DESIGN FOR A WEEK AND BEYOND

Best Of Show

by Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle
16 Mar 2018

Discover the top ten home decoration trends spotted at the January 2018 edition of Maison&Objet furniture fair in Paris

For five days in late January 2018, decoration and design professionals gathered at the Parc des Expositions in Villepinte near Paris for the latest edition of Maison&Objet. A highlight in the calendar to take the pulse of global creation, while offering an excellent panorama of the decor ideas that will shape the spirit of the times throughout the year to come, it was the perfect opportunity to identify future trends and firm favourites for the season. Discover our overview of the new interiors trends for 2018.

  • 1. UNPARALLELED COMFORT ENVELOPES US
  • 2. BRANDS ANSWER THE CALL OF NATURE
  • 3. MINIMALISM REIGNS FOR CLUTTER-FREE SPACES
  • 4. GEOMETRY ADDS VISUAL INTEREST
  • 5. LINES BREAK UP THE MONOTONY OF OUR FURNISHINGS
  • 6. NATURAL MATERIALS BRING US BACK TO BASICS
  • 7. DESIGNERS ARE EMBRACING THE CURVE
  • 8. SHINE IMPOSES ITSELF IN THE HOME
  • 9. GREEN DOMINATES IN 2018
  • 10. WATER WASHES OVER OUR INTERIORS

1. Unparalleled comfort envelopes us

More than ever, this session of Maison&Objet has made us want to sit down, sink in, curl up and rest in a setting that is as comfortable as it is pleasant to look at. Armchairs with voluptuous curves, super-soft couches with rich fabrics and irresistible velvet seats caught our eye. This feel-good trend comes directly from Scandinavia, which understood our need to relax in vast, cocoon-like spaces. We spot this sensuous, warm and reassuring nature at Ligne Roset with Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance’s Sintra sofa, at Gervasoni with Paola Navone’s Inout 629 extra-large outdoor daybed, and at Frato with the luxurious Como bed.

  • 1. UNPARALLELED COMFORT ENVELOPES US
  • 2. BRANDS ANSWER THE CALL OF NATURE
  • 3. MINIMALISM REIGNS FOR CLUTTER-FREE SPACES
  • 4. GEOMETRY ADDS VISUAL INTEREST
  • 5. LINES BREAK UP THE MONOTONY OF OUR FURNISHINGS
  • 6. NATURAL MATERIALS BRING US BACK TO BASICS
  • 7. DESIGNERS ARE EMBRACING THE CURVE
  • 8. SHINE IMPOSES ITSELF IN THE HOME
  • 9. GREEN DOMINATES IN 2018
  • 10. WATER WASHES OVER OUR INTERIORS

2. Brands answer the call of nature

The decorative possibilities of flora and fauna are endless. Having long inspired designers, nature is back in a big way this season. Whether it’s benches imitating rocks, lamps sprouting feathers or floating jellyfish table sculptures, we admire the beauty of nature in objects. The Bosa Fusca lamp in coloured glazed ceramic by Constance Guisset evokes a lion’s mane or a calla lily. Lalique’s Hirondelles crystal collection pays tribute to founder René Lalique’s love of swallows, while the Polar Fluffy Balls seat by AP Collection covers and transforms a restored vintage chair with countless polar bear soft toys.

  • 1. UNPARALLELED COMFORT ENVELOPES US
  • 2. BRANDS ANSWER THE CALL OF NATURE
  • 3. MINIMALISM REIGNS FOR CLUTTER-FREE SPACES
  • 4. GEOMETRY ADDS VISUAL INTEREST
  • 5. LINES BREAK UP THE MONOTONY OF OUR FURNISHINGS
  • 6. NATURAL MATERIALS BRING US BACK TO BASICS
  • 7. DESIGNERS ARE EMBRACING THE CURVE
  • 8. SHINE IMPOSES ITSELF IN THE HOME
  • 9. GREEN DOMINATES IN 2018
  • 10. WATER WASHES OVER OUR INTERIORS

3. Minimalism reigns for clutter-free spaces

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s emblematic phrase “Less is more” still rings true. The quest for ever slimmer or smaller products without ornamentation continues to gain in popularity. Bound up in simplicity, which is incredibly complex and full of difficulties, the idea is to reduce things to their most essential, no more, no less. Zens invites Nendo to design five new collections of tableware, vases, tables, stools and shelves balancing art and practicality. Kohchosai Kosuga’s Plateau trays and potpourri box in bamboo by OEO showcase Japanese functionality with a sober Danish aesthetic, while 1970’s Milan meets Japanese classicism in the Etruscan-inspired hammered iron Mantua table for Hamilton Conte mixing an organic texture with clean lines.

