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The Best of Maison et Objet 2019

In a sprawling exhibition in Villepinte, 2910 brands presented their creations at this year’s Maison et Objet (January 18-22). This year’s exhibition was divided into “Maison” and “Objet” in separate sections to make the visitor experience more intuitive. From blue parrots to hourglass sand portraits to sinks that resemble Portuguese valleys, we bring you our picks from the fair.

Photo by Cullen Fairchild

Photo by Cullen Fairchild

MOLO, led by Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen, is a company that does it all. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, their practice integrates architecture, craft and product design to produce coherent spaces made by the same basic models. The allure of Molo is in how much they’ve been able to invent with one concept. The company’s signature paper softwalls move and expand with your needs, but the same flexible material is also integrated into furniture pieces and lighting fixtures.

Photo by Cullen Fairchild

Walking through the Domani exhibition is like walking through an ethereal valley composed of perfectly shaped vases and angular rocks. At Domani, industrial meets the craft of pottery. Their larger-than-life outdoor pots are made by high-grade terracotta and zinc and baked using a Japanese method known as Raku. The finish on these reminds me of the moon: it’s actually caused by glaze that has been chipped off the pot, leaving an artful pattern of smoke lines on the clay that remain after the burning.

Photo by Cullen Fairchild

Photo by Cullen Fairchild

If you’re looking for a statement piece for your home, something that your friends will crowd over at a party to talk about, try Lladró’s luxury porcelains. Don’t let the “luxury” of it throw you off; they’re more art than ornamentation, and they’re a visual delight. The alien-like models adorning the wall are “Guest” figurines as part of their “Designed by” collection; external artists such as artist Tim Biskup, Gary Baseman, Jaime Hayou and Paul Smith collaborated with the brand to inject these figurines with their own trademark styles.

Photo by Cullen Fairchild

Maison Valentina was the standout in bathroom furnishings. The design of this vessel sink above, was inspired by the shape of the fields in Duoro Valley, Portugal. The products are made to measure and you can even choose between 3 types of marble: Nero Marquina, Carrara and Estremoz.

Photo by Cullen Fairchild

Each mural and screen produced by Papiers de Paris is a masterpiece worthy of a place in a French museum. In fact, they’ve worked with the museum of decorative arts in Paris, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, as well as the Wallpaper museum, Musée du Papier Peint, in Rixheim, France. Their collection of exquisite scenes—1830 Revolution, Eden, In The Countryside, Port of Marseille, Mont Saint Michel, Brasilian Forest—promise to transport you back in time to another milieu.

Photo by Cullen Fairchild

Photo by Cullen Fairchild

Photo by Seletti.

Photo by Amara.

Seletti’s products have an unmistakable, modern eclectic flair—a personality of their own, if you will—that you’ll soon come to identify with their brand. It’s not just the immensely eye-catching nature of their booth. Their products are playful and refreshing, from hybrid patterned plates to mouse, banana and dinosaur lamps.

Seletti’s designers seem to have all the fun with their furniture, decor and contemporary lighting—and they want you to as well!

Astair by Pierre Charpin at Lignet Roset

Confluences by Philippe Nigro at Lignet Roset

Prado by Christian Werner at Lignet Roset

The largest booth of the exhibition belonged to French modern furniture company Lignet Roset. Some of the highlights of this high-end furniture brand’s collection include Astair by Pierre Charpin, Confluences by Philippe Nigro, Prado by Christian Werner, and Uncover by Marie Christine Dorner in a new pale peachy pink.

Photo by Cullen Fairchild

In the “Unique and Eclectic” section of the exhibition, Austrian artist Klaus Bösch or KB the Sandman presented his creative, custom made sand hourglass frames which he calls “moving sand art.” Sand drips in streams and waves to the bottom of the frame in real time, forming cloudy poufs and valleys and intricately layered mountain scapes, each one unique. The rounded wall mounts can be rotated when complete, so the landscapes you can form with this are endless.

Photo by Cullen Fairchild

Designer of the Year this year went to 37-year-old German furniture designer Sebastian Herkner, who we profiled in 2015. An internship with Stella McCartney started his interest in design and form; he’s since established his own studio and worked with brands from Moroso to Dedon, Thonet and Lintello.

On their choice of Designer of the Year, Maison et Objet released a statement praising Herker for “an unconditional love for traditional craftsmanship, a flair for colour, an eagerness to embrace everything global and to draw on other cultures, an appetite for traditional materials (ceramics, wood, marble and leather), a desire to encompass sustainability, a keen eye for detail, [and] a sense of respect for the time it takes to create a truly stunning piece.”

Keshia grew up in Singapore and moved to the U.S. to attend Dartmouth College. When she was living abroad after graduation, a chance enrollment at the Architectural Association Visiting School led to her becoming enamored with door schedules and architectural écriture. She's particularly interested in design for aging, rural architecture, and Asian design heritage.