If you are connected to the interior design industry, whether as an admirer or professional, chances are you are familiar with, and have perhaps even visited, MAISON&OBJET. This premier design trade show runs for 5 days twice yearly in Paris, introducing an enormous, global audience of buyers, designers, collectors and everyone in between to the innovations that will shape movements across the interior design industry for seasons to come.
I find all trade shows energizing, but MAISON&OBJET is particularly magnetic. With 75,000 visitors and 3,000 exhibitors representing 160 countries, the vast breadth of creativity present surpasses every other interior design industry event. And of course I may be partial, as it takes place in Paris, but I think anyone who has experienced MAISON&OBJET would have to agree. After a studied review of the latest in home fashion presented in September, I have focused in on 4 key trends from this season’s MAISON&OBJET show which you can add to your design toolkit now.
Terracotta Takeover
In continuation of a decidedly 70s wave that has struck personal and home fashion alike for several seasons now, the warmth of tawny hues was widely present at MAISON&OBJET this September. A range of warm tones, equally reminiscent of a well-loved pair of corduroy bell bottoms and the terracotta tiles that became ubiquitous by the 1980s, graced displays across the entire show from bright copper lighting to sublime salmon textiles.
Colors have a significant impact on our mental wellbeing. The various shades of terracotta, ranging from salmon to sepia, incorporate the warm, stimulating energy of red and orange bases with the strength and resilience of natural brown tones. Terrestrial shades like Farrow and Ball’s Red Earth, which I used in our summer Hampton Designer Showhouse project, help us feel connected to the natural world while indoors.
Terracotta is a shade that complements many colors we may have already in our homes, making it an easy addition to existing decor. Situated opposite blues and greens on the color wheel, earthy varieties of oranges and reds pair beautifully with cool colors as well. Being that it is such a versatile color family, there are countless options on the market for infusing our spaces with the mellow warmth of terracotta now.
One unique way to introduce the wave of warm tones is in lighting. The copper in this Louis Poulson Artichoke Pendant softens it’s modern lines and offers an inviting glow. Skagerac brings terracotta to your tabletop in the form of the Edge Collection of terracotta vessels. The Edge Teapot is particularly lovely, marrying both form and function. The terracotta trend has impacted textiles, as well. Woud’s Nakki Two-Seater loveseat is an easy addition to compact spaces, offering a pop of color and unexpected interest to a neutral entry or casual sunroom. Serena and Lily have made a bold statement in support of this trend, introducing Terracotta as a core color in their fall collection ranging from bedding to tabletop accessories.
Animal Infusion
Animal prints, especially in natural shades that pair well with seasonal it color terracotta, have been a core part of our home fashion vernacular long enough to be considered a neutral. They are statement-making, and at once free spirited, luxurious and timeless, offering another way to bring the outdoors in as we continue to seek a connection to nature in our indoor lifestyle.
While animal can read neutral, it is advisable to balance busy prints with solid or solid-look upholstery and wallcoverings. One of my favorite ways to bring animal print into a room is with Stark’s celebrated animal collection of stock and custom carpeting. Chances are you have seen their legendary Antelope print, as it is a favorite of designers the world over. It makes a very bold statement, and is simultaneously an unwavering classic.
Another way to integrate animal prints into your home is with accent pieces, which are easy to mix in with your existing decor. The A by Amara Mixed Cowhide Pouf and EO Faux Fur Bambi Chair settle neatly into a sitting room, providing a bit of whimsy. And to address the master bedroom, The Inside Square Back Headboard in Cheetah in a lovely warm, neutral ground introduces the energy of animal print with the calming effect of a muted color palette.
The Low Profile Rattan Chair
MAISON&OBJET certainly reaffirmed that the dressing of furniture in supremely eco-friendly rattan continues to be an important trend we will carry forward into 2020, and this is excellent news for our planet. Rattan, which is a broader name covering various types of climbing palms, is one of the most easily renewable resources available for furniture production. The palms mature within 5-7 years, versus 10-15 years for the fastest growing hardwoods. Additionally, rattan flourishes under the cover of higher canopy trees in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, and is easier to harvest and transport than it’s larger hardwood neighbors. This all equates to higher profits from the harvest of rattan, indirectly providing rainforests in which it thrives with some insurance against deforestation.
And, of course, rattan is also timelessly chic, au courant, and being used to warm interiors around the world by some of the top designers in home fashion. Rattan has seen several trend cycles over the last century, which means that we can easily source antique pieces like this Viggo Boesen lounge chair from Sotheby’s Home and this pair of Charlotte Periand armchairs from Maison Gerard, while we also find fresh new iterations from the likes of Serena and Lily including their Georgica and Palisades chairs.
Ann Demeulemeester for Serax
Belgian designer and creative virtuoso, Ann Demeulemeester, began her career in European fashion in the 80s, later showing her first eponymous collection in Paris in 1992. She quickly rose to prominence as part of a noteworthy group of Belgian design school graduates collectively known as the “Antwerp 6”, which included the likes of Dries van Noten and later, Martin Margiela. Demeulemeester retired from fashion 6 years ago, and has teamed up with Belgian home fashion company, Serax, for a collection of tableware and lighting, which she debuted at MAISON&OBJET.
The lighting collection is nothing short of magnificent, and amongst the contrasting lines and new media, one can find welcomed allusions to Demeulemeester’s days as a fashion luminary. A lamp featuring sublime porcelain ribbons elegantly suspended from the base offers a nod to ribbons from her fashion collections, and in juxtaposition to the softer lines of this piece, she offers the angular tabletop cube lamp, showcasing an inclination toward tailored minimalism. But the show piece is a remarkable tiered chandelier made up of thousands of hand-painted ombre viscose threads in Demeulemeester’s signature black and white palette. This collection is a breath of fresh air in lighting, and I certainly hope this is the beginning of a long home design career for Ann Demeulemeester.
Trade shows inundate us with a wave of fresh design inspiration, and in the case of MAISON&OBJET, it is a veritable tidal wave. As I continue to digest the many reports coming out of Paris, I am so invigorated by this sneak peak of what the next season of innovation has instore for us. From trends as complex as increased focus on sustainability, to those as simple as an accent color update, we can all take learnings from these shows and apply them to our spaces in real time. I hope that by distilling the broader market down to these 4 key trends, you will feel empowered to explore them in your own homes and design projects.
