COMPILED BY Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Anne-Emmanuelle Thion; Felix dol maillot; Celia Spenard-Ko; Supplied

Sur/Reality – the theme of this year’s Maison&Objet – addressed our newfound appetite for the strange and the surprising through the lens of Surrealism. From January 16 to 20, the first edition of this year’s programme featured seven halls with over 2 000 exhibitors showcasing the latest trends in decor, design and lifestyle.

VISI contributor Annemarie Meintjes visited the City of Light to discover the latest inspiring finds in the design world. Here’s what caught her eye at this year’s showcase.

What’s New? In Decor

The What’s New? In Decor installation was carefully curated by trend expert Elizabeth Leriche, who invited attendees to experience the Sur/Reality theme by walking through a sprawling floor labyrinth into a ‘cabinet’ of decor curiosities. Her Room of Dreams, which paid homage to André Breton, emphasised the importance of imagination, and her Fantastic Forest provided a much-needed connection to nature and its myriad mysteries. | elizabeth-leriche.fr

What’s New? In Hospitality

Architect and designer Julien Sebban crafted Hotel Uchronia – a 200-square-meter time-warped space with a colourful, dream-like interior. Ensconced within the fabric walls of this imaginative ‘hotel’ were a hyper-styled master bedroom, a bathroom as a work of art, a reimagined fitness room, a living garden, a mysterious smoking lounge, and a rejuvenating spa. | uchronia.fr/en

Klevering

The Dutch brand is known for its playful lifestyle products. Among their standout pieces showcased at Maison&Objet were the charming apple-themed plates from a collaboration with renowned designer Hal Haines. | klevering.com

Yama-Biko

Yama-Biko, a Japanese brand, showcased its exquisite handwoven baskets crafted from wild vines harvested in the forests of Japan. The level of craftsmanship and design is exceptional, offering a rare combination of quality and artistry that’s seldom seen. | yama-biko-basket.com

valerie_objects

Maarten Baas is renowned for his playful objects that evoke the imperfection of the human hand, and his new tableware collection with valerie_objects is no different. Each plate in the Inner Circles collection represents a unique interpretation of imperfect circles, which Baas created by drawing them by hand. | valerie-objects.com

CIMENTO

CIMENTO is a groundbreaking cement compound that can be applied to various substrates, including tiles and more. With Patricia Urquiola as creative director, the brand is pushing the boundaries of material innovation, blending functionality with cutting-edge design. | cimento.tech

Ferroluce

Ferroluce stood out with their vibrant, inspiring stand and equally bold selection of retro-inspired pop light fittings. Their collection drew attention not only for its playful and dynamic aesthetic but also for its craftsmanship, rooted in artisanal traditions. | ferroluce.it

Faye Toogood

British designer Faye Toogood, who we recently featured, was named Maison&Objet Designer of the Year 2025. She presented WOMANIFESTO! – a surrealist re-assemblage of her archive, blending past collaborations with site-specific ephemeral artworks. It’s a deeply personal exploration of inhabiting a changing female body, redefining beauty, and embracing new perspectives. She also gave an inspiring talk where she shared her inspirations and insights on how to silence the (digital) noise. | fayetoogood.com

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Local planter brand Indigenus has launched its new Pebble range by Yabu Pushelberg at the Maison & Objet show in Paris.

Founded by Peter van der Post in 2014, the brand is well known for its bespoke planters and global collaborations with renowned designers. With a passion for making planters that last more than just a season, the study well-designed pieces are created with longevity in mind, while being aesthetically pleasing in the home, restaurant or office space.

“Each range of planters is unique and illustrates the impact that beautiful sculptural planters have on architecture and landscapes,” the website explains. “The planters close connection to the earth is expressed through a stable and grounded design, made with beautiful natural materials and evoking an underlying story of our relationship with the natural world.”

The new Pebble Collection by American-based design studio Yabu Pushelberg embodies all the key elements of the Indigenus brand. Characterised by a soft organic form, the range is suitable for any style and environment. The Pebble follows an asymmetrical design, playing on negative space. “Inspired by nature, the partnership between Yabu Pushelberg and Indigenus sought to honour this muse by celebrating the amorphous forms found in nature, translating the soft forms into a family of concrete planters,” they elaborate. Although large, the pebble can either add a statement element or blend subtly with the surroundings – complimenting natural landscapes. Designed to stand together or independently, the Pebble planters have been crafted to support larger plants and trees.

