Our experience with Maison & Objet overlapped with the Deco-Off design showcase project. Scattered around Paris, showrooms and boutiques threw open their doors to show off their fabrics, books, furniture and other home products. Sprinting around the meandering streets of the city was both exciting and daunting, even for New Yorkers like us.
At one point, frustrated trying to locate an address, we came upon mode…information, an incredibly well-stocked design bookstore near the Palais-Royal (modeinfo.fr) whose owner helped guide us to Pierre Frey, Brunschwig & Fils, Christian Fischbacher, Stark, Jim Thompson, where nonstop receptions turned into heavy partying that Saturday evening until midnight. Many of the houses also had booths at the trade show outside of Paris, but it was more fun to see their presentations in an urban setting.
At Dedar Milano (dedar.com), on the Left Bank, a veritable fabric fest was underway during a breakfast presentation one morning. Mood boards lining the walls of the front area and upholstered furniture indicated that several colorways were at play here. Browns, neutrals and neons are part of the mix for spring and summer and are cleverly woven into patterns for wall coverings and fabric with names like Omega (transparent organza and cord), Accademia (multicolored fabric with repp weave and taffeta stripes) and Suduko (embossed, chromatic color blocks in couture colors), making it almost impossible to repress a desire to re-do one’s apartment or residence.