10 Exciting Home Trends We Spotted All Over Paris This Month
Each January, the design community’s most tasteful designers, editors, and style makers alike descend on Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the chic Parisian neighborhood known colloquially as “The Sixth” for Paris Deco Off, and head just outside the city to peruse Maison & Objet. The pair of interiors fairs—combined with Paris's legendary flea markets, famed January sales, and profusion of world-class museums—makes this time in the City of Light nothing short of a decorator's paradise. And, amid the bounty of newness, there were plenty of standout trends that emerged. I spied fantastical worlds with lush hand-embroidery and beaded details; eye-jolting stripes in unexpected color combinations; and beautifully textural meandering maze and wave patterns. Referencing one new collection, Ariane Dalle, the creative director of Élitis, said "[it] embodies the energy and confidence our spaces crave." Could there be a more fitting vibe for the year ahead? Here are the other home decor trends I spotted.
Fantasy Worlds
Creative directors have long played with scale, perception and whimsy when it comes to textile design. During this year’s fair there was an abundance of fantastical scenes brimming with the imagination inside the creative talent behind each brand. Oversixe embroidered fruits and dreamlike vegetation hang from a fictitious tree inspired by Mediterranean life created by Sacha Walckhoff at Christian Lacroix is aptly titled Otro Mundo. On the other side of town at an apartment overlooking the Jardin du Palais Royale, Cole & Son debuted a new collaboration with South African based Ardmore ceramic art. Various hand-painted and beaded fruits, birds, and vibrant wildlife populate the branches of this energetic scenic wallpaper celebrating the mysterious and majestic South African Baobab, envisioned under the direction of Marie Karlsson and officially launching this June.
LaLa Curio, founded by Laura Cheung Wolf and a Paris Déco newcomer, debuted collections from an apartment overlooking the recently restored Notre Dame, including the vibrant world of Palm Paradis, depicting rich hand painted tropical motifs on Thai silk in the 2,000-year-old Gongbi painting technique and finished with hand embroidered beadwork, sequins, wooden beads, and raffia.
Spiced-Up Stripes
Nary a neutral stripe was spotted in town with many houses debuting sprightly stripes full of vim and vigor on a variety of ground cloths in a diversity of textures and sheens. From a new multicolor striped fabric from the creative mind of Tricia Guild of Designers Guild to a stylish pin stripe placed unexpectedly on a shimmering silk moiré fabric, part of a new follow-up collection at Jim Thompson by Gert Voorjans. The designer, who is known for his decoration of the Dries Van Noten boutiques, noted, “This collection represents a symbolic silk road journey from Bangkok to Paris, an haute couture concept featuring vibrant colors and contrasts that can work in a range of interiors, from classical to contemporary.”
Other striped highlights include a new textile collaboration with unique stripes by Fortuny x Chahan Gallery; fresh ticking stripe colorways at Romo; and bold velvet bias stripes suitable for upholstery at Nobilis. From where I'm seated, this year promises to be one of rayure audacieuse.
Made to Measure
The visionary powerhouse behind Dedar, co-owners and creative directors Caterina and Raffaele Fabrizio, have ingeniously taken into account how designers are ordering and using their fabrics on upholstery. Thus, they launched an assortment of smaller panels of beautifully designed fabrics the house is known for, saving designers time and yardage bills on projects that might only involve upholstering the back of a dining chair or the seat and back of a fauteuil only. This first-of-its-kind program will be of great service to the interior design community and brings a fine art sensibility to upholstery fabrics.
Tie-Back Styling
For many, tie backs and trimmings never went away, but it’s become quite clear that tie-backs are certainly having a having a moment. There is a louche luxe sentiment to this look, and it popped up everywhere from the refurbished and recently reopened Hôtel de la Marine (home to the original Garde-Meuble, the office managing the furnishings of all royal properties), to a jewel box apartment decorated by de Gournay in Saint Germain des Prés. In a more contemporary spirit, the original Jean Royere Parisian apartment is divided with a poetically draped transparent from Prelle, and Uchronia created custom leather hands to hold back the lavish draperies at their installation in Hall 6 of Maison & Objet.