READ MORE: Inspired by Africa: Indigenus’ Aarde Collection

Launched at the esteemed Maison & Objet show in Paris, the team worked hard to create a stand that showcased the simplistic beauty of the planter. The stand, designed by Sebastian Herkner, was designed to provide a soothing backdrop to Indigenus’ range of planters The sanctuary-like space was built and planned to have a calm meditative effect.

For more information, visit indigenus.co.za.

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The international design community is sitting up and taking notice of Africa’s design talent.

Maison & Objet, the trade fair held twice a year in Paris, is where trend-spotters go to see what the key names are doing in design. At the September 2016 fair, the work of 11 African brands was showcased by Design Network Africa, a programme funded by the Danish Centre for Culture and Development and coordinated by Source, a local agency that promotes African design internationally. A number of countries were represented, including Kenya, Ghana, Mali and Zimbabwe, and the works spanned disciplines.

AAKS

Founded by Akosua Afriyie-Kumi, AAKS produces luxurious raffia bags handmade by a women’s cooperative in Bolgatanga, northern Ghana, using age-old craft traditions seldom seen beyond Ghana’s borders.

DIALLO DESIGNS

Malian Cheick Diallo trained as an architect and designer in France before establishing a studio in his home city of Bamako. His team of artisans manufacture products from everyday detritus such as bottle tops, fishing nets and old tyres.

DJIGUIYASO COOPERATIVE

This Bamako-based cooperative provides work for more than 100 women in Mali’s textile industry. They use traditional bogolan cloth tie-dyed with indigo and produce cushions, bedspreads, curtains, dresses, handbags, tablecloths, throws and scarves.

ADÈLE DEJAK

Adèle Dejak is a Kenyan fashion designer known for her focus on the strong contemporary African woman, a design aesthetic that is reflected in her sculptural fashion accessories in gold, bone, ostrich shell and traditional cloth. She has collaborated on projects with Italian design house Ferragamo.

MUTAPO POTTERY

Marjorie Wallace is a ceramicist who graduated from UCT’s Michaelis School of Fine Art and is based in Zimbabwe. She produces fine porcelain objects inspired by traditional basket-making.

STUDIO HAMED OUATTARA

Founded by designer Hamed Ouattara and based in Burkina Faso, a country where power outages are the norm and equipment is difficult to procure, this furniture-design studio makes all hinges, nails and tools necessary for each piece.

NDOMO

Founded by designer Boubacar Doumbia, the Ndomo textile workshop specialises in natural fabric-staining and -dyeing techniques such as bogolan mud cloth.

NULANGEE

Senegal-based Nulangee’s sculpted designs come in various forms, including tables with fragile bowed legs and moulded, plaited leather chairs, with a mysterious West African sensuality.

TEKURA

This Ghanaian brand, founded by Kweku and Josephine Forson, is known for contemporary interpretations of legendary Ashanti and Fanti cultural artistry.

SKY DÉCOR

Founded by childhood friends Khan Key and Samuel Omondi, Sky Decor focuses on handcrafted high-quality household and office furniture, art and decor. They use specialised metal- and wood-working techniques, and incorporate aircraft parts in their work.

UGANDA CRAFTS

Run by Lillian Semigga, Uganda Crafts works with women’s groups throughout the country to produce baskets woven with sustainable banana and raffia fibres.

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How proud we are here at VISI HQ that South African design is continuing to make its mark on the international scene. Here is our showcase of only a few of the exhibitors who took part in Maison&Objet Paris in September.

Evolution Product

Swerving Savannahs, a range that celebrates all 847 plant species in the southern African grasslands, is one of two ranges shown in Paris by Amanda du Plessis and her company Evolution Product. This blue botanical print art panel (150 x 300 cm) is made of 100 % linen.

minima

Jacques Cronje, founder and product designer at bespoke timber lighting and furniture company minima, is known for his sophisticated Scandi-style designs. The products are lightweight and come flat-packed, and they clip together like puzzle pieces. The minima 2016/17 range of timber-ribbed ceiling lights, including the Lucent light featured here, were launched at Maison&Objet Paris.

