. The two glass elements are individually attached, enabling a wide variety of colour combinations.

Cape Town Lamp by Vanessa Mitrani // Paris-based designer Vanessa Mitrani is known for her experimental approach with glass. Bold, irreverent and offbeat, Cape Town Lamp celebrates shifting patterns, deep colours and the magic of glass in all its glory. Extreme love.

Oyster Lamp by Jette Scheib for Forestier // Is it a microphone? Or a sidewise hat? No, it’s a lamp designed by German designer Jette Scheib for French brand Forestier. The light is also available in a suspended and floor version. Interesting random fact. Scheib is an accomplished product designer who still uses a Yahoo email adress. On her website. Dude. Like, seriously. Get with the programme.

Circle & Line by Pool for CVL Luminaires // Léa Padovani and Sébastien Kieffer of French studio Pool took over art direction of CVL Luminaires in 2017. This year, their ‘Cercle & Trait’ (Circle & Line) suspension light was put into production by CVL. Me likey.

HAOS Lighting by Sophie Gelinet & Cedric Gepner // Sophie and Cédric’s super cool table and ceiling lights are modern functional sculptures made from ceramics and brass, reminiscent of 1960s and Art Deco era. This year, the duo they presented their debt floor lamp version of the light (top image), which I’m not convinced is quite as successful, but I still love them none the less.

Landscape Floor Lamp by KIMU Design // This floor lamp by KIMU is a new family member of The New Old Light series. Inspired by peaceful natural scenery with a modern minimalist twist, the light has a 360-degree shaft (teehee – you said shaft!), allowing multitude of positions along its axis.

‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ by WonderGlass // WonderGlass’ ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ showcased some of the high-end lighting brand’s finest works by design luminaries such as Claesson Koivisto Rune, Nao Tamura, Marcel Wanders, Dan Yeffet and Hideki Yoshimoto. The installation, divided into quadrants, showcases an object framed against large backlit photographs created in the Italian Dolomites.

Under the creative direction of WonderGlass, the images of the collection are a contrast of nature and human creation, featuring brilliant smoke clouds of hot pink and azure blue, or the idiosyncratic addition of colourful balls to dramatically evoke the union of dream and reality in exquisite creations. Amaaaaazing!

Cartesio by Elena Salmistraro.

Cartesio outline by Elena Salmistraro.

New Collection from cc-tapis // cc-tapis knocked it out of the ballpark with their beautiful stand design, and I am especially partial to their new collection by the dynamic young Italian designers Elena Salmistraro – Cartesio and Cartesio Outline. Gorgeous.

Horizons Collection from Deirdre Dyson Carpets // Deirdre has unveiled their new collection for 2018 – Horizons, comprising six hand knotted designs woven on an unprecedentedly large scale, inspired by the sky and the sea. The carpets are made from a complex mix of wool and silk, and Deirdre’s clever use of colour grading creates stunning visual effects.

Shade Collection by Begüm Cana Özgür for Nanimarquina // Inspired by magical moments in nature where colours melt and speak for themselves, this handmade flat-weave rug collection generates an incredible and well-rounded diffusion of colour. Two gradients converge in each rug, one vertical and one horizontal, in the same plane, harmoniously using six transitional shades.

LRNCE Collection by Laurence Leenaert //Marrakech-based textiles and accessories label fuses a sharp Belgian aesthetic with traditional Moroccan handcraft. Established in 2013 by Belgian fashion designer Laurence Leenaert, the brand revises material’s purpose and spontaneously combines familiar elements to create unique design pieces. And in case you’re not all over it already, LRNCE Instagram is well worth a follow.

Oscar Rug from Rug Society // Cubist inspiration meets deconstruction of classical concepts in simple and solid planes. What’s not to love?

Super Texture Textile Collection by Tom Dixon // Tom Dixon debuted a textile collection that explores weaving, knitting, knotting and digital printing techniques. Comprising an array of cushions and throws, the Super Texture collection encompasses three new product families and updates to two existing ranges.

Allpa Vase by Jean Baptiste Fastrez for Mustache // Although not technically super new (because you can already buy it on Mustache’s website), this sculptural enamelled ceramic vase is made of several vases joined together, like a bouquet of flowers itself.

Flare Festival Jug from 1882 Ltd // Combining curvaceous forms and exaggerated ratios, 1882 Ltd’s ‘Flare Festival’ jug introduces a sculptural modernity. Handcrafted from fine bone china, the jug was created in collaboration with British design studio Pinch, whose references to classic form simultaneously offers a play on light and shadow.

AC04 Fruit Bow/ Collander by Achille Castiglioni for Alessi // With 2018 marking the year of the centenary of Achille Castiglioni’s birth, Alessi pays homage to the iconic Italian designer by creating a special edition of three of his products in copper finish, including his AC04 fruit bowl/colander. Available in a limited edition of 999 pieces.

Pigmento series by Formafantasma Nude Glassware // The highly anticipated ‘Pigmento’ collection by Formafantasma for Nude comprises serving platters and containers that emphasises the craft of mouth-blown glass, accented with episodes of brightly coloured explosions.

CIELO Bathroom Collection by Andrea Parisio & Giuseppe Pezzano // A new addition to Andrea Parisio & Giuseppe Pezzano Narciso Collection, the CIELO is all about saturated colours (tick) and solutions for small bathrooms (double tick).

Li Edelkoort’s Design Space in Paris // Although not technically Maison & Objet related news, I thought you might be interested in knowing that Lidewij Edelkoort has opened her own art gallery at 30 Boulevard de Saint Jacques, Paris. The inaugurating gallery exhibition, “The Gift To Be Simple”, highlights five young designers practising in the space sitting somewhere between vintage and modern. The same venue also houses the fashion agency founded by the revered trend-forecaster in 1975.

[Images courtesy of Designers & Press Office.]