Joie de Vivre: Paris Trade Show Trends

Each year, tens of thousands of design professionals and enthusiasts descend on Paris to glimpse fresh ideas at the inspirational, industry-leading trade shows Déco Off and Maison et Objet. During the glorious March weather, I scoured the halls and streets for new introductions from France and beyond.

From the strong turnout to the collections on display, one thing was apparent: a zest for life. Emerging trends seem to signal a hunger for individualism and indulgence: unique and interesting patterns, exuberant color, and plush and luxurious texture.

Thevenon & Houlès installation at Chez George during Déco Off

*A view of Yves Saint Laurent The Museums,* Location: Paris, Musée d’Art Modern, © Adagp, Paris, Photo © Pierre Antoine

Combining first-hand experience with deep research, we created a comprehensive trade show report including the best of the season’s new offerings curated into seven visual themes, key color swatches (with easy-t0-use HEX codes), Q&As with top practitioners of French savoir-faire and an inspiring look at the Yves Saint-Laurent exhibitions that took over the museums of Paris.

Preview some of the exclusive trend and color insights from this report below.

Analysis

Key themes emerging show revealed a hunger for life and liveliness: for unique and interesting patterns, exuberant color, and plush and luxurious texture.

The product assortment delivered all of this and more, with special attention being lavished on grand-scale panoramic designs, metallic-look textiles, and products embellished with a menagerie of fanciful creatures.

While many collections featured products using recycled and ecologically friendly materials, the discussion was generally focused more on style and quality than innovation. However, quality—and the ability of a product to stand the test of time—is a paramount component of sustainable design. Many of the brands and makers featured here embrace this ethos, applying multi-generational passion and savoir-faire to creating heirloom-quality products.

Here is a high-level overview of the emerging theme directions from the report:

(Complete with full analyses including looks, materiality and techniques, examples, and behind-the-scenes interviews in the report)

Dans les Arbres (In the Trees) A collective craving to bring the outdoors in continues to grow, with panoramas featuring vegetation from around the world, careful botanical renderings and loose abstractions.
Bon Chic, Bon Genre (Good Style, Good Class) Clean stripes, crisp herringbones, and tidy checks mingle with trellis and Greek key patterns in varied sizes and techniques.
Les Fleurs du Monde (The Flowers of the World) While some designers depict blooms juxtaposed against clean stripes or in framed layouts, the arrangements of choice convey a free-form tangle, using densely packed allovers or meandering vines.
Géométrie Abstrait (Abstract Geometry) Complex and layered treatments transform the basic building blocks of squares, triangles, circles, and rectangles into attention-worthy centerpieces.
Rêve de Vagues (The Dream of the Waves) Here we find beautifully expressive, organic patterns such as abstract waterscapes, marble, and waves. Tactile and dimensional surfaces, particularly in ceramics and woven textiles, beg to be touched and enjoyed.
Au Naturel (All Natural) Net, leno, and intricate sheers create texture that lets dappled light through, and woven leathers and corded or folded wallcoverings create depth on vertical surfaces.
Un Soupçon de Fantaisie (A Touch of Imagination) Designers are embracing motifs from quirky to bizarre, educational to joyful. The wit and variety of these unusual patterns invite the creation of deeply personalized interiors.

To get a better idea of how we analyze each theme, find a preview below:

Un Soupçon de Fantaisie (A Touch of Imagination)

The predominance of the conversational perseveres.

Designers are embracing motifs from quirky to bizarre, educational to joyful. Flocks of birds, herds of elephants, dragons, insects, horses, and bears, invite a closer look and often a smile. From surreal creatures to human silhouettes, mushrooms to bananas, animal prints to balloons, no subject is off limits. Persian miniatures, Chinoiserie, Japonisme, and classic Pompeiian looks honor long-lasting human civilizations. Two important anniversaries (the discovery of hieroglyphs by Champollion in 1822 and the opening of Tut’s tomb in 1922) ensure that this season’s taste of Egyptian themes will continue. The wit and variety of these unusual patterns invite the creation of deeply personalized interiors.

LOOKS