All the Highlights From Paris Déco Off and Maison&Objet
PARIS — It was a week of celebrations and breakthroughs for showrooms and boutiques that gravitated toward Paris’ 6th arrondissement and along the banks of the Seine. More than 200 brands participated in the coinciding events Paris Déco Off and Maison&Objet in The City that kicked off on Jan. 15 and closed here Monday.
New materials, unexpected design principles and the pursuit of new signature designs were just a few of the drivers that wove together the ecosystem of decorators, interior designers, galleries and craftspeople that define Paris’ design industry.
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India Mahdavi’s Bishop Chair Turns 25
“If I designed a bar stool, it’s because I was looking for something that didn’t exist, a sculptural stool…that would resemble a chess game,” Iranian French architect and designer India Mahdavi said of her signature design developed back in 1999.
Named after one of chess’ most powerful pieces, the Bishop has endured as a pedestal table and chair and is available now in 20 colors for indoor and outdoor use. The retrospective “Project Room #17, Bishop: 25 Years” showcases the design’s evolution over the years, from its start as the Baby Bishop stool to its transformation into the Cocktail table. Over its 25-year history, the design has received worldwide acclaim. The Bishop Or version is currently housed at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, while the Bishop Primadonna model is housed at the Centre Georges Pompidou.
Gilles & Boissier’s Theatrical Scenery
French architecture and interior design agency Gilles & Boissier, which is known for luxury projects ranging from Moncler stores to Hakkasan restaurants and New York’s Baccarat Hotel, celebrated two decades in the business during this winter design season. At its showroom apartment on 2 Avenue Montaigne, the duo created an immersive experience celebrating its most iconic pieces.
Led by the husband-and-wife duo Patrick Gilles and Dorothée Boissier, the studio transformed its showroom-apartment into an immersive, almost cinematic experience. Its Déméter table was hung like a work of art and in dialogue with the firm’s Circé chair, emerging from a frame, offering a mesmerizing display of perspectives and trompe-l’œil.
.Philippe Starck Fetes 30 Years With Cassina
Prolific French industrial architect and designer Philippe Starck celebrated three decades of collaboration with upscale Italian furnishing firm Cassina. Starck gave a talk on design at Cassina’s Rive Gauche store on 236 Boulevard Saint-Germain, where his installation “Somewhere Else” – originally imagined for Milan Design Week last April — was again on display.
“’Somewhere Else’ was born one day when my wife and I were traveling. We were waiting for the train from Paris to Venice and, on the platform. My wife, who is always naturally very elegant, sat down on an old leather suitcase that belonged to her mother. This image struck me,” he told WWD.
With the suitcase as the starting point, the selection includes the Volage Ex-S Night Wood bed with a headboard complimented by side tables, storage and lighting and sleek seating with trim and accents that conjure the world of leather goods and accessories.
“We want things around us that speak to us, that makes us dream, that takes us somewhere else or elsewhere. I am personally particularly touched and amused by the concept of speaking objects, because I don’t speak to anybody and now it is furniture, or a suitcase in that case, that spoke to me,” he added.
Bugatti’s Paris Debut
Bugatti Home was presented for the first time in Paris between Jan. 16 and Monday. Produced and distributed by Luxury Living Group, and inspired by the values of the iconic Bugatti car business founded in 1909, the collection took center stage with an exclusive showcase at Avenue George V. At the heart of a three-level exhibition space was one of its most exclusive car models, a vintage La Voiture Noire, tied together with pieces inspired by ‘70s Dadaist designs and more traditional ones that combine natural materials with technological ones: among them, European open-pore oak, glass, metal elements and metallic lacquer.
Holly Hunt’s Fashionable Display
Holly Hunt, which makes indoor and outdoor furniture designs, lighting, rugs, textiles and leathers and is owned by MillerKnoll, unfurled its spring 2025 collection in a gilded, mirror-lined hall of Hôtel de Crillon. A tribute to the delicate beauty of feathers and the thrill of flight, the firm’s creative directors churned out a collection of indoor and outdoor materials that transcended the worlds of design and fashion. Spring fabrics included Les Plumes (the feathers) in warm and cool shades and more whimsical, delicate ones like Marabou. The luxurious nature of its yarns and refined textures were further highlighted by complimentary fashions that were modeled for its VIP guests.