Samuel and Sons debuted Kaleidescope, an energetic and innovative trimmings collection with passementerie artist and designer Elizabeth Ashdown. Celebrating craftsmanship and unexpected, vibrant color, each piece of the collection was designed by hand using centuries-old techniques. “Color weaves narratives, evokes emotions, and reflects identity.” Ashdown noted. “Vibrant color combinations have the power to transform spaces into energetic expressions of individuality and joy.”
Pottery Prints
As an editor and stylist, I am always seeking new inspiration when it comes to floral arrangements and I am delighted not to have to look any further than these brand new wallpaper and textiles introductions. Osborne & Little debuted Sundara, part of an new collection of captivating fabrics drawing inspiration from the natural world. Designers Guild took inspiration from Delft pottery and showcased an eclectic mix of illustrative floral fabrics, with pottery motifs taking center stage. De Gournay also debuted Pietra Dura, a hand painted interpretation of stone marquetry common in 16th- and 17th-century Florentine courts.
From left: de Gournay, Designers Guild, Osborne & Little
Immersive Experiences
Just off the beaten path down a cobblestone road, you find yourself at the doorstep of quintessential Parisian townhouse, Hôtel de Guise. This month, it was the home of the debut of the Déserts collection, which inluded fabrics, wallpapers, carpets, and rugs along with a new range of plains, including Chroma, a flag display created in collaboration with India Mahdavi. The somewhat crumbling property created a dramatic foil to the rich textiles gracing every inch of the interior, which was fully transformed with scenography designed by Elizabeth Leriche. Tented rooms, portieres, pelmets, and sleeping nooks abounded.
Tucked away on a curved street the size of an alley, an immersive exhibition titled Voyages aux Bahamas was presented by Galerie Vauclair, Rouge Absolu, and Toulemonde Bochart. Vintage wicker and prominent antiques mixed with contemporary carpets featuring natural scenes from the lush, tropical forests of the Bahamas created an alchemy of natural wonder.
On the Right Bank, meanwhile, Jean Royere installed its novelties inside the original apartment once owned by the house's namesake French designer. Being immersed in the world of Jean, one of France’s leading figures of 20th century decorative arts, one can see how his traditional methods produced refined, timeless and comfortable furnishings. Taking a typical Parisian elevator (for one) up to the apartment and walking through the front door is to be transported to a world filled with personality, original artworks, Jean’s own sketches and drawings, as well as the original, simple furniture he had picked up and brought home over the years.
Wit and Whimsy
L’OBJET’s creative director Elad Yifrach debuted a new collaboration with South African artist Ruan Hoffman who is known for imbibing his ceramic earthenware with unfiltered emotion and an elevated playfulness. Each piece in the collection features L’OBJET’s commitment to craftsmanship and witty, thought-provoking work inherent to Yifrach and Hoffman's art and design philosophies. No surprise, this spirited collection resulted from an Instagram DM.
Graphic Patchwork
These bold, graphic black-and-white patterns feel like go-anywhere neutrals and would make impeccable upholstery or drapery. From Larsen to Pollack to Fortuny, each design is reminiscent of patchwork, books lined up on shelves, or even palm braiding, all exuding a distinctive texture and sense of architectural beauty.
Lavender Haze
From a color perspective, one shade of purple stood out: Lavender. While this editor often struggles with shades of purple, it felt exhilarating to see shades of lavender popping up in unexpected places. Case in point: a lavender animal print from Gert Voorjans for Jim Thompson; a low slung sectional in a delicious satin at Dedar’s showroom; and a bold lavender with a large criss-cross stitch by Rubelli.
Surrealist Twists and Turns
Traveling out to Maison & Objet, the standout trend was defined by Uchronia’s conceptual hotel installation inspired by Surrealism. The ELLE DECOR A-List studio's fresh take on hospitality turns conventions on its head and puts fine art and design at the forefront when it comes to creating commercial, hotel spaces. A dreamlike experience, the installation takes the viewer on a journey through concepts that play with our notions of convention, like a sloped bed that defies gravity, a chic and colorful gym with larger than life figures and transitional spaces lined in bold fabrics by Casamance that offer delightful sensory experiences.
Photos: Felix Dol Maillot
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