  • 1. UNPARALLELED COMFORT ENVELOPES US
  • 2. BRANDS ANSWER THE CALL OF NATURE
  • 3. MINIMALISM REIGNS FOR CLUTTER-FREE SPACES
  • 4. GEOMETRY ADDS VISUAL INTEREST
  • 5. LINES BREAK UP THE MONOTONY OF OUR FURNISHINGS
  • 6. NATURAL MATERIALS BRING US BACK TO BASICS
  • 7. DESIGNERS ARE EMBRACING THE CURVE
  • 8. SHINE IMPOSES ITSELF IN THE HOME
  • 9. GREEN DOMINATES IN 2018
  • 10. WATER WASHES OVER OUR INTERIORS

4. Geometry adds visual interest

Circles, squares, triangles or polygons. Shapes of all sizes make an appearance whether as the structure, silhouette or pattern, often recurring multiple times in the same product. We observe the trend at Wonderglass with the diamond-shaped, blown-glass Hollow experimental floor sculpture by Dan Yeffet that shapes light as a basic element, and at Seletti with the Tribal Masks mirror designed by Marcantonio where fluorescent and pop colours are matched with ancestral forms. DesignHeure showcases the architectural, modular, graphic and customisable Mozaik lighting panel, suspension or contemporary chandelier that structures and dresses the space by Davide Oppizzi, who was inspired by mosaics and geometric shapes.

  • 1. UNPARALLELED COMFORT ENVELOPES US
  • 2. BRANDS ANSWER THE CALL OF NATURE
  • 3. MINIMALISM REIGNS FOR CLUTTER-FREE SPACES
  • 4. GEOMETRY ADDS VISUAL INTEREST
  • 5. LINES BREAK UP THE MONOTONY OF OUR FURNISHINGS
  • 6. NATURAL MATERIALS BRING US BACK TO BASICS
  • 7. DESIGNERS ARE EMBRACING THE CURVE
  • 8. SHINE IMPOSES ITSELF IN THE HOME
  • 9. GREEN DOMINATES IN 2018
  • 10. WATER WASHES OVER OUR INTERIORS

5. Lines break up the monotony of our furnishings

Whether radiating outwards in a sunray pattern or running parallel, vertical or horizontal, lines decorate everything from wallpaper and vases to tables and chairs, sometimes on flat objects and other times on circular pieces of furniture. Take for example Harto’s Fanny wall-mounted shelves with front doors covered in rows of straight lines like a fence, Jette Scheib’s Oyster lamp for Forestier resembling a pearl of light housed in a shell composed of thin cords forming graphic lines, and Giobagnara’s Scala collection of stools, tables, nightstands and sideboards with a stacked shape by Stéphane Parmentier.

  • 1. UNPARALLELED COMFORT ENVELOPES US
  • 2. BRANDS ANSWER THE CALL OF NATURE
  • 3. MINIMALISM REIGNS FOR CLUTTER-FREE SPACES
  • 4. GEOMETRY ADDS VISUAL INTEREST
  • 5. LINES BREAK UP THE MONOTONY OF OUR FURNISHINGS
  • 6. NATURAL MATERIALS BRING US BACK TO BASICS
  • 7. DESIGNERS ARE EMBRACING THE CURVE
  • 8. SHINE IMPOSES ITSELF IN THE HOME
  • 9. GREEN DOMINATES IN 2018
  • 10. WATER WASHES OVER OUR INTERIORS

6. Natural materials bring us back to basics

Wood, marble, stone, bamboo, rattan and even paper are placed in the spotlight. Here, the body comes into contact with materials in their pure, raw state. La Chance mixes Pierre Frey's signature upholstery fabrics with six different types of precious marbles on six numbered limited editions of the Ronin chair designed by Emile Lagoni and Werner Valbak. Kensaku Oshiro reworks the proportions and form of the iconic Chiavari chair with the CC01 in cherry wood and Indian cane. Molo uses paper to form modular room dividers, lighting, table and seating elements that use honeycomb geometry to flex, collapse and expand, and can be shaped in any curved or linear formation.

  • 1. UNPARALLELED COMFORT ENVELOPES US
  • 2. BRANDS ANSWER THE CALL OF NATURE
  • 3. MINIMALISM REIGNS FOR CLUTTER-FREE SPACES
  • 4. GEOMETRY ADDS VISUAL INTEREST
  • 5. LINES BREAK UP THE MONOTONY OF OUR FURNISHINGS
  • 6. NATURAL MATERIALS BRING US BACK TO BASICS
  • 7. DESIGNERS ARE EMBRACING THE CURVE
  • 8. SHINE IMPOSES ITSELF IN THE HOME
  • 9. GREEN DOMINATES IN 2018
  • 10. WATER WASHES OVER OUR INTERIORS

7. Designers are embracing the curve

All about organic shapes where spheres, circles, ovals and arcs come into play, contours are getting increasingly softer, curvier and rounder, with many companies proposing sculptural furniture featuring interesting, smooth forms with not an angle in sight. These contemporary creations are transforming our interiors into warm, inviting sanctuaries. Maison Dada introduces the Ayi armchair with ultra-feminine curves, Zaha Hadid Design continues to produce pieces with fluid lines and subtle geometries with its Aqua platter, and Vista Alegre collaborates with Ross Lovegrove on the organic, futuristic Nervi lamp in translucent porcelain that evokes a piece of contemporary art.

