MAISON&OBJET
There was plenty to admire at the Maison&Objet aison&Objet design fair in Paris, where the focus f for many was on homewares with a polished yet handcrafted feel.
1 Treasures from the Middle East Marc Dibeh was one of the young Lebanese designers hailed as a rising talent. He showed products like this ‘Camille’ cakestand and furniture pieces made from extreme stone. The cakestand is from a range of everyday products inspired by memories (marcdibeh.com). 2 Colourful weaves There were lots of vibrant, rustic textiles at the fair and a plethora of makers, including Faye Toogood with her new ‘Criss-Cross 1’ blanket designs for Spanish textile company Teixidors. With their natural-hued finish and coloured stitching, the blankets are made from wool that’s been washed to achieve a soft, felt-like finish (fayetoogood.com; teixidors.com). 3 Metal as anything The metallic trend has calmed down a bit but still featured in everything from lighting to bar trolleys and outdoor furniture. Alvar Aalto’s A330S ‘Golden Bell’( 3A) wall light in Brass by Artek is a timeless piece that injects just the right shot of bling (anibou.com.au). The durability of metal makes it a clear winner for outdoor furniture. These Studio Brichet Ziegler-designed ‘Week-End’ pieces for Petite Friture ( 3B) showcase refined forms with a rugged sensibility (petitefriture.com). 4 Time-honoured style The overarching feel of the fair was handcrafted, bespoke and artistic. Dutch designers Stefan Scholten and Carole Baijings showed this serene retro-inspired collection of porcelain vessels and plates in organic shapes (scholtenbaijings.com; livingedge.com.au). 5 La dolce vita Understated luxury was the theme at exclusive Italian homewares marque Giobagnara, where exquisitely crafted pieces – including trays, drinks trolleys, bowls, small boxes and baskets – were displayed. Each is fashioned from leather in a beautiful colour palette by the house’s creative director, Stéphane Parmentier, who formerly worked for Karl Lagerfeld (giobagnara.com). 6 Child’s play Gorgeous pieces for junior style-setters were in abundance at EO, a Danish contemporary design house that had a line-up of designer pieces, among them The Zoo collection featuring ‘Whale’ ( 6A), designed as an homage to textile house Kvadrat’s bestselling fabric Hallingdal 65; and the whimsical yet sturdy Takeshi Sawada-designed ‘Bambi’ stool in faux fur ( 6B; eo.dk; top3.com.au).