Parisian excellence takes center stage in March

Photo: Sofa Eko by Christophe Delcourt © Francis Amiand

One is a master of working with gold leaf, and another sculpts porcelain to perfection…Here, a gallery exhibits the most prominent names in vintage design, and over there, a design maker explores the shapes of the future. Experiencing Maison&Objet In The City means taking an exceptional journey through Paris and through all the best it has to offer today and will continue to offer tomorrow. From the Right Bank to the Left, venues are evenly divided between the two sides of town: 31 on one side of the river, and 31 on the other. On the side of venerable tradition, fans of history will find real treasures in fine craft. Manufactures EMBLEM, for example, on rue de Grenelle, brings together four ancestral fine art maisons, from cabinetmakers Taillardat and Craman-Lagarde, to Vernaz et filles gilders and Emaux de Longwy enamel specialists. For metalwork, head over to Tisserant, artisans in bronze, or to Adam Steiner, for more contemporary styles. In a fairytale setting by Féau, the antique wood-paneling specialist, you’ll discover, live and in person, furniture from design luminaries featured and sold online by The Invisible collection, in partnership with Dedar.

Paris is full of star designers and decorators. Maison&Objet In The City gives you the chance to meet them in their own environments: Atelier Tortil, Charles Zana, India Mahdavi, Charles Tassin, Pierre Gonalons, Chahan Minassian, Christophe Delcourt, Gilles et Boissier, Charlotte Biltgen, Stéphanie Coutas…All of them bring to life the luxurious art of customization that is the essence of French signature style. Atelier Tortil, who work with interior artisans who truly are artists in their own right, is also a living illustration of this. Crisscrossing the city of Paris also means finding material for inspiration: flooring from La Parqueterie nouvelle, floor and wall coverings from Cosentino, a selection of materials and furnishings at Annie Pate, porcelain decorative settings at Atelier Monochrome, chiseled light fixtures at Art et Floritude or Kaia Lighting, and panoramic decorative settings inspired by the 19th century from Ananbô or from young design house Illustre. Diptyque, the masters of interior fragrance, are now launching wallpaper, which is understandable, since their in-house graphic design culture, which already enhances its products, is part of what has made this brand unique. 

The French capital loves a cultural mix. Céline Wright designs lighting made from Japanese washi paper. The Danoise boutique features the biggest names from Nordic lands. La Manufacture, under the creative direction of Luca Nichetto, connects and makes pieces for renowned design figures from around the world. But Paris also contains a whole new generation of design makers who are setting the tone for the contemporary “French touch”: Alki, from the Basque region, Made In Design, The Socialite Family, Made.com, and stone furniture from Livingstone. For an overview of the best in design today, head to the VIA exhibit, “The French design 100”, the one-hundred object and space-design projects that are making a name for France on the international scene. Who ever said that Paris would always be Paris?