Top favourites finds at M&O 19 and where you can find them

Hello!

This post is a high level, kind-of personal diary approach to my first visit as a blogger to the gigantesque tradeshow called Maison & Objet, January Edition where I spend a few hours on Friday 19th January 2019.

What is Maison & Objet?

The objective of Maison & Objet, if you have never heard of the show, is for Manufacturers, Design Studios, Product Designers in the Interior Sector to show their new or upcoming collections, or their flagship collections to trade visitors: Interior Designers, Retailers, Online Retailers, etc. It is also an opportunity for Press and Bloggers to get inspired by new home trends and products that will come available in the near future and of course for all to network.

I previously went to ISE Frankfurt in 2017 which focuses on everything Bathrooms as an exhibitor staff, but this is my first international professional Homeware show. You may ask: How international is it? Well, it is BLOODY international. On a total of 2912 exhibitors; 62% of the exhibitors were foreign brands (understand: not French). The split was a bit uneven but definitely a big European presence with brands from Denmark (91), Sweden (38), UK (176 exhibitors!), Italy (312), Germany(163), Netherlands(147), Portugal (107) but also Japan, Hong Kong, USA, etc.

Personal Side note

A side note is I grew up in France so cannot say that going to this show was too exotic to attend, I am used to going to Paris every other month, and this weekend I was in Paris for personal reasons and had the day off and an extremely early Eurostar (one of those snap tickets where they send you the travel time 48 hours before travelling) and nothing really planned until the late afternoon.

Doubts

I was uncertain to attend because I have the imposter syndrome and had this little voice going “why would you go, no one cares, perhaps next year or in 5 years…” and then I thought “Yes, that is true perhaps no one cares (lol) but I am going because I am passionate about Interiors and because why not!” So glad I went! I saw many products and inspiration and I could naturally feel attracted to some styles and less to others. It is true I did not chit chat in the press room with bloggers and brands (way too early for me to be anywhere comfortable in doing that), but I spotted a few favourites which I shared in my Instagram stories and got some positive feedback and therefore decided to list them in a blog post as well.

So regarding “trends”, I am not big on them because a lot like fashion they come and go and I believe in making more long-lasting choices, especially how I invest in quality, craftsmanship, and timeless pieces. I am however realistic that this can’t always be the case mostly down to budget.

Location and Size

Coming back on the tradeshow. It takes place in Villepinte about 30min north on the train from central Paris (as an ex-Parisian person, yes I complained about it), but once I got there I understood why. The place is HUGE - think London Excel venue. I walked in total that day a whopping 18km (proof is the screenshot of my health app from my phone) and even though I have not seen everything and probably there are many other noteworthy products and brands I missed, I think I saw enough for the first show.

I have seen a lot of Portuguese brands but I have hardly read about them in the popular French, or UK Interior magazines but perhaps I have not looked in the right place? Some products are it is true, Oh so luxurious and fun like Munna. I really want to write a blog post about them. Perhaps the reason of the high number of Portuguese brands which do lie in the centuries-old heritage of craftsmanship using noble materials like wood, granite and textile may also be because there aren’t tradeshow of this dimension and footfall traffic in Portugal and therefore they have to do foreign exhibitions to get their name out there, potential customers looking for quality products visiting those big shows.

Anyway without further ado, here are a few pieces, brands and collections which I was drawn to from my first visit.

Sprouting vases

Vase, Sapa Grey by House Doctor

Geometric Pendant Lights, Vases, Candleholders

The pendant exists in two sizes S Ø56cm, and L Ø100cm. Image Credit: Forestier.fr

Faces Details to be used as wall decoration

Velvet Sofas and Chairs

I had a bit of a crush for the ENOstudio stand. They have introduced several new products during the show that are part of their SS19 collection to be launch in April 2019. See below. This picture was taken by me with my mobile phone without natural light so it is not the best but do visit the links if you want to see more pictures.

Rattan

Linen

Linen, Cotton Pillow Case by House Doctor

Brutalism inspired Coffee Table

Silk Flowers

If you can think about a plant, Silk-Ka probably has a silk version of it. Image credit: silk-ka.com

Marble table

Hope you enjoyed this blog post! Do you have a favourite?

Marlene

Image credits: If not mentioned in the caption, the picture credits belong to the respective brand owners. I added a link for every picture.