Indigi Designs

Designer Natalie du Toit’s Facet glass-topped coffee table, part of Indigi Designs’ Geometric Facet range, is made of epoxy-coated mild steel with a smoked-glass top.

De Steyl

Furniture designer Deánne Viljoen of De Steyl showed her 2DO Stackable Storage System at Maison&Objet 2016. Created in collaboration with artist Renée Rossouw, the storage system is made of sustainable birch plywood with Renée’s distinctive Liquorice African Candy motif in water-based ink on the front and sides. We love the Yellow Tower on Wheels, pictured here, with its handy casters.

Vogel Designs

The design of the Cape Spring table was inspired by wildflowers blooming in Namaqualand in spring, says designer John Vogel. It is part of a new collection made mainly of factory offcuts and waste timber, including sculptured wall hooks and floating shelves, all designed to be flat-packed. 

Willowlamp

Designer Adam Hoets of Willowlamp took five chandeliers to Maison&Objet Paris, including this striking Protea chandelier in brass.

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At Maison & Objet, the biannual fair in Paris that’s considered to be one of the most important in the world, six emerging French designers are given a platform to present their work to and amongst established professionals from around the world.

This year, as Les Ateliers de Paris, a business incubator, support system and gallery located in Paris turns ten, the six selected “Rising Talents” are either former or current residents of Les Ateliers de Paris.

AC/AL Studio

Established in Paris in 2013, AC/AL is a collaborative studio between Amandine Chhor and Aïssa Logerot. The pair have collaborated since 2009 on artisan development projects in Morocco, Cambodia and Cameroon prior to launching their studio, which focuses on creating furniture that strikes a balance between function, technical performance and shape.

Charlotte Juillard

Juillard joined Les Ateliers de Paris in 2014, launching her own studio after having worked with Benetton’s research and development centre in Treviso, Italy, where she developed various projects. The industrial design graduate has also collaborated with a number of high profile clients, including Monoprix and Ligne Roset. At Maison & Objet, Juillard will show Lavastone, her new collection highlighting the qualities of the lavic stone extracted from quarries in the region around Naples.

Pierre Charrié

Charrié is interested in the way sound, movement and touch engage the user and create possibilities for engagement with objects. His work has won him multiple awards, the most recent of which is the Grand Prize for Creativity by the City of Paris, in the design category. He also recently collaborated with fellow Rising Talent Julien Vermeulen to create a fragrance diffuser that consists of a marble base, a carbon stem, and an ostrich feather. When sprayed with a fragrance, the feather absorbs it, and then releases it as it rocks back and forth.

Studio Monsieur

Founded by Manon Leblanc and Romain Diroux in 2012, Studio Monsieur were the 2015 recipients of the Grand Prize for Creativity by the City of Paris. Their work, which is inspired by the manufacturing process, its tools as well as its movements, spans across lighting and furniture design, as well as exhibition and concert scenography.

Désormeaux/Carrette

Established in 2014, Désormeaux/Carrette Studio is a collaborative effort between two industrial product designers, Nathanaël Désormeaux and Damien Carrette. The pair seeks to use new materials and processes. One of the highlights of their working style being the fashion inspired Dita lamp, which was made from felt offcuts and features a zipper which allows the user to change the direction of the light.

Julien Vermeulen

With a diploma in plumasserie (featherwork) as well as fashion training, Vermeulen has lent his skills to well known names in the couture industry such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, Dior, Louis Vuitton, as well as Valentino. His exhibition at Maison & Objet will present further exploration of feathers as a medium.

Maison & Objet will run from 2 – 6 September 2016 at Paris Nord Villepinte. For more information, visit maison-objet.com.

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The Green Itinerary has been a part of Maison&Objet since 2011 and awards businesses and brands that have included sustainable and environmentally responsible processes and values in their production.

The 12 winners were selected from a panel that includes maisonapart.com, Le Journal De Femmes and Home Magazine as the judges.

The winners were commended for recycling, upcycling, reducing waste and utilising local production.