  • 1. UNPARALLELED COMFORT ENVELOPES US
  • 2. BRANDS ANSWER THE CALL OF NATURE
  • 3. MINIMALISM REIGNS FOR CLUTTER-FREE SPACES
  • 4. GEOMETRY ADDS VISUAL INTEREST
  • 5. LINES BREAK UP THE MONOTONY OF OUR FURNISHINGS
  • 6. NATURAL MATERIALS BRING US BACK TO BASICS
  • 7. DESIGNERS ARE EMBRACING THE CURVE
  • 8. SHINE IMPOSES ITSELF IN THE HOME
  • 9. GREEN DOMINATES IN 2018
  • 10. WATER WASHES OVER OUR INTERIORS

8. Shine imposes itself in the home

In our ego-based society, we are like the Greek mythological figure Narcissus, who stared at his own reflection in a pool and fell in love with it. Mirrors are popping up everywhere, as are glints of metal and other reflective surfaces, in which we can admire ourselves and the surrounding environment at any time of day. Nude presents Sebastian Herkner’s Beret collection of silky-looking brass lids that cover tinted glass vessels. Ghidini 1961 proposes Le Ninfee decorative coffee tables with satin brass finishing, which resemble floating water lily leaves glistening in the sun. Vondom revisits its iconic Africa, Wall Street and Delta polypropylene chairs designed by Eugeni Quitllet and Jorge Pensi in gold and silver chrome finishes for visual impact, while Alessi launches the shiny Tegamino pan with stainless steel lid by Alessandro Mendini specifically for cooking eggs.

  • 1. UNPARALLELED COMFORT ENVELOPES US
  • 2. BRANDS ANSWER THE CALL OF NATURE
  • 3. MINIMALISM REIGNS FOR CLUTTER-FREE SPACES
  • 4. GEOMETRY ADDS VISUAL INTEREST
  • 5. LINES BREAK UP THE MONOTONY OF OUR FURNISHINGS
  • 6. NATURAL MATERIALS BRING US BACK TO BASICS
  • 7. DESIGNERS ARE EMBRACING THE CURVE
  • 8. SHINE IMPOSES ITSELF IN THE HOME
  • 9. GREEN DOMINATES IN 2018
  • 10. WATER WASHES OVER OUR INTERIORS

9. Green dominates in 2018

In decoration, colours go hand in hand with the dominant styles. Thus, it’s hardly surprising to see that green – ranging from subtle mint green and deep olive green to elegant forest green – has become the new midnight blue this year. It also references our attraction to sustainable living in the search for tiny pockets of greenery in our high-rise cities. Adorning many collections, it shows up as much on small objects as on more imposing pieces of furniture. We find it at Munna with the ultra-feminine haute couture Olympia armchair in duck egg green with brass base, at Cinna with the Paipaï three-seat settee, loveseat and footstool in khaki green by LucidiPevere, and at Baxter with Antonino Sciortino’s Girgenti sofa in dark green Cloister leather made for the outdoors.

  • 1. UNPARALLELED COMFORT ENVELOPES US
  • 2. BRANDS ANSWER THE CALL OF NATURE
  • 3. MINIMALISM REIGNS FOR CLUTTER-FREE SPACES
  • 4. GEOMETRY ADDS VISUAL INTEREST
  • 5. LINES BREAK UP THE MONOTONY OF OUR FURNISHINGS
  • 6. NATURAL MATERIALS BRING US BACK TO BASICS
  • 7. DESIGNERS ARE EMBRACING THE CURVE
  • 8. SHINE IMPOSES ITSELF IN THE HOME
  • 9. GREEN DOMINATES IN 2018
  • 10. WATER WASHES OVER OUR INTERIORS

10. Water washes over our interiors

Fluid, organic shapes remind us of bodies of water, ranging from seas and oceans to streams and ponds. Collections are inspired by the way water falls and flows over surfaces, riverbed stones and even drops of water, creating an aesthetic synonymous with undulation and endless movement. We like Verreum’s Drops vases in silvered glass by Arik Levy resembling liquid mercury, Lasvit’s Frozen pendant lamps by Maxim Velcovsky echoing water frozen in time, and Serip’s Waterfall chandeliers representing the untamed motion of water.