My Review of the Maison & Objet Fair in Paris
It was the first time for me visiting the interior design fair in Paris this year and this is my honest summary of it. And yes, I will also be sharing things I saw and trends I identified from all the brands and products!
For those of you who don’t know what the Maison & Objet is, here is what you need to know: For anyone working in the field of interior design/architecture, there are basically 3 big design fairs in the year (in Europe, in my opinion. Of course, there are other design fairs too but these are the ones I find the most dominant and most important, also from what I hear from partner brands and exhibitors).
The three most important interior design fairs
The three most important design fairs are:
- Maison & Objet in Paris (happening twice a year but everyone I know usually goes right at the beginning of the year, in January. The second time is in August/September),
- Salone del Mobile in Milan in spring (usually April),
- 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen in late spring/early summer (usually June)
While there are other fairs too, such as in London (London Design Week), Cologne (IMM), and Munich (BAU), the three above are my personal favorites when it comes to interior design. Why? Because they offer great insights into interior design, furniture, and also decor items in great design cities and fantastic atmospheres. However, if you are more into the renovation/building aspect of design, then the fair in Munich, which centers around the building aspect, is perfect for you. But for my personal use, the other ones are better (particularly for their visual appeal ;)).
Both in Paris and Milan, the interior design fairs happen in the city centre AND on the fair grounds located at the outskirts of the city, while in Copenhagen, it basically is a 3 day design celebration across the city, where showrooms and design companies open their showrooms and stores to the public, showing how they work, their products, and their incredibly designed spaces.
What’s the best interior design fair?
Overall, I would say my favourite design fair is 3daysofdesign, as it is such a relaxed atmosphere and easy to get around in the stunning city. Furthermore, everyone is so laid back and super kind, truly making it a one-of-a-kind experience. Furthermore, experiencing the behind-the-scenes of design firms is truly special too, and the offices and showrooms are extremely beautiful to view. Additionally, there are many programs (accessible through the app) with events, talks, and parties where you can enter. The other design fairs are more “business” like, with lots of business talks, meetings, and just the general feeling of fairs. Lots of walking, lots of impressions, and a little bit of chaos too, haha.
Furthermore, I figured there are a few differences between the design fairs, which might be important if you are ever considering of going there: At the Maison & Objet, I met a lot of suppliers and also brands who order their stuff directly at the firm. This also means that there are LOTS of items on display, which kind of makes it overwhelming. And yes, the design firm in Paris is MASSIVE.
In Milan, I feel like the focus is more on larger furniture pieces and overall interior design brands instead of smaller decor items such as shown at the Maison & Objet. However, at least from my experience, Milan is faaaar more packed than the fair in Paris. Lastly, Copenhagen is a very laid back interior design firm which is not the typical firm, it’s actually more a celebration of design. Here, the focus is more on actually experiencing brands, having events with them, and just seeing how they work in a very family-like atmosphere.
This year’s Maison & Objet in Paris
I’ve only been in Paris for around 48h and let me tell you, these were intense. I walked over 46 km in 32h and over 56 km in the 3-ish days I was there. On my first day alone I walked 30 km, so make sure you pack a good pair of shoes 😛
I started off the design fair in Paris in the city centre, visiting multiple showrooms and partner brands, including Rubelli, Molteni & C, and one of my longest partner brands: Noel & Marquet, my supplier for wall mouldings and wall panels. Together with them, we celebrated their first ever stand at the Maison & Objet, and it was a huge success!
Across the city, you’ll find many stores participating, all marked with a sign in front of them, making it super easy for you to identify which showrooms to look at. And if you should miss a sign, you usually see a showroom packed with people anyways 😉 At Place Saint-Sulpice there was a full tent prepared for brands located (mostly) around wall design, including Noel & Marquet for wall mouldings, and brands for wallpaper designs. A great place for you to discover unique brands and products at first hand, and as far as I know you can access even without being a designer.
During my second day I went to the design firm at Paris Nord Villepinte to discover an even larger selection of products and suppliers at a smaller space. I didn’t know what to expect but probably expected something similar to the Salone del Mobile in Milan, which it totally wasn’t! Why? Well, because – as the name already says – the Maison & Objet (translates into Home & Objects) features a lot of items dedicated to homes, including objects. Having said that, I found the design fair quite overwhelming, actually, with not only furniture but also SO SO SO much decor items! From clothes (?) to Christmas decor, to outdoor furniture, indoor games, tiles, fans, vases, candles & home fragrances to lamps and ceramics: You’ll find anything you need there.
… and if you groove into the mood and the massive amount of stands and items, I’m sure you’ll have a great time. However, it definitely is of advantage if you know what you’re looking for and if you can quickly scan items to identify and quickly select if it’s interesting for you or not. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck at the fair forever.
What were the things I saw at this year’s design firm?
Overall, of course, there are many different design styles, so there is not really a single trend that can be identified. However, depending on your design style and choice, I can bundle the following aspects I saw that will be trendy for 2025:
- Gentle colors: a lot of pastel tones were included, as well as lovely motives (e.g. on rugs, pillow cases, wallpapers)
- Texture & nice surfaces: I definitely saw a lot of nice textures! Whether it was in rugs, decor items, lamps, cupboards- nice materials were a big part of it!
- Natural materials: Clay, wool, mohair, linen, stone, wood, and so much more. Love this!
- Organic shapes, unique solutions
- Vintage, antique items: embracing the imperfections. I found some incredible suppliers for old wooden items, chairs, tables, and more
Overall, I think there are some great items and trends coming up in 2025! With what I’ve seen, the focus was definitely on working with textures and unique items, which I think will surely not get out of trend so fast. Particularly vintage items, unique shapes, high quality surfaces, and natural materials are long-lasting, soothing spaces, and surely not becoming a bore quickly. I totally think some of these things are here to stay!
Let’s look at some impressions …
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