1. Clémence Cabanes Paris

2. Adeline Affre

3. La Maison Popineau

4. Boboboom

5. Rescued!

6. Série Limitée Louise

7. Couleur Chanvre

8. Gones

9. Eldvarm

10. Limelo Design

11. Aoya

12. Faïencerie Georges

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Maison&Objet has awarded the 2016 Designer of the Year title to Spanish designer Eugeni Quitllet.

His latest designs will be on display at the Maison&Objet 20th anniversary fair, set to take place from 22 to 26 January 2016 in Paris.

Maison&Objet says, “Eugeni creates bestselling objects between drawings and sculptures, mastering fullness and voids to reveal elegant silhouettes hidden in the material. His creative vocabulary surpasses the simple relationship between function and style introducing new objects to the contemporary design scene, always with unwavering enthusiasm.”

Last year saw Japanese design studio, nendo take first place with an innovative chocolate lounge.

Browse the gallery above to view Eugeni’s designs. For more information, visit maison-objet.com.

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Cute spring sneakers, a beautiful flower installation and an origami wall in a Pretoria shopping mall are just some of top VISI picks of the week series – week 98. 

1. teamLab’s Floating Flower Garden at Maison & Objet

Editor-in-chief Sumien Brink loves the vivid colours of this incredible moving installation. It must smell amazing too!

Image credit: designboom.com Video credit: designboom on Vimeo

2. Missibaba Belt

“I love how the new Missibaba leather belt “Le Left Bank” is inspired by the Hamsa hand, which is used to counteract the negative effects of the evil eye!” says content producer Michaela Stehr.

Image credit: missibaba.com

3. Superga X Liberty Of London Collaboration

Italian brand Superga has teamed up with department store Liberty of London to create a floral print sneaker inspired by Superga’s classic 2750 style shoe. “Love these!” says online editor Lindi Brownell Meiring.

Image credit: superga.co.za

4. Origami Flower Wall In Menlyn Mall

“What a great way to bring art into public spaces,” says art director Anton Pietersen. “I especially love how they use Jacaranda flowers, something you experience often and are familiar with in Pretoria.”

Image credit: Supplied

5. Cool Capital Biennale catalogue

Managing editor Lise Avis thinks the launch of the Cool Capital catalogue is a smart way to commemorate this important Pretoria design event.

Image credit: coolcapital.co.za Video credit: Maaamedia on Youtube

Find more like VISI Picks of the Week Series – Week 98 on picks of the week.

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Held biannually in Paris, Maison & Objet is considered one of the most important European design trade fairs in the world. At each instance, Maison announces their Designer of the Year. For the current fair, which runs from 4 to 8 September 2015, the honour went to industrial designer Dorothée Meilichzon.

The French designer is known for her ability to mix styles and prints in a way that feels fresh, yet familiar. Her signature style is further fortified by her interest in trawling through junk shops and flea markets, where she seeks out inspiration from the kind of objects that carry memories. In addition to that she also works closely with and draws on the expertise of craftsmen to create decor that is grounded in classic elements and finished off with contemporary pieces.

After working in Paris for five years, Dorothée set up her agency CHZON in 2009, at the age of 27. Over the past five years she has designed numerous bars, hotels and restaurants in Paris, including Hôtel Paradis and Café Pinson. She is currently working on the design of Hôtel Panache and the Grand Pigalle Hôtel. Beyond the City of Lights, she has also designed interiors in New York, London and Ibiza.

View more of her work at chzon.com. For more information about Maison & Objet, visit maison-objet.com.

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This major international design fair is happening in Paris from the 23 – 27 January 2015. The event aims to bring together like-minded professions in art and design, ranging from textiles, accessories and fragrances to decor, design and furniture. 

Maison & Objet has also announced nendo as the Paris Designer of the Year for 2015. Oki Sato, founder of nendo studied architecture at Waseda University in Tokyo. Today, the famed studio has offices in both Tokyo and Milan.

nendo’s winning concept is “chocolatexture”, a range focused on the shape and texture of the world’s favourite treat. Each individual 26 x 26 x 26mm cube incorporates different textures. The play on shapes alters the chocolate’s taste despite them all being made from the same formula and ingredients.

For more information about the event, visit maison-objet.com.

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