Maison&Objet closes under the sign of growth

The Maison&Objet fair, the first important design event of the year held in Paris from 18 to 22 January, closes an edition marked by growth and success.

On the exhibitor side, the exhibition has made a strong effort to renew its offerings: a 9% increase in the total number of exhibitors compared to January 2023, with 2,516 brands, of which more than 60% are international and 30% of new brands or exhibiting again on the fair.

In response to this enhanced, attractive offer, the number of visitors was up by 5%. This session's growth was driven more by visitors from France (+9%) and significant export markets (+25%), with the United States up by 8% and Asia up by 83%, driven by Japan, up by 52%, India, up by 18% and the return of China. By contrast, Europe, down 9%, is suffering from a complex economic situation, partly due to inflation.

The growth in visitor numbers, particularly specifiers, is a sign of the upmarket nature of the show's offering, which has been reorganized into clear, coherent categories – including WHAT'S NEW? In Decor; WHAT'S NEW? In Retail and the Hospitality Lab - has given visitors a clearer picture of the full range of creative and business solutions on offer in all the halls. The big participation of interior designers and decorators underlines Maison&Objet's increased desirability, enabling the show to reaffirm the essential dimension of this international event for all decor, design, and lifestyle professionals looking for inspiration, curation, new products, and solutions to ensure the success of their projects.

A high-end, forward-looking offer in the decor market

Conceived as a dedicated showcase for upscale decor, Hall 7 and its Signature universe welcomed two flagship installations from the exhibition at each entrance, engaging in a dialogue of heritage, poetry, and exploration.

It first presented "Alchemy", an immersive and unprecedented installation by Baccarat. This crystal Maison, recognised worldwide as a flagship for French craftsmanship, took advantage of its return to celebrate its 260th anniversary at the exhibition.

Echoing, on the other side of the journey, a second highlight through the unique scenography by Maison&Objet's 2024 Designer of the Year, Mathieu Lehanneur. This designer of the Olympic flame also unveiled exclusively for Maison&Objet his visionary and dreamlike installation "Outonomy" in an already- iconic yellow monochrome.

In her "WHAT'S NEW? In Decor", entitled "About new territories", Elizabeth Leriche offered, in line with the year's theme, TECH EDEN, a dive into dreamlike and mysterious nature marked by bold, sophisticated patterns and strong colours. It’s a reconciliation between technology and nature, projecting an Eden onto interior design projects.

Alongside these prominent names, Maison&Objet also showcased the new vanguard of design through various programmes:

• The Rising Talent Awards, with seven young international talents interpreting the TECH EDEN theme of the season with pieces that combine "high tech and savoirfaire," blending an excellence of gesture with technological innovation, especially for this special thirtieth edition of the fair.
• The Future On Stage launching pad, Maison&Objet's incubator program dedicated to young brands, allowing them to participate in the exhibition. Three award-winning brands, deeply involved in ethical approaches, presented products and materials that are recycled, recyclable, and aesthetically inspiring.
• Finally, The Maison&Objet Factory, a selection made from the finest pieces from Paris Design Week Factory presented last September.

The Hospitality market: a future-focused reflection on a promising sector

At the heart of Hall 6, creative strategy agency Peclers Paris staged 'INSPIRE ME!', an immersive and multisensory installation to embody the TECH EDEN theme. On the other hand, REV Architecture studio designed the showcase for the Hospitality Lab space, a tangible, inspired, and bold embodiment of the hybridization of hospitality spaces, creating a bridge between hotel lobbies and luxury flagships.

Retail highlights

“WHAT’S NEW? In Retail”, curated by François Delclaux and BETC DESIGN, offered, for the first time, a range of products and solutions to help enliven, design, and develop retail spaces. With a targeted coaching workshops program for the retail market featuring international experts addressing specific and practical business issues, retailers could interact, question, and learn the best business practices to grow their activities. The Well-being & Beauty sector, launched in September 2023, was positioned at the heart of the retail offering to encourage product diversification and offer customers experiences in addition to more categorized or seasonal products.

Talks program

Great success also for the: visitors had the chance to see a highly inspiring international cast on the same stage, including Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Ramdane Touhami, Martin Brudnizki, Charles de Vilmorin, Andrea Trimarchi (Formafantasma), and Nelly Rodi, a loyal friend of Maison&Objet for thirty years now.