Thierry Lemaire Debuts First Resin Designs
At his gallery in the center of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Thierry Lemaire, who also designs for Fendi Casa, expressed his enthusiasm when showcasing his resin designs for the first time. “The color is incredible,” he said of the natural reflective nature of the material.
His brutalist and sophisticated designs were combined with the roughness of raw solid teak and fractal resin in shades of deep amber and intense black. Two complimentary stools standing side by side fold into what appears like two puzzle pieces that almost fit together. Likewise, the Gam coffee table, made in teak with a matte varnish, was fashioned in a yin and yang of parts that don’t quite fit into one another. “I should probably explore why I make things this way,” the designer joked.
Tai Ping Sister Brand Edward Fields
George Nakashima Editions for Tai Ping’s sister brand Edward Fields was influenced by never-produced prototype designs that Nakashima’s son found in 2015. A short film focused on the relationship between Nakashima and Fields, who was well known in the midcentury design circuit for his bespoke carpets. The two designers worked together in the late 1950s. At the Tai Ping showroom, in a showcase curated by Paris-based interior designer Emilie Bonaventure, rugs and tapestries were showcased alongside iconic Nakashima furniture pieces. Rugs like Conoid and Dark Moon originated from Nakashima’s hand-drawn sketches, translated into works of art through Tai Ping’s artful craftsmanship.
Christofle x Mathias Kiss
The silversmith founded by Charles Christofle in 1830 says it has always sought out the talents of its era — collaborating with Gio Ponti after World War II on silverware pieces, and Andrée Putman on jewelry at the turn of the millennium. This season, the French heritage company teamed with artist Mathias Kiss for his perspective on dynamic, modern table settings. Kiss, who also created an installation for French jeweler Bucheron in 2015, carefully architected an array of decorative elements that easily come together in a bold array or can stand alone. The candelabras are perfect for a mantelpiece, while the smaller candleholders are fitting for a coffee table or a shelf. “The possibilities are endless, encouraging everyone to interpret the Perspectives collection according to their desires, needs and creativity. A versatile proposal, a cohesive ensemble,” the firm said.
Baccarat’s Touch of Red
Under the grandiose chandeliers that adorn the Baccarat Paris historic heaquarters, the brand unveiled its Touch of Red line of emblematic pieces enlivened by its signature color — a shade of red that is achieved by the progressive fusion of clear crystal with 24-karat gold powder. “Like the distinctive red tassels on every Baccarat chandelier, Baccarat red is a unique visual signature that captivates the eye and embellishes the maison’s creations,” the company said. It’s an extension of its 260-year celebrations that kicked off in November, when the brand launched into products made of wax, porcelain, lacquer and leather and aimed at Gen Z with perfume and heart-shaped crystal objects.
Marta Sala Fetes 10 Years
Born, raised and educated under the guidance of her uncle, legendary architect Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Marta Sala, founder of Marta Sala editions, celebrated 10 years in the private setting of her atelier apartment on rue Jacob. Guests had a glimpse at new designs like the Velasquez coffee table made with Canaletto walnut created by Swiss studio Herzog & de Meuron for the Les Trois Rois hotel in Basel, Switzerland. During Milan Design Week in April, the exhibition will continue at the Museo Bagatti Valsecchi with a showcase curated by Federica Sala.
Molteni&C Welcomes Elisa Ossino
At its Paris space, Molteni&C introduced its latest outdoor design, welcoming a new designer to its roster that already includes Flemish visionary Vincent Van Duysen and Canadian, New York-based duo George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg. Elisa Ossino is a Sicilian designer who studied at Milan’s Polytechnic University and founded her studio in 2006. This season she created the Pantalica outdoor concept for the Italian firm. The name is inspired by the UNESCO World Heritage Site in southeastern Sicily and features sculptural accents that echo archaic forms.
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